The Arizona sentinel., 1886-12-18
QUEER KEN POH.
A Race of Barbarians Who Inhabit the
 Dense Jungles of Siam.

A Race of Barbarians Who Inhabit the Dense Jungles of Siam.
 The following is taken from letter written at Bangkok, Siam, by Colonel Childs: Among the many peculiarities of this peculiar section is an almost un- known race of people, an account of which feel assured will be of interest. A few days since the Governor of Sangkia, province on the west coast of Siam, who was here to bring tribute to the King, gave me considerable in- formation in regard to these people, who live on the coast, terming them Ken Poh-jungle people. They make their homes amid the densest portion of the forest, have but little communica- ton with the outer world-in fact, they are entirely isolated. The only persons they hold intercourse with are slaves and traders who have penetrated the jungle in search of game or barter, as it is almost impossible to penetrate to the villages on account of the density of the vegetation, the dangerous beasts and venomous serpents that infest them. They shun all intercourse with strangers, have a peculiar dialect of their own, live in small villages. and are a muscular, hardy race, strictly vege- tarians, do not drink or smoke opium, have but few, if any, of the vices of the natives, are about five feet in height, and seem to be sunk in the most ab,ect barbarian. occupying the lowest grade of humanity. What little re- hgion they may have is a mongrel wor- ship of demons and the malignant spirits that they assert inhabit the jun gle, which they attempt to propitiate by presents, etc. Their habitat ons are partly subterranean, about four feet high, an excavation in the ground, around which stakes are driven, cov- cred with a dome of plaited bamboo, over which is plastered a thick coating of mud, which soon hardens in the sun, rendering it impervious to the rain or the heavy dews of that section, which they occupy only when necessity re- quires, as they live mostly in the open air, and when the land is overfowed up in the trees. Their clothing is of the most primitive kind. A piece of cloth about one foot wide and four feet in length, which is held in place by piece of liana or vine, as they have no cord or rope. is made into a belt, placed around the waist; then the cloth is in serted between the legs and carried both back and front up under the belt over which It laps, and the band being drawn tight holds it in place, and as the ends are opened spread out like small aprons, and thus the denizens of the jungle are in full dress. somewhat akin to the Edenic costume of old-the fig leaf.
 One of the peculiarities of this strange people is the way they raise their rice, which is their main staple, almost their sole stock of provisions, eked out with fruits, roots and herbs, which they col lect when in season, and the jungle is prolific of such kinds of food. Each village has its head man, all live in common, and as soon as field of rice IS ready to be cut he orders it and dis tributes the grain equally among his people, and so on during the season, all sharing alike. Their only implements are large knife used for cutting rice, guilding their huts. and making tops