16 VISIT TO PUKET, ETC. 



to abolish the Gambling Farm and impose a poll tax on all males 

 over 18. In tne Eastern States where there are few Chinese 

 this has been done. Since the Siamese were prohibited from 

 gambling there has been scarcely any crime. Cock fighting is 

 very popular. 



The expenditure may be roughly stated as follows : — 

 Salaries ... ... ... $30,000 



Roads, etc. ... ... ,.. 20,000 



Buildings ... ... ... 20,000 



Other Expenditure ... ... 10,000 



$80,000 * 



(Diary continued) 



We got to the Rest house at 7.30 p.m. and had to wait for 

 the cook and bo'ys. 



Thursday, 5th March. — It was not as cool as it ought to 

 have been. When we got there the Governor said " It is not 

 cool now because there is a wind — if there is no wind it is cool." 

 The wind died down and then it was unmistakeably hot. We 

 made a start at 6.40, KlAT driving me in a dogcart and the 

 Governor following on a pony. The horse was inclined to jib 

 and was only induced to go on (except down hill) by the syce 

 shoving behind. I remarked that we should take some time to 

 get to our destination: ( 1 1 miles) but KlAT said " It will go very 

 well when it gets tired. " There seemed to be little prospect of 

 this so long as the syce pushed us along but when once started 

 it covered the ground well. On sighting a br.dge the custom 

 in Trang is for the syce to get down and test the bridge to see 

 if it will bear. We passed through an extensive padi tract — a 

 good deal of it being recently cleared The Siamese, I should 

 say, are quite as lazy as Malays if not more so. The ground 

 planted wi i h padi is only roughly cleared of timber, and stumps 

 of trees are left. In time these become white ant mounds which 

 are undisturbed — ik too much trouble to remove "they say. I 

 saw a large number of fine damar oil trees, some standing alone 

 in the plain and some hundred or so together. The solitary 



* Figures only approximate not official. 



Jo ur. Straits Branch 



