OF SIAM 47 



the north and almost none in the south. Thus, 

 these three rivers constitute Siam's highways 

 north and south, while many tributary rivers and 

 klawngs of various width and length make east 

 and west connections all through the lower country. 

 It was through a series of such klawngs and 

 tributary rivers that Saw Swee Ann, the saked 

 man, piloted me to Ratburi, where I intended or- 

 ganizing a buffalo-hunting expedition into the wes- 

 tern border of Siam and on into Burma. My boat- 

 ing party, besides Saw and his servant, a Siamese 

 boy of say twelve years, who was forever balanc- 

 ing himself on the gunwale of the tug, consisted of 

 two Simo-Chinese boatmen, a Siamese engineer- 

 stoker, a Chinese cook and my servants. My in- 

 terpreter, Nai Kawn, a graduate of Lehigh, and I, 

 lived on the house-boat with one man bow and 

 stern; the balance of the party remained aboard 

 the steam launch. The house-boat, next to the rua 

 chang, is the most common river craft from end to 

 end of Siam, and the one commonly used by the 

 traveller. It may be any size, from one manned 

 by two oarsmen to one requiring eight, four each 

 bow and stern. In the latter case there is a small 

 bit of deck room at either end of the house— none 

 too much, however, to permit of the free use of 

 your hands with murderous intent upon the mos- 

 quitoes, which are so big, so numerous, so vicious 



