CHAPTER XXXVI.

Mr Colquhoun’s arrival—Prince Devan—Character of the king—Visit to Prince Devan—Memorandum on the railways—Grant required for further exploration—Interview with the king—Terms required by syndicates—Siam’s credit—The connection with Burmah—Excursion into Eastern Siam—Nai Sin—An official of 2500 marks—Poo Bah—Golden opportunities—Trumpery fortifications—After the storm—The Bang Pa Kong river—Legend of the Kow Din—An infatuated monk—Chinese in Siam—Estimate of population—Chinese immigrants and their descendants—Marking the people—Unscrupulous Government masters—Their little games—A vast plain—Little cultivation—Lovely scenery—Tramway to the goldmines—Return to Bangkok—Dr M‘Gilvary’s opinion upon the projected railways—One of the grand works of the century, 454

APPENDIX.

BURMAH-SIAM-CHINA RAILWAY.—RESOLUTIONS OF CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE, 464

INDEX, 475

ILLUSTRATIONS.

PAGE PORTOW, 6 AN EXECUTION, 33 VIEW LOOKING WEST DOWN PASS AT 10.53 A.M. 14TH FEB., 44 LOI PWE SEEN OVER A SPUR AT 9.57 A.M. 15TH FEB., 45 MEH LAIK VALLEY AND GORGE AT 1.3 P.M. 15TH FEB., 47 A VIRGIN OF THE LOTUS-FLOWER, 51 VIEW ACROSS THE MEH HTO AND MEH LAIK VALLEYS AT 10.54 A.M. 15TH FEB., 53 A YAK, 57 A SIAMESE KING, 59 VIEW TO THE SOUTH FROM A HILLOCK BEHIND MUANG HAUT, 64 VIEW FROM NEAR BAN HSOPE KYEM, 72 LOI HOO-A SOO-A WITH LOI PAH KUNG IN THE BACKGROUND, 77 VIEW FROM THE TOP OF LOI NOI AT 8 A.M. 23D FEB., 78 DOMESTIC UTENSILS, 85 SPINNING IMPLEMENTS, 86 VIEW OF LOI SOO TAYP FROM BAN MEH KA, 91 A SHAN GHOST, 111 A SHAN HOUSE, 134 A TA-LAY-OW, 137 VIEW OF LOI MOK AND THE HEAD OF THE MEH WUNG AT 4.42 P.M. 10TH MARCH, 140 THE LITTLE ELEPHANT’S FUN, 148 BAMBOO SHOULDER-TRESTLE, 150 VIEW OF LOI POO-AY AT 1.3 P.M. 14TH MARCH, 151 VIEW OF LOI KOOK LOI CHANG AT 1.3 P.M. 14TH MARCH, 152 VIEW UP THE MEH KHOKE FROM THE SALA AT KIANG HAI, 157 A LA-HU YOUTH, 160 A CROWNED BUDDHA, 166 FISHING IMPLEMENTS, 168, 169 DROP-NET, 176 VIEW OF LOI PONG PRA BAT AT 11.11 A.M. 18TH MARCH, 178 VIEW OF LOI HTONG, LOI YA TOW, AND LOI TA, AT 2.34 P.M. 19TH MARCH, 182 VIEW OF THE VALLEY OF THE MEH CHUN AT 3.57 P.M. 19TH MARCH, 185 VIEW OF LOI CHANG NGO AT 4.49 P.M. 20TH MARCH, 186 PHYA IN OR INDRA, 187 THE KOO TOW, 188 VIEW OF LOI CHAN FROM KIANG HSEN, 191 VIEW OF HILLS EAST OF THE MEH KONG RIVER, 192 THE GREAT BEND OF THE MEH KONG FROM KIANG HSEN, 193 RUINS AT KIANG HSEN, 194 PLASTER DECORATION ON PILLARS, 195 VIEW OF WESTERN HILLS, 197 A