Leaving Chieng Mai and passing-by
hilltribe villages
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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.
Continued
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