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Chiang Senn
I met a number
of Mussurs from east of the Me Kawng taking buffaloes
to M. Kwan. The buffaloes are lent by friends of M. Lem,
being too poor to buy them. I reach Ban Pawm, an old abandoned
stokade, near which is a deserted temple. They were built at the
same time, and were meant to indicate the position as suitable for
a guard-house. Peace and war were thus established side by side,
and as the object in view is accomplished they are abandone.
From here we
go over the plain of Chieng Senn, which has scarcely any
trees, the few trees which do exist being very stunted and shabby.
This points to great floods. As we approach the town of Chieng
Senn we observe a great number of bogs. the town is surrounded
by low hills, all historical, and the old Governor, who is
a nervous, excitable man, and hates the second Governor,
has extraordinary and very wild legends about them.
To the south
and beyond the low hills, about six miles off, is a large swamp
teeming with fish; on the east is the noble Me Kawng, and
as the soil is very productive, the people have little to do to
gain a livelihood. It is extraordinary what an excellent farmer
every man in Siam is and the cultivation of fruit-trees is
a favourite employment of wealthy men, who take a delight in making
the soil disclose its riches.
Chieng Senn
is remarkable for some very large and very beautiful. At one time
there were hundreds of figures known as Katimapet, regarded by the
Siamese as being very ancient. As they were a convenient size, they
were carried off to Bangkok, where they would be better cared
for. It was looked upon as desecration that they should be allowed
to moulder away in ruins. There are few people beyond the officials
within the city walls, the settlers, chiefly from Lampun,
living in villages over the plain. As they pay no taxes, the life
is free and easy, and it is very difficult to get them to work..
The following
is the history of Chieng Senn given me by the son of the
Governor. I have translated it quite literally:
The History
of Chieng Senn, as copied by Phya Siti-Ai-Sawn in the year
(Chula -Sakarat 1218) A.D. 1857.
The first country
made was Chieng Lawah ; and Phya Anu Ruta, who made
an era, came with one thousand things for amusement (Boriwan). He
founded Muang Nguan Yang. His descendants were Lao Kop-Lao
Chang.
Lao Kao
Keo Ma Muang reigned 45 years.
Lao Tang
reigned 26 years.
Lao Kum
reigned 10 years.
Lao Leo
reigned 16 years.
Lao Kupp
reigned 15 years.
Lao Kumm
reigned 15 years.
Lao Keng
reigned 26 years.
Lao Ko
reigned 20 years.
Lao Tung
reigned 17 years.
Lao Terng
reigned 20 years.
Lao Tun
reigned 16 years.
Lao Sun
reigned 21 years.
Lao Kwaka
reigned 21 years.
Lao Kwit
reigned 35 years.
Lao Chung
reigned 16 years.
Lao Chum
Palurrng reigned 11 years.
Kun Chuenng
reigned 14 years
who was killed in battle, finishing the dynasty of nineteen kings.
The last king
was succeeded by Menta Tawk, who again was succeeded by
Lao Ngun
Luang, who reigned 22 years.
Lao Chuenn,
who reigned 10 years.
Lao Muang,
who reigned 25 years.
Phya Muang
Rai.-This King, after three years' reign, founded Chieng
Rai in the year 624 (A.D. 1263 ), and in 636 founded M. Fang.
He then waged war with Lampun, and after a seven years' siege
took the place. In five years he built Wieng Kum Kan, it
is supposed, on a site between the present Chieng Mai and
Lampun. At this time the wife of the King, Nang Paiko,
went to Ava, and brought back with her a gong-maker to Chieng
Rai, and in 657 (A.D. 1296) Chieng Mai was founded. The
King died, being struck by lightning, at the age of eighty in the
year 680.
He was succeeded
by his son, Kun Fu, who reigned seven years.
Kun Fu
was succeeded by Phya Sen Pu , who lived at M. Nguan Yang
two years, and founded Chieng Senn in 692 (A.D. 1331).
The city was 1,250 wahs long and 700 wahs broad. There were eleven
chief officials. The chief; two to look after the granaries; one
to look after powder; one to look after soldiers; two to look after
the palace; one in charge of the country outside the city; one in
charge of the city; one in charge of boundaries; and one in charge
of temples and religion.
The heads of
revenue were ivory, men and women, cattle, bees-wax, turtles, spirits,
cakes, anything dug out of the earth, charcoal, insects, anything
that hangs to trees, sealing-wax, bamboos, fields, orchard and garden
land, all land, all water; and the heads of divisons collected the
taxes.