SHAN HOUSE IN KIANG HSEN, 203 VIEW OF HILLS WEST OF KIANG HSEN PLAIN FROM PAGODA ON HILL, 206 CITY ENCLOSURE. SKETCH OF AN ENTRANCE TO KIANG HSEN, 207 CHINESE PACK-SADDLE, 212 VIEW UP THE MEH KHOKE FROM KIANG HAI, 217 ROCKET-STICK OF BAMBOO, FORMED INTO A WHISTLE AT THE TOP, 219 PHYA NYAK, THE KING OF SERPENTS AND DRAGONS, 227 TERRA-COTTA PEDESTAL, 233 PHYA KHRUT OR GARUDA, THE KING OF EAGLES, 234 EVIL SPIRITS, 259 A DRYAD, 260 PUNISHMENTS IN THE BUDDHIST HELLS, 263 VIEW OF HILLS EAST OF LAKON, 270 A SHAN QUEEN, 291 VIEW OF THE HILLS TO THE NORTH-EAST OF ZIMMÉ FROM PEN YUK, 307 OX DRAWING TIMBER IN FOREST, 308 VIEW OF THE HEAD OF THE BASIN OF THE MEH WUNG, 309 VIEW OF THE KYOO HOO LOW AND HILLS EAST OF MEH WUNG, 310 VIEW OF LOI MUN MOO PASS AND HILLS EAST OF MEH WUNG, 310 IMPLEMENTS FOR THE USE OF EXPECTANT BUDDHAS, 322 VIEW OF LOI CHAUM HAUT, 323 HILLS TO THE NORTH OF THE ZIMMÉ PLAIN FROM THE MEH TENG, 327 VIEW OF LOI KIANG DOW FROM THE MEH TENG, 328 VIEW OF HILLS NORTH-WEST OF THE ZIMMÉ PLAIN FROM THE MEH TENG, 329 LOI CHAUM HAUT FROM BAN MEH MEH, 331 VIEW OF LOI PA-YAT PA-YAI, 332 SKETCH OF LOI KIANG DOW AND LOI NAN, 335 VIEW UP THE VALLEY OF THE MEH PING FROM MUANG NGAI, 339 VIEW LOOKING SOUTH-WEST FROM MUANG FANG, 349 JUNCTION OF THE MEH FANG AND MEH KHOKE VALLEYS, 356 VIEW UP THE MEH FANG VALLEY FROM BAN MEH HANG, 358 VIEW ACROSS MUANG KEN AND THE VALLEY OF THE MEH PING, 367 HILLS WEST OF THE MEH PING AT 11.55 A.M. 23D MAY, 368 VIEW OF HILLS WEST OF THE ZIMMÉ PLAIN AT 4.24 P.M. 23D MAY, 371 HANUMAN, KING OF MONKEYS, 376 PROM OR BRAHMA, 376 PHYA LAK, 377 PHYA WET SAWAN (VISHNU), 377 SIAMESE WRESTLERS, 386 PEE POK-KA-LONG (JUNGLE DEMONS), 398 LOI PA KHUN BAIT, 400 EXTREMITY OF SPUR FROM THE WEST RANGE, 401 SKETCH AT 188½ MILES FROM BAN PAH YANG NEUR, 403 SKETCH AT 196½ MILES FROM BAN MEH NYAH, 404 HAND-DREDGE, 435 VIEW OF HILLS LOOKING EAST AT 218 MILES FROM BAN KOW NOME WAN, 436 SKETCH AT 216½ MILES FROM BAN TA KARE, 436 VIEW LOOKING WEST FROM KAMPHANG PET, 440 LOI KOW CHUNG, 440 LOI KOW CHUNG, 441 LOI KOW LUONG, 442 VIEW FROM THE JUNCTION OF THE MEH NAM, 443

_LIST OF MAPS._

SOUTHERN CHINA AND INDO-CHINA, SHOWING PROPOSED FRENCH AND ENGLISH RAILWAYS, _To face title-page_ MAULMEIN TO MAINGLOONGYEE, _To face page_ 9 MAINGLOONGYEE TO MAUNG HAUT, „ „ 43 MAUNG HAUT TO KIANG HSEN, „ „ 69 KIANG HAI TO LAKON, „ „ 219 LAKON TO ZIMMÉ, „ „ 283 ZIMMÉ TO B. MEH HANG, „ „ 315 , „ „ 392

A THOUSAND MILES ON AN ELEPHANT IN THE SHAN STATES.