THE SIAMESE MALAY STATES. 59 



the Governors Secretary with a pony carriage. The Secretary 

 did not speak English but we learnt through Mr. Ju Keat 

 that this was a new road to take the place of the former Gov- 

 ernor's road, which (of course) was bad. Like all the other 

 roads we saw except that at Trang it was in an unfinished state 

 completely grassed over with big holes in it, but further on it 

 was much better. The scenery was very pretty. The road 

 runs through an avenue of ansenas which at this season up north 

 shed all their leaves. The road being covered with dead leaves 

 reminded one of an English lane in autumn. There was noth- 

 ing tropical about it but an occasional palm in the distance. On 

 either side were broad stretches of line turf with clumps of 

 brushwood. Through the valley which is about two miles wide 

 meanders the Fung-a River in a sanely bed. The valley is 

 entirely hemmed in by precipitous limestone cliffs some 1,500 

 feet high. On the left going to Pung-a is a huge block shap- 

 ed like an elephant. After passing several houses and the gaol 

 enclosed by a palisade, we reached the Governor's place. The 

 Governor received us most warmly and offered us tea and cigar- 

 ettes in his verandah. He is a most genial man but unfor- 

 tunately he upset our gravity by his first remark which was 

 translated to us by Mr. Jv Keat with a smile : '• This is a poor 

 house to receive you in. It was built by the late Governor. I 

 have plans all ready for a new house". The cigarettes made in 

 Siamese fashion were excellent and the Governor told me they 

 were made of Pung-a tobacco. The soil he says is very rich 

 and will grow anything — 100 pikuls of tobacco a year are pro- 

 duced, value $5,000. I asked him to send some tobacco, cigar- 

 ettes, etc., to the Agricultural Show. He is very anxious to 

 make known the resources of his district and said he was pre- 

 paring a report which he promised to send to me. He said 

 there was great difficulty in procuring labour for planting. The 

 Chinese all go to the mines. 5,000 pikuls of tin are got — 

 brought in by elephants which only carry 4 or 5 slabs. He is 

 very anxious to get some natives of India for planting. In one 

 island he said there were 500 deer which he hunts with a pack 

 of dogs. Peacocks he said were very plentiful. It is certainly 

 a lovely place — very cool at this time of year and, I should say, 

 extremely healthy. The lunch was so excellent that I asked if 



