fi68 Messrs. Robinson and Kloss on Birds from the 
got off and proceeded up the river in the dusk. We arrived 
at the wharf in the dark, while the rain, which had been 
falling more or less ever since we had left Penang, settled 
down into a regular downpour. By some misunderstanding, 
the Siamese official who had been detailed to await our 
arrival was not in attendance, and it was some considerable 
time before we could find a roof to cover us, and then only 
owing to the kindness of the resident Railway Engineer, 
Mr. Knight, into whose house we burst somewhat un¬ 
ceremoniously. 
Kantan, as the port of Trang is called, is a place of recent 
origin and owes its existence entirely to the fact that it is the 
furthest point up the Trang River which can be reached by 
the coastal steamers, and that it has, therefore, been selected 
as the Siamese official headquarters. At present it consists 
merely of the residences of the Governor and other officials 
and the various government offices, but in the near future it 
is destined to be a place of considerable importance, as the 
terminus of a railway which will shorten the distance between 
Europe and Bangkok by four or five days. The country 
round is, from the cursory view we had of it, uninteresting, 
consisting mainly of rice-fields and plains of coarse grass, 
with here and there low hills covered with secondary jungle. 
Next day we interviewed the Governor's deputy and 
received numerous documents in Siamese, armed with which 
we started off up stream in a steam launch, even more crazy 
and ancient than the coaster that had brought us from Penang. 
After about three hours' laboured progress, partly up river 
and partly through canals cut across the bends, we arrived 
at a collection of huts and shops at the termination of a road. 
Here we transferred ourselves into gharries, and our belong¬ 
ings and servants into bullock-and-buffalo carts, and rattled 
off along a very fair road through the town of Tap-tien and 
for about three miles on the other side to a park or botanical 
garden, the property of the Governor, in which was a large 
house built some years ago for the accommodation of the 
King of Siam. There was also a very comfortable wicker 
rest-house, in which, after some argument with the guardians, 
we installed ourselves. 
