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Leaving Chieng
Mai and passing-by hilltribe villages
Oct. 5.-The
1st of October has come and gone, but no transport, and brilliant
weather is being lost, Chieng Dao stands out clearly defined.
Not to lose such excellent weather, I start traversing routes to
M. Hawt, and return by the paths along the left bank.
One cannot
help being impressed by the elaborate system of irrigation adopted
by the Lao. The tributaries of the Me Ping as far
as the Me Chan cannot be said to reach the river, as their
waters are dispersed through numerous channels watering the gardens
and fields. The Me Chan, the largest tributary of the Me
Ping, near its source flows through large forests of the long-leaved
pine, and then drains some excellent teak-forests, but owing to
the contraction of the river as it rushes through some gorges, it
is not easy to get the teak out, the force of water being such as
to break up the logs into match-wood. Some attewmpts have been made
to blast away the obstruction, but without much success. Near the
mouth of the river are the excellent light water-wheels, about twenty
feet in diameter, a peculiar feature of the Me Ping near
Chieng Mai, but these wheels convey the water for household
purposes only; for irrigation they are not much account, as the
quantity of water is small and can scarcely supply the needs even
of a single field, owing to the rapid evaporation.
Another feature
worthy of notice was the excellent attempt at road-making made by
the Governor of Lampun, who has had earth piled up along
the whole length of the roads. The roads of the country are as they
were ages ago. The first pioneers usually struck the best line of
communication from one town to another. Armed with their knives
the leaders cut through the thick undergrowth. They were followed
by others, and the constant going to and fro permanently established
the path, which like a long snake winds its way through the forest.
The making of a road merely consists of cutting the jungle, and
the expression used is cutting the road, a process which has to
be repeated from time in order to keep the dense jungle from overgrowing
the track,
The Me Ping
is the boundary of the provinces of Lampun and Chieng
Mai, but when the boundary leaves the river on the north-west,
the divisions of fields become the boundary, and this leads to endless
disputes. a still greater cause of trouble is the curious arrangement
by which isolated tracts are under separate jurisdictions. The telegraph-line,
after being interrupted for four months, is at last restored, and
I am informed that the Survey Staff is increased by the addition
of two more Europeans, Messrs. Smiles and Angier, who have already
had two or three years' experience of Siam on the railway
surveys; I also hear that another party, under Luang De Sah,
is proceeding by way of Nan to meet me at Chieng Kawng.
Messrs. Smiles and Angier having already started, I followed up
the next day, the 29th of November, making a slight diversion from
the usual well-beaten track, as I wanted to define accurately some
of the routes. On the 11th of December I reached Chieng Senn,
nothing worthy of notice having occured except that the Chinese
caravans, on their way to Maulmein by Chieng Mai,
were larger than usual, and the number of ponies from Chieng
Tung and M. Sing following the same route were rather
more than on ordinary occasions. At this time of the year, the Mussurs
came doown from the surrounding hills bringing chiefly cotton and
wax, which they barter for areca palm nuts and betel wine.
Arrived at
Chieng Kawng, I met Luang Di Sah (now Phra Sarisdi),
who had come by Nan, and as usual had done excellent work.
On a previous visit to Cheing Kawng I calculated the discharge
of the river. It is not a favourable place for a section. The banks
are over two thousand feet apart, and the lowest level of the water
more than fifty feet below the bank. The discharge was taken in
March when the water is at its lowest, but it amounted to upwards
of forty-two thousand cubic feet a second. We immediately set about
ascending a conspicuous hill to the west. Near the top were some
Meo villages, and it was somewhat amusing to see some of
the Meo come up and in a "jolly-good-fellow" manner
shake hands with the Chao, this method of situation not being
customary with either the Meo or the Lao.
