VISIT TO PUKET, ETC. 13 



round the sides and there are two cross sheds. Produce from 

 country is brough in on Market days and disposed of. Meat, 

 fish, poultry, fruit and vegetables have divisions of the Market 

 set apart for then]. It is very largely attended. Chinese So- 

 cieties have been suppressed and the former Kongsi house has 

 been turned into the xlmpiir's Office. Along the road from 

 Kantan newly cut telegraph posts were lying and are to be set 

 up shortly. The telegraph goes to Na-kon. The wire from 

 Kedah to Singgora goes through Na-kon to Bangkok. The line 

 is being laid from Kantan to Ghirbee, Punga, Kesiin to Puket. 

 The posts are of hard wood and cost SI. 20 each where felled, 

 being taken to the road by Government. They are said to be 

 ready for putting up as far as Na-kon and in the Eastern State 

 adjoining Trang the Pan palm which is said to be durable is 

 used. Shade trees has been planted the whole way. From 

 Tap Tiang we walked about 2 miles till we reached the Rest 

 house where we were to sleep. It was built for the reception 

 of the King who however did not use it. It is a good house 

 standing high everlooking the plain with the hills in the distance. 

 Trang is famous for its good pepper which commands a high 

 price and is said to have a special aroma. There were planta- 

 tions on either side of the road. The pepper vine is trained on 

 two sorts of soft wood trees, mengkudu and dedap. The vines 

 are grown on red soil which is kept clean. During the dry sea- 

 son, which lasts several months, the plants are regularly water- 

 ed from wells. The planters are all Chinese chiefly Cantonese 

 aiid a few Hokiens. At Yong Setar pepper is grown in black 

 soil by Tiochews who do not water the plants. If watered when 

 young it has to be continued. To the East are the hills on the 

 way to Na-kon, then the Patalong hills with the highest range 

 Foi-dow, and further south Pelian and Setiil. The climate on 

 the East of the hills is said to be quite different. Padi there is two 

 months later and when it is dry this side it is wet beyond the hills. 

 Trang, Girbee and Punga were formerly under Na-kon which 

 lies to the North of Sang-Kla called by the Malays Singgora. 

 Na-kon is called by the Malays Le-giir. The Malays, except 

 the fishermen near the coast, hardly speak any Malay. They 

 are Mahomedans and don't eat pork but in other respects they 

 adopt Siamese ways. There are one or two Mosques but they 



R. A. Soc, No, 42, 1904. 



