9
and the following day, after a four and a half hours' march, arrived at Ban Naa Po, a village on the right bank of the Sawe river[1], and about three miles below Ban Kri Sawe. From this point it was intended to branch off across the Peninsula, and follow the route via Kow Kye (a dangerous pass for elephants,) and Chah Hoon to Muong Rehnong[2], and to make an examination of the valley of the Sawe river on the way, but owing to the unauthorized departure of ten elephants to Chumpon, the course of the Expedition was altered, and it was decided to take the route to Rehnong, via the valley of the Langsuen river, which afterwards. I think, proved to be the best way of economising the already limited time the Expedition had to accomplish its labors in.
We remained four days until complete preparations could be made for the onward march. The time however was judiciously employed in surveying the bends of the river to the sea, taking solar observations, and determining atmospheric curves, &c. Independent of this, a laborious ascent of an adjacent hill (Kow Taakade,) clothed with dense jungle, was made for the purpose of having a good view of the country in the supposed direction of the Sawe valley. On the summit of this hill, about 400 feet high, a ladder and platform were rigged up a tall tree, and from this elevated position almost a perfect view of the country to the west was attained, mountains and hills of every shape and size, covered with the thickest jungle, were massed together in one unbroken, but varied outline, and nothing in the shape of the sought-for valley could be discerned in any direction. The Sawe river is a deeper and better stream than the Chumpon river. It is about 350 feet wide at its entrance in the S.W, part of Sawe bay, and Ban Naa Pa is about seven miles from its mouth.
Having engaged extra men from the head official of the village to carry baggage, and despatched the remainder in a native boat by sea to Langsuen, the Expedition again started on its journey on the 26th inst., and arrived, after five and a half hours' march, at Ban Taa Ko, a small village on the Bank of the Klong Taa Ko.