Chiang Rai, Chiang Kawng,
Lamphun, Nan
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On the morning of the 15th June,
unconscious of danger, he was moving up to the pass leading to
M. Lemm, from which place he intended to continue a traverse which
he had left unfinished there. Without any warnign, shots were
fired, and he fell wounded through the body, general firing took
place, and the carriers threw down their loads and bolted.
When Nai Tat fell he was not
dead, so the brutes proceeded to mutilate him by cutting off his
fingers and ears and then cutting his throat. They then rifled
his pockets, took the buttons off his coat, took his watch and
chain, and carried off the loads of the twenty-eight men. Among
the baggage was a chronometer and sextant. His companion, a lad
of eighteen, who was learning the work, happened to be among the
carriers at the time. The assassins deliberately fired at him,
but he escaped to M. Ko, the Governor of which place treated himkindly
and gave him an escort, himself accompanying him to the scene
of the murder. He declared that in all his life that he had never
seen such brutality; they helped to bury Nai Tat, and then returned
to Chieng Senn.
I forwarded a telegram to Mr.
Scott, the Superintendent of the Shan States, but unfortunately
he had been transferred to Lashio. After some time measures were
taken to investigate this brutal murder, committed in broad daylight
by a crowd of rufians. But the only result of the energetic inquiry
was a vague statement that somebody had done it. There the diabolical
scene closes, a striking example of talent and energy in the detection
of crime.
I sent Phra Sarisdi to Bangkok,
in order to enable him to get over the terrible misfortune that
had befallen him, and as all my people had fever, decided on remaining
for the rainy season at Chieng Mai. This I did very reluctantly,
as it meant delays when I should again take the field. I saw
my party off, and on the 5th July went to Chieng Kawng to form
an estimate of the difficulties and obstructions I was to encounter
when I renewed the work after the rainy season.
On the 5th July I left Chieng
Senn
. The current being very strong, I went down the magnificent
river, the Me Kawng, and in less than six hours reached Chieng
Kawng
.
Chieng Kawng, a city with a
wall on three sides, and exposed on the riverside, looks as though
surrounded by mountains, and one would little suspect that beyond
the low hills on the south is the expansive plain of the Me Ing.
The pagoda seen at the end of
the hills to the west is a monument to a famous Burmese warrior,
who died on his return to Burmah, after a succeessful expedition
to Luang Phrabang. Lepers live there now. The whole of the forest covering the low range of hills is of teak, possibly the finest
teak forest in Siam. A strange peculiarity about teak is that
there are no forests on the left bank of the Me Kawng; just as
though the great river was a natural division of some sections
at least of the flora of Indo-China.
Round about Chieng Kawng new
excitements have started in the way of sapphire-hunting, but none
of the stones are of any great value. In many localities over
the province of Nan precious stones are reported, and at M. Sa,
a town just south of Nan, they are said to be in great quantities
M. Sa contains over a thousand resident Burmese, attracted there
as much for the precious stones as for the teak, perhaps rather
more than for the teak, for it is a well-known fact that the Chief
of M. Nan has made it a ruling principle not to give any leases
of forests to Burmans, one of whom was clever rascal enough to
forge his seal to a document, giving a lot of trouble. I have
taken in the position and hope to complete arrangements for the
renewal of work next year.
On the 13th of July I left Chieng
Kawng
, and traversed the route along the base of the hills. It
is an excellent road. Nearing Ban Tung Yang, we go over the low
pass between the valley of the Me Ing and Me Lao. The pass is
not more than one hundred and fifty feet above Chieng Rai.
In the vicinity of the pass
are the ruins of an old town, and peculiar limestone rocks a couple
of hundred feet high. There is also a sacred footprint on the
top of a hill hard by. The west approach has very heavy jungle
and cane-brakes, and an open space with shale awakens a feeling
of superstitious awe. It is said to be the haunt of spirits,
and there is a legend that a number of Haw (Chinese) were massacred
here in days gone by.
Reasoning from analogy, it is
very likely to afford a happy hunting-ground to the geologist
when he comes this way, for he will find the fossils of the same
monster-reptiles as have been found in similar localities. About
eighty years ago, the Burmese army went over this pass, and ravaged
the valley of the Me Ing, destroying Phra Yao and M. Terng. It
is only a few years ago that M. Terng was re-established. It
is a great teakwood district, and antimony is found in great quantities,
also gold.
Continued
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