1830.] 
Recent journey mto Northern Laos . 
215 
having been relieved regularly at each village from the Thalain, here left them* 
They are described by Dr- R. as a fair, well limbed, aihletic race, superior in ap- 
pearance to either Talins or Burmese, but have been oppressed from time imme- 
morial by Talins, Burmese, and Shans. 
Cultivation and villages were now of more frequent occurrence, and the path also 
appeared to improve. On the 1st Jannary they passed the village of Menlangi, 
situated on the river of the same name, which was crossed repeatedly. Here the 
Shdns persuaded Dr. Richardson to halt till an answer should be received to their 
letter, which had been dispatched when they first met him to notify his approach. 
He was told that Labung was still ten day’s journey distant. 
The country is tolerably open here, this forming the largest valley they had 
met with since leaving their boats. The width is from 3£ to 4 miles, and the 
length may be judged of from the circumstance of the hills to the north being 
barely visible from their encampment, which was at the southern end. The river, 
which has a course nearly parallel to the Thalain, rises 15 to 20 days’ journey to 
the northward. After receiving the Maignafi, it falls into the Thalain about 6 days 
from Menlangi The village is small, and the houses not so comfortable as those 
of the Burmese generally are. There are only seven other villages in the valley, 
the whole eight bearing the same name, and forming one of the 57 Cities of the 
Chang M4, or Labung chief. The collective number of houses is about 200. 
Cattle appear to be abundant in the vallies and open country, and about two to 
eight thousand are annually taken to the country of the Carin-ni, (red or indepen- 
dent Careens,) to be exchanged for slaves and for horses. Their value in their 
own country is about 1 Rupee Siamese 2 for a cow, and for the best bullocks. 
They are exchanged with the Carius at the rate of seven bullocks for a horse or 
young-man, and eight or ten for a young-woman. A small return in tin is also 
received, which is partly the produce of the Carin country, and partly obtained 
from the Tanthu people. The Shans also export salt and betle-nut. The former 
they obtain from Ban-c6c, and the latter from the lower parts of Thalain. 
After being delayed some days, on various frivolous pretexts, Mr. Richardson was 
again allowed to proceed on the 6th. He here entered a mountainous country, continu- 
ing to gain in elevation till the 9th, when he halted at the village of Bo, consisting of 
sixty or eighty houses, situated in an open plain, of twelve or fifteen miles in length, 
by five or six in breadth. The distance from his encampment in the valley was 
forty-six miles. The wild plaintain, tse-tsc, bamboo, all in great luxuriance, 
the forest more open, and the above trees latterly yielding to the pine, which is 
described as affording some fine trees, the branches frequently commencing at a 
height of fifty feet from the ground. The village of Bo is inhabited by blacksmiths, 
who smelt the neighbouring iron ore, (a red oxyd,) containing 50 per cent, metal. 
From this village the road gradually descends to the valley of M^-ping, which 
they reached on tiie 11th, a distance of twenty-six miles from B6. The whole of 
the country between the Thalain and the Me-ping, with some trifling exceptions, 
(such as the small valley of the Men-langi,) is one succession of mountains. 
They are chiefly of the older formations, the rocks being principally granite, gneiss 
and limestone ; trap rocks are also found. The party encamped at Mang-h;it, on the 
Nan-pa-ping, which, running southward, falls into the sea at Ban-coc. It is here 
about two-hundred yards across, and rather rapid ; it is, however, fordable by 
elephants. 
On the 12th Mr. R. halted, and proceeding on the 13th, found the road improv- 
ing, which continued as far as the village of B6n-son-cane and Ben-sup-ta, situated 
on C the Meta, a small stream that joins the Me-cudng, a quarter of a mile distant, 
the distance from Mang-hfit being thirty-six miles. Here were found oranges, 
shaddocks, pineapples, mangoes, cocoa nuts, guavas, &c., all abundant. The 
orange and the cocoa-nut were the only two in season however. The appear- 
ance of the people too was much improved, many of the women and children 
being nearly as fair as Europeans, and the latter often with light hair. Their eyes, 
unlike those of the Chinese and other eastern nations, are large and expressive. 
Here Mr. R. was again detained till the 19th, when the day being pronounced 
lucky, he advanced to Labfing, six miles, having thus reached the termination of his 
journey in thirty-eight days ; the whole distance travelled, including the water 
route, being three hundred and fifty three miles. 
Labfing is situated in the valley of theMeping, on the right bank of theMecuang, 
which joins the former river about half a mile distant. The Mecuang is about 30 
* About 1| Rupee Madras. 
