1928 - 1929 ORIGINAL PAIR [2] OF MANUSCRIPT DIARIES OF AN ENGLISH ENGINEER'S TIME TIN MINING, TIGER HUNTING AND TRAVELING IN SIAM

On offer are an interesting pair [2] of 1928 and 1929 original manuscript diaries handwritten by a young English mining engineer named Leslie Arnold Mayo, while working in Siam. Using a large page per day 'Roneo Indexed Diaries', he writes approximately 311 entries in the 1928 diary and 235 entries in the 1929 diary, ranging from a single line to a full-page, usually at least a paragraph or two ending with his return to Dover on 3 October 1929, with occasional entries made while in Europe to the conclusion of the calendar year. The author provides a unique 'yin and yang' look at his time in Asia from the prejudices of a young man of his time and place balance with the topic of the perils of going native; the challenges of mining in contrast with the lure of making one's living abroad, particularly in an exotic locale such as Siam. Mayo appears to have no little responsibility managing and working a tin mine near Langsuan, then at Kopah, in Thailand, as he does the books, calculates expenses and doles out wages, writes daily reports, some with drawings, manages equipment repairs, and hires the Siamese and Chinese 'coolies'. Mayo answers directly to the Superintendent of Mines, and in 1928 received a salary increase. He is also in frequent communication with the Governor and even socializes with him. Beginning on New Year's Day of 1928, we understand he has been in Thailand for some time, as he is comfortably situated in a bungalow at the Nai Hoot Juita tin mine in Langsuan, Siam and he may have started his job there as early as the summer, or autumn of 1926. Mayo does a great job bringing the essence of his life in Siam to the reader as he not only details his work but also his play and other activities: the journals contain many stories of encounters with tigers, game hunting, the miner's opinions of his contemporaries in the industry, as well as the hired hands, minor mishaps such as an injury to his knee, a weekend spent in Penang, and the sorted affairs of his colleagues. Mayo contemplates purchasing options, essentially licences, in other regions, as well as investing in shares in the Australian owned mining company 'Huai Yot' which was involved in gold mining in Malaysia. Other large Australian companies such as 'Nai Hoot' are mentioned, and interestingly, Australians were the first to introduce dredges into tin mining in Siam in 1907, creating an influx of Western firms. Here are some snippets: "Chinese hari bazaar, the coolies decided to do no work because I wouldn't give them a full day for 1/2 day's work. Had some trouble over sacking two." "Took F.R. round the mines, dredge & power station & listened to what he had to say. He is a decent fellow, a Scot from Edinburgh..." "I went down to Tung Song [Suratthani] for money... Oscar Dorban got in... I was very pleased to see him & we discussed boxing, especially his method of drying the samples & weighing them instead of finding their volume by displacement..." "... 10 o'clock when I got my money from the bank. Caught the 11 am train to Ronpibon where Langdon met me & drove me out... White was on the train going to Haad Yai" "Received a letter from the OCPD Batu Gajah [Office of the Consumer Protection Board] inquiring about my pistol, he wants me to apply for an export licence - nine months after I left the state." "Took a gang of coolies out to repair a broken bridge on the Langsuan road... had a beer & biscuits... Lazy in the afternoon & then went shooting... I bagged 4 with 6 shots..." "A most energetic day. Went to the bore first thing & on my return struck the pipe line so decided to go up to the intake - some walk in all about 10 miles." "I can calmly accept the state of affairs - this life is quite bearable if one has enough work to do during the day. Today I was up late and spent most of the morning with the coolies shifting the dynamo field to the store. Siamese get my goat!" "The tractor with dynamo armature got stuck in the mud just outside the min & I with four coolies waited at Quentin Mooi till 1:30 PM for it... Got the tractor started after much trouble & watched it for 1/4 mile & then went ahead in the lorry from Q.H.H. with some motor starters.... the lorry wheel came nearly off so had to walk the rest & send for a new wheel... the two trucks sent yesterday could not be used... they have no brakes... " "Sacked all the Siamese coolies in the morning through not turning up yesterday noon." "The governor called me into his house & gave me tea.... Received my provisions from Bangkok, I like the American cheese." "Went into Langsuan to answer a few questions of the 'Superintendant of Mines' - all over in fifteen minutes" "Met Clark in Langsuan, he has just returned from a prospecting trip of the Chumphon district... " "Paid off my boring coolies, luckily I had about 500 spare in the safe... Made lists of the boring tools in store... went for a walk to the dredge on the No.3 mine hole, the power house & No.5 mine." "Brown from Nawong Pat is down here, he is going to take Jay's place at P.S.H. Jay was nearly murdered on Wed. night at 9:30 o'clock by coolies who got into his room, they held his woman & hit him on the head with an axe, she escaped & rescued Jay & they had a fight but the coolies got them again & attempted to cut jay's throat - they made a cut 3" long..." "...Imagine being tied to a black woman like Cundy - ugh. And now she has adopted a Siamese kid!!! Of course she looks after him well & is I truly believe faithful...I could never do it - pray to God that reason always controls my passion, at any rate in that respect..."); travels on company business to Penang and elsewhere in Malaya when investigating mining options and taking bores ("...The journey took just under three hours & about half the way I rode owing to broken bridges & the amount of water on the road. The cart rocked & swayed over the rutty road & there was an unpleasant smell from the oxen. The driver - an Afgan - was certainly the most villainous looking man I have ever met, he was a large & tall man wearing only khaki shorts & a dirty white shirt with a coloured handkerchief at his throat & an automatic on his hip. At Behor I stayed with Dawson - Aussie - & Agar - Irish - his assistant. The former owns a semi lode - semi alluvial mine. They live like natives, the animals run all over the "bungalow", coolies walk in at will with their hats on - but it was better than living in a Chinese shop..."); a giant iguana shot in his garden ("...I've had it skinned, the Siamese are having a feast, and I [shall] give it to Mum to make shoes of..."); tiger predations ("...Clarke was greatly excited...& decided to set four spring guns but some Chinese came in the morning & cleared the undergrowth & built a machane [a raised platform used in tiger hunting]..."); ants in his trousers ("...Scratching all morning..."); drinking and its attendant nightmares (in one being shot by a coolie and set upon by a Chinese whore); his reading (Hardy, Dickens, Hugo, Anatole France, Zane Grey, et al.), etc. Note: We list separately a 1932 diary written by Mayo detailing his time surveying in Southern Rhodesia. 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