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

ON
VI
CHIENGMAI
Monday morning, April 3d, 1867, we reached
the city. We had looked forward to the arrival
as a welcome rest after the long confinement
of our journey in the boat. But it was only the
beginning of troubles. We were not coming to an
established station with houses and comforts prepared
by predecessors. The Prince was off on a military
expedition, not to be back for over a month.
Till he came, nothing could be done. We could not
secure a house to shelter us, for there was none to be
had. Just outside the eastern gate of the city, however,
a sala for public use had recently been built by
an oflScer from Raheng, to " make merit," according to
Buddhist custom. He had still a quasi claim upon it,
and, with the consent of the Prince's representative,
he offered it to us. It was well built, with tile roof and
teak floor, was enclosed on three sides, and opened
in front on a six-foot veranda. In that one room, some
twelve feet by twenty, all our belongings were stored.
It served for bedroom, parlour, dining-room, and study.
In it tables, chairs, bedstead, organ, boxes, and trunks
were all piled one upon another. A bamboo kitchen
and a bathroom were presently extemporized in the
yard. That was our home for more than a year.
The news of the arrival of white foreigners soon
spread far and wide.
It was not known how long they
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