JOURNEY THROUGH LAOS FROM BANGKOK TO UBON. 105 
euard armed with muskets, were .a safeguard against wild 
beasts and robbers. 
Thursday, 21st—Daylight had hardly appeared when I 
wakened the camp and rang to prayers. Then each made his 
way to the cart that served as our kitchen, to swallow a cup 
of tea, while waiting for breakfast, which might be a long time 
coming, for it was necessary first to reach the regular halting- 
place, otherwise no water was to be got. The bullocks were 
yoked, and we started—my confrere, on horseback, leading the 
way, while I brought up the rear in order to keep an eye upon 
stragglers. After an hour’s march, there was a sudden halt, 
and I went from one cart to another asking what was thé mat- 
ter. Hach had stopped because the one in front of it had 
stopped! It turned out that a wheel was broken, the damage 
was repaired with rattan, and we went on again. About mid- 
day we stopped near a a pool and cooked our breakfast, while 
the bullocks, unyoked, cropped the fresh herbage. We were 
at the village of Ramachai, but we were in want ofa spare 
felloe, for which we sought in vain. Our people went off to 
the Laosian village of Ban-kula and thence brought back the 
piece of wood that we wanted. We then set off. The route 
here was over loose, white sand, which made it very heavy 
travelling for the bullocks. In the evening we reached two 
muddy marshes : ; here, at the pool known as ‘Nong-pi-i leng, we 
camped. 
Friday, 22nd—Towards the evening we arrived at a 
small village—a group of little huts built upon piles in 
the middle of an enclosure formed of felled timber. We did 
not halt here, for the water was not good andthe custom- 
house of Muang Sanam is only a kilométre further cn and 
there is a good spring there. 
The mention of a “custom-house” is calculated to make 
you suppose that we were approaching a collection of houses 
protected by a military station. But in this country a 
douane is amuch more simple affair. No registers, no com- 
missioners! Two men sprawling peacefully ina hut of leaves 
await, at the frontier of a province, the passage of cart and 
bullocks, and levy atax on the owners. 