In 727
the Haw (chinese) came to Chieng Senn and were defeated;
and in 767 they again invaded Chieng Senn. The angels
were invoked by Tao Sam Phya, and the Haw were struck
by lightning and dispersed. An astrologer and priest, by name Maha
Sari Wong So, who helped to bring about the destruction of the
Haw, was given the island Dawn Ten, on which he built
some beautiful temples.
In 918
(A.D. 1557) Upa Yao Wa Raja came from Lan Chang ,
and went back after three years.
In the year
954 (A.D. 1593) Hupa Acha invaded Siam with
1,700,000 men, and from that time Chieng Senn became a part
of Burmah.
In 987
M. Nan and Chieng Kawng rebelled, and in 988 were
re-conquered. The same year Chieng Rung was conquered. In
1017 the King of Burmah made a division of territory between
two brothers. The younger brother was Chao Ing Ku Tia Wong Na-Kwa
. His head-quarters were Chieng Senn, and the following
countries placed under Chieng Senn: M. Kai, M.
Lai, M. Len, M. Palao, Chieng Lap, M.
Luang Puka, M. Puka.
Then there
is a list of Governors, with an item thrown in that a pig was born
of an elephant, and the history winds up as follows:
Since 1168
(A.D. 1807) there has been no Chieng Senn.
About 1880
the present Kralahom, when Phya Mahamat, arranged
for the re-settlement of Chieng Senn, which was carried out
in an unostentatious and effective manner.
The son of
the Chao Luang came in to tell me that some Indians were
coming. As Indian surveyors have been working in the Neighbourhood,
I thought it not impossible that they were coming again after having
completed their boundary work. I was rather surprised to find two
Europeans put in an appearance; one was M. Massie and the other
M. Vagcle. M. Massie was from Luang Phrabang, from which
place he had been to Sai, and thence to the tea-gardens at
the head of the Nam U Ipang and Ingu. In this region he was joined
by M. Vagcle, a resident of one of the Tonquin provinces,
but before they reached the place Mr. Scott had already left for
Chieng Tung.
They came down
by M. Lem. They were much interested with their journey,
but felt somewhat disappointed that the English mission had been
over the ground before them. They had the new French Colonial coins,
the piastres de commerce, about the size of a Mexican dollar. They
could not, however, use them, and I exchanged the good old rupees
for a few. I do not think the piastre de commerce will ever travel
as the rupee, which up to a few years ago I have seen current nearly
to the shores of the Gulf of Tonquin.
What impressed
the two Frenchmen was the ravages made by plague among the cattle,
and which they thought would spread in many directions. On the 20th
of April they left Chieng Senn by boat for Luang Phrabang.
The few days they were here they showed themselves agreeable companions.
I cannot shake
off the fever that has been persistently troubling me during the
last few months, and the accounts of the work are not assuring.
Phra Sarisdi
comes in to say he could discover no mountain where I indicated
one, as the haze and smoke have been so thick that nothing could
be seen. Another of my lieutenants comes in to say that all the
cutters have run away, and he does not know what to do. Rain has
been falling recently, and the atmosphere is very much clearer,
so I pull myself together, and on the 25th of April leave Chieng
Senn. I stop at a small hill, Dawi Palao, and have it
cleared, and work the men gradually to prepare them for the heavy
work ahead. It would not be believed what trouble there is in clearing
some of the hill-tops, the trees of which are of immense size.
At Ban Mechan,
which an excellent position, being the junction of the roads from
the north to Chieng Mai , I awoke to find that the men had
run away. The Governor of Chieng Senn is on his way to Chieng
Mai. I succeeded in explaining to him the impossibility of his
going away and leaving the district without a responsible official,
and that he ought to remain and help me to make the most of the
beautiful weather that he knew I was anxiously waiting for. He was
good enough to decide on helping me.
On the 1st
of May I start at noon as soon as I can get the men together, and
encamp at the hot springs.
There is a
din and hum as of many small engines. The water is boiling hot,
and there is an appearance of several fountains playing, the jets
of water from holes in the solid rocks being in some cases as much
as two feet high. At one fountain there was some natural sulphur
spray. These hot springs are to be found in many parts of Siam,
but I have not seen any with the waters being forced out in jets.
At M. Hongsawadi
two small hills, the highest a couple of hundred feet high, rise
above the plain, which is about ten miles long and six miles broad,
surrounded by very steep hills. Both of these hills are active volcanoes
and are known as the "Great Fire Hill," Pu Fai Yai,
and "Small Fire Hill," Pu Fai Nawi.
I visited Pu
Fai Yai on one of my former journeys. There is a path to the
top, which about two hundred feet above the plain.
