ABOUT the year 1880 the Siamese Government became convinced of the necessity of accurate surveys for frontier delimitation, and then it was that Mr. McCarthy commenced the long series of explorations which are recorded in the present work, and which have won for him the gold medal of the Royal Geographical Society. To the student of Indo-China, Mr. McCarthy's book is full of extremely valuable information regarding the aboriginal and mountain races of the highlands of the interior, with whom the nature of the author's work brought him into constant contact. Mr. McCarthy has a sympathetic eye for his fellow travellers, and a kindly word for all but the most obstructive of the native officials. From obstruction by this class, the officers of the Siamese Survey have indeed suffered probably more than any other European officials of the Government; inasmuch as the Survey was practically the pioneer department of the modern; régime, and it had to contend against the whole of the forces of conservatism, superstition and suspicion which were at the outset arrayed against all innovation of the kind. Against these, for many years, Mr. McCarthy battled almost single-handed, carrying out meantime slowly and laboriously the triangulation of the frontier districts, and himself training his own assistants. The physical difficulties of the country, which can only be thoroughly appreciated by those who have experienced them, and the inevitable sickness which attacks all who spend the wet season in the jungle, further delayed and hampered the work. The author makes light of the difficulties which had to be overcome, but those who read between the lines will see how formidable they were.
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Oct 1, 1979
Gary L Truce 
Open Access