A PILGRIMAGE 65 



mese may represent the sum total of his worldly 

 wealth. Frequently I saw a native who kept body 

 and soul together with difficulty on the fish that he 

 caught and the fruit that he plucked, bring forth 

 with much pride a betel-nut set which represented 

 money enough to maintain him in luxury and in 

 idleness for a year. I am sure the Siamese would 

 cling to the betel-nut if he had to choose between it 

 and food. In fact, such incidents came under my 

 personal observation. Often I stopped at a native 

 house where, although the larder was empty, they 

 still had betel-nut to chew, and to offer to the trav- 

 eller; for the betel-nut is the token of hospitality 

 here as the cup of tea is in the Far North. 



During the few days following my arrival Phra 

 Ram was the busiest man you ever beheld getting 

 his men and carts together ; and, as each new prob- 

 lem necessitated a period of consultation— and 

 betel-nut chewing— and as the latter periods were 

 prolonged by the constant arrival of new coun- 

 sellors, the decision of problems rated as about one 

 to the half day. Meanwhile I made acquaintance 

 with Ratburi, and took little journeys up and down 

 the river. Ratburi was soon explored without re- 

 sults for, despite its local halo as the one time resi- 

 dence of the king, it is none the less an unkempt, 

 dirty, little town, full of Chinese shops and filthy, 

 mangy dogs that skulk at your heels or peer out 



5 



