In The Far East: A Narrative Of Exploration And Adventure In Cochin-China, Cambodia, Laos And Siam

by William Henry Davenport Adams

In The Far A Narrative Of Exploration And Adventure In Cochin-China, Cambodia, Laos And Siam is a book written by William H. D. Adams that provides a detailed account of his travels and experiences in various countries in Southeast Asia during the late 19th century. The book is a fascinating and vividly written narrative that takes readers on a journey through Cochin-China (modern-day Vietnam), Cambodia, Laos, and Siam (modern-day Thailand). Adams describes his encounters with the people, customs, and landscapes of these countries, as well as the challenges and dangers he faced during his travels. He provides a wealth of information about the history, culture, and geography of the region, as well as his own observations and insights. The book is divided into chapters that cover different aspects of Adams' journey, including his arrival in Cochin-China, his exploration of the Mekong River, his encounters with the Khmer people in Cambodia, and his experiences in Siam. Throughout the book, Adams provides vivid descriptions of the people, places, and events he encountered, bringing the reader along on his journey of discovery. Overall, In The Far East is a fascinating and informative book that provides a unique perspective on Southeast Asia during a time of great change and upheaval. It is a must-read for anyone interested in the history, culture, and geography of this dynamic and fascinating region.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.

210 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1879

About the author

William Henry Davenport Adams (1828 – 1891), was an English writer and journalist of the 19th century, notable for a number of his publications. Father of William Davenport Adams and Ellinor Davenport Adams.

wikipedia

Reviews

[Paul Cornelius · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not very valuable. The "author" has either translated or transcribed or paraphrased the contents of three French geographic expeditions into Indochina, Siam, and southern China. He never makes clear, in fact, just what he did, only noting that this person says this, another one says that. Davenport himself, as far as I know, never even visited Southeast Asia. That would certainly explain the lack of geographic sense the work displays. I simply have no idea about what areas he is talking about most of the time. Granted, this book was published in 1879 and there is a general lack of knowledge about many of the areas under description. Still, most of them I haven't even heard of. Others he spells phonetically and you can determine them (Ounghcor = Angkor) or he sometimes even gets them correct or almost so (Korat or Chaiaphum). That's all understandable to a degree. But the embellishments, dramatic additions, and other florid creations really put me off. I made it through to the end, because I wanted to see what an 19th century description of the region would read like, before there was large scale French intervention. So this is valuable as a historical oddity piece but not much more. Plus, it's short--so I don't feel like I wasted too much time on it.