LIFE IN THE HILL-COUNTRY--MOUNT SABAT--HUNTING--TIGERS--SERPENTS--RICH
VEGETATION OF CHANTABURI.
Here I am, once more installed in the house of a good old Chinese, a
pepper-planter, whose hospitality I enjoyed on my first visit to the
place, two months ago. His name is Ihié-How, but in Siamese he is
called Apait, which means _uncle_. He is a widower with two sons, the
eldest eighteen, a good young man, lively, hardworking, brave, and
persevering. He is already much attached to me, and is desirous of
accompanying me to Cambodia. Born amidst the mountains, and naturally
intelligent, there are none of the quadrupeds and few of the feathered
tribes found in the district with whose habits he is not familiar.
He fears neither tiger nor elephant. All this, added to his amiable
disposition, made Phrai (that is his name) a real treasure to me.
Apait has also two brothers who have become Catholics, and have settled
at Chantaboun in order to be near a Christian place of worship. He
himself has never had any desire to change his religion, because
he says if he did he must forget his deceased parents, for whom he
frequently offers sacrifices. He is badly off, having incurred a debt
of fifty ticals, for which he has to pay ten as yearly interest, the
rate in Siam being always twenty or thirty per cent. Besides this
he has various taxes to pay--twelve ticals for his two sons, four
for his house, one for his furnace, one for his pig. The tax on the
pepper-field is eight ticals, one on his areca-trees, one on the betel
cultivated by him, and two _sellungs_ for a cocoa-tree; altogether
thirty-nine ticals. His land brings him in forty after all expenses
are paid; what can he do with the one remaining tical? The unlucky
agriculturists of this kind, and they are many, live on vegetables, and
on the rice which they obtain from the Siamese in exchange for areca.
LIFE IN THE HILL-COUNTRY.
On my return from the islands, I had been detained nearly ten days at
Chantaboun, unable to walk; I had cut my heel in climbing the rocks
on the shore at Ko-Man, and, as I was constantly barefooted in the
salt water, the wound soon closed. But afterwards I began to suffer
from it; my foot swelled, and I was obliged to re-open the wound to
extract a piece of shell which had remained in it. As soon as I could
leave Chantaboun I hired a carriage and two buffaloes to take me to
the mountain. I experienced much gratification in finding myself again
amongst these quiet scenes, at once so lovely and so full of grandeur.
Here are valleys intersected by streams of pure and limpid water;
there, small plains, over which are scattered the modest dwellings
of the laborious Chinese; while, a little in the distance, rises the
mountain, with its imposing rocks, its grand trees, its torrents and
waterfalls.
NOCTURNAL PESTS.
We have already had some storms, for the rainy season is approaching,
vegetation is fresh, and nature animated; the song of birds and the hum
of insects are heard all around. Apait has resigned to me his bed, if
that can be so styled, which consists merely of a few laths of areca
placed upon four stakes. I have extended my mat upon this framework,
and should enjoy uninterrupted sleep all night were it not for the
swarms of ants which frequently disturb me by passing over my body,
getting under my clothes and into my beard, and, I almost fancy, would
end by dragging me out, if I did not from time to time shake them off.
Occasionally great spiders and other disgusting creatures, crawling
about under the roof, would startle me by dropping suddenly on my face.
The heat now is quite endurable, the thermometer generally marking
80° Fahr. in the morning, and 90° in the middle of the day. The water
of the streams is so cool and refreshing, that a good morning and
evening ablution makes me comfortable for several hours, as well as
contributing to keep me in health.
A CHINAMAN’S SACRIFICE.
Last evening Phrai, having gone along with my man Niou to Chantaboun
to buy provisions, brought back to his father some Chinese bonbons,
for which he had paid half a fuang. The poor old man was delighted
with them, and this morning at daybreak he dressed himself in his best
clothes, on which I asked him what was going to happen. He immediately
began to clean a plank which was fitted into the wall to serve as a
sort of table or altar. Above this was a drawing of a man dancing and
putting out his tongue, with claws on his feet and hands, and with the
tail of an ape, intended to represent his father. He then filled three
small cups with tea, put the bonbons in a fourth, and placed the whole
upon the simple altar; finally, lighting two pieces of odoriferous
wood, he began his devotions. It was a sacrifice to the manes of his
parents, performed with the hope that their souls would come and taste
the good things set before them.
