CHAPTER XXI.

Leave Penyow—Wild roses—An inundated country—Royal funeral buildings—Posts two hundred feet long—Collection and uses of wood-oil—Description of daily meals—Water-parting between the Meh Kong and Meh Nam—Path for railway—A dead forest—Reach Muang Ngow—Settled by Lakon—Karen villages—Teak-forests—Four thousand Burmese destroyed—A distributing centre for Muang Nan and Muang Peh—Deficient rainfall—Burmese pedlars—Immigrants from Kiang Hung—A terrible din—The eclipse—Buddhist legend—Elephants should rest after noon during hot season—Leave Muang Ngow—Railway from Bangkok to Kiang Hung crosses no hill-range—Battle-field—The stone gate—Water-parting between the Meh Ngow and Meh Wung—A jolting elephant—Ban Sa-det—Offerings for the monks—Presents for the children—The Buddhist Lent—Lights for evil spirits—The demon’s lent—Offerings to the naiads—Illuminating the river—King of Siam lighting fireworks—Scaring the spirits—Offerings to naiads and demons in case of sickness—Trial by water—Superstition against saving drowning folk—Descent of the rain-god Indra—Libations—The water-feast—Bathing the images—Scene in the temple—Waking the gods with water—Propitiating the Lawa genii—The warming of Buddh—A dousing—A compliment—Calling the spirits to witness—Leave Ban Sa-det—Ruby-mines—Reach Lakon, 246