A half century among the Siamese and the Lao : an ... - Khamkoo

256 AMONG THE SIAMESE AND THE LAO
had schooled ourselves to these conditions; but to
those who had been accustomed to a daily mail, they
must have been almost unendurable.
The new Vice-Consul came, determined by all means
to get some regular communication established, if it
were only a monthly one. We were only too glad to
do whatever we could to that end. It was a matter
of pride to both parties that we arranged at once for
a regular and most successful semi-monthly mail overland
to Maulmein, I furnished a reliable Christian
man for chief contractor, and good men for carriers.
Since Mr. Gould had as yet no authority from his government
to incur any expense, the arrangement was
wholly a private afifair, with the understanding that
all who availed themselves of it should pay a quarterly
assessment for the maintenance of the line. But in a
short time the British government assumed the whole
expense. Mr. Gould promised to get the staff exempt
from corvee, or compulsory government service. He
had to use his oflQcial authority for that.
The Lao government had absolutely no interest in
a mail, whether weekly or yearly; but the Siamese
looked rather askance at having in their own country
a mail service over which they had no control.
It seemed to be in some way a reflection on their national
pride. There is little doubt that our private
enterprise hastened the weekly government mail from
Bangkok, which was started the next year. And since
the Maulmein route is quicker by two weeks than
the one by Bangkok, the Siamese government has of
late maintained both, the two meeting at Raheng, and
giving us a very creditable and regular mail service.
In the spring of 1884 the mission sustained a great