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