THE BIRDS OF SOUTH-WEST AND PENINSULAR SIAM. 9 



ing ready for our land journeys, as we had decided to send back the 

 launch. We got but little at Mamoh. 



Tapli. 



We accordingly moved on to Tapli, the terminus of the road 

 across the Isthums of Kra, where we met the Lord-Lieutenant who 

 treated us with great courtesy. Here we found quarters in a large 

 hard-wood houss built originally for the King of Siam when travel- 

 ling across the Peninsula. 



We stayed at Tapli longer than we anticipated though we obtain- 

 ed a few species that we were anxious to possess fro:n this area, notably 

 the hroaidhiW, Serllophiv? Innat lis, and a specimen of the long-billed 

 partridge, Rkizo^Jfra longlrostrls. After some difficulty we secured 

 ten elephants, the only method of transport in this district, but we 

 had loads for twenty, so that our men and equipment had to leave for 

 Tasan, our next stopping place, distant about twelve miles and slight- 

 ly on the eastern side of the Peninsular divide, in two detachments. 



Compared with Indian and Burmese elephants, we had always 

 been accustomed to consider the Malay elephant, as used in the north 

 of the Federated Malay States, a poor and inefficient baggage carrier. 

 An average aniniil can, however, be expected to carry a load of four 

 to fiv^e pikuls* and do twelve to fourteen miles a day over ordinary 

 country. The same is true of Patani and Bandon animals, though the 

 howdahs and panniers are inconvenient for carrying light and mis- 

 cellaneous loads. 



The local elephants, mostly from the province of Chumpon, 

 were inferior creatures, with cranky and ill-devised panniers. Their 

 mahouts protested vigorously if they were expected to carry more 

 than l|-2 pikuls, and I do not think there was one that tjok as much 

 as three. Their only merit was that they would do a fairly long day's 

 march. 



For the last three years a, cart road has been under construc- 

 tion from Tapli (which is the highest navigable point on the Pakchan, 

 for boats of moderate draught), to Chumpon on the Bangkok rail- 

 way. The total length of the road is about 36 miles and the earth- 



* lpikul = 133^ lbs. av. 

 VUL.Y, NO. 1, 1921, 



