THE NOTABLE TRIP TO LAO
One notable trip of Dr. House remains to be narrated, a journey into the land of the Lao—notable because of the accident which nearly closed the career of the doctor. The trip occurred in 1868. The previous year was signalised in the annals of missions in Siam by the establishment of a station at Chiengmai among the Lao people in what is now known as North Siam. It is curious to note that while Dr. House himself had been among the first to become interested in these people as he came into contact with the Lao boatmen at Bangkok and although he once seriously contemplated leaving the Mattoons alone at Bangkok while he should carry the Gospel into the unexplored northland, yet when the proposition was being discussed by the mission to open a station there the doctor enters a record of his judgment that the time is premature.
However, additions to the corps of workers having made it possible to establish another station, the mission decided to send Messrs. McGilvary and Wilson, who had made an exploratory trip the previous season, to open work among the Lao tribes. In January of 1867 the McGilvary family set out in small boats, making the journey all the way up the Meinam. In the next December the Wilsons followed along the same route. It was a three-months’ journey up Siam’s great river, whose name means “mother of waters.” Above Raheng the stream forces its way through a narrow gap in the mountain chain, forming a long series of perilous rapids and affording scenery which is described by voyagers as of surpassing beauty.
Dr. House wrote concerning the reason for his own trip:
“And here I must let you into a little secret. Mrs. Wilson, it seems, will require the attendance of a physician about the first of March, and so also will Mrs. McGilvary. So much the worse for both of them, you will say—seeing they are five hundred miles from medical aid. Must they, then, be abandoned to their fate? You must not, then, dear brother, be much surprised to learn that this double call of Providence has proved too strong for me. Much as I dislike the practise of my profession, much as I dread the long, tedious journey, much as I desire just now to stay with my interesting and most dearly loved flock [the church over which the doctor had just been made pastor] I have felt it would be wrong for me to decline the invitation I have received to visit Chiengmai at the critical time.
“But I cannot afford to waste three months on the journey there, when by boat to Raheng in twenty-three days Chiengmai from there can be reached by elephant in eight to ten days more.”
Accordingly, the doctor determined to take the quicker route, and by February 13, he had reached Raheng. There he was delayed five days waiting for elephants to be provided for him. The company then set out over the mountains, expecting to reach their destination nearly on schedule time. Then came the accident, the story of which is most vividly set forth in the letter written by Dr. House himself on that same day.
“Ban Hong North Laos,
“Monday, March 2, 1868.
“Rev. Mr. and Mrs. McGilvary.
“Dear Brother and Sister:
“So near and yet unable to get farther. Is it not a strange Providence? When I started this morning strong and well, refreshed by a Sabbath’s day rest at the little hamlet of Wong Luang I was rejoicing in the thought that I was almost at the end of this tedious and almost endless journey through the sultry wilderness and would soon receive the welcome which such friends as you will give, when about eight or nine A. M. my elephant by whose side I was walking, suddenly and without provocation turned upon me and pushed me over with his trunk and, when lying on the ground, thrust one of those huge tusks at me and into my poor body—how deep I know not, but ripping up my abdomen two and one-half inches just below the umbillicus. It was a strange sensation I assure you. I was expecting another thrust which I could not escape, for I was jammed in by the side of a tree. By this time, however, his driver had got his head turned into the road again.
“And there I was in the far woods with very probably a fatal wound and none but servants and Laos elephant drivers. As my men came up poor Beo, who is most faithful and much attached, burst into tears. And now thoughts of Harriette and home rushed over me. But God my Saviour, God to whom only yesterday I had renewed my consecration of myself as His servant in a sweet retired spot on the beautiful mountain stream where we were camped, has permitted—nay ordered—this unlooked-for calamity; and in God I trust, blessed be His Name for sustaining me through the hours of this sad day.
“Such wound, of course, must be sewed up, and at once, and I must do it, for I could trust none of those with me, new men all but good Beo. It was curious business, this sewing up one’s own abdomen; but it must be done, and it was done—four stitches. By this time my men had contrived a very comfortable litter with an awning from the bamboos growing near at hand. Of course climbing upon an elephant and enduring the merciless rocking motion was out of the question. So borne by four men on the litter we slowly journeyed on through the dry, parched woods, over mountains and across the dry water brooks from eleven or twelve to five P. M., when we reached this village on the Maa Li River, on the route from Muang Tern and Muang Li to Lampoon. And I am writing this by candlelight in the Sala Klang of the place lying on my back. It is wearisome work to write and I must stop soon. The people here seem kind. I have engaged a messenger to take this announcement of my misfortune to Chiengmai.
