Amongst the Shans

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AMONGST THE SHANS

by ARCHIBALD ROSS COLQUHOUN

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Title: AMONGST THE SHANS Author: ARCHIBALD ROSS COLQUHOUN Language: English Subject: Fiction, Literature 'LJLWDOPublisher: World Public Library Association

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AMONGST

THE

SHANS.

AMONGST THE SHANS BY

ARCHIBALD

ROSS

A.M.I.C.E.,

Author of

of

AND

AN

(k

COLQUHOUN

F.R.G.S.

Across Chryse"

etc.

fif*

HISTORICAL

SKETCH

OF

THE

SHANS

BY

HOLT

S.

HALLETT,

MiT.C.E.,

F.R.G.S.

PRECEDED BY AN INTRODUCTION ON

THE CRADLE OF THE SHAN RACE BY

TERRIEN DE LACOUPERIE Professor of Indo-Chinese Philology, University Coll. Lond., Author of Oldest Book of the Chinese" etc., etc.

NEW YORK

:

SCRIBNER & WELFORD. 1885.

"The

CONTENTS, INTRODUCTION BY

PROFESSOR

T.

DE LACOUPERIE.

THE CRADLE OF THE SHAN RACE. Ancient Indo-Chinese inseparable from the formation of the Chinese Their Chinese affinities have originated before they nation settled in their present seats.

Misunderstandings

How

still

to explain the

How

similitudes

China, and the recent

current on

affinities

they

are

researches

Reasons of the China and Indo-

of civilization

illustrated

in

China.

Causes

the

of

arrangement of the Special Geographical and administrative divisions of

misunderstandings

Chinese Annals

the Chinese Dominion.

Avowed

existence

Slow extension of populations between their Distinction Chinese

of non- Chinese

dominion of the dominion and their influence. TEK and Ancient intrusive races the

Woman-ruled Non-intrusive races

MAN KING

or

MON

race

tribes

TOK

ra.cefungoi

Karen

Ngu tribes

etc.,

tribes.

San Miao PangKuei divisions. and the non-Chinese state of Tsu

Teru.

TAI-SHAN

race

Hung

Pa-y

Lao

Leao

Tchao divisions.

Conclusion.

AMONGST THE CHAPTER

SHANS.

I.

M. Mouhot's account Fortune-hunters Golden pagodas Precious stones Khmer ruins Their design Enormous stones Indian

The golden country

race

Lolos, etc.

Tattooed, Dwarfs, Long-legged,

race

NUNG

Mineral wealth

vii

or

CONTENTS.

viii

Indian

art

Mekong

migration

delta

Ambition or

Cambodia

Advance

of

the

The French expedition The Me'kong Hardship and disappointment Volcanic action

Cambodia

The

to

River

Sickness Exposure unnavigable M. de French castle in the air Tonquin as a base

Game's

views

known

Little

of

the

country

of

Effect

slave-hunting Depopulation of Vien-Chang Population west of the Mekong Richness of the valley of the Menam

Importance of Zimme Railways proposed Mission up China and the Shan country

CHAPTER Leave

Reach

Bangkok

Arrive

at

Maulmain Mr.

Pahpoon

i

II.

Our

A

Davis

start

for

Zimme*

hunter

dacoit

Presence of mind and pluck

tended murder

Opening

In-

Saved by

Moung Deepah Importance of Pahpoon a district Bernard Mr. Quieting Improved communi-

his spectacles

Our mission

cations

Police-stations

The

To the Dahguin ferry Elephants Sal ween River Catching timber .

CHAPTER

19

III.

In Siam Police Frightened Elephants Wild beasts Building houses in an hour

Foiled in crossing Pitching tents

howdahs Hmine Long-gyee An opWhite Karens valley Population destroyed A fruitful field American missionaries pressed people Mr. Bernard's report Main Long-gyee A Large game Value of youths and maidens vast breeding-ground The Red Karens A block to trade Slave-hunters An immoral Decency versus Mrs. Grundy Steep roofs

Miasma

priest nails

of the

Sleeping

Quiet

A

people

Pain-killer

in

Siamese

J

to

Arrogance

Burmese

the

Baw

30

plateau

Lawas tobacco, and

and Salween cane,

Gentlemanly

Kindness of the town-eater

CHAPTER March

official

IV.

parting of the Menam Cultivation of cotton, indigo, sugar-

The water

safflower

Preparation

of

cotton

CONTENTS.

ix

PAGE

Women

Iron manufactured

Chinese purchasers

Lawa converts Lawas Taxes of hill-tribes hism Lawas called "Man-bears" Singular hill-races on the Anam Difference between mountains Value of slaves Highlanders of

miners

Buddcustom and Shan the Shan to

..........

country

47

CHAPTER V.^ Lawas Orang-outang Cultivation ornaments

Karen habitat

Sources of information

,

V and Kachyens Bamboo Ka-kuis A Ka-koi Kakuas Buried in their bonnets Pig-tails Heads costume Jack-in-the-green Independent Lawas Red Karens for ornaments gold Bartering Thugs Remnant pranks

of a

Sacrificing to nats

Chinese army

Pixies'

Divination by fowls' bones Frequent Divorce Marriage Feast Propitiation

Offerings

sacrifices

Funerals

Money

for

the

world

next

Bur-

Black-mail

mese

Karen-nee Terraced cultivation oppression Dacoits Mineral wealth Rich soil Dress Language Slaves slaves

Debt

Kidnapping

on our border Si-sun

Loss

A

of

freedom

cultivated

Kapin hair

children

A mixed Corpses

Goitre

and

Curly Fixed garments

Slaves buried alive

Daring

sengers

a legacy

and Mutsa

wife

Selling

clever catch

Opium Kadams

as

not

Serfs

Slavery

language mesas

Tea

Palongs

MotYins Toung-thoos opium soos Sugar-cane Poppy Shan-Tayoks Becoming dress A husbands of Yendalines degraded race Change Girls and Tusks as ornaments Let-htas Elongated skulls Suicide Offerings of fruit and flowers boys separated Sho from shame Karens Ma-meepgha Pye-ya Sgaw Pa-koo Christians American missionaries Magic A strict people Pie-do We-wa Not weavers stones Brass coils for ornaments Love-locks Koohto Shoung Ka-roon race Ha-shoo Degraded Border-guards Bghai-ka-tew

Bghai-ka-hta

men

Pye-ya Rosy cheeks Ma-noo-maNaked Pray

Yem The La-la Karen language Kalau Ka-kau Hair like buffalo-horns Putai Kama KametTsen Thin NgaKa La

naw Tshaw-kho

Kali

The .

b

58

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER Leave Baw \J

Beautiful scenery

VI.

Silkworms Fruit Muang Haut labourers The Me'ping Karen tinous rice

A

Felicity

Worked-out

Looms

villages

Glu-

Railway to Bangkok Inundation potations

Deep

India-rubber

Stick-lac

Half-wild elephants

Tong

Female

Vegetables

vast plain

teak-forests

Bastard sandal- wood

Rubies

Dulness of natives

Elephants necessary for animals Grazing with

Kiang Our train Not hardy

Devastation

travel

in

the

rains

Difficult

cattle

to

re-capture as foot-

Mahouts

affection

Baby elephants Kind Karen drivers Elephants rising in price White Inhabited Catching and taming by elephants Motherly

stools

princes

A

cause of war

Elephant

CHAPTER Rest-houses provided ish scruples

VII.

Paying Boats

Hospitality

Kiang Tong

.84

.

.

artillery

Fool-

for presents

Boat-women

A

incident friendly official Curiosity of Shan Bathing ladies Contretemps Modesty triumphant Pagoda serfs Cities of refuge Monasteries Chinese ornamentation-

Lost in the forest Rudeness Shameless priests Kindness from villagers White Good-natured curiosity

Avarice

all

over

Primitive

Water-wheels ""*

-

The

modesty

Rural

life

during

Two harvests plain cultivation hamlets Fishing Meping mese

Northern

Shans

Shan

shameless

people Fertility of the

harvest

Sugar-cane

Hill

Pilferers

SiaNga-pee by the Burmese

Balachong

States

peopled

People Vien-Chang removed to Bangkok and Zimme Shans to Mopme Return of descendants as of

slaves

,

CHAPTER A

.

.

.97

VIII.

A cottage orne Shaking hands Entry into Zimme' A YunParisian knick-knacks King of Siam's kindness nan ese cook Bazaar Zimme' Large households

chief

Women

conservative

Shan

costumes

Home

manufac-

Distance from Bangkok Fair complexions Dyes and rosy cheeks Cattle-thefts Quiet as Quakers Frogs tures

CONTENTS.

xi

I'AGB

Chained and unfed prisoners

a delicacy

law

Rule-of-thumb

Death

justice

Palm-oil

for

The bad

band's slave

for

Her

adultery

hus-

u&

old times

CHAPTER The Sooptip pagoda

Even-handed

Barbarity

Fines

theft

Punishments

Burmese

IX.

An

forts

The Me-

aqueduct

A gigantic bell A nest of monks Entrance ping valley of Buddhism into Burmah, China, and Cambodia Shamanism The Tha-tha-na-paing ; Absorption into Buddhism Monasteries

former powers

its

"

monks

Burmese infancy and monasteries at Ruined worship

Zimme

of

the

.

.

to

A

pagoda

Religion

respectfully treated

; /

Two bad

schools

01

Dissolute

nat's

c

Human

temple

Shamanism

Steins .

the

.

.

chi

;

aries

best

a distinct race

Hunting

a

;

A

character

tiger

The

sacrifice

of

.

nat

.137

.

X.

An

of France

gift

Buddhism

fount

.

Buddhists browsing in the missionary fold last,

of

light

Temples Character

priests

A

one good

CHAPTER The

" Pure from

for the lazy

Anamite converts

ugly race

The

Giao-

purgatory for mission-

Steins

An

opening

for

Chinese, and Shanti worshipped by the Emperor of China Jews Difficult Missionaries at Zimme Voyage up the Menam missionaries

Ancient belief of the Aryans,

Sir John Bowring's Its population navigation Bangkok Census not published mistake Population of Siam

Need

of further exploration

Siam an unknown country

CHAPTER Burmese contempt for the Shans ners Matrimony in Burmah

slaves

children for sale

Wives

K'ai

A

purchasing

mutually responsible

fak

Madras women sold in British Cambodia, Siam, and French Slaves

and

lesson for

each

XI.

Theatres as schools for man-

Burmah Value of slaves in Cochin-ChinaLaws of slavery Voluntary

.

K'ai

from gratitude Wives and kat

Forced marriage Wives and husbands

servants

other

Bond-service

not

slavery

King's

156

CONTENTS.

xii

slaves

interest

Heavy

Debt-bondage

Compound

in-

terest not allowed

Debtors in Mortgaging one's person Consent of slave required before he can be sold A bill of sale Slaves kindly change his master

chains

Can treated

Heavy

Government

in

taxation,

and

improvidence Small pay, and ex-

gambling,

Siamese

provinces One-third of the

actions of officials

Chiefs and vassals

Clans

people slaves

Weakness

Danger of feudal power

A nation of slaves Effect Railways required of slavery Chinese traders France is taking advantage of Siam's weakness Enlightenment of the present rulers of Siam

Siam

Fear of France

at

Intended jealousy and intentions scube's programme The French lessness

French

our market

present

M.

annexation

Blan-

Siam's helprailway The French toils France's action depends upon The protection of Siam vital to British stake

Our Burmah Friendliness of the king to the English Peace on the frontier The French Eagerness for our alliance

us

a

cause of disturbance

in

...

by The Times

.....

CHAPTER The home

of the

Shans

A

Indo-China

Various

warning given

174

XII.

names

diverse

for

races-

Youe Tattooing The operation Different styles tribes The History of A strange story Scepticism of the King of France Siam The maxims Regal brooms at work in the monasteries Difference between Buddhism and Christianity 206 for monks Origin of tattooing

Description

CHAPTER Influence

of education

Burmah and

Siam

upon

habits

Training

of the

XIII.

Woman's girls

A

superiority

moral

in

people

Bishop Bigandet's opinion of Burmese and Siamese women Rules of the novitiant Duties Life Equality of sexes in

a

monastery

Condition

of priesthood

Zeal

dying

The Zimme military Visit pictures of purgatory The tsobua and his wife from a chao A dominant queen Gross

A

The chao hona A Cingalese American exiles woondouk " in his cups Number twenty-three married man .232

Morganatic marriages

moral police "

A

.

.

,

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER

XIV.

Phra Yahna The power of Siam The confidence trick information

The Siamese commissioner

A

Rangsee

well of

Description of chiefs and people Value of slaves phants of chiefs

taxation

Light

Ele-

System of slavery The King of Siam extirpating Corvee and Military service A patriotic king and feudalism Regeneration of Siam minister

Progress

Law and day Contented people

stable

The long purse wins

Trials

Ordeal by water

the

of our

tigers

killing

Cattle

cattle

XV.

Warfare Weapons Monkeys with tigers and

Killing a rhinoceros

Pocketing the French

our foes

disease

The breeding-ground Difficulties of Burmah

in

Rivers unbridged, and without ferries A Fate of Dr. Richardson's party and heat

and burning Marriages

matrimony houses

Pestilence

Girls Go-betweens Divorces Monopoly of

in

Hung

Burial

Plays

Enforced

hiding

Gambling-

spirits

26.8.

" Golden

The

The former

tsobuas

anxious for trade

Bazaar at

cures

and.

Children

CHAPTER McLeod's journey

quack

Child actors and actresses

Theatres

Opium

Chinese

Various

Causes of disease

medicines

Buffaloes

flag

travel

his

.251

.

Character of Shans

Chasing deer

crocodiles

justice

.

CHAPTER Tyranny in Burmah Rewards for

An Augean

under the present King

A

Kiang Tung

XVI.

Road

"

of Kiang

great

Advice

of

the

Tung and Kiang

thoroughfare for Chinese

Siamese

hostility to

Burmah

Trade route again opened independent Zimme towards Kiang Hung Zimme to Kiang Tsen ExCarl Bock on North Siam Carl Bock on Zimme

Shan

States

ploration

required

our enterprise

Proposed railway

The

field

open

to 3

CONTENTS.

SUPPLEMENTARY CHAPTERS. BY HOLT

S.

HALLETT.

PART

I.

HISTORY OF UPPER SHAN. Our neighbours the Shans

Extent

of

their

location

Incor-

La

Chinese The Couperie's remarks of the Death of feudalism progress Aryans and Chinese Annexation of Ss'chuan Foundation of Yueh and with

porated

the

Wu

Shan kingdoms

2208

B.C.

Conquest by the Chinese towns Birth of the Mau em-

Old Migration to Burmah Increase of Shan kingdoms pire rule of primogeniture

Killing

of having no Rise of the Mau

Effects

brothers

empire Conquest of Shan States, Assam, Tali, and Arracan Shattering Burmah Conquest of Yun and the Malay Peninsula Arrival of the Shan Disruption of Burmah

A

Paris

Theinni as large as reign of a hundred years career of conquest Conversion to Buddhism

Killing

monks

alphabet

A

A

Shan iconoclast

A

Peguan

A depopulated Burning people by thousands The kingdom of Piao Conquest of Yunnan

emperor country

The Karen

Advance of the Thibeto-Burmese Kolarians and country Dravidians The Mun aborigines of Burmah A mongrel

Kol Indo-Chinese Conversion of Malays and Thiamese to Malanguages homedanism Lewas Karen tribes Connection of the brood

Resemblance

of

Talain

to

Karens with China Their early kingdom of Yun Entrance of the Shans Their Yun and Yun-gyee vassalage

Karen kings Zimme a Karen State Advance of the Laos Shans Foundation of towns by the Yun Shans Origin of the Siamese era of Lin-y,

Kingdom

Extent

of

Lam-ap

A

Zimme

Conquest of

chronicles

Shans

or

in

Yunzaleen

against

Cambodia

bodia

The

Phra

ancient

refractory

Contradictory of the Siamese Ousting Rebellion Changes of capital

Zimme

term

misapplied The Bannavs mountaineers

Savage,

early phonetic

language

Shan conquest of Cam-

Ruang

Khmer

a

infant

An am

A

masterful

language-

Civilized

and

Influence

of

tributary to

courteous

China China

An The

CONTENTS. end of the

Thang

conquests

Lin-y,

xv

Kublai

Disruption of China a bar to the Shans

Khan's

Movements

of

A

Remagic sword population Absorption of Lin-y Disastrous effects of independence mains of great nations

Wars

and

of

riches

Lin-y

The Laos Shans of VienWars with Zimme' annexed

Rise of their power Chang Pegu and decrease of prosperity

Independence of Luang Destruction of Laos in Bassac Settlement Prabang cities Attack of the Tonquinese 327 Conquest by Siam .

PART II. HISTORY OF LOWER Cambodia ture,

of

Prea Thong

Entrance

and sculpture

empire

of

SHAN.

Brahmanism,

Conversion to Buddhism

Homage

China

to

architec-

Divisions Arrival

Prosperity

of

The

commencement of the French empire in Indo-China Brahmanism and Buddhism Description of people Conquest of Cambodia by Shans Wars of Siam, Zimme, Cambodia, Burmah, and Portuguese

and

Peace Pegu French power Investiture

of

English

after

in

2,000

of

Growth

warfare

of

French action in Anam ConKing by China necessary

Indo-China

Anamese

cluding remarks

years

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

-352

APPENDIX

373

INDEX

387

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

i

.

Rapids

at

Keng-Luong, on the Mekong River

2.

Ancor Wat

3.

A

:

Western Entrance of Temple

4.

Laotian Raft ascending a Rapid Specimen of a Laotian Raft

5.

The

.

4

.

,

.

.

.

.

.

.

7.

8.

A

9.

Eastern side of the Isle of

Giant's

Karen

....10

.

Highway at Ancor Thorn Whirlpools at Keng Kanien Type of Karen Man

6.

(to face title page). PAGE

.

.

.16 .21 27

34

Woman

37

46

Khong

10.

Type of Khmou (Man)

11.

Wild Tribes

12.

Wild

13.

Wild

14.

View of Mekong, down Phou Fadang

15.

A

55

in the Vicinity of

Man of Ban Kon-Han Man of Pak Ben

Settlement

Muong-Lim

.

.

.67

(southern frontier of Yunnan)

.

.

.

.92

......... in

the

Khong

Island,

74 82

on the Bank of the

Mekong Street in Compong Luong

99 106

1 6.

A

1 7.

Fishing Utensils

1 1 1

1 8.

Fishing Utensils

115 122

19.

A

20.

Laotian Market

21.

A

22.

Section of a Ruined

23.

Dress of People at Bassac

24.

Hollow Dragon, used Water

Laotian Ox-cart

Women

126

Laotian Girl of Bassac

.

Pagoda

.

.

134

.

......

at

Xieng-hong

.

.

.

A

Stieng

Woman

.

146

as Utensil for holding 'Consecrated

150

.

25.

139

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

153

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

xviii

PAGE 26.

A

27.

Navigation in Inundated Forest

28.

Chinese Cultivator

at

29.

A

(Environs of Petchaboury)

30.

Wild

31.

Domestic Utensils

162

Stieng Chief

Woman

Laotian

Men

1, 2.

Land

.

.

32.

A

.166

.

.

Bassac

170

near Stung Treng .

.

.

.

.

.

Bamboo

8.

Fresco in the Pagoda of

.188

.

Fruit Tray or Dish of bamboo, with plaited cover. 4, 5, 6. Baskets of bamboo for holding rice. for water.

3.

7.

Wooden Wooden

Lantern.

Peunom

.

.

34.

35.

Type of Cambodian

36.

A

37. 38. 39.

Pagoda

.

.

.

Laos Country

Library in the

Temple or Sanctuary of Mount Crom Fan Palms in the Ruins of Xieng-Sen

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Winder

to reel cotton.

2.

4, 5, 6.

Spinning-wheel.

Bow

Basket and

Distaff,

and

202

.209 .218 .224 .229

Silk,

in

235

to card cotton.

Spindle,

.

.

Implements used for Spinning Cotton, Hemp, and the Laos Country I.

.193 .197

.

Gongs and Tam-tam inside a Pagoda View on the Mekong River below the Khon Cataracts

33.

176

184

Comb. Ladle

.

Winder,

3.

for

hemp. 40.

Entrance of the Cave of the Nam-hou

41.

Type

of a Wild

of Yunnan).

Amnat

42. 43.

Types of Siamese

44.

Hut

45.

Weapons of I.

.

at

Ban Kon-Han .