At the entrance of Apait’s garden, in front of his house, I had made
a kind of shed with stakes and branches of trees, covered with a roof
of leaves, where I dried and prepared my large specimens, such as
the long-armed apes, kids, and horn-bills, as also my collections of
insects. All this has attracted a crowd of inquisitive Siamese and
Chinamen, who come to see the “farang” and admire his curiosities. We
have just passed the Chinese New Year’s-day, and, as there has been a
fête for three days, all those living at any distance have profited by
the opportunity to visit us. At times Apait’s house and garden have
been crowded with people in their holiday dresses, many of whom, seeing
my instruments, my naturalist’s case, and different preparations, took
me for a great doctor, and begged for medicines.
Alas! my pretensions are not so high; however, I treat them on the
“Raspail” system; and a little box of pomade or phial of sedative water
will perhaps be represented in some European museum by an insect or
shell brought to me by these worthy people in return for the good I
would gladly do them.
It is very agreeable, after a fatiguing day’s chase over hills and
amongst dense forests, through which one must cut one’s way axe in
hand, to repose in the evening on the good Chinaman’s bench in front of
his house, shaded by bananas, cocoanut, and other trees. For the last
four days a violent north wind, fresh in spite of the season, has been
blowing without intermission, breaking asunder and tearing up by the
roots some of the trees on the higher grounds. This is its farewell
visit, for the south-east wind will now blow for many months.
This evening everything appeared to me more beautiful and agreeable
than usual; the stars shone brightly in the sky, the moon was clear.
Sitting by Apait while his son played to me some Chinese airs on the
bamboo flute, I thought to what a height of prosperity this province,
even now one of the most interesting and flourishing in the country,
might attain, were it wisely and intelligently governed, or if European
colonists were to settle and develop its resources. Proximity to the
sea, facility of communication, a rich soil, a healthy and propitious
climate; nothing is wanting to ensure success to an industrious and
enterprising agriculturist.
A CHINESE SERVANT ENGAGED.
The worthy old Apait has at last consented to allow his son to enter
my service, provided I pay him thirty ticals, half a year’s wages,
in advance. This will enable him, if he can sell his house and
pepper-field, to clear off his debt and retire to another part of the
mountain. Phrai is delighted to attend me, and to run about the woods
all day, and I am not less pleased with our bargain, for his knowledge
of the country, his activity, his intelligence, and attachment to me,
are invaluable.
VISIT TO A WATERFALL.
The heat becomes greater and greater, the thermometer having risen to
102° Fahr. in the shade; thus hunting is now a painful, and sometimes
impossible, exertion, anywhere except in the woods. A few days ago I
took advantage of a short spell of cloudy, and consequently cooler
weather, to visit a waterfall I had heard of in the almost desert
district of Prion, twelve miles from Kombau. After reaching the
last-named place, our course lay for about an hour and a half along
a charming valley, nearly as smooth as a lawn, and as ornamental
as a park. By and by entering a forest, we kept by the banks of a
stream, which, shut in between two mountains and studded with blocks
of granite, increases in size as you approach its source. Before long
we arrived at the fall, which must be a fine spectacle in the rainy
season. It then pours down from immense perpendicular rocks, forming as
it were a circular peaked wall, nearly thirty metres in diameter, and
twenty metres in height. The force of the torrent having been broken
by the rocky bed into which it descends, there is another fall of ten
feet; and, lower down, after a third fall of fifteen feet, it passes
into an ample basin, which, like a mirror, reflects the trees and
cliffs around. Even during the dry season the spring, then running from
beneath enormous blocks of granite, flows in such abundance as to feed
several streams.
I was astonished to see my two servants, heated by their long walk,
bathe in the cold water, and on my advising them to wait for a little,
they replied that the natives were always accustomed to bathe when hot.
[Illustration:
Drawn by M. Bocourt, from a Sketch by M. Mouhot.
MONKEYS PLAYING WITH A CROCODILE.]
We all turned stone-cutters, that is to say, we set to work to detach
the impression of an unknown animal from the surface of an immense mass
of granite rising up out of one of the mountain torrents. A Chinese had
in January demanded so exorbitant a sum for this, that I had abandoned
the idea, intending to content myself with an impression in wax, but
Phrai proposed to me to undertake the work, and by our joint labour it
was soon accomplished. The Siamese do not much like my meddling with
their rocks, and their superstition is also somewhat startled when
I happen to kill a white ape, although when the animal is dead and
skinned they are glad to obtain a cutlet or steak from it, for they
attribute to the flesh of this creature great medicinal virtues.
ATTACKS OF INSECTS.