The crater
is about one hundred yards long, fifty yards broad, oval in shape,
and one end about fifty feet higher than the other, presenting the
appearance of an oblique section of a cone. It had the appearance
of extensive excavations. From the different heaps smoke was issuing,
some emitting very offensive vapours. If dried sticks are inserted
into some of the fissures there is a low rumbling noise as of a
bellows playing, and immediately they burst into flame. In others
the volumes of smoke increase, but there is no flame nor accompanying
noise. As the day advances the mists lift, and while the sun shines
there is less smoke, but the flames are constantly playing and there
is the same rumbling noise. The people are afraid of the volcano,
and attribute it to some very bad spirits. Some of the minerals
at the volcano are sulphur and travertern. Einsen Kiesel--clay-iron
ore (plentiful all over Siam), when hot it is soft, and can
be pulverized between the fingers--sulphate of aluminia, and potassa,
native alum, hydrated peroxide of iron, limonite, native sulphur.
We move along
the Me Chan and leave one of the Chao's sons with
elephants and ponies at the foot of the hill, and passing through
a Mussur village, we encamp at an abandoned village where
the people of M. Ngam who were burnt out last year took refuge.
The next day
was a rough one, we had to cut our way through the jungle, and towards
nightfall to descend to look for water. The jungle was heavy and
ravine so steep and narrow, that with difficulty I was able to put
up a six-foot square tent.
During the
night we were disturbed by a tiger, and the shouts of the men made
it difficult to ascertain if a man in the Malay Peninsula in the
same way, the suspense was the most distressing. We had two or three
visits during the night which was not pleasant.
Early in the
morning I looked for the Mussur guides, who after their meal
struck tracks for their home, and we had to go on without them,
which after all was the best, as they did not understand exactly
what we wanted and often led us wrong. The small bamboo jungle is
very thick and full of tracks of wild cattle, which seem very plentiful.
The wild tea grows very plentifully. From the marks of cuts on the
stumps of trees it is very evident we are not the first to have
been about here. The ridge is serrated and very uneven. Mists and
rain, but what is still more important, short supplies of rice,
add very much to our difficulties. After we have cleared what we
think the highest point, the mists rise to show a higher one. Though
less than a mile away, there is a steep gorge between, and it would
take a whole day's work to get at it. As the rice supplies are running
short, and the peak where we are will answer our purpose just as
well, we decide on keeping to it.
There is a
little trouble about the referring lamp for azimuth observations,
as three hundred yards is the greatest distance I can put it. A
tiger prowling about and howling makes it uncomfortable for the
men at the lamp, and my observations are somewhat hurried.
My next move
is to a mountain with a Mussur village, Bansen Pom,
on the top. My Chinese cook gives a lot of trouble. He says he has
the devil in him, and amuses himself with losing his way in the
forests, on one occasion remaining out all night. I must make arrangements
to send him to Chieng Rai.
I do not know
what complaint I have, constant vomiting, and pains so severe as
to force me to lie down from time to time on the side of the pathway.
This makes the marches very distressing
The hills are
covered with numerous palm-trees, and judging from the fruits, they
must be the same as those described by Humboldt in his journeys.
The fruits are in bunches, consisting of several hundreds. The people
eat the fruit, but know nothing about the liquid so highly praised
by Humboldt.
Unfortunately,
on the top of the hill, is a spirit-house which we cannot approach.
The hill is called Nambaw from a large hollow on the top
of the peak N.E. of spirit-house. The hollow is said to be an old
silver-mine and is about twelve feet deep, and forty feet in diameter.
Trees thrity years old are growing in it.
There are a
great number of children in all the Mussur villages. The
little urchins are naked and covered with soot from the charred
trunks of trees. Observing a man in the crowd admiring his countenance
in a looking-glass attached to the cover of a tin box in which he
kept his tobacco, I borrowed it and frightened one of the youngsters
by showing him his own face. He is off like a hare, and is seen
vigorously washing himself at the village spout. The children are
keen beetle collectors, and it is a ready way and the only way of
disposing of the few piastres de commerce in my possesion. The village
is very filthy, but as it is on the top of a hill and exposed to
great storms which come sweeping over the Chieng Rai plain,
and from the plains of Tern and Prayao beyond, it
is healthier than it has any right to be.
The Mussurs
cultivate cotton, Indian corn, hemp, and rice; the rice is that
known as Kaochao, to distinguish it from glutinous rice.
The people from Chieng Senn are very much distressed, as
being the so-called Lao, they eat only glutinous rice. The
forests are teeming at this season with wild mangoes and fruits
of various kinds, and on our way to Nangle they came in useful,
as the men are short of supplies, for which I have sent Phra
Sarisdi into Chieng Rai.
Other parts of the journey:
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