.

(the late

or Cottage of the

.

.

Poor People

in the .

Plaited

3.

.

Bamboo

46.

Stag Hunting in the Laos Country

47.

Agricultural Implements 2. Harrow. I. Hoe. 3. Plough .

48.

49.

4.

266

.

at

for

a

.

4 m. 2oc.

2.

Foot-

A Wooden

4.

5.

Sword

.

.

.

.

.

.

buffalo,

(a)

.270

iron

.275 .280

share,

sickle.

Crossing a Small Arm between Waterfall of Salaphe

Launching a Boat

.

.

.254

Country of Laos.

Bullet-box.

.

247 261

Powder-horn, the cover a being used as a measure. with scabbard.

(6) yoke, (c) trace.

.

.

.

in the chase of elephants, length

Lance.

(southern frontier

King and Queen of Siam)

the Laotian People

Lance used soldier's

.241

........

Woman

Graves at

.

.

.

The Khon

Luan-Prabang

Island

and the 283

287

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

xix PAGE

50.

Harvest

of

the

"Toddy"

from

extracted

....

Palm-tree 51.

Laotian Weapons and other Implements Bow and Arrow in Bamboo. 2. Razor and Case. I. 5.

7.

Scissors.

6.

Axe

for

knife, to

53.

open the way

the

part

f

movable.

is

as a hammer for guns. 8. Small areca-nut chopper. 10. Cleavingthrough thickets and brambles.

Iron

of

Fall

money

(lozenge shape) in use at Stung-Treng.

Luang-Prabang.

Highway Stone

The

titles

d'Exploration

dans

preceding

list,

Don

.

and its tical, Abone. and Bassac

amended.

.303

.

.

Laotian Coins

N.B.

298

Knife.

..........

silver

the

;

;

I.

55.

trees

. Panelling in the Pagoda at Xieng-hong the Prospect of the Cataracts of Khon

Isom 54.

felling

3,4.

294

Screw-driver, also used 9. Scissors used as

Axe.

52.

Corassus

the

5.

at

sub-divisions.

3.

Copper

2.

lats,

.

309

314

Siamese

in

use at

4. String of cowries, a currency in use at Cast silver, in use in the Birman Laos.

Wat-phou

323

from F. Garnier's " Voyage should be read according to

of the illustrations,

PIndo- Chine,"

where several

errors

of the

context have

been

INTRODUCTION.

THE CRADLE OF THE SHAN

RACE,

SUMMARY. Ancient Indo-Chinese inseparable from the formation of the Chinese Their Chinese affinities originated before they settled nation. in their present seats.

How of

the

to explain

On

affinities

China,

and

researches

recent

of civilization

Rfeasons of the

How

they are illustrated in China and Indo-China. of the arrangement misunderstandings Special

similitudes

Causes

current

still

Misunderstandings

the

Chinese Annals

Geographical and

administrative

divisions

of

the Chinese Dominion.

Avowed

existence

dominion

the

dominion and

of

Woman-ruled Non-intrusive races or

KING

MON

race

the

their influence.

Ancient intrusive races

MAN

Slow extension of populations between their Distinction Chinese

of non-Chinese

TEK

tribes

and

TOK

racQfungoi

Karen

Ngu tribes

race

Lolos, etc.

Tattooed, dwarf, long-legged,

race

NUNG

tribes.

San Miao Pang Kuei divisions. and the Non-Chinese state of Tsu or

Teru.

TAI-SHAN

race

Mung

Pa-y

Lao

Leao

Tchao

divisions.

Conclusion.

THE Ta'i

valuable race,

description

which

is

the

of

a

subject

branch of

Mr.

of

the

great Archibald R.

Colquhoun's new book Amongst the Sham, as well as

INTRODUCTION.

xxii

his

former account of his journey Across Chryse^

is

not

an unimportant contribution to ethnology. The two works contain a good deal of information taken in situ,

which increases factory,

of

a

the

knowledge,

number

large

of

hitherto

the

so

unsatis-

independent and

non- Chinese tribes still semi-independent existing within and without the southern boundaries of the

Remnants of the non-absorbed and

Chinese Empire.

of larger stocks of several races, gradually driven south-westwards, these tribes are now scattered, on a large area, into an undefined number of

non-Sinicised

fragments,

parts

intermingled

to

difficult to trace individually

a great extent,

up

and often

to their original stems.

With the exception of the northern

region,

which was

supplied with a constant renewal of Altaic and UgroFinnish blood pouring into the Chinese agglomeration,

they

of China

composed the native population Their modern descendants are the

formerly Proper.

(much altered and modified by multiplied crossings and re-crossings) of those ethnic stocks, of which the southern off-shoots have gradually and representatives

successively migrated to Indo-China, and there into several nations of importance.

developed

Therefore the ancient history of the Indo-Chinese populations is so completely interwoven with that of 1

narrative of a Journey of Exploration through the South China border lands from Canton to Mandalay, by The gold medal of the Royal Archibald R. 1883. Colquhoun,

Across

Chryse, being the

Geographical Society has been awarded to the intrepid explorer. Across Chryse has already been translated into French (Paris, Oudin)

and German (Leipzig, Brockhaus).

THE CRADLE OF THE SHAN RACE. the formation of

the

Chinese themselves,

xxiii

unless

that,

we

dwell upon the peculiarities of this formation, the study of the former is incomplete and partly mis-

surviving aboriginal tribes and the valuable archives of the huge country, we have

understood.

In

the

documentary evidence of the early movements of those races, and we shall see further that the cradle of the

The truthfulChina Proper. ness of this history unwritten and written is simply wonderful, and the only task of the modern critic is Tai-Shan race was

in

from the genuine information tribal interminglings and the marvellous details added to the ancient records in later ages under non- Chinese to

the

disintegrate

influence.

we have known anything

Since the

considerable

proportion

of the Indo-Chinese,

contributed

by China

to

and blood, has been a matter of bewilderment. And the more extensive grew the knowledge, the more irrefutable were the affinities No satisfactory explanadetected on the two sides.

their languages,

tion

been

has

known

of

culture,

because

forthcoming,

the

Land.

The

beyond

the

ethnological hypothesis of

mark,

history

a

inasmuch

too

of

common as

the

little

the

was

Flowery

descent

ground

of

goes the

Chinese languages, shown by their evolution, grammar,

and vocabulary,

is

not Indo-Chinese.

be said of the races and of the

The same must

civilizations.

A

few

by the learned explorer, Francis Gamier, had led him to guess the truth, so far as concerns the presence in ancient times of the Shan

glimpses

obtained

INTRODUCTION.

xxiv

race

Southern

in

The whole

China.

how-

problem,

was grasped by the late Capt. C. J. Forbes, of " the close affinity of Burmah, when he wrote that words and root forms which exists between the ever,

and

Chinese

the

languages

must have originated before the ing

The is

Ultra- India

of

.

races speak-

different

languages came into their present seats." next step towards the solution is that this affinity

these

not identical throughout, and differs in

groups.

The

the various

v of misunderstanding,

stock-in-trade

untrue statements with regard to China,

and

.

.

which

races,

its

commonly used and

is

proof of speculations,

or

in

illustration

and

bias,

languages

credited

of

in

a peculiar

and

ought to be It might be suggested, with sufthoroughly revised. ficient reason, that the best plan would be to make development,

a

tabula

is

simply

appalling

and begin

rasa

the matter

afresh,

trusting

no other sources than the ancient Chinese works and a few important books published in late years by eminent Sinologists.

The

Sinologists accountable for this deplor-

ancient

however, must not be criticised with too much severity. They have done their best of

able

state

with

the

able,

either

materials

by

tive

criticism.

the

various

they

things,

could

they

training

They for

or

position,

to

but

were not

use an

effec-

only accept grosso modo derived from the books

could

statements

read

had at hand,

themselves,

or

which

were

ex-

THE CRADLE OF THE SHAN RACE.

xxv

They had not at their disposal the plained to them. so that, withmeans of verifying these statements out supporting in its full bearing the appellation of ;

gobe-mouches," which has been lately applied to the ancient Jesuit missionaries by an eminent Russian 11

we

scholar,

cannot help saying that, severe as

it

is

judgment from

respect of their position

and time,

our present standpoint

not altogether undeserved.

The

researches

is

years on in the evolution of that

and disclosures

ancient China have revealed, country,

a

state

this

of

things

in

of

late

from that

dissimilar

very

The history of which was supposed to have existed. China was considered to be that of the self-growth, during the protracted period required for such an evoan

homogeneous race occupying nearly the

lution,

of

whole

territory

a state five

one

of China Proper, from savage of culture unparalleled by any western

Now

hundred years ago. nor

the

other

of

these

it

life

to

nation

turns out that neither

assumptions

have been

confirmed by the progress of knowledge.

Important deductions for

and

science

existence

of

of politics, this

have

supposed

ment of an important focus similarities

traced

to

with

our

the

own

philosophy of history

been drawn self-rise

and

from

the

develop-

Obvious could not be

of civilization.

culture,

which

importation, have been explained outcome of the identity of human mind

a recent

away, as the

Chinese of high education and rank, everywhere. acquainted with European culture, and struck with the

INTRODUCTION.

xxvi

many similitudes between our institutions and their own as they are framed in the Code of Rites of the Tchou

dynasty

1050- 7

(B.C.

1

78),

have

ventured

to

They held explain the difficulty in their own way. the sixth that Lao-tze, their great philosopher of century, who was the librarian and keeper of the

Museum

Loh, the capital of the Tchou dynasty, had taken away with him a copy of the said code, the Tchou-Li, when he left China to disappear in the

West. is

at

Leaving aside

contradicted

by

this

that

all

we know

respecting the mentioning the other

book and the man, and without impossibilities of the

which

childish speculation,

case, let us consider the question

from a higher point of view. In

mind

researches

of

this

kind,

it

should be

that communication of culture from

another

common

may be

either (a) complete,

borne

in

one people to

more or

less,

by

descent,

migration, intermingling, protracted intercourse, religious conversion, vicinity, or conquest ;

or

(6)

incomplete and more or less fragmentary,

trade, fortuitous

communications, and occasional

by

inter-

course in one or more cases.

On from

the other hand,

any system

must now be admitted, apart

it

and

that,

theory,

without

outside

pressure from a focus of culture of a higher standard, progress, in the common sense of the word, does not

seem

to

be

evolution of

the

natural

men and

course

the

ever-growing

things, except in the case of the

The chronology followed here is Bamboo Books, the only one which has 1

of

that

of

the

Annals of the

a semblance of veracity.

THE CRADLE OF THE SHAN RACE. idealistic

speculative race to which we belong. may be the result of a regular inter-

and

The

pressure course or only

occasional

of

which the for

hope,

a

secluded

of

level

men,

to

will

community

the low level

of

is

no

of

real

a

civi-

And

advance from their point of departure. lized

within

there

place,

wild

of

race

amount

civilization,

takes

evolution

natural

a

low

rather

the

communications,

character and frequency of which produce the of similarity.

Beyond

xxvii

return after protracted seclusion civilization we are speaking of.

no savages would be met anywhere after so many centuries of known habitation of man on the Otherwise

earth.

the

That there

human

a low

brain

standard

is,

to

of

as a rule, a in

produce

somewhat

common

capacity of

independent societies

similar

culture,

in

any

country whatever, nobody will deny ; with this reserve, however, .that the superior laws of surrounding circumstances of nature, such as climate, food, and race, introduce peculiarities

of

a different order and

cause

discrepancies.

Incomplete similarities, half- resemblances, diversification from a groundwork obviously identical, are often

the

result

of

occasional

communications.

In-

formal teaching, through persons unprepared for their unexpected task of civilizers, cannot produce any other

results.

difficulties

events

such

of this

And when as sort,

those surely

the

which it

has

inquirer

is

would there

to

face

happen

that

he

in

will

INTRODUCTION.

The

find the explanation.

between

two seats of

deceitful

and

civilization,

are the

most

of of the history study undeniable that such communi-

is

it

culture

different

the

in

agents

occasional communications

have been much more frequent than is generBold travellers, lost families, driftsupposed.

cations ally

away

not

boats, are

of course,

uncommon

facts

of rarer occurrence,

is

their repetition,

;

though

not without

Every day, new discoveries show that man is much older and has always travelled much more than was formerly believed. 1 The world

many

instances.

indeed small for the activity of man if unlimited by time. These considerations should always be rememis

bered when studying affinities

of so

many

civilizations.

sorts

The

similarities

and

which are met with amongst

most distant nations, are better explained as the outcome of a series of interchanges, by direct or in-

the

direct

channels,

human

mind.

concidences,

than as the

common

products of the

Large allowance must be made for and for the operation of this human

mind within a

limited

area,

and bounded by circum-

stances.

The to

its

of

value of the loan of culture causes and

intermediaries.

differs

The

according

latter,

in

case

occasional

communications, are seldom the best channels which could be selected for the transmission "

Chaque

que Thomme plus

en

quelque decouverte nouvelle nous montre bien plus vieux et a etc de tout temps beaucoup A. de Quatrefages, qu'on ne le croyait naguere."

jour,

effet,

est

voyageur

Homines fossiles

et

Hommes

sauvages (Paris, 1884, 8vo), p. 162.

THE CRADLE OF THE SHAN RACE.

xxix

If they are men of the million, they do of knowledge. not know much, and cannot teach more unless they

invent.

A

savages.

If

the

is

it

belong

party

sailor

European to,

;

reverse,

possess so minds,

and

should

loan

fragmentary

higher standard, and the

scholar

among the

lost

among them, men much the better

or

cultivated highly the receivers the

a

is

affinities

be

will

of for

of

a

or similarities will

be more genuine and more striking; and the impression produced on the minds of the people will be

deep enough not to disappear

The beginnings the

Chinese

in after ages.

of Chinese civilization, as

affinities

of the

well

as

and aboriginal

intrusive

enumerated below, plainly illustrate these facts. China has received its language (since altered),

tribes

and

elements of

the

from the

who

colonies

came

centuries culture,

Susians,

from

B.C.,

of

arts,

the

Ugro-Altaic Western Asia some

under

the

conduct

acquainted, through with the civilization

of

doubt,

for

the

of

institutions,

Bak

families

twenty-three

men

of

high

their

neighbours

which

emanated

Babylonia and was modified in This general statement is now sibility

and

sciences,

its

second

beyond

evidence

in

its

the

from focus.

any

posfavour is

But this channel was not the only overwhelming. one through which ancient China was enabled to so

many from one common

acquire

The

notions

similar

to,

and

borrowed

source with, our own.

non- Chinese races of the

Flowery Land with

INTRODUCTION.

xxx

their

cognates of Indo-China, show, in the amount of affinities and parallelisms they

younger

unequal

with

possess

the

some received them while the others had

that

Chinese,

during a temporary vicinity, them from intermingling. *

The

reason

of

the

*

*

misunderstanding,

so

as

far

regards the political and ethnological state of ancient it lies in the special diviChina, is rather curious ;

sions

the

of

Chinese

of the

geographical division administrative management.

The

and

Annals, of

the

peculiarities

Empire

for

the

three thousand volumes of which the Historical

Annals of

China are

composed, do not constitute a

cleverly interwoven narrative of artistic, scientific,

make

the

the political, social, and economic events, such as would all

an

acceptable history answering our western In relation to their distribution, their requirements. characteristic

Everything First

is

come

is

much more

analytic

and encyclopaedic.

treated separately. the Imperial Records, which contain the

purely political events of each reign (giving special prominence to the deeds of the Emperor). Then follow sections

on

Political

Chronology,

Economy

(lit.

Rites,

food

Music,

and

Jurisprudence, commerce), State

Astronomy, Elemental influences, Geography, and Records of Literature, Biographies, foreign

sacrifices,

nations and countries.

As

the unsubdued aborigines

THE CRADLE OF THE SHAN RACE.

xxxi

albeit within Man, Lao, Pang, Ngu, etc., etc., the Chinese boundaries, were non-Chinese, they were

Miao,

classified as foreigners in the

the

of

Annals,

where

all

each part and events con-

last division of

the

facts

cerning them were enumerated.

And

of China hitherto written by constructed mainly from the

the histories

as

have

Europeans

been

chronological parts of these annals, the result

Chinese seem to have always been in

other

which

features

and

have

that the

full

of their domain, and that their history is scarcely anybody can be interested in it.

The

is

possession so dry that

misled

former

the compilation of his Tableaux historiques de r Asie, are the administrative divisions which, as said above, are indicated orientalists,

for

notably

in

Klaproth

whole

the

occupied

as though country by the Chinese proper.

it

were

equally

Enclosed partly or in toto within the subdued territory, the dominions of the aborigines were included within the great administrative divisions of the Empire, and considered as ruled by the principal officer of the division.

regions

The by

government

ruling

their

own

bestowed

of

chiefs,

independent aboriginal upon whom the Chinese

Chinese

system followed, because ble to

the

it

titles,

was the oldest

would have been impossi-

embrace them otherwise.

A

simple recognition Emperors, with the

suzerainty of the Chinese payment of a small tribute, and the grant of a

of the

new

INTRODUCTION.

xxxii

geographical name, was all that was required before the time of the second Han dynasty (A.D. 25), to include

With the region among those composing the Empire. the appointment of officers residing somewhere on the borders of the districts newly defined, the exigencies of the government were satisfied.

The

dominion of Shisupposed homogeneous Huang-ti, the founder of the Chinese Empire, 221 B.C., included, from the Yang-tze-Kiang southwards, large

tracts

And when

which

Han

the

made Chinese only

he

dynasty carried

Yunnan and Kwang-si over if

again

was the

it

in

name.

authority into

its

over and

repetition

But same impotent domination. government was satisfied, the Chinese

of the

the central

appointed to preside over the non-Chinese districts were not they could not suffer the gradually decreasing payment of the tribute and border duties, officials

;

which were of

their only in

organization

means of

the

The

living.

Empire

was

progress

apparent,

and

the homogeneity was gaining ground. Feeling themselves backed by a firmer government, these officials

more oppressive in their exactions, was that the yoke became unbear-

grew gradually and the result Rebellion

able.

after

rebellion,

risings

on

all

sides,

were of daily occurrence, and during several centuries was an incessant fight to quash these movements. it The success was not always on the side of the Imperial

armies

tribes,

divided

;

and

enhanced

among

the

by

boldness

the

several

of

weakness

the of

indigenous the Empire

contemporaneous

dynasties,

THE CRADLE OF THE SHAN RACE. compelled

the

Chinese

under

government,

xxxiii

Wei

the

dynasty (fifth century), to reverse its policy towards The appointment of Chinese official governors them.

and others was suppressed in the non-Chinese districts, and the indigenous chiefs themselves were recognised as Chinese officials, their

office

to

show

better

than

In

situation.

own

by the addition of Chinese native

longer

the

latter

cur

era, the chief of the

by

the

Chinese

dignity.

An

titles

instance

of

will

explanations what was the part of the fifth century of

Pan-hu

Emperor

as

race

King

was recognised of

Siang-yang His realm,

(Hupeh), and Governor of Kingtchou. containing 80,000 villages, covered the provinces of the centre and extended northwards near the Yellow River.

ing

the

In the twelfth century they were eastern part of Setchuen, and

Hupeh and Hunan ure

provinces.

but have

tribes

representative

occupy-

Kweitchou, Under Chinese press-

they gradually disappeared,

independent

still

in

still

many

southern

the

provinces.

So

that,

under the

cover

of

Chinese

titles

and

geographical names, large regions occupied by populations entirely non-Chinese were included as homo-

geneous cealing

parts of

the

real

the

nation,

weakness

with

of

the

the effect of con-

Chinese

Empire

previous to the last few centuries.

v That the Chinese are not the

earliest

occupiers

of

INTRODUCTION. of

any part readily

their

is

country

That

acceptable.

Such

a

they

which

statement so

say

more

is

is

as-

however, the result of a comparative study of what is hidden in their traditions. The existence of non-Chinese tribes more or less

tonishing.

uncivilized

is,

Kweitchou

in

and

Kwang-si provinces, remnants of the ancient Miao-tze mentioned in the

first

the

was a

of the Shu- King, writings of the Jesuit parts

three

centuries

;

that

the

known from

fact

missionaries

in

the

last

Mandchu dynasty

present

ruling in China had to repress occasional risings of But how far they exthese tribes, was also known.

power during the whole course of the Chinese history, what were their independence and

tended

their

strength, which in several

the Chinese dominion,

The

latest

is

occasions nearly jeopardised known only to a few scholars.

of

histories

China

do

not

of things, and consequently the evolution of the Chinese nation have

it

Immense Chinese,

was

did

been

extend

not

hitherto in

former

previous to the because of its internal

now

China

were

times further than dynasty,

China

If

regions and the

it

did

inside

Sons

of

proper

Heaven

this

formation and

state

misunderstood.

mention

had

ruling

weakness.

no

non-

more

power than was necessary to keep a check upon these internal and inveterate foes, always ready to break the

net

which

from

time to

time

was

spread

over

them.

