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He is not afraid of overdoing the merit, as the ancient Egyptian was; the more he can pile up for himself the better, and the way in which he does this is to feed the poongyis, build choungs and pagodas, and set up or adorn figures of Buddha. The priests at this choung own a priceless relic; it is no less than a hair of Buddha! After some persuasion they are induced to show it to us.
They carry the kit and camp paraphernalia for the men who go into the jungle sometimes for months. They move the logs and trunks of the timber which is cut in the forests in large quantities. You remember the dark wood of the Circuit House and the poongyi choung? That is all teak, the best known wood in the country, corresponding to our oak.
But these boys have never sat on chairs in their lives; they will have to learn that as an accomplishment if they go into business offices when they are older. The old poongyi, or monk, is the teacher. This beautiful carved wooden building is the house where the monks live, and it is called a choung.
Then we walk on with Claude toward the house, where the marble steps are lined by chuprassies, like the one who brought us our invitation this morning; we pass into the hall, with its high white columns and airy spaciousness, and then we see masses of wood-carving like that at the choung, deeply undercut, and a huge pair of elephant tusks.
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