Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1913-05-31
Letter From Siam.
Sand.bar in Nan River. May 5.

things we're being put into the boats,
for my trip to Bangkok. so brought
it along. to answer on the way down.
Last week | sent some pictures Of
Nan boats for you to see, so you
have some idea of what am to live
in for the next five weeks. The
boats are logs, followed out, with
tops made of foundation of bRm-
has. covered with leaves. These are
narrow quarters, but the air is bet
ter than that of Pullman sleeper.
There is just enough room inside to
sit up straight. but we always stop
on the bank for our meals and at
night, so we get to stretch ourselves
then.
The men have been catching some
of the most beautiful trout l ever
saw. In the afternoon they drift
along slowly, one of the men stand
ing in front with his net. He throws
stone into the water to attract the
fish, l suppose, and as the boat ap-
proaches the spot, filings out his net,
which covers large surface. and
then drags it in by string which is
tied to the center. They then take
these beautiful fish and hash them
in ten pieces for their curry. Ihave
been hungry for taste. though not
the way they fix it, but there are
seven men in the crowd and they
have never gotten enough to divide.
There is no gun in.the crowd, or we
might have some peacock; have
wished more than once since l have
been out here. that | were more pro-
ficient in the use of a gun, but l
suppose it's fortunate for me I'm
not. or / should be tempted to go
out after big game. Yesterday we
saw small crocodile on the rocks.
hunting for fish. and this morning q
pure white squirrel, the first | have
ever seen. There are several vari-
ties Of pretty water birds.
This is Sunday, and we have
stopped for the day on a sand.bar.
We have brought our beds, chairs
and books to the bed of a stream
that is now dry, and protected by
the high banks from the heat of the
sun. The breeze is fine, we can hear
the rapids rushing below and noun
tains are all around. Running the
rapids is great fun, though it will be
rather slow coming up again. They
are really not steep or large enough
to be dangerous, but it is exhilarat-
ing.
Tuesday morning we were off
again, and had rather an exciting
dav in the rapids. In one place we
had to get out, and the men worked
nearly an hour, pushing, pulling and
policing; it was at the place of which
| sent pictures in my last letter. At
one bad place the old boat captain
fell off. and got three bad gashes on
his limbs. 1t seems that on leaving,
| Dr.. Peoples had jokingly told the
other men not to let Poo Tip fall in
to the water. so they had great fun.
over this remark. when he finally
did fall in But TIE old man was so
'sore" (n morSy Ways than Une) over
his mishsp. u they had to stop
teasing hiVf We got out Of the
rapids yeste, day, and the country is
changing. Yesterday afternoon we
came upon colony of the little long
tailed monkeys in dump of bamboos.
We were not near enough to disturb
them, and it was amusing TO watch
them drinking and playing together.
( Earlier in the day we had seen q
short-tailed monkey as large as q
bull dog.
Sunday afternoon the men brought
in two large strings Of as pretty fish
as eVe- saw. There were a feW
trout among them but most Of them
were a white fish, with enor-
nous mouths, and loose skin hang
ing in folds around them and be-
tween the eyes huge knob OF skin.
covered with white postulss, very
much like the warts on a toad The
largest one was two feet long, and
the men said il weighed nine or ten
pounds 1t is full Of bones, two
pronged, and wondered if it was a
sucker. ! selected a trout and a
small one of this other kind, and we
had them for breakfast next day.
thought | had never eaten better
fish. They had one fellow which was
about 10 in long. with long fiat.
serpent.like head, and eyes that
looked wicked, even in death. From
each side of his mouth ran out q
horny skin that tapered into a spine.
These were about inches long The
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