Without culture,

the

incitement

from

a

higher focus of Chinese slept sheltered under the great-

any

THE CRADLE OF THE SHAN RACE. ness

of

their

founders,

and

xxxv

progress was made their settlement in the

no

by them from the time of Flowery Land up to the establishment of the Tchou Far from that, a serious decay took place, (B.C. 1050). proved by manifest indications of their progressive neglect and oblivion of practical arts and scientific notions which had been possessed by their earlier

as

is

The

rulers.

history of their writing, besides the state-

ments with regard to astronomical instruments afterwards forgotten, which are mentioned in the first parts of the Shu- King, are cases in point. One,

if

not the

researches

most

the

is

striking,

comparative

discovery of modern youth of the Chinese

Under homogeneous and powerful people. the Shang-Yn and Tchou dynasties their dominion, though not extending more than midway between the Huang-ho and the Yang-tze-Kiang, was an area much it was in fact intertoo large for their own race as a

great

;

spersed with the aborigines, who were kept in check by the higher culture which the new comers enThe Bak tribes, or deavoured to impart to them.

Peh Sing (name of the Chinese immigrants), were overpowered by the numerous populations which had preceded them in the occupation of the country.

The had

Flowery Land, gained

fertility

of

fame,

its

soil,

long

for

its

among

before

milder the

their

immigration, climate and the

nomadic

races

of the

barren and cold regions of Central Asia. And it was not before the first quarter of the third century B.C. that the Chinese political power, then in

INTRODUCTION.

xxxvi

the

hands of the

Prince of

them

Ts'in, permitted

to

the Yang-tze-Kiang which nearly separates the However, country in two parts north and south.

cross

the

sway of the

authority was in fact so end of the sixth century, about

Chinese

that at the

ineffective

566 A.D., under the N. Wu-ti was obliged to

Tchou dynasty, the Emperor the

protect

Yang-tze west of Y-tchang

with

of

passages

the

ramparts in order to

prevent the raids of the barbarians.

There

is

a broad distinction to be drawn between the

extension of the Chinese dominion politically so called, The latter, with the and that of their influence.

higher culture, was carried throughout by the system of slow and continuous infiltration peculiar to the tenacious character of their race, a benefits of their

system pervading

in

all

Small colonies or

directions.

private individuals, for trade purposes or to escape the with the inauthority, regular intermingling the tribes, digenous gradually paved way to the

acceptation

by the

latter of

the

Chinese

yoke

in

the

And this yoke in the newlybordering regions. attached districts was not heavy except after re;

bellions,

it

with

measures of

did

other

imply the sweeping and drastic which we are familiar in the history not

countries.

established

to

check

we have

Military posts were the native authorities;

however but

the

were almost always maintained in possession with a modified appellation and an additional Chinese title accompanied by the seal and latter,

ribbon

as

of

office.

seen,

And when

the

yoke happened to

THE CRADLE OF THE SHAN RACE. be

under

heavier

the

pressure

of

the

xxxvii

extraordinary

growth of the suzerain people, who required a more positive territorial extension, the feudal states had to yield,

and

by the Chinese, or if

the latter case, they either migrated, Such native enough, resisted bodily.

strong

states for

enclosed

entirely

many

existence

centuries,

of

in

and

Chinese territory did last the broken tribes still in

southern

the

in

fragments

they objected to the complete

else

In

assimilation. or,

was mixed with and absorbed

their population

of

provinces

China

are

their

mingling, and

population. Segmentation, intertransfer from one place to another, have

happened on so extensive a scale that hybridity is much more to be met with than purity in any degree, and were yet of those who migrated southwards driven progressively frontiers, there are in or

tribes

reconstituted

the

outside

modern

Chinese'

Indo-China not a few remnant nations,

representative,

in

a

decayed or in an improved state of culture, of former communities or important races and states which once

were located

We

are

of recent

in Central

and Southern China.

now enabled by

the perusal of a few works examination of the remaining

by the tribes of aborigines and non-Chinese races of China, and by the study of their traditions, to draw the general outlines

known facts,

years,

of as

will

an

ethnological

history

of

China Proper, which, among

show

the beginnings of the

the

region other notable

Shan

race.

INTRODUCTION.

xxxviii

In

order to clear the

with

ground,

we have

to

proceed

the

pre-modern intrusive races, before considering the main aboriginal stocks, inasmuch as they exhibit

of

sort

this

Chinese

affinities

vicinity

of

a

fragmentary similarities in their which are the outcome of temporary focus

higher

of

as

culture,

mentioned

above.

Towards the end of the Shang-Yn dynasty, of Shensi

S.E.

TOK

the

;

branched

province,

we hear

of the

in the

TEK

and

apparently a division of the Tek, about 1276 B.C., and were the first

latter,

off

some 200 years they overthrew the Shang-Yn dynasty, and established, in 1050 B.C., their own, which is commonly known as that of Tchou, the modern pronunciation to

begin

with

intercourse

of their ancient

name Tok.

channel

extent,

the

notions,

and more or

the

Chinese

They

through

after

were, to a certain

which

less corrupted

;

Iranian

views,

words, entered into

Flowery Land. The Tek, commonly called Tih (after the same reason that Tok is Tchou), of whom

the

we

have

no

other

ethnological

information

than

names, seem to have some connection with Turkish tribes, and are the indirect ancestors

their

tribal

some of them shared in the formation of the Karen (?) primitive nucleus of the Teru or Tsv, which became the great state of Southern China during the Tchou dynasty, and on which we shall have further to dwell. These Tek and of the

their

Karens

;

subdivisions,

parently

picked

the

up

Kiptchak and

during

their

others,

had ap-

wanderings,

before

THE CRADLE OF THE SHAN RACE.

xxxix

advance towards the East, some notions received

their

from the Iranian formation*

A

larger

stock of

notions

derived from the latter

formation seems however to have been

had appeared

sion of another race which

outside

century race to

name

in

China,

of

Nung>

or

beginning of the sixteenth were a mixed offshoot of the white

JUNG,

nunciation of the former.

the

in

are

known by the

is

last

chiefly

more

of warriors, and

that

used

tribes of

in

them

the generic

modern proMuch more numerous than which

Tek, their warlike dispositions made

equivalent to

possesthe West

the

They which we belong, and B.C.

in the

later

name

their

was at Twenty and on

that general sense. are mentioned in history

it

but the

;

number of their names are mere geographical indications, and only a few are interesting for ethnolarger

logy,

the

such

as

Lu-tzi,

some

of

the

the

pre-Chinese Bak

Land,

Tchou

or

eastwards

penetrated

Chinese

interspersed eleven hundred

the

or Joan, the Yam, the etc. Lokku, the Lok-lai,

hordes

their

the

Flowery

Ion

Mao, While amidst

after stepping on the very trails of the years tribes in their immigration into the

remained

others

Tok,

dominion,

with

whom

the

in

they

vicinity

of

were on good

terms and intermingled. They had their share of the plunder on the overthrow of the Shang-Yn dynasty, but as

they objected

settled

populations,

of

the

hordes

Chinese of

the

to

submit

to

the

they proved a thorn In B.C. agglomeration.

same

race

which

had

laws in

of

the

side

some become

770,

not

the

INTRODUCTION.

xl

fused with the

Chinese

population, the Lu-tzi, were strong enough to overthrow the Tchou dynasty from its seat in Shensi, and to kill the king. By the joint

of the

action

Chinese rulers

of several

principalities,

Tchou dynasty was revived in Honan, but its authority was henceforth a mere shadow, and never

the

recovered from this dreadful blow.

The Jung, who were encroachments

of the

not swallowed up at the time of the state of Ts'in and its

Chinese Empire, disappeared south-west of Kansuh province towards Tibet. They final

extension

were

cognate

region, of

into the

those

to

wornan-jruld_states

which we have heard so much

King Muh

lished records of the travels of

in the

in

this

embel-

to the states

Western Queen, in the romantic geography of the Shan hai King, and in the more modern records of the

The Si Wang mentioning states ruled by a queen. Muh, Niu tsi, Niu tze, and Tung Niu, are the several names under which they appear successively in Chinese books state

The

female sovereignty was given up by the latter

;

in

742 A.D. descendants or modern

representatives of the incessant crossings with

Jung, unequally diversified by Altaic races of Tibet, outside

Lu-tze

the borders

of China,

Anung, the Lissu or Leisu, the Mosso or Na-shi, and several smaller tribes, all on the more westwards, an important south-west frontiers ethnologic part of the Muni-pur-Chittagong, and of and within the borders of the the Kiranti groups are

:

the

or

;

;

Chinese dominion,

the

Lo-kwei

or

Laka,

Luh-lu

or

THE CRADLE OF THE SHAN RACE, of

Lolo, that

whom we

traveller

scholarly

Colborne

have

heard

a

good

and charming

The by women in Baber.

important

xli

from

deal

Mr.

writer,

E.

formerly organization has

position

their social occupied not altogether disappeared, but has left many traces while their curious headin their habits and customs ;

shaped like a horn, may be traced to Western Tibet and Northern India. They possessed for a

dress,

while

in

the third

dominion provinces their

and when to

steps

their

North- Western not

Eastern

the

in ;

century A.D.

left

they

number

with

intermingling

Setchuen and

Kweitchou

other

of

broken

races,

come now

them

behind

have

a

which,

tribes,

produced

inextricable imbroglio of hybrid communities,

We

political

they were obliged to retrace former seats in Western and

Setchuen,

inconsiderable

a prominent

an

1

survey of the non-intrusive or aboriginal races which will lead us to the beginof the

nings tion to 1

As a

the

Shan

to the

race,

intrusive

and which

races, a

large

display, in

number

opposi-

of special

northern races, that is to say, those which reached China from the north, unless disturbed by a subsequent intermingling rule, the

grammar, have an indirect ideology (where, for instance, adjective and bare genitive precede the Those originally from the south show the reverse phenomena. noun). Moreover, several of the modern dialects of aboriginal tribes, such as those of the White Miao, Hua Miao, Yao Miao, etc., present the strong

enough

to

disintegrate

interesting feature of a

mixed

their

ideology, thus

testifying

to

the

minglings which have taken place.

d

inter-

INTRODUCTION.

xlii

resemblances and parallelisms which can only from a manifold and protracted intermingling.

At

the outset

of their

relations

with

the

result

natives,

the Chinese became acquainted in their new country with tattooing populations, and with two races the characteristics still

wondered

of

which

at

by modern

are

peculiar

enough

to

One was

travellers.

be a

race of pigmies, the Tiao, who are still represented by (a) the Trao, now located east of Bienhoa, in Cochin-

China,

almost

the

Shan, in south-west

Andaman

Islands;

Peninsula and all

of

shortest

Yunnan (d)

the

;

(c)

men; the

the

(6)

Hotha

Mincopies of the

Simangs

of

the

Malay

one of the native races of Formosa, diversified representatives of the once widespread (e)

The other race of men, established not Negrito race. far from the early Chinese settlements, i.e. around the great bend of the Huang-ho, was " " Kioh, or Long-legged people.

that of the

Tchang Now it happens that " Expedition du Mekong

the French explorers of the " noticed that long legs were a remarkable characteristic

of

the

Moi's,

Phnongs, and

Khas

of

the

Southern

Indo-Chinese Peninsula.

The fact that modern representatives of these peculiar men are in proximity one to the other, seems to acquaintance with both of them, and to imply that their settlements were near Northern China, whence they must have been driven confirm

the

early Chinese

southwards, since the Chinese had then no knowledge whatever of the regions and south of the races

Yang-tze- K iang.

THE CRADLE OF THE SHAN RACE.

A

comparison of traditions

careful

geography discloses the the Chinese immigrants all

xliii

history and fact that when in

unexpected reached their

new

country,

region around the great bend of the Yellow eastwards to the sea, and southwards to an

the

River,

undefined distance, was occupied by one race divided into several small groups. They were called by the

new-comers able

"

of

size

bows.

their

"

Bowmen

Great

or Y, from the remark-

Their

main

characteristics

were that they tattooed their bodies, cropped their hair, were good potters, spoke a language of the MonAnnam class, and possessed traditions concerning the origin of their race, in which the

egg has an important Their_mo_st.^ordinary name was NGU, which

share.

may be used

as the denominaHoli"^f^nieirpopulations.

jhan a branch of the Mon The name of Man was also used in China as a

These were nothing race.

else

general denomination of all the southern barbarians, but it was at first applied distinctly to these populations, and more especially to those occupying the modern pro-

The ethnological Ngan-huy and Kiang-si. name Ngu is represented by several regional forms, such as Nguei (modern Wei), Ngu (modern Wu), Ngou, Ngoh, Ngo-loh, etc., etc. Ngo or Ngu must not vinces of

be mistaken with those of ngai, ngioh and ngiu, which are

mere

During

qualifications

the

Huang- ti, sent

to

in

reign

215 succeed

defeated and

of

B.C.,

nfjjjviqio.ns

the

first

nf thp

emperor

rp

Ta'l'_E2.

Ts'in

-

Shi

the Chinese general, Jen Hiao,

who had been Sui, general T'u slain by the natives, repelled and drove

out the population of Kuangtung, Kuang-si, and

Tung

INTRODUCTION.

xliv

King, and settled in their place 500,000 colonists from the west of Tcheh-Kiang province and elsewhere.

The new-comers, intermingled with the natives, are now represented by

We

which

had found

China,

and

are

their

still

way

remnant

the

Annamites.

of

the

of

primitive race westwards into Central

offshoots

several

neglect

the

mixed

the

in

represented

tribes

called Miao.

West

of

the

preceding

were

the

SAN

MIAO,

or

Three Miao, apparently so called from such a number of natives states around and westwards of the Pohyang

The

Lake.

Chinese,

according

to

their

usual

by a punning approximation of one of their native names (Mao), have called them Miao, comparing

practice,

their

tongue to head of which

the

mewing

was

ideographed

barbarian

animal

the

in

that

the

cats,

an

by the

was against these the Great Yli was unsuccessful, and it was

character used to write the word.

Miao

of

Ngu

country

(Kwei

It

Ki),

near the mouth

of

the Yangtze, that he died under circumstances rather ominous for the successes of the Chinese arms.

In the centre were the PANG, of w hom we hear at a very early date under more or less fabulous appearr

ances.

Historically they are mentioned as being very

friendly with

Hia dynasty, against

their

the i.e.

Chinese since the beginning of the the

own

B.C.,

helping them

They were Setchuen and Hupeh provinces,

internal

settled in the north of

and the

2Oth century

divisions.

political existence of the

Great Pang state was

THE CRADLE OF THE SHAN RACE. said

by SHANG Wu-ting, in of 767 years, which were

have been destroyed

to

vii.

doubtedly

lapse

fabulously considered " the Patriarch chief,

first

(Lun-yu,

a

after

B.C., 1231 afterwards

their

xlv

as

the

Pang."

lifetime

of

Confucius

"

Our old Pang." Unspeaks of by a spirit of revenge, they rallied

i,)

moved

the Tchou, then beginning to gain power, and helped them to overthrow the decaying Shang-Yn dynasty.

secondary seat was between the Yuen and the Rivers, west and south-west of the Tung-ting lake, a mountainous region, which was highly favour-

Their

Wu

able to gratify their hatred of Chinese yoke. While Pang is the form of his name in the ancient

Pan-hu is that by which the later Chinese have heard of him among his descendants, in Hunan province, where they have more or less Chinese

records,

He is the object diverged from their original type. of a curious legend which has grown out of a mythological misuse of words, coupled with a faint echo of

be a

to

others

the

Central

Asiatic

folk-lore.

He

was reputed

married a daughter of Yao, or, as of Ti Ku, as a reward for his help to

dog

say,

that

Chinese.

The

tradition

was

still

common among

Peguans at the time of Camoens. The central group of the Panhu race was included the political agglomeration of Teru or Tsu, and

their cognates the

in

regained,

after

a

good deal of transformation,

their

independence after the collapse of the Ts'in Empire, 209 B.C. They did not acknowledge the Chinese supremacy before the end of the nth century, under the

Sung

dynasty, and

this

acknowledgment was the

INTRODUCTION.

xlvi

cause

of

many

Previous

southwards.

communities

of their small that

to

time,

migrating

their

temporary submissions to the Chinese government were of the desultory fashion first part of this

we had

northwards out of

Honan

occasion

to

explain

in

the

and again they revolted against the Chinese yoke, and their vitality and strength were sufficient to permit them to assume the offensive, and once even to repulse the Chinese account.

Again

province.

was

Another important branch

that

of the

KUEI

tribes.

There are reasons

to

believe,

other similarities, that the

from

linguistic

and

Kuoi, For, Samre, Phnong,

Stieng and Pru, and their cognate tribes in Cambodia, who all speak tonic languages, are the modern representatives,

diversified

by

subsequent

interminglings,

of two

successive migrations of tribes formerly settled on Chinese soil. They were driven out of the Kuang-

tung and Kuangsi provinces in 215 B.C., of which, they then formed the population, but their location was for-

merly much further north,

viz.

on the north banks of

the Yang-tze, on the borders of Setchuen and Hunan, whence they had been driven away by the growth of the

Shan

race.

We

hear of them as early as the time

Emperor Shun (2049-1990 B.C.), and notably of the Kuei, the chief of whom was musician to the court of the

whom

he taught the five tone music of Scotch and Cochinchinese notoriety. They of the

Chinese

Ruler,

had frequent intercourse while the Lokuei, Tai-shan; and Mon

Chinese territory with races; and these, coupled in

THE CRADLE OF THE SHAN RACE. with

Chinese

the

types,

formed their ethnologic of the other influences which im-

infiltration,

exclusively

pressed

them

xlyii

after

settlement

their

the

in

extreme

south.

*

West

the

of

eastern

*

divisions

of

the

Mon

race,

they were separated by an important branch of the Tai-shan mentioned below and around

which

from

;

Tungting lake, between the Yang-tze, the Han rivers and southwards, were several native agglomerathe

tions,

the

oldest

of which

was apparently the King

tribes that, latterly driven to the south, are represented

by the modern Khyens (Hiu or Shu) of Burmah. They were urged southwards by the growth of the Teru (modern Tsu, Tch'u) state, which developed from the eleventh century B.C., under the influence of a branch of an intrusive race, the Karen, In the ancient form of as we have mentioned above. itself

the very name of that state, Tero> as well as in that of Kilien, the immediate ancestor of the Me, its ruling clan,

and

also

in

that of the

Pok

tribes,

which formed

an important part of the same agglomeration, we have no doubt the antecedents of the Taru, Karoon, and They were expelled Pgau, names of Karen tribes. from China via Yungtchang (E. Yunnan), numbering some 200,000 families, in 778 A.D., by the powerful king of Nantchao, when he destroyed the western part still

of the

Tsuan

state

(in

N. Kuangsi).

They

are

represented in China (Kweitchou province) by the

INTRODUCTION. Kihlao or Kihtou

tribes,

whose grammar and vocabulary

(the latter with a

good deal of mixture) resemble those of the Karens of Burmah.

The

said state of Tsu, or Teru, gradually absorbed

some twenty smaller

states of different races.

progressively to an

enormous

more important

extent, equal

It to,

grew not

if

than, all the other states of the Chinese

At

Confederation put together.

the end of the fourth

century B.C., it had carried its sway over the border to states near the sea in the east, the Ngu and Yueh ;

the Nan- Ling mountains in the south over the larger part of Honan on the north, and gradually extended ;

westwards.

The

latter

covered the E.

extension

of

it Setchuen, and the whole of Kweitchou provinces reached also the centre of Yunnan, and perhaps more ;

south,

under the

name

of T'ien

or

Tsen kingdom,

suzerain country when the Ts'in of Shensi, then growing into the Empire, crossed

which was severed from

its

the Yang-tze-Kiang in 279

B.C.