The graveyard
of the village was well kept. The tombs were built of loose stones
and mud. It was the only clean place in the vicinity, the surroundings
of the Meo houses being far from clean on account of the
numerous poultry and pigs usually to be met with. The outside of
the houses may not be inviting, but the interiors are comparatively
speaking, kept in a state of cleanliness. Eight years ago the Meo
were not to be found on the right bank of the Nam Kawng,
but in the interval they have been swarming down. Mussurs
and Yao have been doing the same in every direction, indicating
a curious movement of the population. The Meo with the Yao
and Mussurs may be taken as hill tribes. They have a prejudice
to remaining on level ground, even at tolerable elevations, and
never on any account settle lower than three thousand feet above
sea-level. The Lao say of them with reference to this, that
they cannot live where the sound of the frog is heard. There are
from ten to twelve different tribes of Meo, but I could not
get the same number from any two different men. They seem a hardly
people and impress one favourably. They are a beardless race and
resemble the Chinese; there is something about their general appearance
reminding one of the Afghan. With his loose trousers, a loose, long
coat, and a neatly-folded truban, the Meo stands forth not
an uninteresting individual. The Meo wear a circlet of silver
with a small oblong pendant attached, on one side is a Chinese device
and on the other Chinese characters; they have no written characters
of their own, but the men wear it as a charm against the evil influence
of spirits. The head-men wear a Chinese pig-tail, the others shave
the tops of their heads and allow the hair to hang loosely over
their shoulders. When satisfied that they have exhausted the soil
of its riches, a survey of the surrounding country is taken from
some eminence, and if a limestone locality is observed, some of
the community are sent forward to explore and report.
The jagged
ridges of limestone, a common feature throughout the whole mountain
scenery of Siam, are not an indication of bareness, but the
soil at the basis of the ridges is very rich, and a Meo told
me that he has been able to plant Indian corn for seven years in
succession in the same plot of ground, the longest time for continuous
crops. Having decided on the new site for a village, a few families
make a start, collecting together their dogs, goats, poultry, and
occasionally a few bullocks used for transport. The women have the
babies slung over their backs, and the men the things for daily
use, while even the children carry loads. The women have bare legs
and bare feet, and a petticoat down to the knee with vertical folds.
There is an art in walking so as to show the folds. There is an
art walking so as to show the folds to the best advantage. A jacket
with a sailor's cape, a turban neatly folded, and excellent embroidery
in beautiful designs, sometimes in silk, adjusted here and there,
and the toilet of the woman is complete. On they go, forming an
apparently merry party. When they arrive at the site for the new
village, which is always near a spring, the trees are cut down,
and when a sufficient space is cleared, roughly hewn planks are
made for the sides of the house, while smaller blocks are used for
the roof as a rough shingle. Ventilation is free enough, and the
smoke from the fires issues freely from the sides and roofs. Water
is sometimes brought down in bamboo pipes, and the wooden tub which
receives it has a close fitting cover to keep out the dust. The
mill-stones are neatly formed. While one woman may be seen busily
grinding Indian corn, others are preparing indigo for dyeing cloth
or embroidering neat and elegant designs in cotton and silk.
They are careful
with their cattle and ponies, and often place them on platforms
above the ground. The dogs are an excellent breed of sheep-dog;
some are without tails. The village is almost always picturesquely
situated, and in the month of February, when the poppies are blooming
after a shower of rain, the prospect is very pleasing. The blossoms
of the poppy are large and of evry shade of colour, from pure white
to deep purple. The blossoms, with a white centre and petals (four)
tipped with all the shades between a light pink and deep purple,
are very pretty. Women may be seen proceeding from plant to plant
with china cups collecting the opium that has been thickly oozing
from five or six incisions in the pods. In one direction are fields
of Indian corn, in another tobacco, hemp, and vegetables.
The Meo,
like all who cultivate the hill-sides, occupy some months felling
the trees on the slopes. This process is gradually extended year
after year, a new lot being prepared for cultivation as the soil
of one lot seems exhausted. When the feeling of timber extends beyond
a reasonable distance, it becomes time to move on and find another
village. The Meo bury their dead near the village, and build a tomb
of stones and earth. With the corpse is placed a cock, a white one
being preferred, a bowl of rice, and some liquor to cheer the spirit
on its way.
There is a
tribe of Meo whom I was not fortunate enough to meet, who
have the rputation of being very shy. One great peculiarity of this
tribe is the arrangement of the women's hair. It is the great event
of a girl's life. When very young her head is plastered over with
the wax of bees and left thus for some years. In the maintime she
is supplied with silver needles, which are adjusted to the fingers
on thimbles, and which are used for relieving any irritation from
foreign bodies. Of all the hill tribes, the Yao are in every
way the most superior race. They have clever silversmiths and metal
workers, and the axes they turn out would compare favourably in
shape and finish with an American axe. Their cultivation is more
finished, as is also everything connected with them. The women have
an elaborate head-gear, well protecting them from the sun, and their
embroidery work is beautiful.
