Schomburgk's Account of 'Xiengmai' in 1859-60

Part of Ancient Chiang Mai

Sir Robert Hermann Schomburgk (1804-65), was born at Freiburg in Prussian Saxony, but as a British citizen went on to become a distinguished naturalist and explorer, as well as a member of the British Diplomatic Corps. Under the direction of the Royal Geographical Society, he went on a trip of botanical and geographical exploration to British Guiana (now Guyana) in 1835. He later surveyed that colony, fixing the 'Schomburgk Line' as the (still disputed) frontier between Guyana and Venezuela. Knighted in 1844, Schomburgk was later appointed British Consul at Santo Domingo in 1848, and at Bangkok in 1857. While holding these posts he continued his geographical and naturalist surveys. He retired from the public service in 1864, and died at Berlin on the 11th of March 1865. He was the author of a Description of British Guiana and a History of Barbados.

Schomburgk's travels in Siam are both less well known and less well documented than his New World writings. In 1859-60, with the support of King Mongkut (Rama IV), he travelled north to Chiang Mai (which he styles Xiengmai), at that time the capital of the semi-independent Lan Na Kingdom under the rule of Chao Kavilorot (1856-70). After staying in Chiang Mai for 13 days, he travelled overland to Moulmein in the then British-ruled Tenasserim region of Burma, before taking a steamer to Tavoy and returning overland to Siam. In all, he was away from Bangkok for 135 days. He later published his 'A Visit to Xiengmai, the principal City of the Laos or Shan States' in the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal (Calcutta), 32, 4 (1863).

Schomburgk's writings on Chiang Mai are rather ponderous, and his observations less than comprehensive. In all, his account runs to some 5,000 words, many of which are superfluous, and some downright confusing - until you remember his greatest exploratory triumph was in Guyana. This leads to such bizarre comments on the people of Chiang Mai as: 'the generality of the men and women... walk like the Indians of Guiana, one foot set before the other, without turning the little toe outside'. It is difficult to see how any people, Khon Muang or otherwise, could walk without placing one foot in front of the other, but such oddities aside, Schomburgk's report on 'Xiengmai' bears reprinting, at least in edited form, both because of its rarity, and for the several insights into Chiang Mai in 1859-60 contained therein.

Schomburgk's party left Bangkok on December 12, 1859, and took 28 days to arrive at Raheng (Tak) by boat, followed by another 14 days on elephant back to reach Lamboon (Lamphun). Accommodation had been arranged for the party in advance, on the west side of the River Ping in the vicinity of Thapae Road. Of the city and its administration Schomburgk writes:

The Deputy Viceroy Chao Operat [Chao Upparat or Deputy Viceroy] called on us shortly after noon. He was a man of advanced age, dressed meanly without shirt or shoes, very different in appearance from any of the officials of a similar rank which I had previously met. He came on foot, observing that some disease from which he suffered prevented him from rising on horseback...

The King's letter was conveyed in the usual manner to the Deputy Viceroy's residence. The latter was anything but palatial for so high a personage: the greatest ornaments in the hall were a large number of embroidered pillows - similar to the one which I received in Bangkok from his superior, the actual Viceroy Chao-kavi Rorot Suriwong [Chao Kavilorot], who was then there on a visit.

We had some difficulty to get a person to read the letter written to him by the King's order, which was in the Siamese language and characters: the Lao [Kham Muang] differs in both points, and I am told that the difference is more than dialectical...

On our return from the Deputy Viceroy, we took a ride through the town. The bazaar is held in the principal street, extending east and west: the goods for sale are exposed in open stalls along the lines of the street. They consist of English manufactured goods, such as cotton handkerchiefs, prints, cups and saucers, plates, needles and thread; raw silk from China, lacquered boxes from Ava and a number of knick knacks from other countries... pork, vegetables, and the indispensable betel-nut with all its accessories. There were, likewise short clay-pipes and tobacco finely cut, similar to the Turkish...

We extended our ride round the town 'proper' not including the suburb. It is surrounded by a double wall - each wall having a ditch in front. The entrance to the town is by double gates with bastions to protect them. The suburbs [Thippanet, Nantaram, Thapae] are stockaded, but the gates of that portion of the town, are also fortified... I could not ascertain with precision the extent of the city. I believe, however, that it is no less than two miles and a half in length, including the suburb to the south-west. The number of inhabitants amounts probably to 50,000, of whom 5,000 are able to bear arms...

The streets of the city have originally been laid out at right angles. Time it seems has worked changes with regard to their regularity; nevertheless I have not seen any other Siamese city, laid out apparently so regularly at its foundation, as Xiengmai appears to have been.

The habitations are seldom, if ever, placed so as to front the street; they stand some distance back. In their structure they do not differ materially from such as I saw in the other Lao [Lan Na] towns: however, those of the high nobility are not surrounded with walls... to prevent any vulgar prying on what is going on within.

There are numerous Wats in the city... At some of the Wats I noted the peculiar towerlets or Phratshedees [chedi]. The number of these isolated towerlets is large; they not only surround the city, but extend for a mile or more beyond it, principally to the west... These remarkable towers are only cased with stone-work and filled up with the soil from near to the place where they stand... at about 30 to 40 feet above the base, rises the dome, crowned by a tee with narrow blind windows, terminating in a spire consisting of from 5 to 7 umbrellas or disks, each decreasing in size until the spire ends in a sharp point, ornamented with small bells, that tinkle when they are moved by the wind...

The bridge which leads over the Méping seems of considerable age: (the river here is 380 feet wide, as I ascertained by measurement), and although men, horses and cattle pass over it, the elephants have to ford the river. These animals are too heavy for such a frail structure, of which the greater number of planks that stretch across horizontally, are not even fixed by wooden pegs or iron nails. The clattering noise of these loose planks, when a drove of oxen is passing over the bridge, is almost stunning, and has repeatedly awakened me out of sleep at night, when sounds are so much more distinct than during the day.

There are many cocoa and betel-nut trees in and around Xiengmai. Oil is prepared from the first, and the betel-nut forms an article of commerce, being exported from Xiengmai, after setting aside what is used for home consumption...

Shaddocks or pumplemose (pomelos), oranges, citrons and limes, bananas, and plantains are likewise raised, but of the two first kinds of fruits I have scarcely found one of a good taste. The Viceroy whom I met I Bangkok, told me, that there was only a single mangosteen tree in Xiengmai, and that in consequence of the cold temperature, it was in a sickly state and seldom produced fruit. At the bazaar a number of kitchen herbs, may, however, be found, such as cucumbers, onions, garlic, beans and lettuce...

Text by Andrew Forbes, images by David Henley. © CPA Media, 2005