The name

of Tien or Tsen, the only state which was maintained as a continuation of that of Tsu or Teru,

when

the latter was destroyed by its rival claimant, the Empire, the Ts'in in 224 B.C.> has perhaps survived in

Shan state of Theinni, the Tsen-pho of the It is not Siamese, and the Mu-pang of the Chinese. unlikely that the concentration in the kingdom of Tsen or T'ien of many fragments of what had once been

that of the

a displacement of many had assisted it the result, which,

the great state of Tsu, led populations which

to

;

THE CRADLE OF THE SHAN RACE.

xlix

was desired by the Ts'in emperor, must have been an exodus of some importance. indeed,

The

rulers

of the

Tsu (Teru)

state,

notwithstand-

important position they held in the Chinese confederation, boasted "We are Man-y," that is to ing the

say,

Southern Barbarians,

and not

Their

Chinese.

the influence of the higher protracted sway, and culture of the North, which through their channel was slowly impressed on all these populations, did much modification and absorption of many Chinese elements but besides that, they have exercised

in

the

way

of

;

a mischievous

influence

on

ethnology,

by the

inter-

minglings, crossings, and recrossings which took place in consequence of the removal of many populations. It

was

their

policy

in displace subdued tribes, or to get rid of their obstruc-

to

order to weaken them

on the other hand, to their activity and concentration that the Tai Shan race owes much of its

tion.

It

is,

formation and existence.

We

have now to consider the

TAI SHAN

race, the

development of which is more modern than that of the Mon mentioned above. Their individuality as a race does not appear to have been evolved at so early a date, and the ethnological elements which, by their intermingling, produced the race, were still distinct for a long while.

Their ancestors seem to have been,

more than anything

else,

mere

offshoots

of the great

INTRODUCTION.

Mon

teristics

An

Tai

westwards, that

modern Setchuen, where

\ north of

\

settled

race,

is

their

to

say

racial

the

in

charac-

slowly developed,

hypothesis which the outcome of an

ethnological

Shan race

would make the intermingling

in

proportions of Mon, Negritos, and Chinese, not be objectionable in any way, linguistic,

irregular

would

historical, or physiological.

As

to the

name which underlies the cognate Shan and Siam, we have no hesitation

racial

appellatives of

whatever

in dismissing, as

inadequate to the exigencies

proposed etymology for Siam from the Sanscrit $ydwa>, " brown, or dark." The name is certainly older than this supposed origin would permit of the

the

case,

;

and from of

the

various appearances in the earlier seats where Sanscrit influences were not in

its

race,

activity,

we cannot

resist the

with the race

temporaneous

conclusion that itself.

I

am

it

is

con-

not indis-

posed to say that the Shang (i.e. traders) who overthrew the Hia dynasty and gave their name to the following one, were connected with the Shan race, and that their very name (or a form of it) is perhaps the antecedent of that of Shan or Siam. Many names

much Sien,

like etc.,

etc.,

such

as

Shen, Tchang, Siang, are met with in the nomenclature of

these,

native clans and tribes of the

in

its

earlier

and leave no doubt that they represented one original name.

seats all

same stock

in Central China,

The

great

MUNG, or Ta Mung, are obviously of the

THE CRADLE OP THE SHAN RACE. same

the

Mung^-

Great

They were

Yii.

dictionary was in the

cent.

recognise

Mung

in

the

the

under the name of

in

the

region of the the oldest Erh-ya,

B.C.),

and

exact

their

western

of the Setchuen part Their characteristic, as stated by the Chinese

province.

was

while the other populations eastern, southern, and northern borders were

compilers,

of the

(fifth

to

the

of

the

to

according

Chinese spot

hear

fail

survey which goes

sun

setting

We

Shan.

geographical

The

which we cannot

in

race,

li

;

benevolent,

respectively

formed the erations

sincerity

or

wise,

warlike.

They

leading family of the Nantchao agglomwell as that of several others in later

as

times.

The

name

another

of

of

branch

appears very early, namely that of the

whom

formed representatives of

are

same

the

PA, the

the

Pa-y,

race trans-

whose

very numerous tribes are scattered from the south of Setchuen, throughout Yunnan and the south borders.

We K'i

hear of them in 1971 of

Hia,

is

reputed

B.C.

to

when have

the Chinese sent

to

They were subdued by

minister, Mang-t'u.

ruler,

them the

his

State

and since that time have slowly advanced southwards. Their oldest settlements were

of Ts'in in

1

It is

338

B.C.,

necessary to

rernind

the

reader

tribes in

Chinese books have arisen in a rather

of their

chief's family,

of

names of native indifferent way ; names

that

the

their country or people, descriptive

words

of any of their characteristics, were equally suitable as an appellative ; this appellative was written with a homophonous character, having

almost always ideographically a punning sense.

INTRODUCTION.

lii

Western Setchuen. And not the LUNG of the same parentage.

in

We

know more

NGAI LAO, than their

of the

from them were

seat of the

original

The very

others.

LAO, or

spot which

point out is the Lao Shan, i.e. Lao at the intersection of Honan, Hupeh, and

traditions

mountains,

Nganhuy in

of the

far

provinces,

whence they extended westwards

the

Kiu-lung range, forming Shensi and Setchuen provinces.

the

boundaries

The

fabulous

of

birth

Kiu-lung and his nine brothers, who intermarried with ten girls of another (Man ?) stock,

of their ancestor

v

is

up to a Lung floating bamboo by which mother Sha-yh, wife of Te-mou, became preg-

traced

their

nant.

On

the

dwell, as

syncretism of this legend, has reached us in several

it

we

need

fragments

not ;

it

geographical location and the original intermingling which are there indicated. hear of a branch of the Ngai-Lao, in the

is

to

sufficient

notice

the

We

century B.C., when chuen. They appear

third

the

Ts'in advanced

again

in

A.D.

47,

in

Set-

making

Chinese territory descending the Han and Yang-tze rivers on bamboo rafts. In the year Mao, their general king, submitted to the 69, Liu

raids

on the

empire

with

51,890

families,

they

had

seventy-seven

chiefs

communities,

As 553,711 comprising persons. extended over the whole western part of

Setchuen and southwards, they were nised by the Chinese Government

Yunnan.

of

In

A.D.

78,

having

recogeast of

officially

in

rebelled

the

against

the

THE CRADLE OF THE SHAN RACE.

liii

appointed to represent the suzerainty of China, their king, Lei-lao, was defeated in a great battle, which caused many of their tribes to migrate

Chinese

officials

the present country of the northern Shan states. They soon recovered from this blow and they de-

into

;

veloped and formed the agglomeration which became in A.D. 629 the great state of Nantchao, which after-

wards extended the

for

Tai

in all directions.

Shan

race,

in

This state achieved

matter of

unification,

the

work already begun by the state of Teru=Tsu followed Restricted to narrower limits, by that of Tsen=Tien. it

continued from 860 A.D. to exist under the defini-

tive

name

of Tali

kingdom

till

its

conquest

by the

Mongols.

An

offshoot

of

the

same

stock

had

remained

whence they swarmed under the cognate name of Leao, and spread behind

in

the

Kiu-lung

mountains,

over the south after 345 A.D. From the quotations in Chinese authors, their language was Shan with

all

Tibeto- Burmese to

ingredients.

a

They were exposed when the Chinese were

regular slave-hunting able to take the offensive and to quash their successive rebellions. The result was to drive them south-

wards.

An

author of the thirteenth

century speaks of them as having extended, in more than one hundred subdivisions, to fifty days' journey from the frontiers of the Ta-li kingdom.

Other branches were the Lao,

Shen Lao,

Ko-Lao,

Po-

etc.

In the vicinity of the

Lao mountains was the

eastern-

INTRODUCTION.

liv

most branch of the

TCHAO in modern The meaning of the name indicates

race, that of the

Nganhuy

province. a nesting people, so called from their habit of building their houses

tribe?)

that

on

piles.

It

founder

the

was among them of

the

SHANG

(as

a cognate

exiled

Hia dynasty,

the last ruler of the overthrown

Kieh,

in

1558

They extended southwards in Kiang-si and formed part of the Tsu kingdom, and were not dis-

B.C.

lodged from their seats before the loth century of our era,

Hunan, W. of Kwangsi Many of them migrated altogether

when they were driven

and Kweitchou. from China at that

time,

into

but

they are

still

largely

by the Tu-jen, Tchung-Kia, and other of Kwangsi and Kweitchou of the present day,

represented tribes

dialects

speaking

whom

much

resembling

the

Siamese,

of

they are undoubtedly the elder brothers.

Several

and some of the

migrations to the South mentioned in the preceding pages, coincide with events related in Shan and Siamese traditions, though facts

the dates, which are fixed on the

On

agree.

found

in

the

Chinese

other

hand,

Chinese

side,

many new

do not

statements

documents are a decided

gain

for

It was impossible in a the history of the Tai Shan. survey of so many populations, of which we have

most

important during two scores of centuries, compressed into so short a space, to supply all the information required for its complete " CHINA BEFORE proof; but it is given in my book on only

reviewed

here

the

THE CRADLE OF

7

HE SHAN

RACE.

Iv

THE CHINESE, the Aboriginal and non-Chinese Races of

China,"

shortly

to

be

issued

at

the

Leadenhall

Press.

The main unexpected fact that

lung

conclusion

disclosure,

of

Introduction

from Chinese

north

of

sources,

is

the

of

the

was in the Kiuof Setchuen and south

Shan

the cradle of the

mountains,

this

race

Shensi, in China Proper.

TERRIEN DE LACOUPERIE. UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, LONDON.

us

ce ng

he

m of le o-

y

CHAPTER The golden Golden

or

Accounts

wealth

Khmer

pagodas Indian art

stones

of

Mineral

country

I.

ruins

Their

Indian migration to

o

Enormous Cambodia Advance design

The Mekong

The French expedition Me'kong delta Cambodia River unnavigable The French

the

air

Tonquin

M. de Game's views

a base

as

travellers

the

castle

in

Little

known

of Depopulation slave-hunting Richness of the Vien-Changr-Population west of the Me'kong valley of the Railways proImportance of Zimme of

the

Effect

country

of

Mnam

Opening up China and the Shan country.

posed

A

REVIEWER,

noticing

the

marked,

that

the account

China

South

through

frequent in Far East.

in

"

the

the

title

We

had the

my

Borderlands,

Golden

epithet

of

of travel

"

had

books

Mission.

journey

sagely rebeen rather

the

concerning

River of Golden

Sand, the

Golden Chersonese, and lastly Across Chryse Chryse the Golden of ancient geographers. The term "

Golden," however,

is

merely a hackneyed term

not

when

applied to the great arm that, stretching southwards from the eastern flank of the Thibetan plateaux, forms the whole of Indo-China, including the Malay Peninsula. Asia.

The

capital

from

merely the

This

reefs in

is

India,

veritably

for

of

the

gold-field

of

which have drawn so much

England during the

outcrops

surface

arm

the formation

thousands

of

last

few

which

square

years,

extends

miles

in

Golden Peninsula. B

are

on this

il\ *

THE SHANS. Gold

and has been

is,

beds of the Irrawadi,

for

washed

centuries,

Sittang, Salween,

in

the

Mekong, and

Yangtsi-kiang, solely because these rivers have ramifiThe cations in this arm or in its immediate shoulder.

Lawas

Lolos and

finding gold in their hills, barter it Taxes are paid in gold, to the king for merchandise. of Siam, by tribes living in the hills to the east of

In the Shan tablelands between the Mekong. Irrawadi and the Sal ween, in the hills separating the

the

Menam

from

Mekong, in their claw-like finish which grasps Cambodia, and in the vast range that terminates as a backbone to the Malay Peninsula, gold is washed for in the streams and even mined in places. Glance

the

the

at

pages of any

through these their vast mineral

traveller

same story of Rocher and Dupuis have proclaimed wealth is told. the mineral riches of Yunnan and Tonquin O'Riley, Richardson, Fedden, and others, those of the Salweenand Mouhot those of the Siamese Irrawadi plateau Shan States, Siam, and Cambodia. Take M. Mouhot, he tells us of silver and lead near Bassac for instance iron at Stung Treng gold and gold mines at Kabin and

regions,

the

;

;

;

;

;

;

copper

in the

tin

iron,

streams issuing from it gold, argentiferous lead, copper, and iron, the latter two in abundance, in

in the zinc,

the

;

antimony, argentiferous lead, copper, to the northwards in the same range, and gold

magnetic

and

mountains between Bangkok and Korat

;

Cambodian

hills

;

and cannel coal and iron

in

the

islands of the Gulf of Siam.

Precious north-east

stones of

are

found

Mandalay,

in

in

the

the hills

plateau

to

south-west

the of

GOLDEN PAGODAS. Zimme.

1

of

east

The

region of Chantaboun, to the southBangkok, has been renowned for them for

and only lately drew a large number of our subjects from British Burmah in search of them, many centuries,

of

whom The

ing,

returned well repaid for their labours. pagodas, resplendent with their gold-leaf cover-

are

stranger

the

on

first

his

objects

arrival

spreading of the gold

The

devotees.

dhist

is

in

that

the

fix

Burmah

or

the favourite act of the

quantity that

is

the

gaze of Siam.

The Bud-

used in Siam,

Shan States, Cambodia, and Burmah must be very and the amount that has been used during the great many centuries that this custom has been carried on That would, if it could be mentioned, seem incredible.

the

;

the

practice

decoration,

of the

is

an

ancient one

not only

of the

beams,

ceilings,

and

may be

images

of

entrance

seen

by the

Buddha,

but

in

the

pillars

magnificent Khmer temples, the ruins of which are found to the east of the Menam- Mekong hills, between

and sixteenth degree of latitude. These ruins have for some years been a puzzle to the antiSome of them have been built in terraces quarian. the

twelfth

one above another, like the famous temple of Boeroe Boedor in Java, others are made of cross galleries ;

the terraces and the galleries, in

each case, leading to The best always a tower.

a central temple, which is design is that in which the

two

plans

are

seen in

same building, as in the famous temple at Ancor All the temples that have been examined, with Wat.

the

1

Kiang-Mai, or Chiang-Mai.

AMONGST THE SHANS. exception of those at Ancor Thorn and have their principal faces turned to the east. the

Athvea,

The huge

stones used in the buildings, often weighing from seven to eight tons, the distance they had to be brought, from eighteen to thirty miles, the immense

wonderful design and artistic finish and ornamentation, bespeak not only the master-mind of an architect and artist, but that of an of

size

the

buildings, their

M. Mouhot, on seeing one it to be "a rival to that by some Michael Angelo

Well might engineer. these temples, declare

Solomon, and erected might take an honourable beautiful to us

the

place

beside

left

of Indian

evidently the outIt appears from the records of China (A.D. 265-419), that the

of the ruins

architecture art.

Tsin dynasty,

and were noted

in

is

of India;

and

and

treasures,

There amongst the Cambodians that

for the

likewise a tradition

there

it

most

grander than anything

early kings of Cambodia were natives that the people had books, writings,

is

our

of

by Greece or Rome."

The come

It is

buildings.

;

of

practice of sculpture.

was an immigration of natives of India

into their

It is therefore not unlikely that country B.C. 254. some of these temples were erected about this date. As Buddhism did not enter Cambodia until A.D. 422,

this

would account

with

from

two

to

for

the

sixteen

strange fact that heads,

and

images

from four to

arms, the Indian Vishnus, as well as figures with wings, are found in the ruins, in company with thirty-two

those of Buddha.

At

the time of the arrival of the Indian immigrants,

THE FRENCH EXPEDITION.

have extended no

the delta of the

Mekong

farther than the

town of Pnompenh, which

situated

is

Cambodian An extension of a hundred and over two thousand one hundred

lake with the river. miles

to

of the outlet of the Great

at the junction

fifty

said

is

T

in a

little

years would appear incredible, were it not for the fact that the Gulf of Siam is still the area of volcanic action,

and

that

there are

many

evidences

of recent

met with both along the coast and inland. M. Mouhot, when at Khao Khoe (a instance,

upheaval

For

village to the north-east of Bangkok), at

the

of the

foot

noticed on

a

hills

full

which

hundred miles

neighbouring calcareous of the water which anciently covered them.

found

all

close

banks of

the

to

fossil

their

coral

base,

and

situated

is

hills traces

under a stratum

sea-shells in

inland,

He

even

of

soil,

a good state of

preservation.

On

the

expedition

5th left

1866,

June,

Saigon

the

celebrated

French

explore the country Cochin-China and the Chinese

in order to

lying between French province of Yunnan.

Cambodia River with

They embarked on hearts

the

great with the

high hope that this noble stream might prove, not only the means of floating them to the Celestial Country, but, the

beating

a glorious

path for their compatriots, whose banner they proudly hoped would soon float over in

future,

and that the French might thus attain in the east an empire which would more than compensate them for that they had lost in

the countries

far,

far to the north,

India.

What

pleasure there

is

in

such ambitious schemes,

AMONGST THE SHANS. when

life

is

as

unsoured

yet

rebuffs

by

and disap-

when our purpose is bent on performing deeds, when we proudly think nothing is too

pointments, great

to

fearful

be

of possibility

One on

and

nothing within the range too difficult for us to accomplish but feel sorrow for these Frenchmen

braved, is

cannot

their journey

!

;

disappointment. the river proved

very commencement was one of Two days from their starting-point its

so

that

impracticable

they

had

to

.abandon their gun-boat and take to canoes. By the end of December a sailor and French soldier, tired of the serious privations, stole to return to duty. little

some arms and refused

A

on

arriving at the expedition

later,

became indispensable to rid of the soldiers who composed the escort, as it was impossible to foresee what serious complications their bad conduct might bring about. There was, howfor even before they ever, some excuse for the men had left the frontier of Cambodia, all their barrels of brandy and wine had been pierced by legions of had run empty in a single night, and insects, and all their flour had been spoiled by the damp. M. de Carne thus summed up the results of the first Ubone,

it

;

part

of

river)

bodian

their

offers

"

exploration

frontier,

and

insurmountable.

on

this

barrier,

If

part of the

At

dangerous. as

things

Khong and

at

begin

:

first

difficulties

starting

are

they

were

it

The

from

very

use

(the

Cam-

the

serious,

attempted to

it

if

not

steam

Mekong, the return would be very

Khong are,

Bassac

an

stands

the

impassable absolutely in the way. Between

waters

are

unbroken

and

THE MEKONG UNNAVIGABLE. deep

but

;

from

distance river

that

channel

the

the

is

latter.

n

again

obstructed

From

the

a short

mouth

of the

Ubone, which we had ascended, to is

Kemarat, of two-thirds of a degree of

over a distance

nothing more than an impetuous torrent, whose waters rush along a channel more than a hundred metres deep by hardly sixty the

latitude,

The

Mekong

is

began at last to force itself on the most sanguine of us. Steamers can never plough the Mekong as they do the Amazon or the Mississippi

across.

truth

;

and

never

can

Saigon

be

united

to

the

western

provinces of China by this immense river- way, whose waters make it so mighty, but which seems, after all, to be a work unfinished." The members of the expedition were depressed by the news of the FrancoGerman war. Sickness began with them before and at Bassac, Cambodia leaving the frontiers of ;

M. de Lagree,

the leader of the expedition, contracted the fever, which brought on the liver complaint, from

which he died at with

hardships patience,

and the tried

pluck,

Tong-Tchouan, which they met

and

rain through

them

resignation,

in

Yunnan.

were

The

borne

with

the

heat

although

which they travelled must have

grievously.

Before reaching Siam-leap, after they had been forced to leave their canoes, the night closed in upon them whilst in the forest. It would have been impossible

them to continue their journey, so, although the rain was pelting down on them, each one made a bed of damp leaves and went to sleep in the clothes he wore, for

resigned to

endure the water which poured from the

AMONGST THE SHANS.

12

The

penalty for this exposure was soon exacted. M. de Carne" tells us " During our stay at Siam-leap next stage), sickness had seized on our com(their

sky.

:

panions, like vultures on their prey. Leaving behind us, stretched on the mats of the pagoda, two officers

men

and three

of our

escort,

unable

to

rise,

we

left

with aching hearts, taking with us their baggage and their arms."

After for

ever

cascades

coming

separated

and

the

Saigon

was the

series

officer

political

it

is

of

may

attached

hopes to Tonquin the extension of the French dominion

a base for

over

that

China by a long M. de Carne, who

French expedition, turned

to the

"

from

rapids,"

be here mentioned

as

the conclusion

to

Indo-China,

did

his vista

of his book

conclusion

circumstances,

nor

his

and

stop

he says weakness of

the

*'

:

here, for

in

The

force

the

Chinese

of

was during the Mussulman rebellion), the dismemberment of that enable us to foresee In the presence of such an eventuancient empire. Her part is traced ality, France should be prepared. out by the position which she already holds on the

themselves

(this

Anamite Peninsula.

absolutely necessary that she should exercise a paramount influence at Tonquin,

which

is

for

her the

It

is

key of China, and

that,

without

hurrying by any impatience the course of events, she should show her flag to the people whose protectorate He goes on to may some day fall into her hands." state

a

deepest

beyond

little

farther

interest

on

and

the mountains

" :

Perspectives

attraction

of

open

Tonquin,

full

from

over

of

the

Saigon, the fertile

M.