The rainy season is drawing near, storms become more and more frequent,
and the growling of the thunder is frightful. Insects are in greater
numbers, and the ants, which are now looking out for a shelter, invade
the dwellings, and are a perfect pest to my collections, not to speak
of myself and my clothes. Several of my books and maps have been
almost devoured in one night. Fortunately there are no mosquitoes, but
to make up for this there is a small species of leech, which when it
rains quits the streams and infests the woods, rendering an excursion
there, if not impracticable, at all events very disagreeable. You have
constantly to be pulling them off you by dozens, but, as some always
escape observation, you are sure to return home covered with blood;
often my white trousers are dyed as red as those of a French soldier.
WILD ANIMALS.
The animals have now become scarcer, which in different ways is a
great disappointment to all, for Phrai and Niou feasted sumptuously
on the flesh of the apes, and made a profit by selling their gall to
the Chinese doctors in Chantaboun. Hornbills also have turned wild,
so we can find nothing to replenish our larder but an occasional kid.
Large stags feed on the mountain, but one requires to watch all night
to get within range of them. There are not many birds to be seen,
neither quails, partridges, nor pheasants; and the few wild fowl which
occasionally make their appearance are so difficult to shoot that it is
waste both of time and ammunition to make the attempt.
In this part of the country the Siamese declare they cannot cultivate
bananas on account of the elephants, which at certain times come down
from the mountains and devour the leaves, of which they are very fond.
The royal and other tigers abound here; every night they prowl about in
the vicinity of the houses, and in the mornings we can see the print
of their large claws in the sand and in the clay near streams. By day
they retire to the mountain, where they lurk in close and inaccessible
thickets. Now and then you may get near enough to one to have a shot
at him, but generally, unless suffering from hunger, they fly at the
approach of man. A few days ago I saw a young Chinese who had nineteen
wounds on his body made by one of these animals; he was looking out
from a tree about nine feet high, when the cries of a young kid, tied
to another tree at a short distance, attracted a large tiger. The young
man fired at it, but, though mortally wounded, the creature, collecting
all his strength for a final spring, leaped on his enemy, seized him
and pulled him down, tearing his flesh frightfully with teeth and claws
as they rolled on the ground. Luckily for the unfortunate Chinese, it
was a dying effort, and in a few moments more the tiger relaxed its
hold and breathed its last.
MOUNTAIN OF PRECIOUS STONES.
In the mountains of Chantaboun, and not far from my present abode,
precious stones of fine water occur. There is even at the east of the
town an eminence, which they call “the mountain of precious stones;”
and it would appear from the account of Mgr. Pallegoix that at one
time they were abundant in that locality, since in about half an hour
he picked up a handful, which is as much as now can be found in a
twelvemonth, nor can they be purchased at any price.
It seems that I have seriously offended the poor Thaï[12] of Kombau
by carrying away the footprints. I have met several natives who tell
me they have broken arms, that they can no longer work, and will
always henceforth be in poverty; and I find that I am considered to be
answerable for this because I irritated the genius of the mountain.
Henceforth they will have a good excuse for idleness.
[12] The Siamese were formerly called Thaï.
The Chinese have equally amused me. They imagine that some treasure
ought to be found beneath the footprints, and that the block which I
have carried away must possess great medicinal virtues; so Apait and
his friends have been rubbing the under part of the stone every morning
against another piece of granite, and, collecting carefully the dust
that fell from it, have mixed it with water and drunk it fasting, fully
persuaded that it is a remedy against all ills. Here they say that it
is faith which cures; and it is certain that pills are often enough
administered in the civilized West which have no more virtue than the
granite powder swallowed by old Apait.
FURNISHED APARTMENTS.
His uncle Thié-ou has disposed of his property for him for sixty
ticals, so that, after paying off his debts, he will have left,
including the sum I gave him for his son’s services, forty ticals. Here
that is enough to make a man think himself rich to the end of his days:
he can at times regale the souls of his parents with tea and bonbons,
and live himself like a true country mandarin. Before leaving Kombau
the old man secured me another lodging, for which I had to pay two
ticals (six francs) a month, and I lost nothing in point of comfort
by the change. For “furnished apartments” I think the charge not
unreasonable. The list of furniture is as follows:--in the dining-room
_nothing_, in the bed-room an old mat on a camp-bed. However, this
house is cleaner and larger than the other, and better protected from
the weather: in the first the water came in in all directions. Then
the camp-bed, which is a large one, affords a pleasant lounge after
my hunting expeditions. Besides which advantages, my new landlord
furnishes me with bananas and vegetables, for which I pay in game when
the chase has been successful.
