A thousand miles on an elephant in the Shan StatesHallett, Holt S. (Holt Samuel)
History
A thousand miles on an elephant in the Shan States
Hallett, Holt S. (Holt Samuel)
Laos -- Description and travel; Thailand -- Description and travel
The old people, it is believed, after passing through three existences,
were reborn at Penyow, and made the image in Wat Phra Chow Toon Hluang.
The ditches round the three cities of Viang Chaum Taung are said to have
been dug by _yaks_, or ogres, whilst Buddh was resting in it eating the
rice and waiting for Ananda to bring him water.
On reaching Penyow (Panyow or Phayao), Buddh summoned the people to
listen to his preaching. The men, who were clearing the fields with long
knives, at once hurried to him with their implements in their hands.
Buddh, looking at them with astonishment, exclaimed, “Pahn Yow!” (what
long knives!); thence the place is known as Pahn Yow or Penyow.
Another city, called Viang Moo Boon, situated two days’ journey to the
south-east of Penyow, is said to have had its trenches and ramparts
marked out by a sacred dog, and executed by _nyaks_ or dragons.
According to some Buddhist books which give histories of twenty-four
Buddhs who preceded Gaudama (Sakya Muni), who is the only Buddh known to
history, the twenty-third Buddh lived as a layman for 3000 years, and
was 45 feet high; the twenty-fourth Buddh lived 20,000 years, and was 30
feet high; and Gaudama, the twenty-fifth Buddh, had existed for 100,000
ages when he was retranslated to the earth. For 36,500 years he existed
as Indra, the great king of the Dewas, after which time, being desirous
to save mankind, he passed through a course of existences on this world,
the history of which is given in the 510 Zahts or Jatakas.
A quarter of an hour after leaving the temple, we were gladdened by the
sight of a Shan Rachel drawing water from a well close to the city
walls. How often she drew water for the men, and willingly and
laughingly offered it to the thirsty souls, who seemed as if they would
never be satisfied, I cannot tell. She did so as long as it was
required, and then, after letting them draw some for the elephants,
walked jauntily off with her bamboo buckets swinging in either hand.
We then entered the city, and halted at the court-house, under a
magnificent tarapeuk tree, covered with great dangling blossoms, which
from a distance looked like cattail orchids. Although half-past five
when we halted, the temperature was still 91°. This was by far the
hottest march we had made; and the glare and dust, joined with thirst,
and constant peering at my instrument, made my eyes and head ache so
that I could hardly keep to my work. It was getting dark when we
arrived.
Muang Penyow is situated in the great elbow-curve made by the Meh Ing,
and lies 130 miles from Zimmé, at a height of 1266 feet above the sea.
CHAPTER XX.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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