|
Chiang Mai
Chieng Mai,
at an elevation of 1,000 feet above mean sea-level, is a high-walled
city, one mile square, with a moat all round, and five principal
gateways. From the north-east corner, a semi-circular earth-work,
with an irregular outline as high as the city wall, sweeps round
to the south west corner, its greatest distance from the inner wall
being about half a mile. This wall, which has gates corresponding
to the city, was built by the Siamese when, under King
Narai, they took the city by storm in 1661. Chieng Mai
is laid out in streets, and the temples are numerous and handsome.
There is a daily market, managed almost entirely by women, who do
all the buying and selling, and judging from the different costumes,
many races of people congregate at the markets. There cannot be
less than three thousand people, without a single policeman, nor,
so far as I can see, any necessity of one. How long this will last,
it is difficult to say. So-called civilization is making its way
in Chieng Mai. Dr. Cheek has spanned the river with
a handsome and substantial teak-wood bridge, and beyond it has built
a handsome teak-wood church with a tower, for the Presbyterian
Mission. His steam saw-mill run by Kamuks is ever busy,
which accounts for the numerous substantial buildings rising up
all round. There is a residence for the English Consul, houses
and schools for the missionaries, and last of all, as a curious
indication of the times, a fine billiard pavilion. The pathways
here are excellent. At a distance of a couple of miles to the west
are the ruins of a small town. To the north is the site of the once
famous Muang Yiwan, on the ruins of which the present city
has been founded. There is also a large swamp not far away, which
during the rains has the appearance of a lake; in the dry weather
the soil affords an excellent material for the making of bricks.
The water supply of the city is good, the water being conveyed in
open channels from Dawi Sutep, distant about eight miles.
There are besides numerous wells, and Dr. Cheek has succeeded
in striking a spring not forty feet below the surface, which supplies
very pure water.
Dawi Sutep
is a mountain, the highest point of which is 5,500 feet above mean
sea-level. There is a pagoda on it, at an elevation of 3,510 feet
above sea-level, to which a pilgrimage is made once a year. There
is a plentiful supply of water; of late there have been objections
raised to Europeans going there, and the guides were punished
for taking them. The missionaries erected a sanatorium there, which
was destroyed by wild elephants. It was, however, not sufficiently
high, for to avoid the line of malarial influence one must be above
4,000 feet. The hill affords many excellent sites, and the oaks
invite habitation. On the western slopes of Dawi Sutep are
extensive gardens of tea (Mieng).
The plant here
is exactly the same as the Assam plant, but as the use made
of it is not the same, it is treated differently. There are over
the mountains in different places large quantities of tea growing
wild, but the cultivated plant is grown at regular intervals of
about six feet. No pruning is resorted to, and the plants are allowed,
as the Assam planter says, "to run to seed." The
life of a plant is about twelve years. The soft leaves, some of
then two inches in length, preferable to the young tips, are plucked
four times a year: Mieng Hua Pi about July, Mieng Kang
about September, Mieng Sawi about November, Mieng
Moe about January. The leaves are steamed precisely in
the same manner as the glutinous rice which forms the daily food
of the people. The narrow end of a closely-woven basket, shaped
like a truncated cone, is fitted into the neck of an earthen pot,
three-quarters of which is filled with water. A sieve is fastened
into the bottom of the basket into which the leaves are placed.
When well steamed, the leaves, after they are cooled, are tied into
bundles and buried. Salt is sprinkled over the leaves, and the whole
rolled up into a hard ball about the size of a walnut. This is put
into the mouth, and sucked at all day. The people find it a great
stimulant, and are enabled to go without food for long periods.
Large quantities of Mieng are used among the people, and
bullocks and even elephants are often seen laden with nothing else.
It is a great luxury with the Lao princes, among whom it
takes as important a place as the betel-leaf and areca palm nut.
Other parts of the journey:
|
