﻿HUNTING 
  THE 
  CHAULMOOGRA 
  TREE 
  

  

  257 
  

  

  enormous 
  height 
  formed 
  the 
  main 
  vege- 
  

   tation, 
  glided 
  past 
  in 
  review. 
  

  

  Rapid 
  after 
  rapid 
  was 
  negotiated, 
  41 
  

   in 
  all, 
  requiring 
  two 
  days. 
  The 
  first 
  large 
  

   one 
  was 
  Keng 
  Soi, 
  and 
  the 
  second 
  Omlu, 
  

   where 
  the 
  river 
  made 
  two 
  wide 
  curves, 
  

   forming 
  the 
  letter 
  "S." 
  To 
  my 
  mind, 
  this 
  

   was 
  the 
  most 
  dangerous 
  of 
  all. 
  After 
  

   passing 
  the 
  whirlpools 
  we 
  stopped 
  and 
  I 
  

   went 
  back, 
  followed 
  by 
  my 
  crew, 
  to 
  a 
  

   few 
  natives 
  who 
  had 
  been 
  fishing 
  along 
  

   this 
  rapid. 
  Instead 
  of 
  buying 
  fresh 
  fish, 
  

   my 
  men 
  bought 
  the 
  oldest 
  and 
  rottenest 
  

   they 
  could 
  find. 
  This 
  made 
  further 
  resi- 
  

   dence 
  on 
  my 
  boat 
  next 
  to 
  impossible, 
  and 
  

   I 
  energetically 
  demanded 
  the 
  removal 
  of 
  

   the 
  offensive 
  fish. 
  They 
  were 
  eaten 
  post 
  

   haste. 
  

  

  At 
  Okma, 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  last 
  rapids, 
  we 
  

   met 
  with 
  difficulties 
  that 
  necessitated 
  our 
  

   being 
  let 
  over 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  ropes. 
  At 
  the 
  

   first 
  trial 
  these 
  broke, 
  so 
  that 
  we 
  narrowly 
  

   escaped 
  being 
  dashed 
  against 
  the 
  rocks. 
  

  

  ASHES 
  OF 
  ROASTED 
  GIBBONS 
  USED 
  AS 
  CON- 
  

   SUMPTION 
  REMEDY 
  

  

  The 
  only 
  life 
  observed 
  along 
  this 
  tor- 
  

   tuous 
  river 
  was 
  an 
  occasional 
  bird 
  with 
  

   black-and-white 
  plumage, 
  at 
  which 
  the 
  

   Lao 
  boys 
  dexterously 
  shot 
  with 
  bow 
  and 
  

   pebbles. 
  Here 
  and 
  there 
  a 
  gibbon 
  ven- 
  

   tured 
  to 
  the 
  river 
  bank, 
  but 
  not 
  a 
  single 
  

   sambar 
  did 
  we 
  observe, 
  although 
  they 
  are 
  

   common 
  in 
  this 
  region. 
  My 
  interpreter 
  

   informed 
  me 
  that 
  the 
  Lao 
  and 
  Siamese 
  

   roast 
  or 
  burn 
  gibbons, 
  and 
  the 
  ashes 
  are 
  

   taken 
  with 
  liquor 
  as 
  a 
  remedy 
  for 
  con- 
  

   sumption. 
  Everything 
  is 
  used 
  — 
  entrails, 
  

   hair, 
  and 
  all. 
  

  

  Our 
  next 
  camp 
  was 
  near 
  Pa 
  Khar, 
  

   where 
  elephants 
  kept 
  me 
  awake 
  during 
  

   the 
  night. 
  They 
  were 
  only 
  breaking 
  bam- 
  

   boo 
  for 
  food, 
  but 
  the 
  noise 
  resembled 
  

   machine-gun 
  fire. 
  

  

  Early 
  in 
  the 
  morning 
  I 
  climbed 
  the 
  hill- 
  

   side 
  to 
  collect 
  botanical 
  specimens, 
  but 
  

   I 
  was 
  soon 
  forced 
  to 
  retreat, 
  owing 
  to 
  

   the 
  unexpected 
  appearance 
  of 
  a 
  bear. 
  

   The 
  whole 
  hillside 
  is 
  one 
  solid 
  mass 
  of 
  

   gray 
  rock. 
  A 
  few 
  hundred 
  feet 
  above 
  

   the 
  level 
  of 
  the 
  river 
  I 
  found 
  water- 
  worn 
  

   rocks, 
  with 
  deep, 
  smooth 
  holes, 
  formed 
  

   thousands 
  of 
  years 
  ago 
  by 
  the 
  waters 
  of 
  

   the 
  Meh 
  Ping. 
  In 
  these 
  holes, 
  trees 
  (Eu- 
  

   phorbia 
  antiquorum) 
  are 
  now 
  growing. 
  