The Yao
seem to be ordinary, peaceful, hardworking Chinamen; they come from
the hill country of Kwang Tung. There are twelve tribes,
and there is little difference between them and the tribe known
as Lantan. There seems a curios persistence in this number of twelve
tribes. In this case they are-Lao Li, Lao Pong, Lao
Chao , Lao Tuen, Sin Pan, Sin Pung, Sin
Tu, Sin Ten, Sin Chao, Sin Chang, Sin
Tuen, Sin Tu, Sin Lung. Twelve is, however, also
a geographical division , as is Sipsawng Punna and Siasawng
Chu Tai, the one signifying the twelve divisions, and the other
containing twelve tribes of Siamese or Tai. All the tribes
now stretch across the Me Kawng and the hills that have for
ages been the habitation of wild animals are being occuppied by
peacefully enough under their own headmen , and trivial taxes in
the form of produce. All are great cultivators of opium.
Having completed
the work on Dawi Luang Me Kumm, I turned my attention to
Dawi Tusi, a convenient hill across the Me Kawng ,
near M. Kang. There were difficulties in the way of getting
there, as in the previous season the boundary mission from Burmah
went to M. Sing, and formally took the place over as being
a dependency of Burmah. As all these people about M. Kang
were under M. Sing, there was a disagreeable hitch.
Chieng Kheng
was a small state more or less part and parcel of Chieng Tung,
whose ruler was always a near relative of the Chief of Chieng
Tung. The present ruler is a brother of the late Chief of Chieng
Tung, and uncle of his successor, who is a lad under twenty
years of age. Before the coming of the English to Upper Burmah,
the Shans were all but annihilated on account of their fighting
with one another. The outlaying districts of Chieng Tung
afforded a ready refuge to all the cut-throat scoundrels, who found
the places which fell under English administration too hot for them.
Wherever these fellows went troubles arose, and unfortunately the
Chief of Chieng Tung used some of them to force on the Chief
of Chieng Kheng his rights to collect tolls at the well-established
ferries of the Me Kawng between the states. Now they have
settled in places on the borders of Chieng Tung, and form
nests of robbers sure to give nothing but trouble. They ought to
be removed en masse to the Nicobars or Seycheller,
as the French drove the bands of robbers from the borders of Tonquin
to Pulo Conde.
Chieng Kheng,
never a very inviting position, with little or no space for rice-fields,
was made more difficult to hold by the hostility of Chieng Tung,
so the chief turned his attention "to fresh fields and pastures
new." M. Sing, a few days' march to the east, was an
extensive plain, with thousands of acres of fertile land well watered
and adapted for rice cultivation. In this place the Chief of Chieng
Kheng thought of settling, but immediately difficulties arose.
About the year
1812 the Burmese, after having occupied Nan and destroyed
many flourishing places, were driven out by Nan, who followed
them up and completely destroyed M. Sing, M. Mang,
M. Pung, and M. La. There is no doubt but that M.
Sing was in those days under the administration of Sipsawng
Punna; this is certainly indicated by its geographical position.
as soon as Mang Pung and La were re-occupied, Nan
watched Sing with a jealous eye, and any attempt at settling
in the place was always met with the usual tactics, the place being
dacoited. About the year 1880 settlers from Chieng Kheng
established themselves on the plains of M. Sing, and about
1885 the Chief himself settled there. In 1888 Nan marched
on the place with a large force; the Chief took an oath of allegiance
to him, and was allowed to remain in peace. The English mission
from Burmah having gone there the previous season, and having
been received as representing the rightful suzerain, the question
has now assumed an interesting diplomatic character, The Nan
officials rightly do not want to interfere in the outlying districts
of Sing pending the decision, for no matter what the decision
is, Sing has determined to have no dealings with Nan,
but to negotiate directly with Bangkok.
Laying out
the triangles in the direction of Luang Phrabang, with the
Me Kawng conveniently situated so as to lessen to a great
extent any anxiety about the transport of provisions, it became
necessary to decide what peaks I should ascend and clear in the
direction of M. Sing, so as to establishits position in harmony
with the rest of the work. a strange difficulty presented itself.
One must be provided with official documents (Kras) from Bangkok
stating the object of the work one is engaged on. Now in the last
ones sent to Nan my name was entirely omitted. This constitutes
a serious difficulty, and the Nan officials say they cannot
receive orders from me.
