1640 
Dai Hoi Chan Kian, North Siam. 
October 29, 1920. 
"I am writing you from paradise, for indeed this 
place is worthy of that name. I am camping in the 
mountains north of Chiengmai in a wonderful forest, 
beside a little stream which sends me to sleep like a 
lullaby. My camp is surrounded by mighty chestnuts, 
many species of oaks, and tall Dlpterocarpaceae . I 
found three species of chestnuts with fairly large 
fruits and two other small species which I think it 
worth while collecting on account of the beautiful 
straight trunks and fine wood. 
"Three days ago I ascended Dal Chom Cheng (5,500 
feet altitude). On the summit there were lofty pines 
{Pirns khasya) , and many beautiful tall oaks. Prom this 
point one could see many days ' journeys toward the Yun- 
nan border. Mountain after mountain and range after 
range, a perfect virgin field untrodden by any botanist 
or agricultural explorer. It is real paradise for a 
plant lover to be in a pine forest and to look down 
thousands of feet into deep ravines and forest-covered 
ranges inhabited by tigers, panthers, and elephants. 
"I have collected 10 species of Quercus* all val- 
uable trees. They grow on dry, sandy or gravelly 
slopes, at altitudes of 2,400 to 5,000 feet, and I 
should think that they would thrive in California and 
also in Florida. The acorns are very sweet and are 
eaten roasted. I have eaten many of them myself, and 
they are rather good. The chestnuts here are mighty 
trees with wonderful crowns and straight trunks. The 
chestnuts are quite sweet and very tasty when roasted. 
Both oaks and chestnuts are prolific bearers , and seeds 
are plentiful just now. 
"In Chiengmai I heard of a cotton {Gossypium sp.) 
with a large lint of khaki color; it grows four days' 
journey from Chiengmai, and I sent coolies to get it. 
I have seen Siamese or Loa officials In uniforms wo- 
ven from this brown cotton." 
