Laos: A French expedition arrives at Ban Bouncang on the Mekong River in southern Laos, March 1867. In the sketch, porters unload cargo and merchandise while one of the commission, Mr Garnier (bottom right), prepares a telescope to observe a lunar eclipse

This illustration by Louis Delaporte is one of dozens he produced during his two-year venture (1866-68) with the Mekong Exploration Commission sponsored by the French Ministry of the Navy, the intention of which was to lay the groundwork for the expansion of French colonies in Indochina. Traveling the Mekong by boat, the small French delegation voyaged from Saigon to Phnom Penh to Luang Prabang, then farther north into the uncharted waters of Upper Laos and China's Yunnan province, before returning to Hanoi in 1868 by foot, accompanied by porters and elephants.

Copyright:

Supplier: CPA Media Co. Ltd.

Credit:

Pictures From History