  

  At 
  Kaw 
  Paw 
  Luang 
  we 
  reached 
  the 
  

   last 
  of 
  the 
  rapids. 
  To 
  the 
  right 
  was 
  a 
  

  

  huge 
  rock, 
  Doi 
  Chung 
  Da, 
  with 
  a 
  cave 
  of 
  

   three 
  entrances, 
  each 
  pointing 
  in 
  a 
  dif- 
  

   ferent 
  direction. 
  

  

  A 
  fleeting 
  visit 
  was 
  paid 
  to 
  (Kaw) 
  

   Sam 
  Gnow, 
  "The 
  Three 
  Shadows, 
  " 
  

   where 
  an 
  altar 
  is 
  hewn 
  into 
  the 
  hillside 
  

   some 
  distance 
  from 
  the 
  river. 
  Here, 
  in 
  

   three 
  niches, 
  three 
  Buddhas 
  sit 
  enthroned, 
  

   in 
  memory 
  of 
  three 
  sacred 
  shadows 
  which 
  

   appeared 
  as 
  an 
  apparition 
  to 
  early 
  navi- 
  

   gators 
  of 
  the 
  stream 
  (see 
  page 
  267). 
  

  

  Finally 
  Raheng 
  came 
  into 
  sight, 
  and 
  I 
  

   parted 
  from 
  my 
  cheerful 
  Lao 
  captain 
  and 
  

   crew, 
  who 
  had 
  so 
  faithfully 
  and 
  efficiently 
  

   guided 
  our 
  boat 
  through 
  treacherous 
  

   rapids. 
  

  

  The 
  hardest 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  Siamese 
  jour- 
  

   ney 
  was 
  now 
  before 
  me. 
  With 
  the 
  help 
  

   of 
  the 
  Assistant 
  Governor 
  of 
  Raheng 
  we 
  

   completed 
  our 
  preparations 
  and 
  crossed 
  

   the 
  river, 
  only 
  to 
  learn 
  on 
  the 
  other 
  side 
  

   that 
  we 
  had 
  more 
  baggage 
  than 
  carriers, 
  

   and 
  so 
  again 
  we 
  had 
  to 
  cross 
  to 
  the 
  

   Borneo 
  Company 
  Compound 
  to 
  spend 
  the 
  

   night 
  and 
  wait 
  for 
  another 
  contingent 
  of 
  

   coolies. 
  

  

  After 
  reaching 
  Raheng, 
  we 
  crossed 
  

   glorious 
  mountain 
  ranges, 
  covered 
  with 
  

   dense 
  tropical 
  forests 
  of 
  trees 
  150 
  or 
  more 
  

   feet 
  in 
  height, 
  under 
  whose 
  protecting 
  

   crowns 
  we 
  spent 
  the 
  nights. 
  Sometimes 
  

   we 
  did 
  not 
  sleep 
  with 
  a 
  sense 
  of 
  security, 
  

   for 
  these 
  regions 
  are 
  inhabited 
  by 
  tigers, 
  

   leopards, 
  and 
  snakes. 
  

  

  The 
  scenery 
  varied 
  greatly. 
  We 
  trav- 
  

   ersed 
  regions 
  in 
  which 
  teak, 
  strychnos, 
  

   and 
  cassia 
  trees 
  abounded 
  ; 
  then 
  we 
  

   plunged 
  through 
  bamboo 
  forests 
  ; 
  then 
  

   passed 
  over 
  mountain 
  ranges 
  covered 
  

   with 
  oaks, 
  till 
  finally 
  we 
  descended 
  again 
  

   into 
  the 
  plains, 
  and 
  after 
  a 
  journey 
  of 
  

   seven 
  days 
  reached 
  Mesawt, 
  a 
  small 
  

   town, 
  the 
  last 
  Siamese 
  hamlet, 
  near 
  a 
  

   branch 
  of 
  the 
  Salwin 
  River. 
  

  

  A 
  COURT 
  EOR 
  THE 
  TRIAL 
  OF 
  ELEPHANT 
  

   THIEVES 
  

  

  When 
  I 
  called 
  on 
  the 
  governor 
  of 
  

   Mesawt 
  he 
  was 
  holding 
  court 
  for 
  the 
  trial 
  

   of 
  elephant 
  thieves, 
  who 
  carry 
  on 
  a 
  pros- 
  

   perous 
  business 
  near 
  the 
  border. 
  The 
  

   elephants 
  are 
  easily 
  stolen, 
  as 
  they 
  march 
  

   very 
  quietly, 
  and 
  once 
  over 
  the 
  Burmese 
  

   border 
  are 
  gone 
  for 
  good. 
  Leaving 
  his 
  

   chained 
  prisoners 
  sitting 
  on 
  the 
  floor, 
  the 
  

   magistrate 
  accompanied 
  me 
  to 
  the 
  rest- 
  

  

  