Chiang Dao
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On the 17th of February, I reached
M. Fang. The day is beautifully clear after last night's rain.
The town is an old one, irregular in shape, with a moat and wall
of half-burnt bricks with a backing of earth twelve feet thick.
The walls were originally crenelated, and trees not less than
sixty years old are growing on them. A great deal of the inside
is jungle, with a street or two roughly laid out. The rice-fields
surrounding the town are extensive , but very little is under
cultivation. The few pagodas are more than half in ruins.
A curiously designed building
stands at the junction of the streets. It is said to have been
built by a man starting a new religion, the chief tenet of which
was that the people must not respect the princes. There is a
small hill in the town with a broken-down temple and pagoda, and
the River Me Chai flows through the town. It comes from Dawi
Pahom Pok
(cover-blanket mountain), a magnificent mountain to
the north-west, fixed in position by the Indian triangulation.
I make a mental resolution to start my work from this peak.
The Governor was troublesome about his poverty, which he said
was brought about by Phya Pap, who at the head of a number of
Shans occupied the town last year. For the past ten years there
has been a body of ruffians from the Salwin, who have committed
all manner of diabolical deeds, causing the most acute misery
over large tracks of country. At the head of some of them Phya
Pap
occupied the town. Fortunately none of the inhabitants were
killed. The Governor's nephew was wounded and taken prisoner
by Shans, more than likely by some of his own followers.
The Governor complains that
has not the wherewithal to carry on government, and that the Chao
gives letters to men of Chieng Mai enabling them to collect jungle
produce and fish, which are very plentiful in the swamps, so that
he cannot collect revenue.
I am anxious to make arrangements
about Pahom Pok, and as the head Mussur is down here, I take advantage
of his presence to make inquiries. The answer, I believe, is:
"There are no roads and you cannot go." I asked how
he managed to come and why I should not be able to go where he
went, as he was a very old man.
"Yes, I am ninety-four
of age"-he was certainly over sixty- "but you must go
to M. Hang if you want to get to Pahom Pok." "M. Hang
is many days' journey, while Pahom Pok is over there quite close
at hand." He laughed, thought it a great joke, and said
he would be glad if I came to his village, and that he would give
me every assistance. The Governor was very much disgusted, and
looked upon him as a savage, because he was beginning to speak
the truth, for according to his notions that man is truly clever
who can deceive best. Such a man is deserving of respect, the
candid and truthful man is fool.
Later on the Mussurs pay me
a visit; a little whisky warms them up. One of them pulls out
from the sack under his arm a reed instrument, and they all join
in a Highland fling. The old man is proud of the performance,
and they leave in good-humour, promising me every sort of assistance.
The next day I am able to get
only ten men together, so I get the loan of an elephant from a
Shan settler, and push on for the Mussur village. The chronometer
is placed in a basket and swung to a pole, and two men always
carry it. It is of course no weight, but this is the best way
of carrying the chronometer, particularly if the positions of
places are to be determined by time. As early as possible I was
off, putting my things on the elephant, and we were soon climbing
the mountain along an excellent path. When we reached a height
of about four thousand feet above sea-level, we came on the extensive
clearings of the Mussurs, and met some of them quite at home swinging
excellent axes of their own manufacture, and felling in every
direction valuable log-wood trees regardless of what they are.
Down they all must go, and let the sun's rays play freely on
the rice that is to be cultivated. The trees after they felled
are allowes to remain where they are for two or three months,
and are then fired.
Continued
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