THE DURIAN.
The fruit here is exquisite, particularly the mango, the mangusteen,
the pine-apple, so fragrant and melting in the mouth, and, what is
superior to anything I ever imagined or tasted, the famous “durian”
or “dourion,” which justly merits the title of king of fruits. But to
enjoy it thoroughly one must have time to overcome the disgust at first
inspired by its smell, which is so strong that I could not stay in the
same place with it. On first tasting it I thought it like the flesh of
some animal in a state of putrefaction, but after four or five trials
I found the aroma exquisite. The _durian_ is about two-thirds the size
of a jacca, and like it is encased in a thick and prickly rind, which
protects it from the teeth of squirrels and other nibblers; on opening
it there are to be found ten cells, each containing a kernel larger
than a date, and surrounded by a sort of white, or sometimes yellowish
cream, which is most delicious. By an odd freak of nature, not only
is there the first repugnance to it to overcome, but if you eat it
often, though with ever so great moderation, you find yourself next
day covered with blotches, as if attacked with measles, so heating is
its nature. A _durian_ picked is never good, for when fully ripe it
falls of itself; when cut open it must be eaten at once, as it quickly
spoils, but otherwise it will keep for three days. At Bangkok one of
them costs one _sellung_; at Chantaboun nine may be obtained for the
same sum.
VISIT OF A PANTHER.
I had come to the conclusion that there was little danger in traversing
the woods here, and in our search for butterflies and other insects we
often took no other arms than a hatchet and hunting-knife, while Niou
had become so confident as to go by night with Phrai to lie in wait
for stags. Our sense of security was, however, rudely shaken when one
evening a panther rushed upon one of the dogs close to my door. The
poor animal uttered a heartrending cry, which brought us all out, as
well as our neighbours, each torch in hand. Finding themselves face to
face with a panther, they in their turn raised their voices in loud
screams; but it was too late for me to get my gun, for in a moment the
beast was out of reach.
In a few weeks I must say farewell to these beautiful mountains, never,
in all probability, to see them again, and I think of this with regret;
I have been so happy here, and have so much enjoyed my hunting and
my solitary walks in this comparatively temperate climate, after my
sufferings from the heat and mosquitoes in my journey northwards.
Thanks to my nearness to the sea on the one side, and to the mountain
region on the other, the period of the greatest heat passed away
without my perceiving it; and I was much surprised at receiving a few
days ago a letter from Bangkok which stated that it had been hotter
weather there than had been known for more than thirty years. Many of
the European residents had been ill; yet I do not think the climate of
Bangkok more unhealthy than that of other towns of Eastern Asia within
the tropics. But no doubt the want of exercise, which is there almost
impossible, induces illness in many cases.
A BOA SHOT.
A few days ago I made up my mind to penetrate into a grotto on Mount
Sabab, half-way between Chantaboun and Kombau, so deep, I am told, that
it extends to the top of the mountain. I set out, accompanied by Phrai
and Niou, furnished with all that was necessary for our excursion. On
reaching the entrance of the grotto we lighted our torches, and, after
scaling a number of blocks of granite, began our march. Thousands
of bats, roused by the lights, commenced flying round and round us,
flapping our faces with their wings, and extinguishing our torches
every minute. Phrai walked first, trying the ground with a lance which
he held; but we had scarcely proceeded a hundred paces when he threw
himself back upon me with every mark of terror, crying out, “A serpent!
go back!” As he spoke I perceived an enormous boa about fifteen feet
off, with erect head and open mouth, ready to dart upon him. My gun
being loaded, one barrel with two bullets, the other with shot, I took
aim and fired off both at once. We were immediately enveloped in a
thick cloud of smoke, and could see nothing, but prudently beat an
instant retreat. We waited anxiously for some time at the entrance of
the grotto, prepared to do battle with our enemy should he present
himself; but he did not appear. My guide now boldly lighted a torch,
and, furnished with my gun reloaded and a long rope, went in again
alone. We held one end of the rope, that at the least signal we might
fly to his assistance. For some minutes, which appeared terribly
long, our anxiety was extreme, but equally great were our relief and
gratification when we saw him approach, drawing after him the rope, to
which was attached an immense boa. The head of the reptile had been
shattered by my fire, and his death had been instantaneous, but we
sought to penetrate no farther into the grotto.
SIAMESE FÊTE.
