52 THE SIAMESE MALAY STATES. 



down to convey us to the Governor's bouse which is situated 

 about a quarter of a mile from the jetty. There is a Custom 

 House and a few Chinese shops. We were not expected so early. 

 Mr. Khaw Sim Bee, whose Siamese title is Phya Rasdanupradit, 

 etc., the Governor, received us most cordially and after giving 

 us tea drove us along a new road which he has made round a 

 wooded hill on which his house stands. On the way he pointed 

 out the new Government Offices consisting of Treasury, Court 

 and Land Office which have been commenced opposite the gaol. 

 The prisoners, Chinese and Siamese, are employed in making 

 bricks and on road work. Mr. KHAW Sim Bee belongs to a 

 wealthy Penang family and is an admirable administrator. Be- 

 ing intimately connected with Penang he can do much in the 

 way of extending the trade of that Settlement with Trang and 

 the neighbouring Siamese States. He owns a Steamer which 

 runs regularly between Trang, Pung-a, Penang and Deli. 



The old town and mines, where some hundreds of Cantonese 

 and Khehs are employed, are situated some miles up the river 

 and the tin is brought down to the river on elephants four miles 

 by a bad road. We had not time to visit them. Mr. Khaw 

 Sim Bee described how he had effectually suppressed the 

 Secret Societies some years ago, since when there have been no 

 signs of their revival. He also informed me that the Siamese 

 Government had decided to abolish the Gambling Farms and 

 this was gradually being done. There is only one Sikh in the 

 place, who is employed as a detective to see that no Government 

 employee attends the Gambling Farm. 



Pepper thrives well in Trang, 25,000 pikuls being produced 

 in a year valued at S"28 a pikul. The soil is said to be excellent. 

 Mr. KHAW Sim Bee pointed out a new elephant-road to Xakon 

 on the East coast 70 miles distant It is dignified by the name 

 of a road but at present hardly deserves the title. About 1 5 

 years ago orders were given from Bangkok to connect these 

 Western States by telegraph. Poles were prepared for the con- 

 nection between Trang and Ghirbi and the wire has been lying 

 at Trang ever since. Many reforms are being introduced by 

 the Siamese Government in these States. The officials of the 

 old school have been removed and are replaced by young men 

 from Bangkok who have had some training in their duties. The 



