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of whom was his writer, to Bangkok with him, and my servants soon went off to the bazaar, leaving me alone in the house. The third chief of Zimmé, hearing of my return, called to pay me a visit, which proved as amusing as my interview with the father of Chow Nan.

On calling on Mr and Mrs Martin, they invited me to dinner the next evening; and Mr Martin expressed himself willing to accompany me on my next journey, and believed that Dr M'Gilvary had made up his mind likewise to do so. This was indeed good tidings, and I at once accepted the proposal. I am indebted to this gentleman for a very interesting diary that he kept for me during the journey.

I then visited Mr Wilson, and in the course of conversation he told me that when journeying three days by boat above Kanburi, on a western branch of the Meh Klong, a river that empties into the east of the Gulf of Siam, he came across a Bau Lawa village containing thirty houses, and the people said there were three or four of their villages in the neighbourhood. The villages could be reached in one and a half day by elephant from Kanburi. This was interesting,

as it shows how far south the villages of this tribe extend.

The next day Dr M'Gilvary returned, and Mr Gould, the British consul, arrived in the afternoon. I found that an order had been issued by the Chow Che Wit, the head chief, precluding elephants from leaving the district, so I went to the palace with Dr M'Gilvary to obtain permission to hire some for my intended journey to Moung Fang. The chief was out, but luckily we met him in the city, driving slowly in his carriage, and accompanied by many attendants. On his giving us the necessary permission, we called on the Princess Chow Oo Boon, who kindly consented to lend us six of her finest elephants. These were honoured with names: Poo Hot, Poo Kao, Poo Hao, Ma Ap, &c. The largest ones were over nine feet in height.

The dinner at the Martins' proved a great success: beautiful orchids and flowering creepers, daintily and tastefully arranged, ornamented the table, and the courses were so admirably designed and cooked, that one would have thought a cordon bleu had had control of the kitchen. There could

314

A PRESENT OF CIGARS.

be no doubt that the lady of the house was an excellent housewife, and on this occasion had not only superintended and assisted in the cooking, but had herself arranged the table. If I had been a believer in magic, I might have imagined that Mrs Martin was the owner of Aladdin's ring, and had used it for our benefit.

Next day I called on Mr Gould, and had a long chat with him. Had I been possessed of the annals of my family, like the chief of Kiang Hai, I would have certainly called for them, and inscribed his name there in capital letters as a benefactor, as he gave me, joy of joys to a smoker, fifty excellent cigars, which were a great treat to me, for mine had been finished for some weeks, and I had been forced to regale myself with country-made cigars and cigarettes, which are certainly not remarkable for an enjoyable aroma or a pleasant flavour.

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CHAPTER XXVI.

LEAVE FOR MUANG FANG-THE TEMPLE OF THE WHITE ELEPHANTS-
TRAINING ELEPHANTS -EVENING SERVICE IN A TEMPLE

LEGEND

OF WAT PRA NON-SNAKE AND SIVA WORSHIP-CARAVANS-STICK-
LAC TREES NOT CUT DOWN-THE 400 FOOTPRINTS OF BUDDHA-WILD
TEA-VISIT TO SHAN LADIES-LOW DRESSES-RULES OF HOSPITALITY
WORSHIPPING THE MANES-A ZYLOPHONE-IMPLEMENTS OF EX-
PECTANT BUDDHA — STRAINING WATER - LEGENDS OF LOI CHAUM
HAUT AND LOI KIANG DOW-THE PALACE OF THE ANGELS-DEMONS
CANNOT HARM CHRISTIANS-CHRISTIANITY A GREAT BOON-ACCIDENT
TO ANEROID-A VICIOUS ELEPHANT-FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE —
SNARES FOR DEMONS- A PANORAMA OF HILLS- SOURCES OF THE
MEH PING AND MEH TENG-A RIVER PASSING UNDER A MOUNTAIN
-MUAN HANG AN ANCIENT LAKE-BASIN - RIVAL CLAIMS OF PING
SHANS AND BRITISH SHANS OR NGIO- THE UPPER DEFILE OF THE
MEH PINGA MOONLIGHT SCENE - ENTANGLING DEMONS AT THE
FRONTIER-A CHINESE FORT-LOI PA-YAT PA-YAI- MAPPING THE
COUNTRY-DR M'GILVARY'S SERMON-REACH KIANG DOW-PETROLEUM
AT KIANG DOW AND MUANG FANG.

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On the afternoon of May 7th everything was packed, and after collecting together at Dr M'Gilvary's we started, crossed the river above the bridge, and halted for a few minutes at the dispensary to load a large tent that Dr Peoples had kindly placed at our disposal. We then proceeded along the broad road that skirts the city on the north as far as the White Elephant Gate, and then turned northwards along the White Elephant road, which is 35 feet wide, and kept in excellent order.

A quarter of a mile from the city we passed Wat Chang Peuk, the temple of the White Elephants, which contains two whitewashed life-sized images of the front, head, shoulders, and fore-legs of these animals. Each stands under a

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