I had been told that the Siamese were about to celebrate a grand fête
at a pagoda about three miles off, in honour of a superior priest who
died last year, and whose remains were now to be burned according
to the custom of the country. I went to see this singular ceremony,
hoping to gain some information respecting the amusements of this
people, and arrived at the place about eight in the morning, the
time for breakfast, or “Kinkao” (rice-eating). Nearly two thousand
Siamese of both sexes from Chantaboun and the surrounding villages,
some in carriages and some on foot, were scattered over the ground in
the neighbourhood of the pagoda. All wore new sashes and dresses of
brilliant colours, and the effect of the various motley groups was most
striking.
[Illustration:
Drawn by M. Bocourt, from a Photograph.
SIAMESE ACTORS.]
FUNERAL RITES.
TROUBLESOME CURIOSITY.
Under a vast roof of planks supported by columns, forming a kind
of shed, bordered by pieces of stuff covered with grotesque paintings
representing men and animals in the most extraordinary attitudes, was
constructed an imitation rock of coloured pasteboard, on which was
placed a catafalque lavishly decorated with gilding and carved work,
and containing an urn in which were the precious remains of the priest.
Here and there were arranged pieces of paper and stuff in the form of
flags. Outside the building was prepared the funeral pile, and at some
distance off a platform was erected for the accommodation of a band
of musicians, who played upon different instruments of the country.
Farther away some women had established a market for the sale of fruit,
bonbons, and arrack, while in another quarter some Chinamen and Siamese
were performing, in a little theatre run up for the occasion, scenes
something in the style of those exhibited by our strolling actors at
fairs. This fête, which lasted for three days, had nothing at all in it
of a funereal character. I had gone there hoping to witness something
new and remarkable, for these peculiar rites are only celebrated in
honour of sovereigns, nobles, and other persons of high standing; but
I had omitted to take into consideration the likelihood of my being
myself an object of curiosity to the crowd. Scarcely, however, had
I appeared in the pagoda, followed by Phrai and Niou, when on all
sides I heard the exclamation, “Farang! come and see the farang!” and
immediately both Siamese and Chinamen left their bowls of rice and
pressed about me. I hoped that, once their curiosity was gratified,
they would leave me in peace, but instead of that the crowd grew
thicker and thicker, and followed me wherever I went, so that at last
it became almost unbearable, and all the more so as most of them were
already drunk either with opium or arrack, many, indeed, with both. I
quitted the pagoda and was glad to get into the fresh air again, but
the respite was of short duration. Passing the entrance of a large hut
temporarily built of planks, I saw some chiefs of provinces sitting at
breakfast. The senior of the party advanced straight towards me, shook
me by the hand, and begged me in a cordial and polite manner to enter;
and I was glad to avail myself of his kind offer, and take refuge
from the troublesome people. My hosts overwhelmed me with attentions,
and forced upon me pastry, fruit, and bonbons; but the crowd who had
followed me forced their way into the building, and hemmed us in on all
sides; even the roof was covered with gazers. All of a sudden we heard
the walls crack, and the whole of the back of the hut, yielding under
the pressure, fell in, and people, priests, and chiefs tumbling one
upon another, the scene of confusion was irresistibly comic. I profited
by the opportunity to escape, swearing--though rather late in the
day--that they should not catch me again.
I know not to what it is to be attributed, unless it be the pure air
of the mountains and a more active life, but the mountaineers of
Chantaboun appear a much finer race than the Siamese of the plain,
more robust, and of a darker complexion. Their features, also, are
more regular, and I should imagine that they sprang rather from the
Arian than from the Mongolian race. They remind me of the Siamese and
Laotians whom I met with in the mountains of Pakpriau.
Will the present movement of the nations of Europe towards the East
result in good by introducing into these lands the blessings of our
civilization--or shall we, as blind instruments of boundless ambition,
come hither as a scourge, to add to their present miseries? Here are
millions of unhappy creatures in great poverty in the midst of the
richest and most fertile region imaginable; bowing shamefully under a
servile yoke made viler by despotism and the most barbarous customs;
living and dying in utter ignorance of the only true God!
DEPARTURE FROM THE MOUNTAINS.
I quitted with regret these beautiful mountains, where I had passed
so many happy hours with the poor but hospitable inhabitants. On the
evening before and the morning of my departure, all the people of the
neighbourhood, Chinese and Siamese, came to say adieu, and offer me
presents of fruits, dried fish, fowls, tobacco, and rice cooked in
various ways with brown sugar, all in greater quantities than I could
possibly carry away. The farewells of these good mountaineers were
touching; they kissed my hands and feet, and I confess that my eyes
were not dry. They accompanied me to a great distance, begging me not
to forget them, and to pay them another visit.