Geographical Notes

Abstract

THE Hon. G. N. Curzon, M P, read a paper on his recent journey in Indo-China at the meeting of the Royal Geographical Society on Monday. The whole region, he pointed out, is dominated by its great rivers, and may be divided into the mountain district of the north cleft by vast gorges, and the low plains of the south mainly composed of alluvial deposits, where the coast lands are steadily encroaching on the sea, In the seventh century Tongking, now 6o miles inland, was on the coast. A very remarkable feature which gives to parts of the coast a beauty comparable with that of the Inland Sea of Japan is a broken belt of limestone cut into curious flat-topped sections of all sizes, and perforated by the sea or rivers with many fantastic caverns and tunnels The masses of caverned rock rise to a height of from 50 to 500 feet, and are best seen in the Bay of Along in Tongking In Annam Mr. Curzon travelled to Hué by the “Mandarin's Road,” a track whih is carried over several cols by some skilful engineering in the form of rock stair cases. Throughout Annam the traveller is much confused by the number of names applied indiscriminately to each village, and the maps hitherto constructed by the French officials are far from satisfactory. The peo pie of Annam have the submissiveness without the nerveless apathy of the Hindu, and as craftsmen they are industrious and artistic. Coal is abundant, some seams being more than 180 feet thick at Haton, on the Bay of Along. Hué is a city of great interest, being beautifully situated and near a number of magnificent ancient tombs. Cambodia or Cambogia, as Mr. Curzon prefers to spell the name, is of interest, mainly on account of its ruins, the number and character of which make a long stay desirable, if the traveller would do justice to his opportunities.