DE CARNE'S

VIEWS.

and healthy countries of Western China and Thibet. Fortune, which has so often made us pay for her favours of a day by lasting betrayal, appears to have

These opinions of M. de Carne become less cruel." were published in 1872, and were most likely read with great

interest

by the

Pekin Foreign Office it be wondered at that the ;

much to Chinese Government strongly

is

therefore

claim

and

We

of the

not

French

to

its

a

protested

the

protectorate over Anam under the treaty of 1874.

province Tonquin need not go farther than

fully to

against

understand the hopes

M. de

of the

Carne's pages French and the

objections of the Chinese.

Notwithstanding

the

journeys

which

have

been

made through Siam and its dependencies, but little is known of the country outside the routes taken The French, in their toilsome by the travellers. journey through the gorges of the Mekong, made but few

detours,

and gave us

but

little

information

about the extent of the population. The country to the west of the river, particularly in the lower portion

seems to have been better peopled than that to the east. This may be accounted for by the of

its

course,

shameful

practice

of slave-hunting

which

exists,

the

Anamites, Chinese, Cambodians, and Shans making a hunting-ground of the Mois Hills, which lie between

Cambodia and Siam, and Anam.

As

the French proceeded

have accepted the Siamese and were therefore safe from the incursion of their

hill-tribes rule,

were found

northwards, most of the

to

neighbours, and protected against the Anamites,

who

AMONGST THE SHANS.

J4

had been driven by the King of Siam across the hills which form a high and barren barrier between Anam

and

Shan

the

country.

Some

Anamite

villages

however, found whose inhabitants, at the time of the war with France and Spain, had sought protecwere,

from

the

valley of the Mekong enlistment of the King of Anam.

tion

in

the forced

The

province of Vien-Chang, one of the oldest Shan principalities in this part of Indo-China, they found had not fully recovered from the effects of its rebellion against

Siam

destroyed

1827, at which

in

was Ubone and to

time the

and the people removed

to

capital

As in country to the north-east of Bangkok. olden days, the Shans from the north are still

the the

pushing down, and the Lau-Phun-Ham, or untattooed Shans, are being replaced by the Lau-Phun-

Dam, their tattooing brothers. M. Mouhot, in his remarkable journey from Bangkok along the hills which separate the Menam River from the Mekong, gives more details of the populathe

province of Korat, according to him, contains eleven towns, some of which have from fifty tion

to

;

sixty

thousand

the two

In

villages.

hundred miles

number

of

the north

of

a

besides

inhabitants,

to

Korat, he passed through sixty villages and six towns. When it is remembered that he journeyed along the

high

route used

king,

who

journey,

payment, populous

by the

are allowed

and it

use

to is

part

not of

chiefs

the officers

to live at free

the

likely

the

and

quarters on their

people as carriers that

country.

of the

this

The

was

without

the

villages

most could

RAILWAYS PROPOSED. not have been very small, as

he notes that they each

possessed elephants, and several had as or a hundred.

The

the

of

population

17

valley

of

as fifty

many

Menam,

the

in

Bangkok and Zimme are situated, must be much more considerable than that of the country to the eastward. Herr Carl Bock, who recently travelled which

Menam

Bangkok to Zimme, and thence to Kiang Tsen on the Mekong, found the Bangkok and Paknam-Po thickly country between up the

River from

Menam

passing through a fertile alluvial he says that the western branch of the Menam, plain which joins the eastern at Paknam-Po, is rich and peopled, the ;

The town

well peopled. to him,

the

of

Zimme, which, according

has a hundred thousand

trade of the

inhabitants, controls

Shan States and China with

The whole

Burmah and Siam.

country

is

British

extremely

fertile.

After strongly advocating the construction of a

way between Bangkok and Zimme, he goes on

rail-

to say,

not only would a railway bring Zimme and the neighbouring Shan States into direct communication with

draw to itself the greater part of the trade of the Shan States and Yunnan, which at

the

sea,

present east

at

but

it

finds

an

my

outlet

Canton, or a

to the Yangtsi. like

would

Carl

It

full

still

is

of difficulty

longer and more

a pleasure

The

costly

the

way

to find an

Bock so thoroughly agreeing

proposals.

towards

authority with part of

connection of the British

Burmah

system of railways with Zimme and Bangkok has for and the further some time been advocated by me ;

c

AMONGST THE SHANS.

i8

extension to the borders of south-west China, and the

permeation of branches throughout the Shan country, and indeed throughout China, is, I firmly believe, only a matter of time.

owing to certain disputes between our foresters and the ow ners of the teak-forests at Zimme, it was determined by the Government of India to send In

1879,

r

a mission to the

King of Siam,

in

order to

make

ar-

rangements for the meeting of a joint commission at Zimme, which should settle all pending cases, and

draw out such rules for the working of the forests as would be likely to prevent any future clashing between the rival interests.

Having proceeded to Bangkok, we were graciously received by the King, who proved not only willing but eager to insure the removal of all cause of friction between the chiefs, who were the owners of the teak-forests,

and

our subjects

the

Burman

foresters.

During our stay we were hospitably entertained by our consul,

who

did

his

utmost to insure our comfort

and the successful termination of our mission.

CHAPTER Leave

Bangkok at Pahpoon of Pahpoon

for

Zimme

Arrive

Mr. Bernard

March

to

the

Importance Improved comferry

The

days'

run

Dahguin

Catching timber.

Bangkok

us to

start

famous dacoit hunter

Our mission

Salween River

carried

A

Moung Deepah

munications

LEAVING

Our

Reach Maulmain Mr. Davis

II.

in

a

gun-boat,

few

a

There we changed

Singapore.

to

one

of the local steamers, and, passing through the network of small islands lining the coast as far north as the

mouth of the Salween, through coast scenery not to be surpassed anywhere that I know of, reached Maulmain after a voyage of ten days.

The Street,

personnel of the

who

is

mission

consisted

now Commissioner

of Colonel

of Pegu,

as

chief;

Dr. Oswald Baker, as medical officer; Mr. McDermott, assistant superintendent, in charge of

twenty police

;

a

Burmese myo-oke, or assistant commissioner, who had and myself, as a previous knowledge of the country We had thirty-two personal assistant to the chief. elephants in our suite, and a little army of followers, ;

who were After

chiefly

Burmese. party and collecting started with a flotilla of native

gathering together

our

the necessary stores, we boats up the delta of the Salween River, to the

mouth

of the Yunzaleen, which enters the Salween in latitude

AMONGST THE SHANS.

20

18

6'

Proceeding up that river for ninety-five arrived at the town of Pahpoon, the head-

north.

we

miles,

quarter station of the Salween

welcomed by Mr.

J.

district,

C. Davis, the

where we were

officer in

charge of

and of our diplomatic relations This with the Siamese border province of Zimme. gentleman is renowned both as a police and district the Salween

officer.

hill-tracts,

Some

when

years ago,

certain portions of the

country were infested by dacoits, he employed his time for weeks in hunting them out of the precipitous So popular country lying to the east of Thatone.

had of

become

he

the

them

district,

to join

amongst the that he had no

and aid him

people quiet-loving trouble in inducing

in freeing

the country from

these marauders.

His many daring

feats are

household words throughat length became such a

and he country terror to the numerous bad characters, that

out

the

were

laid

;

by

them

his

for

many

plots

assassination.

Timely enabled him

warning, received from friendly villagers, to elude these attempts, and generally to punish the plotters severely, until the chief of the Toung-thoos

a to

hill-tribe of his district,

have removed from

whom

he had been compelled

his post

plot for taking Mr. Davis's

life,

concocted a well-laid

which nearly succeeded.

One

evening, when sitting after dinner in galow, with the police officer and a friend

paying him a

his

bun-

who was

ear recognised the sound of stealthy steps stealing along underneath the house, which is raised on posts some eight feet from the

ground.

visit,

his quick

Cautiously

peeping

over

the

verandah,

he

PAHPOON. saw

a

gang of

23

armed men surrounding the

house.

Quickly re-entering his sitting-room, he told the police officer

and

his

friend to guard the front

entrance, and,

looking for his arms, he found that they had

all

been

Stepping to his bedroom door, in order to secure the arms which he always kept at the head of his bed, he found it shut. Retreating a few steps to removed.

gain impetus, he rushed forward, and, forcing the door open, scattered the dacoits who were in the room pell-

Seeing a dha, or Burmese sword, which had not been removed, he at once secured it, but, in so doing, received a wound on the face, which would have mell.

but for the rim of his spectacles. Quickly drawing his dha, he cut down two men, while the rest escaped, but were shortly after captured and his

destroyed

sight

transported for

Not long

life.

after

he was moved to the

incident

this

charge of the Salween done admirable work.

district,

Mr.

where

Davis's

he

has

since

wonderful

apti-

tude in the acquirement of native languages, and his acquaintance with the manners and customs of the various

tribes,

turbulent ability

make him

districts

into

mark him out

peculiarly fitted for bringing

order

as

the

;

and

his

great tact and

most suitable

officer

for

frontier political service.

Pahpoon

is

situated

at

the junction of several

im

Maulmain from Karen-nee, the and Zimme, and is of great importance

portant trade-routes to

Shan as

the

States,

the local

Salween

years

it

headquarters of our foresters,

and

who work

For many neighbouring forests. was kept in continued disturbance by Moung

AMONGST THE SHANS.

24

Deepah, a celebrated leader of

on account

dacoits, and,

through this district had been greatly hindered, almost entirely put a stop to. of

his

The

depredations,

ability

and

trade

resolution

of

the

district

officers

have made them so feared, that trade is now rapidly reviving, and dacoities are less frequent, and seldom pass unpunished. been opened out

A

road for pack-animals has lately

from

Pahpoon

in

the direction

of

opening communications. The present Chief Commissioner of British Burmah, Mr. Bernard, is determined to facilitate the permeation

Zimme,

the

initial

step

in

of commerce throughout this part of the province, and is doing his utmost to improve the trade-routes and insure

their

being perfectly secure.

The Yunzaleen

River has been cleared of snags and other impediments, and police-stations have been placed at various points of the district in order to give additional security to trade. After a few days' halt at Pahpoon, in order to get

unwieldy train into something like order, we set off on the 4th March, and, after crossing a range of

our

hills,

about two thousand five hundred feet

in height,

encamped on the banks of the Maythalouk stream, having journeyed for some nine hours along a track six feet wide, which had been cleared through the The Maythalouk stream was then only nine jungle. inches deep.

hundred

feet,

In the rains

and

has

a

it

increases

depth

to a

of seven

width of a

feet,

with a

and headlong current. The next day we proceeded along undulating and

swift

generally close

to

sidelong ground, until we reached a stream the thirteenth mile from Pahpoon. Continu-

THE SALWEEN

RIVER.

25

ing for some time down its narrow gorge, we reached the Toung-chyin tsakan (halting-place), having travelled

some nine and a

The

half miles, a short but tiring march.

following day the track led us to a height of a little over two

side,

the

up

hill-

thousand feet

whence we descended, first rapidly, and then gradually, to the Salween River, at the site

above

sea-level,

of the fields

For the

Dahguin ferry. and toung yas

last four miles

were met with,

(hill-cultivation)

which were irrigated from the neighbouring

The

police-station

on the

west, or

the

Dahguin

The

hills

ferry

of the

British, side

Siamese have their

other side the stockaded.

at

on the

paddy-

waterfalls. is

Salween

station,

British

side

situated ;

on the

both being are

much

The current of higher than those on the Siamese. the river, even at the time of our crossing, was running fiercely

the

;

depth

rocks

whirlpools and eddies were visible, and the centre was said to be great. Many

many

were

in

seen

cropping

out,

extending for

some

distance from the banks, and jutting up in places from the bed of the stream.

The Salween

is

one of the great rivers of the world.

course extends through upwards of sixteen degrees of latitude and fourteen of longitude, rising in the west Its

of the great central tableland of Thibet, and having a branch within one hundred and fifty miles of the head-

After Indus, Ganges, and Bramaputra. proceeding nearly due east, from 83 30' east to 94 10' waters of the

makes an S

and then passing through a precipitous gorge, which sometimes widens into a narrow valley, continues through mountains towering

east,

it

curve,

AMONGST THE SHANS.

26

from

thousand

eighteen as

height,

At

latitude.

this

Desgodins, the

At

the

the

as

far

hills

point

to

thousand

twenty

twenty-eighth

degree

feet

of north

Abbe

according to the gradually lower their heads. place,

where

Salween, on

crossed the

I

exploration from Canton to the pass over the hills next the Salween late

only

my the

Irrawadi, is

in

eight

thousand seven hundred and thirty feet. The river is spanned by an iron suspension bridge four hundred and twenty feet long. The banks, at the

above

two

about

are

bridge,

thousand

The

sea-level.

hundred

five

descent

in

the

feet

river-bed

between

and the bridge a twenty-eight degrees distance of only three degrees of latitude is said by the Abbe to be about three thousand five hundred

A

feet.

of about

fall

fourteen

hundred

feet

occurs

next three degrees of latitude, where at the Soo-kat ferry the river is two hundred and forty feet the

in

wide,

the

ninety-five

the

flood

rising

feet.

This

in

the

rains

enormous

rise

no is

less

than

caused

by

contraction of the

channel to eighty-five feet at a place lying between the Soo-kat and Takau ferries. At the latter it is seven hundred and fifty feet above the sea, the floods rising from forty to fifty feet. the mouth of the Yembine stream, which flows the Salween distance ing,

be It

below the

down

rapid,

which

lies

into

some

the Salween, below

Dr. Richardson

found

only two hundred is near this point I

railway from

great

At

and

the

our point of crosswidth of the river to

fifty feet,

by measurement.

propose to cross

Maulmain

to

my

Kiang Hung.

projected

CATCHING TIMBER.

A

short

hat-gyee, or great is

above

distance

29

but

Yembine,

below

the

a strong cable of twisted rattan

fall,

stretched across from

bank

bank

to

at

a place called

The cable is Kyo-dan, where the river narrows. used for the purpose of arresting the floating teakThe owners of logs coming from the upper regions. the

Kyo-dan to claim their logs, previously been marked in the forests

timber proceed

which

have

to

hammer

bearing the private registered stamp The logs are then collected, made forester.

with a of the

and taken down

Kado, the Government revenue-station, near Maulmain, where duty is The paid and the timber cleared finally for export. into

huge

Salween

rafts,

is

rope-station,

steamers latitude

wide,

and

could 17

and

for

navigable it

is

ply

12'.

The

bifurcates

only separated from

Beloogyoon, or

"

as

to

small

believed far

river

boats that

north at

as

as

far

the

as

shallow-draught

Shuaygoon,

Maulmain

is

a

in

mile

is opposite that town, which the sea by the narrow island of

Devil's Island."

CHAPTER ing huts in an hour

Population

valley

report

ground "

first

resulted

howdahs Hmine Long-gyee White Karens An oppressed

A "

Siamese

official

field

Mr. Bernard's

A vast A block

breedingto trade

Kindness

Pain-killer

Arrogance of the Burmese.

attempt to cross the elephants of our party in only four out of the thirty-two getting

the remainder, not being used to such a swift turbulent stream, at first refused to enter the

across

and

town-eater

Build-

Sleeping in

destroyed

Hmine Long-gyee

OUR

Pitching tents

American missionaries A fruitful Hrnine Long-gyee Large game The Red Karens Slave-hunters

people

of the

In Siam

Salween

Difficulties of crossing the

III.

water

;

;

when

urged

by

their

drivers,

they became

turning tail, rushed up the bank and stampeded up the mountain side, trumpeting wildly had to take them to an easier as they went. terrified,

and,

We

crossing,

where we managed

to

get them

over

all

in

safety.

The Salween forms

the boundary between Siamese and British territory from the entrance of the Htoo At Dahguin, on River to that of the Thoungyeen. the Siamese side of the river,

we found

that the police

stockade was garrisoned by thirty Siamese so-called

soldiers.

Their

arms

were

formidable, consisting as they did of old 30

by

police, or

no

flint

means

muskets,

METHOD OF which even

Burmese

a

CAMPING.

31

would

hunter

despise,

and

Their any one would have much hesitation in using. hair was dressed or rather cut in the usual Siamese fashion, short

on the

sides,

and combed up

in

straight

looking like a dirty clothes-brush rampant. guard turned out, and politely saluted us as we

bristles,

The

mounted the bank. a

making the passage of the Salween, we left Dahguin on the morning of the 8th March, and proceeded up the May-koung-ku stream, which is a torrent about a hundred feet wide by eight

Having

feet feet its

lost

in

day

deep in the rains, but reduced to a width of ten and a depth of one foot at this time. Following banks,

boulders, tree

of

past

a

through

any

small

many

size

and over huge from which every

waterfalls

teak-forest,

had

been

we

extracted,

passed

through a gorge and stopped at Choungnaqua, where we pitched our tents with some trouble, owing to our having to superintend the work ourselves, as our Burmese followers, being unused to tents, were not

mode

In Indo-China, of camping. as a rule, on arrival at the halting-place in uninhabited

handy

a

at such

districts,

fixed as

small

are

trees

posts for the

roofed

dew,

over,

as

down

erection of a

being used for the floor

from the ground

cut

which

is

by

them

hut, the

and

branches

raised several feet

and roof scantlings the whole is a protection from the heavy night

by the leaves

;

of-

the

eng,

or

other

rapidly are these huts constructed, that

it

trees.

So

seldom takes

more than an hour to run them up. They are far more advantageous than tents in the hilly parts of the.

AMONGST THE SHANS.

32

only do they form a protection from animals, but they tend to raise you above the not

country, as

wild

miasma

deadly

the

of

many

advantage

is

which

exudes

from

ground in Another enormous

steaming valleys. a country that, in

where

procure, and scrub jungle are available, the saving of heavy and to

difficult

gage, such as tents,

pine forest, the timber

the

transport is or small trees

cumbrous bag-

a great consideration. where no scrub jungle exists, and

is

too

is

large to

allow

In the

where of being felled, and

the country where the trees are leafless months, use is often made, by the Siamese

in the parts of

some

for

and Shans, of the elephant howdahs : to sleep in, and in their construction this purpose is borne in mind.

Next

Choungnaqua, day, ten miles after leaving we topped the main range, and proceeding for about a mile over steep and broken ground, followed the 2

to

Quay-bouk choung which

and

at our point

five

and a

of crossing

last

a narrow valley until

is

3

River,

a hundred feet wide

mile of the

we came

to the

distance

was down

Hmine Long-gyee

The

plain.

and

Main Long-gyee

half feet deep, with a very rapid current

The

in the rains.

the

is

valley reaches as far as the eye can see, about three miles in width, consisting of grassy

After crossing the river, patches and rice cultivation. we marched for about a mile across the plain to the town. 1

A

howdah

is

a seat placed

on the back of an elephant, and

generally protected by a roof. 2 Choung, Burmese for stream. 3

Or,

Hmine

Long-gyee.

is

TYPE OF KAREN MAN.

HMINE LONG-GYEE.

35

Three-quarters of an hour's distance to the northwest lies the old walled city of Yunzaleen, which is

The remains of the large trees. wall and a ditch of very considerable extent are easily now overgrown by

was

Yunzaleen

traced.

formerly

it was kingdom of Pegu given a dower with a Talain princess ;

The

or

tsa,

at a

town-eater

"

and

;

part of the

his

old

remote period as

to a

Hmine Long-gyee has

chief of "

a

Zimme.

chief of

the

title

of

jurisdiction

Myo-

extends

over the whole of the valley of the Menium (or Hmine In Dr. Richardson's time the Long-gyee) River.

whole of the inhabitants of to

probably did

him,

hundred

This

families.

resulted

likely

not

from the

this fine district,

amount

to

according more than two

paucity of population most fact that the Hmine Long-

gyee valley lay on the route of invading armies from Zimme, Siam, and Burmah.

The

little

outlying

Karen-pyoos (White

villages

Karens),

were inhabited a quiet,

simple,

by the timid

who

are rapidly being absorbed into Christianity, in consequence of the labours of the American missionrace,

aries.

