The Lamets, the Lamungs and more
hilltribe villages
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A story is told of a desperate cause of quarrel between two
tribes of Khas, the quarrel being kept up even at present. The
Kha Bhit, who live across the main watershed, were invited to
a feast by the Khas in the upper waters of the Nam U, where an
elephant was prepared to regale the new friends. The return-feast
was given by the Kha Bhit, who live across the main watershed,
were invited to a feast by the Khas in the upper waters of the
Nam U, where an elephant was prepared to regale the new friends.
The return-feast was given by the Kha Bhit, but not being able
to procure an elephant, they prepared a porcupine. When the Khas
of the Nam U sat down to the feast they were much disgusted to
have but a small portion of meat. Leaving the feast in anger,
they said, "We gave you to eat the whole of the largest animal
in our forests, here you have an animal with hair like sticks,
which must be much larger than an elephant, and you give us a
very small portion of it. You are teacherous and deceitful, and
we will have nothing more to do with you."
It is curious how the name Lao is disliked by the whole of
the northern country of Siam, yet it still lingers amongst the
inhabitants.
We are now at the foot of the hill I was desirous of reaching,
and very early in the morning we are on the move. One is always
apprehensive, as the slopes of the hills are usually covered with
jungle and no outlook can be had anywhere, but in this particular
instance the village path takes one almost to the top of the hill,
and although some of the trees some of the tress are very heavy
the clearing is soon effected, as the little hill-men are quite
at home swinging their axes and felling the trees. The views
from the hill are spendid; to the south is Pa Yang, which has
been cleared already by Luang Di Sah, and the two trees left as
signals stand prominently out. The villages on the slopes of
the hillss are numerous, and some of them very large for these
parts, consisting of over two hundred houses, and what is more
interesting, in every direction are traces of former settlements,
making the prospect of clearing the mountains more cheerful.
The mountains for the triangulation towards Luang Phrabang stand
prominently out, and are well peopled.
Smiles now starts to run traverses north along the villages
paths, keeping pretty well to the watershed of the Nam Ta, while
I have to retrace my steps and join my obstructive friends, the
men from Nan, and meet him again at M. Puka. The baskket signal
has been erected and the two signal trees left standing, and I
start making a chain and compass survey back to Mok Suk, and thence
on to Puka, using the plane table wherever there was an opening.
This was not very frequently, except near the head of the Me
Ngao
and Me Pah, where the mountains are high and well cultivated.
There are the elements of quarrels among the Khas under the adminis
tration of Luang Phrabang and of Nan.
Approaching Puka, I met a colony of Yao on their way to Chieng
Kawng
, they were very interesting. Puka was many years ago a
town and is now a dense jungle, the surrounding paddyfields having
been left to lie fallow for many years. The surrounding hills
are very well peopled with Khas, the villages usually being on
the tops of the spurs.
In hunting aboput for a suitable peak, I found in one place
the path was blocked, and a new path cut for a short way, so as
to avoid a tree that had been struck by lightning and was supposed
to be in the possession of the spirits. But as the new path was
in the possession of bees which sting very severely, I preferred
to risk encountering the spirits rather than the bees, much to
the annoyance of the guide. About a mile further on another tree
had been struck by lightning, but this time with serious results.
The tree was standing in the midst of rice on the hill slope,
and thogh the crops generally were rather scantly, the owner abandoned
his fields and did not gather in the harvest, saying it had become
the property of the spirits, which on this occasion were represented
by numerous small birds that were almost too fat to fly.
I selected a hill which was well wooded, and in the deep
shade near the top pitched my tent among oaks and wild cherries.
It was only the day before leaving I was told that the tent was
pitched in a graveyard, and as the people do not dig deep graves,
I was rather astonished that my olfactory sense had not been offended;
it was however explained that the graveyard had not been used
for four or five years. One of the head-men of the Khas was, as
they alleged, taken hold of by a spirit. It was curious to watch
him, he had a shivering fit, and seemed to be suffering from a
severe attack of colic. I gave him much relief; another man set
about exorcising the spirit by repeating prayers and at intervals
blowing on the victim. The monotonous chant went on all night.
In the morning I took him in hand by administering a very large
dose of castor-oil and then large doses of salts, but with little
or no effect. However, he eventually got rid of the spirit and
was restored to health. But it was thought I should not have
pitched the camp in a graveyard, where there were troublesome
spirits who were annoyed because I was cutting down the trees.
Continued
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