As there is
a chance there may be some difficulty near Sing, I do not
want any repetition of brutal murders, so I resolve to go there
myself. I fell back on the old Kras and half persuaded the
Nan officials that the Kra was a mistakes, though
in reality it cancelled all Kras of previous date. Still,
it was not my business to point this out. but the obstacleproved
serious, and I had to make my arrangements accordingly. It was very
evident there would be a great amount of obstruction, and as there
was no room for employing more than one European, I was obliged
to send Mr. Angier to Bangkok. It was finally arranged that
the plan of ascending and clearing Dawi Tusi must be abandoned,
as not being judicious, and the work of clearing and observing the
peaks towards Luang Phrabang handed over to Phra Sarisdi.
On the 1st
of January I left Chieng Kawng, and after distributing the
young Siamese for running traverses and helping Phra Savseli,
I started from Chieng Kawng with carriers, accompanied by
Mr. F. H. Smiles and Mawna Ratchawong Sanan. An excellent
road has been cut to M. Luang Puka for the Nan officials,
one of whom, Chao Bun Luang, that son of the late Hobahat
of Nan, accompanied us. After the first march I leave the well-cut
road and dive into the heavy jungle by a small path which goes over
rough country, in the direction of a high prominent peak I am making
for. My friend the Nan official does not like this manoeuvre,
so we must prepare for trouble ahead. we pass some of the Lamet
villages and notice the elaborate arrangements to keep the rats
from the granaries, which are built two or three miles from the
villages. There are sometimes as many as twenty and thrity of these
granaries together; they present the appearance of a silent village.
Round the foot of the posts, covering a circle of about eighteen
inches in diameter, are planted needle-pointed bamboos; round the
posts are placed the smooth sheavesof bamboos, to make it difficult
to climb, and should this obstruction be got over there is a disk
of solid wood about a foot in diameter, fitted close to the post.
The most noticeable feature is that rats seem to be the only depredators
they to guard against.
We pass many
traps laid along the path for ensnaring rats and pheasants, and
at last get in to an open space from which the hill I am making
for is visible, but nobody knows its name, because nobody wants
to know anything about it . We ask the Nan officials to encamp
at an excellent village, Moksuk, on a hill free from jungle,
from which an admirable view is obtained, but while Smiles and I
are looking out for suitable paths, for no one will give us information,
we return to find the whole camp has moved off. There is nothing
to be done but to follow up, and we manage to over take the camp
about five miles further on.
This not the
least of our difficulties; we must have officials with us, and are
entirely in their hands. They do not understand the object of our
going to these out-of-the way mountains, and only see a lot of trouble,
to be avoided if possible. Sothey pretend to mistrustour intentions,
the peculiar wording of the Kras encouraging them in this.
However, finding that we were determined to retrace our steps and
climb the mountain, the order was given, and not a single transport
coolie remained camp.
The weather
was beautiful, and as Smiles was willing, we started off alone.
The Chao relented, and he sent word to tell us remain at
Moksuk and he would arrange the necessary transport. Beautiful
weather is being lost unnnecessarily, but there is no help for it.
In the evening the Chao came and explained that we were now
in the vicinity of the country the jurisdiction of which was the
subject of dispute between Nan and Laung Phrabang.
I explained I had nothing to do with territorial disputes, and that
I had to work as much in Laung Phrabang as Nan. There
was nothing to do but ot leave myself in his hands. He was thawing,
a bottle of whisky from our slender store completed process. It
was arranged that the path being very rough , the Chao should
not accompany us. Fair or rough,his company was not desirable; this
the case with all the officials, they are only a hindrance to any
progress. The Chao was noy badly disposed, but he had with
him one or two apparent officials whom I spotted as being the cause
of our troubles; they were very insolent. I insisted on their being
sent away, and the Chao himself seemed glad that they had
to go.
On the 12th
of January, withfourty carrriers and guides for instruments and
provisions , I started off, accompanied by Smiles. We passed some
villages with orange-trees bearing more fruits than leaves and,
as they were ripe , it was difficult to keep the men from taking
them. The village was inhabited by Lamets, most of the people
were absent, as, being under the administration of Luang Phrabang,
they fear being interfered with by the Nan officials. We
passed another village, which was hidden away in the deep shade
of the jungle, on the outskirts of which was the usual slender frame
of a gateway denoting the village entrance. There was such a noise
when the guide went in, that for a moment I thought trouble was
brewing, but it was the way of the poor people. As soon as a stranger
makes his appearance, they make a great noise from excitement anf
fear, all speaking together in a language which is very musical.
Other parts of the journey:
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