Their

spirit

had been

broken

oppression, both from the Talain,

by centuries of Shan, and Burmese,

whichever

The

power happened to be Shans were, according to

in

the

Dr.

ascendant.

Richardson,

esteemed by the people to be the most merciful, and the Burmese had the character of behaving in a most oppressive and cruel manner.

Even the

in

Karens

obliged

the

1836,

them

were to

so

time of

cowed

accompany

Richardson's journey, that

their

passengers

easily

party through their

AMONGST THE SHANS.

36

guides, clear the path, build huts at the halting-places, furnish provisions, and procure the

jungles, to act as

necessary firewood and water these poor people were not receiving no recompense, but if

lucky

escaped

they

for

;

all

which

services

only in the habit of considered themselves

plundered

being

the

into

bargain. They were much surprised when they found that Dr. Richardson, according to the habit of English travellers, insisted upon paying for all

and services rendered him. Both men and women have nearly as fair complexions as Europeans, supplies

and the young people

especially

may be counted

as

good-looking.

The persecution of the Karens in our territory was put down by us with a strong hand on our annexation Soon

of British Burmah.

American country a

determined

mission field

after

for

their

labour.

taking to

Maulmain, the

make the Karen So great has been

under Judson, Mason, and other famous missionaries, that there are now no less than four hundred and fifty-seven Christian Karen parishes their

success

Most of these support their own churches, their own Karen pastors, and their own school. So much are the people imbued with true Christian spirit, that considerable sums of money are subscribed by them for the furtherance of missionary work among the Karens, and other hillscattered

about

the

country.

Mr. Bernard, beyond the British border. the Chief Commissioner of British Burmah, has stated races

in

living

his

administration

Christian

Karen

report

communities

that

for

1880,

are

distinctly

the

more

J2,

A KAREN

37

GIRL.

HMINE LONG-GYEE. better

industrious,

educated,

and

39

more

law-abiding

than the Burman and heathen Karen villagers in their an opinion which will be generally neighbourhood

The by all who have studied Burmah. Karen race, and the British Government, owe a great debt to the American missionaries, who have wrought this beneficial change among the Karens of British endorsed

Burmah.

The town twenty of our

to

houses, in 1836, It

visit.

gardens of trees.

Hmine Long-gyee had

of

increased from

two hundred

time

the

at

beautifully situated in the midst of

is

pomegranate, cocoa-nut, papya, and guava

The surrounding

water-wheels, and

laid

rice

in

being grown

of the valley abound cattle, and wild pig.

out

in

the year. in

by Persian two crops of

fields are irrigated

terraces,

The

hills to

the east

tiger, elephant, elk, deer,

The

rhinoceros

is

found

wild

in the

lower and grassy parts of the jungle, while monkeys

and

pheasants, as well as jungle fowl, are plentiful. The hills are covered with eng, saul, and small teak timber that has not been considered by the Burmese

The higher portions worthy of extraction. of the range and its spurs are covered with splendid foresters

pine-forests.

The

river

rises

at

Hmine

Long-gyee

thirty

to

and many portions of the lower land in the neighbourhood of the town are at times inundated. Several villages dot the plain, and the whole rice-fields and country, excepting the garden land, is an enormous breed ing- ground for forty feet during

cattle.

the

As many

as

rains,

eight thousand a year used to be

AMONGST THE SHANS.

40

taken into the country of Karen-nee, and exchanged for slaves, horses, tea,

purchased

the

by

and

stick-lac.

Karen-nees,

or

The cattle were Red Karens, in

average price of one rupee for a cow, and two and a half for the very best bullock, or else bartered at the rate of seven bullocks Richardson's

time,

at

an

while young man eight or ten bullocks were given for a young woman.

a pony,

for

or

its

equivalent,

a

;

The

Karen-nees, like the Kachyens, their neighbours the northwards, are renowned for their kidnap-

to

ping are

At

propensities.

taken

from

the

least

one-third

Burmese Shan

of

the

States,

slaves

and

the

The officers remainder from the adjoining hill-tribes. of the King of Burmah, when the Shan States were ruled by them, did nothing to protect the people, and even accepted presents from the Red Karens, as a

bribe to

stop their ears against all complaints. country of these men-stealers extends from the

The Htoo

River to the banks of the Salween, and is about thirty miles broad, by an average of fifty miles in length,

and forms a block

to all

our

with the part of lying to the west of

traffic

independent Shan country the Salween. The traders fear to pass through the Karen-nee country, and either skirt it to the westthe

ward, through the nearly impassable land of the other Karens, who inhabit the western portion of Karen-nee, or else, crossing the valley of the Salween, proceed our territory via the Hmine Long-gyee valley.

to

only from our having made a pact with the King of Burmah, by which it was agreed that neither of us would annex Karen-nee, that this lamentable It is

HMINE LONG-GYEE. state

of

present

If

day.

brought into

been allowed to continue to the

has

affairs

small

this

the

order,

country were our trade with

of

strip

of

increase

now independent Shan

the

4*

States, lying

west of the

Salween, would be very great.

men whom we met

The were

of

destitute

the sarong scarcely

The

garment which

-a

for

sufficing

are

ladies

and

jackets,

the

attired

Hmine

at

is

apparelled

a kerchief

what

decency. known to the

is

Zimme

habituated still

ladies,

is

is

simply

a

ornamented

Sometimes

thrown round the shoulders and over the

The younger women

bosom.

is

a

as

in

of

loongyee^ which petticoat or skirt with horizontal stripes, with a border of dull-hued silver or gold.

Burmese

solely

merely a waist-cloth,

requirements in

Long-gyee

the

to

looked

who

are gradually becoming

wearing of jackets

upon as to

prefer

"bad

;

form"

adhere

to

this,

by

their

however, the

elder

primitive

customs.

The

streets of the

town are kept clean by means of

The houses by Persian water-wheels. are comfortable, but have all steep roofs reaching down to within a few feet from the ground, thus water

raised

This does not seem to rendering the interiors dark. be required from the rains being unusually heavy in these

parts,

much

lighter

The 1

for

entrance

on

than is

inquiry we found that they were in the countries to the westward.

made from

the verandahs, at the end

Burmese garment resembling our

the top.

petticoat, but

ungathered at

AMONGST THE SHANS.

42

of the houses, and stands of flowers are placed in front of the doorways, both to serve as a decoration and to

gaze of too inquisitive eyes. Only one kyoung, or monastery, exists inside the town, but outside there is a large cluster of them, baffle the

Entering the one in the town, surrounding a pagoda. we found its walls covered with rough frescoes, bold in design and not without character. Some of them,

which had been executed by an old poongyee, or monk, One of gave us no high opinion of his morality. these proved that, unlike St. Kevin, he had some idea of " what the wily sex can do," in the way of bringing

men under

their influence.

These poongyees, unlike those resident in Upper Burmah, do not prove ardent devotees of Buddha, although they take the same strict vows when they Their practice is even looser priesthood. than that of the monks of old, as depicted by Froude. They are seemingly attached to all the so-called enter

the

"

gentlemanly vices," and are universally said to drink, Their gamble, and flirt in a most shameless manner. hold

over

the

people

universally despised are generally quiet

and give but

extinguished, and they are the townsfolk. The people

by and orderly

in

their

demeanour,

trouble to the authorities.

little

In front of the perceived a few

is

we noticed stocks, and who were heavily chained,

court-house

prisoners,

There are no carts in the district, straggling about. and not more than half a dozen canoes were seen on the

river

;

all

the

elephants, porters,

traffic

and

is

carried

bullocks.

on by means of

The

pack-saddle in

HM1NE LONG-GYEE. use with the latter of the

rounded, so as to take the shape is of a better design than any I

is

and

animal,

have seen elsewhere reside in

this

district.

Their

and

A

we

gong

East.

occupations

fifty

police

to

appeared

be,

observed, betel chewing, smoking,

less disciplined

used

is

Some

order to preserve order in the

main

A

sleeping.

seen.

the

in

town, in

judging by what

43

in

squad

have seldom

I

of a bugle, for their

place

martial exercise.

The

appointed from This is Bangkok, and is blessed with only one wife. a most unusual circumstance amongst officers in these parts,

the

chief

but

official

female

his

costume,

German

the

place

he compensates for

number of

official

of

a

strange

pickelhaube,

his

is

abstemiousness by

attendants. olio,

He

wore

an

composed of a new

a second-hand military jacket, a

Siamese

shoes. His sarong, and French polished gentility was further evidenced by the length of his which showed the impossibility of his finger-nails,

having performed manual labour for at least a year. In the bazaar we noticed, as is usual in the East, arsenic, vitriol,

proximity to

we

and other poisonous drugs lying more innocent medicines. One

found, though

was highly

prized.

not in It

common

was

locally

use

by the

known

as

in close

specific

natives,

bangilla.

No

specimen of it could be procured in the bazaar, and our worthy medico was much puzzled as to what this

famous panacea could be.

After

much

search,

an

was found, when it turned out to be no other than the far-famed American " pain-killer."

empty

The

bottle

" town-eater," as such functionaries governor, or

AMONGST THE SHANS.

44

are

called

by

both

Burmese

On hospitable in his way. he sent five riding-elephants to

ferred

a curved

and in

is

far

India.

roof, to

proved

of the

elephants has

one from the sun and

more comfortable

for riding than that

rain,

used

The governor

Burmese

though,

shelter

Siamese,

hearing of our approach, to meet us, but we pre-

The howdah

walk.

our stay, and did

Our

and

much

all

supplied our larder during he could to insure our comfort.

followers to

our

appreciated

annoyance,

this

they

behaviour,

made

no

en-

deavour to hide the supercilious and arrogant contempt they had, or pretended to have, for the Shans. intense conceit of the

Burmese

character,

and the

The airs

which the Burmans give themselves, are unparalleled

by those of any people known

to me.

CHAPTER March

The water-parting of the Menam and plateau Lawas Cultivation of cotton, indigo, sugar-cane,

Baw

the

to

IV.

Salween

and

tobacco, chasers

safflower

Preparation

Women

manufactured

Iron

of

Chinese

pur-

Taxes of

hill-

cotton

miners

Lawa converts to Buddhism Lawas called Lawas Difference between hill-races "Man-bears" Singular custom on the Anam and Shan mountains Value of slaves Highlanders of the Shan country.

tribes

AFTER town,

resting a

and,

day

at

following

Hmine Long-gyee, we

the

banks of

the

left

the

May-tsaleen

proceeded for some six miles up gradually We rising ground to our halting-place for the night. were accompanied, in accordance with his instructions, stream,

received from

Our

Zimme, by the

"

town-eater

"

in person.

was gradually growing several ladies, in the airy costume of the country which reminded one of that of mermaids were in attendance upon him. We were the cynosure of their eyes, but being as yet unused to such extremely decollete costume were too train

;

bashful to allow our gaze to rest for

glance

in

their

The

direction.

trated papers have, of late years,

remove the peans

to

fastidious objections

the aspect of the 47

more than a

pictures

done

in

casual

the

illus-

their

utmost to

entertained

by Euro-

human form when

partly

AMONGST THE SHANS.

48

unadorned

when

least

at

dark

a

by

accompanied

hide.

next day we continued our journey along the valley, which narrows in places to six hundred feet. Passing a steep granite cliff and many small water-

The

we reached

falls,

the foot of the

the

hill.

generally consisted

Maysowan tsakan, which lies at The jungle, throughout this part,

of thitsee,

or wood-oil

tree,

plan-

bamboo, and fine specimens of the tree-fern. Huge creepers and dense undergrowth made the jungle impassable, except where the path had been cleared. tains,

crowns

Pine-forest

considerable

the

distance

heights,

down

the

and

descends

slopes

of

for

the

a

hills.

Two

miles from our last halting-place a steep ascent After a continual the side of a spur commenced.

up

clamber for about two and a half miles, we reached its crest, which is about three thousand five hundred feet

above

the

which

this spur,

is

At

the very summit of about two hundred feet higher than

of the

level

sea.

range at Baw, we were surprised to find a small spring with a trickling stream. Descending

the

the

main

we engamped upon the banks of which enters the Hmine Long-gyee

hill,

stream,

distance for

a

few

the

of

south

miles,

and

town.

then

Following proceeding

the

Melaik

River,

the

by

some

Melaik an

easy

descent into a small open plain, where the pine-forest ceases for a time, we came upon a Lawa village of ten

houses

few

surrounded by

buffaloes

of very

rice

light

cultivation in patches.

colour were seen

A

grazing

near the village.

From

this

place

we

crossed another high spur, and

THE rested

for

stream

is

the

BAW

PLATEAU.

met with that

gyee River, and

This

by the side of the Metiu.

night

the last

49

Hmine Long-

joins the

course that

propose to carry a railway to connect Maulmain and Kiang Tsen. The high spurs crossed by us between Hmine Long-

gyee and is

the

it

is

its

up

this place will thus

I

be avoided.

easternmost source of the

Melaik.

The Metiu The next

an easy ascent of two miles brought us to the Thitsee and plantain trees top of the Baw plateau. day,

had disappeared

for

some

and we passed through straight trees free from

time,

a lofty pine-forest, with tall, branches for fifty or sixty feet from the ground.

The

wood, although of large growth, is full of resin, and therefore would not prove serviceable for masts or other purposes of naval architecture. Baw is situated in a plain, which has the appearance of a clearance in the forest, some ten or twelve miles long,

by

This plateau forms the which has to be crossed between the

or

five

six

broad.

only elevation Salween and the Meping, which is the western branch of the Menam River, on which Bangkok, the capital of

The height of this water-parting as Siam, is situated. taken by me, at by no means the lowest point, was three thousand three hundred and thirty-seven feet above "

the

sea. "

stupendous

This

obstacles

supposed to exist

in

barrier

single

the

which,

until

sums our

visit,

of reaching

way

country by means of a railway The inhabitants of the village of

up

the

the

were

Shan

!

Baw

are

Lawas,

who

are said to be the aborigines of the country lying to the east of the Salween, from the borders of Yun-

E

AMONGST THE SHANS.

50

nan

found

Baw

some distance south of

to

isolated

in

on

McLeod,

his

of

many

cultural

race,

tobacco,

safHower,

cotton

hills

and

is

scattered

journey

to

their

through

The

hamlets

in

Hung,

They

cotton,

chillies,

grown

Kiang

villages.

cultivating

they are still about the hills. ;

passed

are an

agri-

sugar-cane, other produce.

indigo,

cereals,

and

abundance on the sides of the

The

in the valleys.

seed

is

sown

broadcast.

The

only preparation the ground undergoes is to have the old plants dug out and burnt for manure. is

Their mode of separating the cotton from the seed most expeditious, and is performed by one person.

An

upright wooden frame, consisting of two posts fastened in the ground, supporting in their centre a horizontal circular and smooth iron rod of an inch in

passing through the former on formed into a knee, and is fixed to a heavy

circumference, which

one

side, is

wooden inches

lever

of the

of about five feet

A

wooden

ference

is

cylinder

it

within six

arm to be longer an impetus when in motion.

of about

placed parallel

length,

one

middle, causing

than the other, to give

in

to

three

and

inches

in

in

circum-

contact with

the

to this a and supported in the same manner handle is attached on the opposite side of the frame To the on the outside, and is turned by the hand.

iron rod,

;

knee a string is fastened, which is conducted over a beam and brought down to a pedal, by which it is iron

put into motion.

The

placed along the line of contact of the cylinders, which, revolving to each other, draw the cotton through, leaving the seed behind.

The

cotton

is

cotton

is

pressed and packed by the

Chinese,

LA WAS.

who come all the way from Yunnan The pressing and packing is done in a

to

purchase it. well, into which

the cloth for holding the cotton is introduced. the cotton is well trodden down, the whole is tightly

round with

strips

away on mules,

carried

hundred

to

the

hundred

three

The

of bamboo.

After

bound

bales

are

varying from two Great care is pounds. load

taken to balance the packages equally, and to see that they weigh

alike.

The Lawas we saw but

iron-workers

found

in

a

hill

and

lying about half a day's journey to the

north-west of the village, solely by the women.

on

elephants,

that cipal

it

Baw were

not agriculturists, The metal is manufacturers.

at

and

is

is

paid

is

worked

brought to the village smelted in such a rough way, It

by the

is

cent, of metal.

yields only fifty per

tax

a red oxide, and

villagers

to

the

The Zimme

consists of elephant chains, spear-heads, cooking

and other ironware. the

other

household

villages

in

Where the

iron

is

province

not of

chillies,

The

chief pots,

worked

in

Zimme, each

pays annually to Government a tax of ten

viss (a viss equals 3*65 Ibs.) of cotton, the

of

prin-

and

Lawas

same weight

five of safBower.

have

flat

Their figures are short and

and

low

foreheads.

ill-formed, their

bellies are

noses

protuberant, but they are a strongly limbed and healthy Their complexions are much darker looking race.

The women Burmese and Shans. their are very ugly, and remarkably short and stout faces are large, their foreheads low, mouths particularly long, with thick lips, and eyes small and wide apart. than those of the

;

AMONGST THE SHANS.

52

Their stuff,

a petticoat of white and red and a jacket which barely conceals their breasts. dress

of

consists

The

people of Baw, though wretchedly poor in appearance, are reported to be rich, especially in elephants,

we saw a The religion

number near the

of which

considerable

lage.

of the Lawas, and in fact of

Mongoloid

races,

vil-

all

the

seems greatly to resemble the Sha-

manism of the old Tartars. Even Buddhism does not free them from

their conversion to

their belief in gob-

and they still continue to worship and fear their fetishes, even when accepting the ritual and moral code lins,

of the Buddhist religion.

was amusing to find the dread in which the Lawas are held by both Burmese and Siamese. This is due to the fear of being bitten by them and dying of the bite. They are called by their Burmese neighbours the It

"

A

man-bears."

these

people,

custom

which may perhaps

this superstition.

youths and of pairing.

singular

On

obtains

account

amongst

partly

for

a certain

maidens

meet

night in the year, the together for the purpose

Unacceptable youths are said to be bitten while, on they make advances to the ladies

severely if the contrary,

;

more favoured swains are received with blandishments and kisses, if the caresses of this the

part of the East can be called

mese on

by such a name.

Bur-

hearing of this custom, are reported occasion to have attempted to take unfair

travellers,

one

advantage of it. the Lawa damsels

The

treatment

they

received

from

have taught them a lesson which has given good grounds on which to base the tradition.

is

said to

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HILL-RACES.

The Shans one

race, and,

them

in

savages. 1868,

on

upon

Lawas and Karens

the

as

notwithstanding their fear of them, hold

them as mere The members of the French expedition ot

very poor their

esteem,

way up

the

counting

Mekong, noted the great

bearing and character of the hill-tribes live among the Shan mountains from those they

difference

who

look

53

in

met with when journeying in the hills lying to the east These seem to have been timid of the great river. to

excess,

having, according to

vious to their submission

to

De

Carne, been,

pre-

Siam, hunted incessantly

and carried off as slaves by the Siamese, the Anamites, When at Attopeu, the French and the Cambodians. explorers noticed that several of the tribes between the Mekong and the crest of the main

living

Anam

range (the boundary between Anam and Siam) had submitted to the King of Siam, and paid him a light tribute. For this they had received substantial advantages,

the

for

they need

no longer fear the incursion of

who

slave-dealers,

still

amongst the independent

The fullest

who

drive

a

flourishing

trade

tribes.

captured become slaves in the sense of the word they are carried off, with no slaves

are

;

hope of deliverance save death or escape. Trapped by ambush, and driven off after capture, like fallowdeer, by the man-hunters, they are torn from their

and taken to the chief places of the Shan country, Siam, and Cambodia, for disposal. At Pnompenh, the new capital of Cambodia, now under

forests,

chained,

French protection, they are are

of

a

higher

value

than

in

especial

Anamite

demand, and or Cambodian

AMONGST THE SHANS.

54

slaves.

hundred francs worth

to

According five

each

hundred

De

;

Carne, they are worth eight while a Cambodian is hardly

and no more than two hun-

francs,

The main feature given for an Anamite. which determines their value is the degree of confidence which the master can place in their uprightness, dred francs

which

is

varies

to

according

the

race

to

which

they

belong.

The Anamites on Cambodians on the

the one hand, and the Shans other, give

The French

and

themselves up to this

how, on asking the chiefs the worth of the principal articles of merchandise in their villages, they never failed, after shameful trade.

mentioning

rice, cotton,

or

silk,

narrate

to

add the

slaves,

whose

value fluctuated like that of other things, according to the law of supply and demand.

