Chapter XXII

Lakon and Lapoon date from the sixth century—Description of
Lakon—A Christian judge—Law and justice—Punishments commuted to
fines—Legend of the dipped prince—Legend of Lakon—A modern
joke—Legend of the ring lake—The god of medicine—The Aswins
mending an old man—Origin of quack-doctors—A Siamese
doctor—Theory of disease—Medicines—174 ingredients in a
dose—Draughts for the poor, pills for the rich—Medicines by
pailful—Empirics—Belief in demons and witches—Mode of payment by
the job—No cure, no pay—Fee to the god of medicine—Priests to
the demons—Sacrifices—Contamination from lepers—Smallpox and
vaccination—Filthy dwellings and furniture—No pillow-cases or
sheets—Killing bugs—Villages on the Meh Wung—Dr Neis’s
survey—Karen Christians—Rev. D. Webster—Dr Cushing ill—Eagerness
for work—Malarious fevers—Numerous Karens in British Shan
States—Trade of Lakon—Visit the chief—Cheap labour for the
railway—Great heat—Burst of the monsoon, 267

CHAPTER XXIII.

Prince Bigit’s expected visit—Leave Lakon—Cicadas and their
music—A battle-field—Duplicate kings of Siam—Truant elephants—Dr
Cushing has smallpox—A beautiful dale—A dangerous
pass—Water-parting between the Meh Wung and Meh Ping—Number of
villages in the Zimmé plain—The Mai Cha-lau tree—Pagoda on Loi
Tee—A cart-road—Reach Lapoon—The great temple and celebrated
pagoda—Lapoon built like Aladdin’s palace—Description of
city—Deserted for forty years—Visit the chief—Leave Lapoon—Scene
on the road—Reach Zimmé—Report of the R.G.S. on my survey, 283

CHAPTER XXIV.

House for Dr Cushing built in two days—Fumigation and
disinfection—Bribery and extortion at frontier
guard-house—Travellers delayed—Mr Webster’s journey—Trade
between Zimmé, Bangkok, and Maulmain; enhancement of
prices—Comparison between Russia and Siam—Oppression and tyranny
causes cunning and deceit—Siamese the greatest liars in the
East—An amusing interview with a prince—Religious buildings in
Zimmé—Description of monasteries—Bargaining with an
abbot—Palm-leaf books—Evil practices of monks—Sentencing the
descendants of criminals to slavery—Begging for meals—Giving, a
privilege—Rules for the acolytes—Shaving the head and
eyebrows—Teaching in a monastery—Learning manners, 294

CHAPTER XXV.

Leave Zimmé without interpreters—Borrow a tent—Reach Ban Pang
Kai—The cry of gibbons—Legend—A primitive pagoda—Three kinds of
pagodas—Description—Low plateau dividing Meh Low from Meh
Wung—Branch railway from Lakon—The head sources of Meh Wung—A
storm—Teak—Reach Muang Wung—Cockle’s pills—A temple at
night—Tower muskets—A plague of flies—Moosurs—Dr Cushing leaves
for Bangkok—His excellent arrangement—Translator of the Bible
into Shan—Loss of Shan interpreters—Mr Martin joins party—Bau
Lawas in Southern Siam—Arrival of Mr Gould—Elephant
titles—Dinner at the Martins’—A present of cigars, 306