108 JOURNEY THROUGH LAOS FROM BANGKOK TO UBON. 
of Siem-rab. In return for the elephants which he was going 
to offer to the King, he hoped for certain favours. We paid a 
visit to the Governor, for whom we had brought letters from 
Bangkok. His house is a tumble-down affair. He is of 
Laosian race, about sixty years old, and has under his govern- 
ment about two or three hundred houses scattered about in 
the forest, the population of which is Cambodian. 
Saturday, 1st March.—¥or the last time we crossed the tele- 
graph line, which we then quitted in order to take the road to 
Noug-bua (pool of Lokas). At one o’clock we resumed our 
journey, and camped in the evening at the village of Bang- 
sang inhabited by Laosians. 
Sunday, 2nd.—Our itinerary instructed us to go by 
Nong-phi, and Tong-nong—two pools which are close to the 
roadside— but the dryness of the weather obliged us to take 
another course, viz., by Ban-kin. Starting at half-past two, 
we travelled through forest, everything being most distressing- 
ly dry ; at mght we slept in the forest, the bullocks having to 
go without water. Our rice was cooked with the little which 
~we had in reserve. 
Monday, 8rd—At ten o’clock we arrived at Ban-kin. 
Water good and abundant. At two o’clock the signal for depar- 
ture was given, but two bullocks were missing and had to be 
recovered. We got away at last. Road bad. On the left a 
chain of mountains of considerable height was observable. At 
night we camped on the banks of a pool. 
Tuesday, 4th.—Excellent water in the ee muddy 
water in the evening. 
Wednesday, 5th.—In the evening we arrived at the village 
of Huari-Sameron and pushed on to Kra- Sa-mémal, where we 
passed the night in the middle of a field. 
Thursday, 6th.—Early in the morning the headman of the 
village visited us at our camp, and brought us the provisions 
which we had asked for the night before on our arrival. 
These consisted of rice, fowls and red chillies. We were able 
also to procure here an additional cart for eleven ticals ; this 
extra assistance was absolutely necessary, for we were ap- 