The

a

of

life

slave

is

not

that

of

the

southern

for

although usually employed in agriculture and domestic work, they are treated with plantation

the

type

greatest

kindness.

familiarly with hair,

wise

and

;

their

different

live

masters, that

so intimately

but

for

their

and long

physiognomy, they could not other-

be recognised

belong to the

They

chief,

Prisoners of war by a visitor. and their children are born slaves ;

they are either used as soldiers, as in Siam, or distributed amongst the petty chiefs. Besides the above, there are bond- slaves and slaves by judicial confiscation for theft

The

and other crimes.

hill-people on the

Shan range (Western Siamese

mountains), and throughout the hills between the Menam and the Mekong, and those to the north of Zimme, are

HILL-KAN EAST OF THE MEKONG RIVER. 55

HIGHLANDERS. by no means a timid

At

race.

57

the

various

markets

throughout the country, they hold themselves like free The finest herds of cattle belong to them, their men. they are admirable villages are substantially built,

husbandmen, and their fields

driven

to

is

the

manner

remarkable.

seek a

home

in

pitable

is

generally the

aborigines

whom

I

which they

irrigate

not because they are hills, but from choice,

It is

the

that they select these uplands

character

in

as their habitat.

Their

same as that of those hosmet in my late exploration

Their costumes present a great Yunnan. variety of rich and picturesque designs, and they are through

noticeable for their fair skins.

CHAPTER Sources of information

Karen

Lawas and Orang-outang Ka-koi Independent Lawas

habitat

Ka-kuis Ka-kuas Kachyens Red Karens Sacrificing to nats fowls'

bones

V.

feast

Marriage Mineral wealth Dress

Offerings

Divorce

Divination

Funerals

by Karen-nee

Slaves Slavery on our Language Yins Mutsa Kadams border Si-sun Palongs Kapin LetYendalines Motsoos Toung-thoos Shan-Tayoks of White Karens Sho Three clans htas Sgaw Pye-ya Koo-hto We-wa Pie-do Karens Pa-koo Ma-nee-pgha Ha-shoo Ka-roon BghaiPye-ya Bghai-ka-tew Shoung Karen ka-hta Ma-noo-ma-naw Tshaw-kho language Pray Ka-kau Kali Putai Kalau The La-la Yem Other tribes.

THE

sources of information regarding the other tribes of the heart of Indo-China are few and far between,

owing partly

to the extreme difficulty experienced

by

acquiring information, but more still to the fact that but little exploration has as yet been accomplished, especially in the regions bordering British travellers

in

and Upper Burmah, and those west of Tonquin. Among other tribes mentioned by various travellers

McLeod,

Richardson,

O'Riley,

Watson,

Sconce,

Mason, Spearman, Cameron, and Mouhot as living west of the Mekong or Cambodia River, are the Karens, Lawas, Karen-nees, or Red

Anderson, Gushing,

Kachyens, Ka-kuis, Ka-kuas, Ka-koi, Mutsa, Si-sun, Kapin, Kadam, Paloungs, or Polongs, Yin-nees Karens,

x

53

ORANG-OUTANG TRIBES. Yin-nets,

Yin-bans, Yindalines,

59

Yondalines,

Let-htas,

Padaungs, Yeins, Dummoos, Dunos, and Toung-thoos,

and various Karen

tribes.

The Karens are found throughout the hills, to the west of the Menam, as far south as the eighth degree of

north

There they

latitude.

replaced by the

are

Orang-outang, not our ancestors, although some wouldbe funny people in Singapore assert that they are the

The Orang-outang possessors of caudal appendages. are divided into several tribes, which seem to differ considerably, their hair,

not

which

physiognomy, but in met with straight, curly, and woolly.

only

is

in

their

Their stature seldom exceeds

five feet

;

their

body and

limbs are neatly moulded, but the former has the apTheir eyes pearance of being too heavy for the latter. are small, well set, and not sunken. in the face,

forehead large,

is

frank.

low

is

and shows no sign of a bridge and their Their mouths are slightly retreating. ;

with thick hanging

Their head

Their nose

is

small,

and

The whole

Peninsula are

said

of

not

lips,

nearly devoid of muscle.

their expression

the hill-tribes to

number

in

is

open and

the

Malay

more than

eight that of

thousand people.

Their religion is similar to the other wild tribes. The Lawas, or Lewas, and the Kachyens, reside in the mountains lying east and west of the Salween River.

The 1

-Ka-kuis

1

amount

to

from forty thousand to

fifty

Ka-kuis generic Shan term for hill-people, means a hill-people called Kuis. In the same way the Anamites use the term Moi, and the Cambodians Phnom, or Penom. The names

Ka, or Kha,

is

the

given by different travellers are very confusing

;

each race

calls

the

AMONGST THE SHANS.

60

thousand.

They

are a short, ugly, and dirty race, much spirits, as is usual with most of the

given to ardent hill-tribes. Their dress the head-dress

resembles that of the Shans, of the women being ornamented with

beads and strips of bamboo, of which the ornaments worn by them round their necks, and in their ears, are

made. future

They have no state,

as the

way

but

idea of a

Supreme Being or a or spirits, in the same

worship nats,

Lawas and other

no written language. They bury belonging to one family are placed

An

They have

hill-tribes do.

their in

dead, and

the

all

same grave.

near the head, into which food is daily placed for the use of the corpse. They cultivate aperture

is

left

grain, tobacco, chillies,

and

cotton,

and are said

to

pay

no taxes, but make presents of mats, cloths, and other articles to the chiefs, and supply them with rice when they

travel, as well as carry their

The Ka-kuas resemble their habits

and

the

baggage. Ka-kuis generally

dress, but are considered

more

in

civilized.

They wear their hair like the Chinese, with a tail. The married women only wear a head-dress, which is not made till they are entitled to adopt it they ;

not part with this on any consideration, and it buried with them at their death. This race is much

will is

with

afflicted

goitre.

The Chinese

maintain that the

Ka-kuis and Ka-kuas came originally from

Marco others liarity

Polo,

Yung-chang of

to-day.

Uncian of

The

dress

of

names, which often refer merely to some pecuin their dress or customs ; thus one and the same tribe is often

by

different

described under various names. apt to vary

Again, the spelling of the names

is

Charai and Giraie, Chiamese and Tsiamese, and so on.

INDEPENDENT LA WAS.

women

the Ka-koi

61

according to Gushing, of a very short petticoat of dark blue fastened about the waist, and a short jacket quite tight-fitting and orna-

mented with

consists,

The

seeds.

series of

bamboo

circlets,

opening

behind

dangle

head-dress

is

formed of

a

two inches broad, which are suspended from the coil of the hair behind, into which a small bamboo frame has been inserted. From the colours,

tails

of

streamers

of

various

some animal resembling

In front, the hair hangs over the forehead, cut off where it meets the eyebrows. The fore

the

fox.

and

is

part

and the bushy

paper

of the

head

is

covered with bunches

of beads

made from

the seeds of a plant abundant in the west of Kiang Tung, where these people reside.

The independent Lawas, who

are said

hills

number

to

about eighty thousand, are chiefly cultivators of cotton, and are found in the high mountainous country to the

and westward of Muang Lem they wear hair short and uncombed, and their sole garment

northward their is

a small

;

They hold

waist-cloth.

tion with their neighbours,

little

and never willingly permit a

stranger to penetrate into their mountains. caravans are often robbed by this tribe. villages consist

houses, and are

of from four hundred ruled

communica-

The Chinese The Lawa

to five

by independent

chiefs,

hundred

who

are

The heads of the frequently at war with each other. conquered are very much prized, and serve to decorate the warriors' houses.

Heads

purpose of propitiating

and

hills,

the

heads

are in requisition, for the the nats (genii) of the woods

and insuring good

crops.

The men

by inveigling unsuspicious

obtain

travellers

into

AMONGST THE SHANS.

62

an ambuscade

when

;

heads

the

secured,

are

passed

much

ceremony and reFrom this habit they are termed the " goungjoicing. Some of the tribe, pyat," or head-cutting-off Lawas. from

who

near

live

Muang Ma, or Kiang Ma, Muang Lem, on the borders

the north of are

with

house to house,

said

give gold, which

to

for cattle, betel

exchange

The Red Karens,

is

found

and

nut, salt,

a

town

of

the

in

to

China, hills,

in

silver.

Karen-nees, who live on the and close to our northern Te-

or

west of the Salween

Niang and Yang-aing by the Shans, and Yang-tsa by the Chinese. They nasserim

boundary, are

called

are said to be a part of a Chinese force who overslept themselves, and were left behind by the main body,

when

obliged

are

reported 1 them.

still

Dr. Richardson, their

mode

numerous every

be

every

;

How 1

fu

who

visited

liable

tree, hill,

natural

object,

passing

to

them

of sacrificing to the nats,

children, wives, to

from want of supplies. They have the Chinese seal amongst

retreat

to

to

1837, describes

who

are extremely

river, stream, rock, in

artificial,

has

one.

fact

Their

and the men themselves are believed be seized by the evil spirits when the

through

they are

or

in

seized

jungle

they

for

firewood

cannot

very

or

water.

intelligibly

This most likely occurred in the Mongol invasion of Pa-pe in

A.D.

1300,

when

the

Emperor Timour-han,

or

si

Tching-tsong,

The sent an expedition into the country to the south of Yunnan. Mongol armies were often formed of hill-tribes who had submitted, and it is not unlikely that the Red Karens are of the same stock some of the tribes to the north of Yunnan.

as

THE RED KARENS.

appears that some obscure feeling of grows upon them, or some vague fancy, arising

explain illness

63

;

but

it

from a morbid imagination, portends some approaching calamity.

A

then becomes necessary they accordingly consult the fowls' bones, the leg bones in preference and if the augury requires it, the sacrifice is made. sacrifice

;

;

For

this

buffaloes

of which

is

When

to decay.

left

one beast

a

little

most worthless

bestowed on the

killed,

nat,

back between them

farther

animal

of the

portions the rest

is

taken

A

Sometimes

sacrifices

are

;

fowls' bones,

eaten.

offered

but generally they are

only used to propitiate evil spirits flicted some illness or misfortune.

by the

all

brought out

made and prayers

for a continuance of health

indicated

is

;

are thus

home and

small portion of the dressed victuals and added for the nat.

up

is

is

tip of the tail

the

many

put down, with the tips of the fore feet on side of it, the hind feet a little behind, and the

the head

each

as eight or ten bullocks or are sometimes killed at a time, a great part

sacrifice, as

who have

none

already

If a sacrifice is

made, even

is

if

in-

not the

In a large village three or four days seldom pass without a sacrifice, at which times large quantities of a vile arrack of their own manufacture

person

is

is

dying.

consumed.

This

they drink habitually, and they leave their houses for a

spirit

always carry with them,

if

They do not, however, eat or smoke opium, or The women manufacture the clothes for the gamble. family, and the men make gongs. day.

Their religion

consists entirely

in

attempts

to pro-

AMONGST THE SHANS.

64

pitiate

the malignant nats, by whom they sickness and misfortune is inflicted, with

sacrifice

by

suppose all no other view

than

to

the

obtain

of

sacrifice

some

they endeavour to find out what, by a peculiar method of divination, with the leg or wing bones of fowls, holding two parallel between the finger

animal or other

;

and thumb, with the holes blood-vessels son,

and one

upwards

transmission of the

for the

they choose one for the per-

;

business

the diseased, or for the

for

to

be undertaken, and introducing a small piece of bamboo into the holes, they judge by signs, only known to the initiated, what

They have

proper to be done.

is

neither

and use no medicine bullock,

buffalo,

bones, it

is

made

pig,

in

illness

or

fowls,

to the nats.

may have been from

of a

animal

different

may be

lawyer,

priests,

is

made

indicated

as

a wrong

physician,

but a sacrifice of a

If the

by the

patient gets worse,

sacrifice,

and another

and should he

;

either that the sacrifice

wrong animal or

;

nor

has been

made

die,

it

of the

to the

wrong nat. Marriages are early amongst them, and are not binding unless the female has been given away by her

At

the marriage, a pig or a bullock or two killed, according to the wealth of the parties, and

parents. is

a feast

is

always

an

tained,

one

if

given

the

in

attractive

there

are

village,

which

Divorce

feature.

no children

in

;

is

easily

is

ob-

but should there be

the parents are not permitted to Before marriage, great license is allowed. child,

arrack

separate.

Their funerals are more simple than those of the White Karens the body is merely interred, and money, ;

THE RED KARENS.

65

short everything interred with it, in greater or

valuables, paddy, yams, pumpkins, in

used by them in

life,

is

proportion to the wealth of the is often let loose (if the person possessed one) on the occasion, with some distinguishIf the deceased ing mark; and he is never reclaimed. was a person of substance, sometimes as many as five smaller quantities, in horse individual.

A

or six bullocks feet,

and

are

tails

sumed by

are

left

his friends

individuals,

a

pig

near

slain

or

for

and a

the

his

grave

or

the

and the

nat,

heads,

rest

con-

For the poorer

relations.

fowl

;

two

sacrificed

is

in

a more humble way.

Although great slave-hunters, the Red Karens do not make slaves of any villagers who pay them blackmail, and they tax very lightly the Shans who take country to oppression of the Burmese. in

refuge

their

from

escape

the

brutal

The Karen-nee

country is therefore very thickly populated, and even the slopes of the hills are terraced for cultivation, the terraces

being faced with stones

and

earth frequently five

or

six feet high.

The Shan

country of

Karen-nee, like

the

neighbouring Mr. O'Riley,

highly metalliferous. when there in 1864, discovered ores of bismuth, galena, and manganese, and was informed of the existence country,

is

of those of copper and silver (argentiferous galena). Tin is also mined in the country, and was at one

time largely exported.

and valleys

The

is

dress

The

soil

of the plateaux,

highly productive. of the Red Karens

breeches, generally red, with

is

hills,

a short pair of

perpendicular, very nar-

AMONGST THE SHANS.

66

row,

black

white

or

stripes

;

sometimes

white with

black or red stripes, drawn by a string tight above the hips, and reaching one-third of the way down to the

round cold

warm

In

thigh.

weather,

head, forms

the

the

weather they wrap

sheets

of

and a handkerchief

this,

whole of

themselves

their in

dress

;

in

coarse cotton

own manufacture, and wear a bright The women wear a cloth about the same

their

red turban.

This forms the whole length as the men's breeches. of their dress in warm weather in winter they have an oblong piece of coarse cloth, once white, but which ;

seldom or never washed, the corners tied in a knot over the right shoulder, the rest of it hanging free reaches to the knee, the left arm covered up, the right

is

naked and

sometimes two are worn, with a knot on each shoulder. They also wrap themselves at

liberty

in sheets like the

;

in the cool of the

men,

morning and

evening.

Those who can

afford

it

are

absolutely

loaded with

and green beads, wearing an immense roll round the ankle, round about the calf, the waist, the neck, and the head. Their language is

paltry small

white,

red,

altogether from that of the natives by whom they are surrounded, and appears to be a dialect of the same language as that spoken by the White or common Karens, who inhabit peculiar

to

the

south of them.

hills

The

themselves,

Red

Karens

differing

are

called

Karen-nee

by the

Burmese, Kara and Pra-ka-ra by themselves, Bghaimoo-hte by the other Bghai, or Pye-ya, the Karen tribe to which they belong. They are very ferocious,

67

THE RED KARENS. mercy on

preying without

who have emigrated

into

their

regularly watched, as they robberies whenever they can.

of

the

neighbours.

British

be

69

Those

territory require

to

commit dacoities and There are six clans

Bghai-ka-tew, Bghaika-hta, Pray, Ma-noo-ma-naw, and the Tshaw-kho. About one-third of the inhabitants of Karen-nee are

Bghai

Bghai-moo-hte,

The

slaves or serfs.

chief cause of this, according to

O'Riley, lies in the prevalence of indebtedness throughDebt is incurred originally by out the community. the heads of families, to meet some casual expenditure

attending their superstitious ceremonies, and increased When by the exorbitant interest they have to pay. this

remains unpaid at the period of the death of the

borrower, and no effects are available for repayment, in accordance with the terms of the agreement, one

more members of the family become bond-slaves, and subsequently, from incapacity to liquidate the or

original

debt, with

become

its

large

the

permanently

Although

bound

to

assist

accumulation of interest,

the lender. property of in the cultivation of their

not debarred from

masters' lands, the bond-slaves are

other

pursuits

from

which

a

derive

to

means

of

eventual emancipation but this is of rare occurrence, and the state of indebtedness has become an integral ;

portion

of their

social

system, as

well

as

of that of

Shan States, Siam, and Cambodia. The other by far more iniquitous and remorseless

Upper Burmah,

the

of slavery in with this race, has

state

propensities

;

no

its

worst features, which

its

existence

one

single

in

their

prevails

kidnapping individual of them but

AMONGST THE SHANS.

70

ready on

occasions to avail himself of the opportunity to seize the person of any one of the Karen and Shan tribes which occupy the country in their vicinity. is

all

"

" of In most of the Karen-nee villages, Shan-yangs the Karen tribes, Yendalines, and Padaungs, of the to the north-west, are mountain- ranges found, all

doomed priced

Zimme

This

Siamese.

more

the

a

hopeless state of slavery, into which, like beasts of burden, they are sold to the the to Shans, by whom they are re-sold to

depraved

To

however,

decreasing. Toung-thoos of

and

the

Karen

into

selling

is,

Shans

States,

neighbouring

means of

traffic

slavery

country

any

member

the

affords

of

a

their

own community who may have and

acts of

incurred their enmity, inhuman kind are constantly

most

the

enacted.

As an at

instance of these,

a poor to him with a very pitiful

Nyoung

came her

O'Riley stated that, while woman with two children

Belai,

husband,

a

ywai, had fallen

Toung-thoo, into

story.

residing

for

the

says

sum

about

of 1,200

6.

at

said

that

Nyoung-

and had induced her Karen-nee, where he had sold

difficulties,

accompany him to herself and children to one of the

to

She

then present,

means O'Riley were annually captured and

By

souls

chiefs,

the

above

purchased by the Karen-nees.

The

Mokme, a Shan State lately tributary to Upper Burmah, make no secret of their fear and weakness, and tell many tales of the Red Karens' skill in kidnapping; amongst others, of three Karens who came on a party of six of their people of Mokmai, or

THE MUTSA AND OTHER

TRIBES.

weaker than their they were seeing intended prey, waited till night, when, making a large bundle of bamboos, interwoven with thorns, they threw

and

people,

them over the Shans as they

them, with their spears pricked

and marched them

tied their hands,

The Mutsa

and, standing on them out one by one,

slept,

villages are found

off.

throughout the

hills

Siamese boundary, between the Their dress is said to Salween and Mekong Rivers.

to

the

be

like

the

north of

that

of the

These people are natdead, and polygamy is only

Ka-kuas.

worshippers, bury their allowed if the wife is barren. scribed

as

Their dialect

a mixture of Burmese and

Chinese

is ;

de-

some

them can write Chinese, but they have no distinct writing of their own, and their language has more Most of the Burmese than Chinese words in. it. Si-sun are under the rule of China, and dress like of

the

Chinese.

cultivate

They

opium, worship nats, speak a distinct language, have no written character,

and

pay

Kapin,

to

tribute

who

reside

China

and

Kiang

on both banks of

The Hung. the Mekong,

The head-dress of the women is said by McLeod to be peculiar, but he gives no the men dress like other mountain description of it When burying a friend, those who have lately tribes. worship

nats.

;

lost their relatives, take

to receive charge of

who

it,

money, and request the corpse and deliver it to their departed

supposed to stand in need of some the money purchaseable comforts in the other world relatives,

are

;

They practise polyaccordingly buried with them. Tribute is paid by them to Kiang Hung. gamy. is

AMONGST THE SHANS. The Kadams,

the civilized Lawas, are partially converted to Buddhism, and monasteries and temples exist

in

numerous

most

like

of

their

villages.

They

are

not

a

but speak a distinct language, which has been reduced to writing, the Shan character being used. They are of middle size, have broad faces, tribe,

large noses, thick

and

their

hair

rather small eyes set wide apart, rather curly, like that of the Orang

lips,

is

Benua, the aborigines of the are not polygamists, believe like

spirits,

all

the

be a very quiet

other

race.

Malay Peninsula. in

metempsychosis, drink

hill-tribes,

They

They

are

and are said

much

to

with

afflicted

goitre.

The than

Palongs, or Poloungs, are darker and smaller the Shans, but otherwise there seems to be little

difference

between them.

