Travels in the central parts of Indo-China (Siam), Cambodia, and Laos : during the years 1858, 1859, and 1860 . , displayed by very young children. I used toamuse myseK by offering some of them my cigar-endsto smoke, in return for which they would run afterbutterflies, and bring them to me uninjured. I discovered here a sort of spider, which is also, Ibelieve, found at the Cape, from which a silken threadmay be drawn out by taking hold of the end hangingfrom its body. One has but to go on winding; thethread is very strong, and never breaks. It requires some time to become accustomed to theshri


Travels in the central parts of Indo-China (Siam), Cambodia, and Laos : during the years 1858, 1859, and 1860 . , displayed by very young children. I used toamuse myseK by offering some of them my cigar-endsto smoke, in return for which they would run afterbutterflies, and bring them to me uninjured. I discovered here a sort of spider, which is also, Ibelieve, found at the Cape, from which a silken threadmay be drawn out by taking hold of the end hangingfrom its body. One has but to go on winding; thethread is very strong, and never breaks. It requires some time to become accustomed to theshrill chirpings during the night of myriads of grass-hoppers and other insects, which seem never to appears to be no such thing as silence or repose ;everywhere is a continual stir, the gusliing overflow oflife in this exuberant region. What a contrast between the subdued tints and coldskies of Europe, and this burning clime and glitteringfirmament! How pleasant it was to rise in the earlymorning before the glowing sun had begun liis course;and sweeter stUl in the evening to listen to the thousand. Drawn by M. J. Laoge. from a Sketch by M Moahot. ELEPHANTS IN AN ENCLOSURE OR PARK AT AYUTHIA. Chap. III. ARRIVAL AT ARAJIK. 115 sounds, the sharp and metallic cries, which seemed asthough an army of goldsmiths were at work! The people here might be extremely happy, were theynot kept in such abject slavery; bountiful nature, thatsecond mother, treats them as her spoilt children, anddoes all for them. The forests abound with vegetablesand exquisite fruits; the rivers, the lakes, and the pondsteem with fish; a few bamboos sufSce to construct ahouse; while the periodical inundations render the landswonderfully fertile. Man has but to sow and to plant;the sun saves him all further trouble; and he neitherknows nor feels the want of all those articles of luxurywhich form part of the very existence of a European. On the 13th November we arrived at a village calledArajik, where the


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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1860, bookpublisherlondo, bookyear1864