“And now, my dear brother and dear sister (and if Brother Wilson and his dear wife have arrived, I include them also), I need not say to you how serious is the injury I have received. The first thought was that the omentum or caul had protruded; it may have been lacerated fat under the skin. It was replaced, of course. But whether the cavity of the peritoneum was pierced or not, (and my symptoms would have been more severe if it had been, I think), still there must have been much contusion of the bowels, and of course great danger of peritonitis, the gravest of all diseases. I must lie perfectly still for days and days to have a chance of getting well. Another day of such jolting as today would be fatal. My only hope is in absolute rest. My bowels are very sore, of course; but God will not forsake His child and I will try to bear all that is appointed me. I write to notify you that you, too, may trust your dear Sophia, and brother W. his dear Kate, in the same ever gracious hands. His angel has laid his hands upon me and stopped me here.
“I write also to say that neither of you must think of coming over (from Chiengmai it is three days on elephant) to visit me. You can do me no manner of good and your wives absolutely require you both at home just now. It would be positively wrong for you to leave them. I have good, kind servants, medicines, books, and best of all my Saviour’s presence, and I am resigned to His will. But, Oh, poor Harriette—pray for her. We will pray for each other, and God bless you and yours till we meet.
“Affectionately,
“S. R. House.
“P. S. If I get well, I—or if not, my four men—will proceed to Chiengmai and deliver to you there six hundred ticals I am bringing to your mission.”
This letter records a story of nerve and fortitude seldom equalled in the annals of travel and exploration. One must pause after reading it to take in the whole situation. The note itself was written at the close of the day of shock and pain and suffering. It was written while the sufferer was lying flat on his back, scarcely able to move without agitating the wound; and written then lest a night’s delay might find him unable to write. But as you read the letter you are conscious that he writes not because he is thinking of his own need, but because he knows that his friends will be greatly alarmed by his failure to appear. The trip itself had been undertaken in a spirit of self-abnegation solely for the welfare of his fellow missionaries. And the necessity of the trip casts a vivid light upon the deprivations and hardships of those pioneer missionaries. There are those who will exclaim, “Fools! why did they go so far from contact with civilisation and under such circumstances,—five hundred miles from the nearest physician!” Yes, fools! but fools for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, “of whom the world was not worthy.”
Further details of this marvellous adventure are given in a letter written two weeks later from the same place, the original of which is still preserved.
“I wonder if any surgeon was ever before called upon to sew up his own abdomen! Somehow nerve was given me to put in the four stitches without shrinking, though it was a work of no little difficulty, as I had to be guided by the reflection in a looking-glass—the wound not being in direct line of vision—as I lay on my back too weak to sit up. All the water I had was in a small porous drinking vessel—not over a pint, and no other supply for miles....
“That evening I arranged for a messenger to carry the tidings of my injury to the mission at Chiengmai. On the evening of the third day they returned, and with them a servant of Mr. McGilvary came along, and also our faithful Christian Siamese brother, Nai Chune, who had gone up in charge of Mr. Wilson’s household goods to Chiengmai.... Had my letter reached Chiengmai a few hours later it would have found Nai Chune gone, for his passage was taken and his things aboard the boat to start that day for Bangkok....
“I am lost in wonder when I think of the Providence by which I escaped seemingly inevitable death. Who ever heard of one being impaled on an elephant’s tusk and yet living to tell the tale. God’s merciful Providence ordered that when I was unexpectedly felled to the ground I was thrown—not flat on my back, in which case I had been pierced through and through; but on my right side, hence his tusk which was aimed at the middle line of my body glanced and so did not enter deep enough to inflict a mortal wound. Had it pierced but the thickness of this paper deeper than it did, peritoneal inflammation would have ensued and speedy death....
(Later.) “The afternoon of the day I wrote the foregoing letter a loaded elephant came to the sala where I am lying, and the one riding it began to hand down various baskets and bundles as if they had reached their destination. It proved to have been sent by my good brethren of Chiengmai, who had forwarded supplies of everything that could be thought of to make a sick man comfortable....
