3 Review(s)

As a young man, French naturalist Henri Mouhot (1826-61) taught languages in Russia and travelled widely in Europe with his brother Charles, sketching people and landscapes, and taking photographs. The brothers both married descendants of the explorer Mungo Park (whose journals are also reissued). Not long afterwards, possibly inspired by Bowring's 1857 book on Siam (also reissued), Henri decided to explore South-East Asia. He travelled independently for three years in Thailand, Cambodia and Laos, where he eventually died of a fever. This engaging two-volume account of his experiences was compiled by his brother from his papers, and published in 1864 with many illustrations based on Mouhot's sketches. Volume 1 focuses mainly on Thailand and Cambodia, where Mouhot met several kings, travelled by elephant through difficult terrain, and visited the ruins of Ayuthia and Angkor. Mouhot's enthusiasm for the region's wildlife, landscapes and people rarely wavers, despite the challenging conditions.