“With wise forethought they had arranged that a boat should be awaiting me at the nearest landing place on the river to take me to Chiengmai. I was too weak then and the wound was not in a state to allow of my leaving the sala; but the next Monday (just two weeks from the date of the injury) I ventured to try the litter again. So with a new set of elephants for my luggage and bearers for myself hired in the village, that afternoon at 3 o’clock we started, but found no camping place till 11 P. M.—a weary journey! But all forgotten next morning when my eyes rested again on the Meinam River and I was transferred to the boat. Two days of vigourous poling up the river brought me to my friends’ landing about five P. M. Wednesday, March 18.”
By Nai Chune the doctor was able to send to his wife the news of the misfortune, though it was two months after the accident before she received the message. Trusty servants were then sent up to meet him at Raheng, where his boats were awaiting his return. The complete healing of the wound and recuperation of strength required more time than he had anticipated so that he was compelled to remain at Chiengmai six weeks. During this enforced delay he had the privilege of assisting in organising the first church at Chiengmai, a little gratification to his old and ardent desire for the evangelisation of the Lao. The return was made all the way by water. From Chiengmai to Raheng the voyage required eighteen days, and thence his own boats carried him the remainder of the way to Bangkok in twelve days.
It is probable that Dr. House accomplished more touring in Siam than any other missionary. During the first ten years, within which most of the exploring was done, he was more free than Mr. Mattoon to be absent for long periods and distant journeys. While the other missions were restricting their work Dr. House had visions of enlarging the range of Presbyterian activities. All the fields of present mission stations in central Siam had been explored by Dr. House and seed sown long before permanent work was undertaken. Love of pioneering and zeal for the Gospel united to impel him to search out the land with a view to ultimate conquest for Christ.
X
NEW KING, NEW CUSTOMS, NEW FAVOURS
It is a noteworthy testimony to the influence of the American missionaries that through their instruction in modern science the most enlightened monarch of the Orient should have come to his death as a result of his zeal in behalf of astronomy. Although since he had ascended the throne King Mongkut had not been able to devote time to pursuit of the sciences as he had done while a priest in the watt, yet he maintained a real interest. His requests to Dr. House for translations from foreign journals included items of scientific interest. His patronage of the mission school in favour of the sons of nobles was not merely to have them taught English, but that through that language they might obtain instruction in the sciences.
When circumstances brought it within his power to lend assistance to the scientific world he seized the opportunity with a royal will. Astronomers had predicted a total eclipse of the sun for the year 1868, and indicated that the southern peninsula of Siam would be the sole place on the globe where the eclipse would appear in totality. In his great enthusiasm, desiring to be a patron of science, the king determined to lead an expedition to witness the phenomena. Dr. House describes the preparations in a letter (Aug., 1868):
“The gulf of Siam lay in the greatest duration of the solar eclipse since the sun began to shine, as some say; attracting to these realms astronomers from Western Europe. Great preparations were made to receive them with all honor and to join them in witnessing the solar phenomena, on the part of our science-loving king and his government. Large levies of men were made to put up at the spot fixed by the French astronomical expedition suitable buildings for all who were present. No expense was spared in the way of entertaining the numerous guests. It is said that two thousand catties of silver ($96,000.) were expended upon the affair by our public spirited king. A free ticket on a beautiful ship of war, and entertainment while there, to all us foreign residents. But as Mr. McDonald (now acting consul) desires to go and both could not well be absent so long from the station, I did not go down; and then, too, we were sure of a very respectable eclipse here in Bangkok, which I wished to improve for the benefit of the pupils in our school and our native friends.... Here we saw stars distinctly in the day time during the greatest obscuration.”
The site chosen by the astronomers was in the jungle, in which the king caused a clearing to be made and temporary huts to be constructed. During the brief sojourn in this unhealthy spot, the king contracted a fever. The disease proved fatal, death occurring shortly after the king returned to the royal palace.
The death of the king was a sore loss to the world. Dr. House wrote:
“The missionaries lost, some of them a kind personal friend and a ‘well-wisher’ as he used to sign himself, and all a friendly-disposed liberal-minded sovereign, who put no obstacle in the way of their evangelising his people.”
Western nations lost a royal friend who had opened the gates of his kingdom for intercourse. But Siam herself, while mourning the death of an enlightened sovereign, had gained so much through the seventeen years of his felicitous reign that his death could not stop her progress in the paths he had opened for her. The light which had found its way into the jungle of human notions through the clearing Mongkut had made was never again to pass into eclipse.