They cultivate tea in the Muang Lem district, and opium

northern part of the in the hills about Maing-kaing, of Ledea.

They

The

race of Yins

are

said

to

be

are also found in south-west Yunnan. *

are said to be

similar

consist of three tribes

Yin-bans

a town to the north

to

the

very numerous, Toung-thoos.

and

They

the Yin-nees, Yin-nets, and the

and are found

in

the

Shan States west of

The women of Salween, to the north of Ledea. the Yin-nees have broad bands of wire round their the

waists their

and as these are fastened very tightly over dresses, a change of clothes must be a rare ;

occurrence with them.

the Y is used by the Burmese of Pegu Rens, or Rins the Arakanese and Northern Burmese. 1

:

the

R

by

HILL-MAN,

SOUTHERN FRONTIER OF YUNNAN.

74

TOUNG-THOOS.

75

The main body

of the Toung-thoos reside in Thatone, an ancient town in the Martaban district, and the hills

In A.D.

to the northwards.

1007,

many

of them were

Shan States west of the Salween by AThe naw-ra-hta, who reigned in Pagan at that time.

removed

to the

descendants of the latter are people

in

still

found as a distinct

Northern Karen-nee, and on the Shan plateau

known of them. Some Motsoos were met by Captain Watson at the They had come Oo-noung Bazaar, on the Salween.

to

the

north

of

but

it,

is

little

from a place about a fortnight's journey to the northTheir dress is very becoming, consisting of a east. black cloth jacket, embroidered at the cuffs and collars, black Shan trousers, and a very gaily coloured turban. The slopes of the hills to the west of Thai-nee are

by the Paloungs, Kachyens, and the ShanThe soil is very rich, even Tayoks, or Chinese Shans. high up in these hills, and the white poppy is grown cultivated

extensively.

cane

In the glens

large

plantations

of sugar-

exist.

The Yendalines and

are

reduced to four hundred souls

widely from any of the other Karen races surrounding them. From the waist up-

in

number,

differ

women, from infancy to old age, remain These people are unrestrained by any uncovered. code of morals such as usually binds man and wife.

wards,

The

the

can at any time desert her husband for some one else, without question and it is rare for any female

;

woman

of this

tribe

to

arrive

at middle

age without This husbands.

having a family by two or more absence of morals has gradually produced

a

great

AMONGST THE SHANS.

76

deterioration their

in

and

form,

far

are

described

are

They

qualities.

who

more stunted in below the other Karens in their

the people,

as

enduring, and obedient, and gain their living by working in the teak-forests of Karen- nee.

The

Let-htas

found not far from the home of

are

the former tribe.

passive,

Their

hair

is

worn

with

short,

a

pendant lock from each temple, no head-covering being worn by them. The unmarried youths are profusely

bedecked

with

and

red

white

boars' tusks, brass armlets,

below the knee.

braid

bead

and a broad band of black

Their language

is

more gutKaren-

than that of the Shans, Toung-thoos, or

tural

and

nees,

distinct

from

wild

necklaces,

either.

The heavy

eyelid,

nearly closing the eye, the retreating forehead, and the elongated shape of the skull, is said to resemble the

wandering sexes

tribes of 'the Kirghish.

are

kept

with

These people are in

a

future

state,

said

strictness

have

to

but their

The youth in

absolutely

religious

similar to those of the Kayos, another sacrifices

made by them

separate

are

of both houses.

no

belief

ceremonies hill-tribe.

confined

to

fruits

are

The and

flowers principally, which are placed on rude altars of bamboo, on the highest pinnacles of their mountains.

laws or rulers, and the Karens say they do not require any, as the Let-htas never commit any evil among themselves or against any other people.

They have no

The

sense of shame

amongst this tribe is so acute, that on being accused of any evil act by several of the community, the person so accused retires to a desolate Such spot, digs his grave, and strangles himself.

LET-HTAS. occurrences

that

is

likely

are

not

they

frequent,

77

and

from

abstain

most

reason

the

intoxicating

liquors.

possess no slaves, nor are any of their race sold

They

into slavery.

Karens of various

tribes

Luang Prabang, throughout

are

found southwards of

the

range of

hills

which

They separates the Mekong from the Menam Rivers. are most numerous, however, in the Shan mountains tion

down

Menam, and

westward of the

to the

of

mountains

those

which

run

in

the

as

a

continua-

backbone

Malay Peninsula, and in the hills to the west The Karens are divided, of the Thoungyeen River. the Sgaw, according to Spearman, into three tribes Sho, or Pwo, and Pye-ya, or Bghai, and these again into clans distinguished by their dress and dialect. The Sgaw, who are called White Karens by the the

English,

are

koo, and the

considered the nasal

in

three

We-wa.

a portion

sound

of

clans

the

Ma-nee-pgha,

Pa-

The Ma-nee-pgha are by some of the Pwo tribe, on account of

their

dialect

;

unlike

most of the

Karens, they possess other domestic animals besides fowls and swine. Owing to the labours of the

American missionaries, the majority of been converted to Christianity.

The Pa-koo

dialect

Sho, but wants the

is

final

closely allied to

consonant.

them have that

of the

Like some other

these people, in their heathen condition, keep stones in their houses, which they believe possess miratribes,

culous powers these stones are supposed to cause the death of any enemy whose footprint is struck by one. ;

The

dress

of this

people consists of a white tunic or

AMONGST THE SHANS.

78

without

blouse,

embroidery

the

at

and with a narrow border of

stripes,

patterns differing in thousand of them have em-

Over two every village. braced Christianity.

We-wa

The caused

by

civilization

how

have

having been

until

lately, that

Sho,

to

whom

Sho,

or

Pwo,

the

are

are

in

in

five

is

which

is

such a low stage of

in

Their dialect they

costumes,

primitive

their

weave.

to

the

bottom,

women

did

know

not

similar to that of the

many ways the

clans

The

alike.

Pie-do,

or

Pie-

and the

Koo-hto, the Shoung, the Ha-shoo, Ka-roon. The Pie-do have two or three

different

dialects,

zaw, or Plaw, the

and

themselves

calling

hence

the different names,

their

by

term

for

morality is very strict and stern. a white blouse with red perpendicular

their

men have become

of the

The Sho

They

a black bullock to the lord of the earth, and

sacrifice

is

man.

all

dialect

tribe.

quarrelling

of the

They among

are

Their dress lines.

Many

Christians.

Koo-hto bespeaks them of the not

but are given to The men shave the

warlike,

themselves.

but a long tuft of hair, which is left on each The women wear short togas and brass coils temple. above the knee, besides the coils below the knee and

head

all

round the neck, worn by some of their neighbours. The Shoung were employed by us as border-guards, before

from

Pegu, and were exempted taxation, on condition of their keeping watch

our

all

annexation

of

They wear against the incursions of the Red Karens. white trousers with radiating red lines at the bottom.

The Ha-shoo,

or

Ha-shwie, are a

tall,

slender, active,

KARENS OF VARIOUS and warlike race

the

;

79

women

are ugly, ignorant, and the Shoung tribe. The

They resemble

degraded.

TRIBES.

Ka-roon, or Gai-kho, used to bury a slave with every deceased slave-holder or elder, but the custom

They are fierce and savage, and condying out. The sider themselves as superior to all other Karens. is

men

are stout,

and and

warlike

tall,

in

and muscular, daring

in

The women

disposition.

adventure are

large

These and often have ruddy complexions. hate ponies and elephants, and not only will

fair,

people not allow them to enter their villages, but will neither Their trousers provide nor sell fodder for their use.

and often handsomely embroidered

are

of

are

marked with red

silk,

;

they

lines at the bottom, radiating like

the rays of the rising sun. The Pye-ya, or Bghai, include the Kara, or called Karen-nee, who are by the English Red

Karens, and

have already been described, the Bghai-

Bghai-ka-hta, the Pray, noo-ma-naw, and the Tshaw-kho. ka-tew,

the

or

Brec,

Ma-

The

Bghai-katew wear white tunics with perpendicular red stripes.

The

are

gradually becoming civilized. Their dress consists of white trousers, with red radiat-

Bghai-ka-hta

ing lines worked partial

to

them dog's flesh, and in

at

the

eat

it

bottom.

without

They salt.

are

The

Pray are the Ishmaelites among the Karens, go about and are almost and treacherous, naked, savage, ignorant. they dress

The Ma-noo-ma-naw are little known in trousers. The Tshaw-kho wear white ;

trousers ornamented with red or black stripes.

The Karen language

is

monosyllabic, and has con-

AMONGST THE SHANS.

8o

sequently no

and

suffixes

are

but

inflections,

distinguished,

that

there

number and gender. The case is in some instances by position, as the

nominative and accusative

and

;

says

for

affixes

vocative

Mason

Dr.

affixes.

amply provided with

is

in others

;

by

in others

by

affixes,

as the

prefixes, as the dative

and

ablative.

To the

ing

Mekong River and to the north of Siamese boundary, McLeod mentions the followThe La-la, Yem, Kali, Putai, Kalau, tribes the east of the

:

Ka-kau, the

Kama,

La.

All

The language the

others

;

Kamet, Tsen,

that

is

of the

they

Thin,

known comes La-la

is

Nga, Ka, and from McLeod.

different

have no written

people bury their dead, worship

from any

character.

of

These

nats, are addicted to

and permit polygamy. They are tributary to Kiang Hung, and dress like the other mountain tribes. The Yem speak a different language, and dress like Shans their manners and customs are similar to those of the La-la, and they have no written language.

spirits,

;

The the

Kali

reside on the south of

same remarks apply

to

the Chinese border

them as

to

;

the last two,

only they dress like Chinese, are opium planters, and are tributary to China and Kiang Hung, I believe.

The dead,

Putai are

dress like Shans, worship nats, bury their addicted to spirits, and permit polygamy.

They pay tribute to Luang Prabang and Siam. The Kalau are tributary to Luang Prabang and The Ka-kau do not permit polygamy, Kiang Hung. The maidens of this and generally dress in white. tribe twist their hair

on each side of the head, so as to

A HILL-MAN AT PAK BEN, NEAR THE EAST SOURCE OF THE MENAM.

KA-KAUS. resemble the horns to

of a

buffalo.

Kiang Hung and Luang

tribes

are

either

Luang Prabang.

83

tributary to

They

Prabang. China, Kiang Hung, or

In conclusion,

it

that the hill-people surrounding the

and

are tributary The other

is

worthy of notice

delta of Tonquin,

by the Anamites Muangs, or Muongs, are of the Shan race. called

CHAPTER Leave Baw

Beautiful scenery

Silkworms,

Karen

fruit,

Railway Bastard

to

for

Bangkok

half-wild in

travel

the

in

price

beliefs

LEAVING

Our

Kind Karen

for

the

first

Kiang Tong

Elephants necesgrazing with cattle for

drivers

White

taming

plain

Inundation

train

Elephants

concerning white elephants

Baw,

teak-forests

Motherly affection

and

extensive

India-rubber

Stick-lac

rains

as footstools

Catching

An

Glutinous rice

elephants

Difficult to re-capture

Mahouts

at

Worked-out

sandal- wood

Herds of sary

Looms

Muang Haut Muang Haut The Meping

Dulness of natives

and vegetables

villages

VI.

baby elephants Elephants rising

elephants

Strange

Elephant-artillery.

nine

miles

our route ran

by an easy descent through a magnificent pine-forest. The views obtained were indescribably grand, and the air was bracing, adding spring to our step and

making me

more back again in the At various points of our march through feel

as

highlands. the dark pine-forest, to

our

view.

The

if

once

panorama brilliancy

after

and

panorama opened clearness

the

of

atmosphere enabled us to trace the crest of the mountains lying far away in the distance, and forming the water-parting between the Menam and the

Mekong

Rivers.

be a sea of

hills,

The

intermediate country seemed to without any recognisable scheme or

direction.

The towns and

villages could not

be seen, but

their

BEAUTIFUL SCENERY. positions

were

85

marked by the clumps

of

palms and

The they were surrounded. variety of the timber, the different hues of the foliage,

other

trees

which

by

and the peeps which we had

at

the

Moping trending

through the grassy plains, increased the charm of the scenes. As view after view, each silvery course

its

seemingly more glorious than the last, was disclosed, exclamations of surprise and delight constantly broke from us. Our followers could not understand what

we saw the

admire

to

the noble

in

vistas.

A

deer

on

or the opening of a whisky flask, would have interested them, but the beauties of

hillside,

certainly

As for absolutely unintelligible to them. our native guard of Madrassee Hindoos, their thoughts never could range beyond food, women, and pay. nature were

After

leaving the pine-forest the gradual descent continued for a mile, when for about three miles the

path became

more

steep, passing

through small tree-

we reached the banks of the Kwaybabee The stream, where we encamped for the night. whole of next morning we followed a track winding

jungle, until

ground through the jungle, and passing two pagodas, which had been built on conicalshaped hills, of which there are about ten in the over

undulating

neighbourhood,

we

reached

the

village

of

Muang

Wut by the Burmese. Haut, which is called Main The road for the last few miles before arriving at the 1

1

Main, or Maing,

Muang

;

the

Burmese equivalent

for the

or principality. for city, and Kaing, or Kain, the Burmese.

they

Shan word

mean

is

province,

state,

Shan word

Kiang

is

the

AMONGST THE SHANS.

86

village

bamboo clumps and

runs through

A

small distance from gated rice-fields. is a stream in which, according to Dr.

small

irri-

Muang Haut Richardson,

rubies are sometimes found.

Haut, although containing only two hundred called a town, and is included among the

Muang houses,

is

fifty- seven

1

townships

of

Zimme.

on the

It is situated

western side of the Meping, surrounded by plantations palmyra, plantain, and

of cocoa-nut,

The

mulberry- tree,

neighbourhood, reared by most

is

in

grown a mere

of the

all

other

fruit-trees.

in

the

Silkworms

are

villages

shrub.

Radishes,

villagers.

onions,

sessamum, and other crops are grown by the women and cucumbers, pumpkins, and gourds are cultivated At most of the on the sandy islands of the river.

;

villages

the

throughout

Meping

valley,

pummaloes, pine-apple, mango, palmyra, guava, and other fruits are abundant.'

The Meping feet

broad

owing

here seven

visit

to

The

current

was only about two miles

the

many

cocoa-nut,

hundred and forty-seven

from bank to bank.

time of our

but

is

oranges,

shifting

at

the

an hour

sand-banks,

;

large

boats are unable to ascend higher than Yahine. The country in parts is subject to inundation in heavy floods, which at times drive the people from the river-

The

valley of the Meping varies from ten or twelve miles to sixty or eighty in breadth the soil is a

banks.

;

rich

sandy loam, apparently, judging from the sections

shown by the

river-banks, of great depth. 1

Or

principalities.

KAREN

VILLAGES.

87

neighbourhood of the village are several" White Karen villages, in which the people speak a widely different dialect from that on our side of the In

the

manner, and

appear

character

being

trouble

of

The

silk

is

of their

cotton

and

orderly,

All their wants

giving little are supplied

Their dresses are made at their own

by themselves. the

docile

their rulers.

to

looms.

and frank in their pleasant to be well made, and have the

are

They

frontier.

the produce It

fields.

worms, and amusing to watch

of

is

their

them

on their elephants, consuming the squatted contents of their pot of a glutinous kind of rice, lookThey ing as happy and free from care as children.

are a

harmless,

simple,

and kindly people, the very

opposite in their disposition to the Red Karens. The inhabitants of Muang Haut, as well as

of

all

and hamlets along the banks of the Meping, are Shans. The valley opposite the town is several villages

miles broad, and only requires an access to

the river,

fertile

its

develop

for

cease near

south of

wards

Muang

past

The

some distance above Muang

about six hundred river

soil.

of population ordinary breadth of

feet.

The

hills

on

Haut,

is

of the

the east

Tapin, a village some miles to the Haut, and a vast plain extends south-

Yahine

(Raheng).

Through

this

plain

Beproposed to carry the railway to Bangkok. tween this part of the M6ping and the Salween, the it is

nearly worked out, and the timber Notwithsmall and of poor quality.

teak-forests

are

that

is

is

left

standing the great rise years,

it

no

longer

in

the

pays

the

value

of teak

Burmese

of late

contractors,

AMONGST THE SHANS. whose fathers made fortunes to work the forests. Every has

been

stick

down

cut

recklessly

in this district, to

continue

worth floating away and removed. No

fostering shelter has been left for the young trees, nor In the nine principal foresthave any been replanted. tracts hitherto

Thoungyeen,

worked

Zimme, Hmine Long-gyee, Me-gu, Phonmeze, Nanpa, Salween but little timber

the

Dahguin,

Monepegyee, and the Good forests still remains worthy of extraction. exist, notably that of Lagon, which lies south-east of

Zimme

;

and those

in

the

neighbourhood

of

Kiang

Tsen.

Being

in haste to

reach Zimme,

we

did not halt at

Muang Haut beyond the time necessary for refreshment. The headman pressed us to stay, and had prepared a house, in the verandah of which we found a huge pile of The amount of cocoa-nuts ready for our consumption. cocoa-nut milk that we imbibed so frightened the headman that he warned us to place reins on our deep The ill-effects, however, were avoided by potations. our taking a dash of whisky, which was much relished by the Shan official. Leaving the town, the road the foot of the western hills

skirts

on the right bank

Meping, over bare sandy soil with occasional clumps of bamboo, and trees generally free from brushwood, and some of them bearing a clearly deof

the

fined flood-mark. here,

but

is

not

The made

bastard sandal-wood abounds

use

of

by the Shans.

The

pouk-byin, from which the stick-lac is gathered, is seen everywhere, and the mimosa catechu, or india-

rubber creeper, abounds in the woods throughout the

HALF-WILD ELEPHANTS. In the evening we encamped on the banks of the Me-kin, or Me-tchin, a branch of the Moping, the valley.

road throughout having been very good. For the next two days we continued

good

equally

road,

we

until

country,

which mark the In

the jungle

an

along

through the same description of reached the cultivated rice-fields

town of Kiang Tong. Kiang Tong, about two

vicinity of the

neighbouring

were roaming in a wild state, elephants having been freed from labour, let loose, and devoted to the pagoda in that town. At the time of our visit hundred

they had become a terror to the people and a cause of devastation to their servitude,

or

rather

fields.

Owing

to their religious

they

emancipation,

were

not

allowed to be recaptured, and had become as fierce as those roaming wild in their native haunts in the wilder parts of the valleys of the Sal ween

and the Mekong. While on the subject of elephants, I may mention that we had by this time sixty of them in our train for, as the mission progressed, we were joined by local

;

officials,

and our

camp

presented

a

truly

imposing

The elephant is an absolute necessity appearance. during the rainy season throughout the mountainous districts of Siam and the neighbouring Shan country to

the

north,

the

rivers

and

streams

being without

bridges.

In the dry season, owing to the greater part of the 1 trees on the plateau-land having shed their leaves, and to

the

absence of shelter from the sun, 1

On

which the elephants feed.

travelling

is

AMONGST THE SHANS.

90

by means of ponies and mules. Even in the forests elephants are seldom worked between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., and eighteen miles is the longest distance which they can generally better performed

accomplish in one day with an ordinary load, ten or twelve miles being the usual daily distance when on

a

protracted Their load

of

march, is

say

a

duration.

fortnight's

seldom

greater than that of three not exceed from two hundred

and does If forced to push and fifty to three hundred pounds. on, owing to want of forage in the hot weather they fail ill, and, becoming emaciated, have to be left for several

small

oxen,

months

in

order to rest and

They

recruit.

are used

throughout the Shan country and North Siam, not only for dragging timber, but for the carriage of all agricultural produce.

At to

all

see

the towns

we

passed,

it

was a strange

sight

number

the

the fields with

of elephants grazing together in Their feet the bullocks and buffaloes.

generally shackled with ropes of twisted cane should the shackles break, the animals have often to are

;

be tracked for days through the nearly impenetrable jungle before they are captured. It is amusing to watch the females

when accomNot march.

panied by their young on the line of only does the mother take peculiar care

of the

little

of any accident, such as slipping or ravine, all the other females at once

one, but in the case

down a

khud,

leave the track, and

The

tender

spring

is

rush to

consideration

shown

in

its

of

render the

constant

their

mother

assistance. for

its

watchfulness,

off-

even

SIAMESE ELEPHANTS.

when mounted and

in use

;

and never

93

for

a

moment

is

the young one left to roam out of sight, and even the iron goad of the cruel driver thrust into its head will

from attending to its young one. While crossing the hills between Pahpoon and Main

not prevent

it

Long-gyee, some of the places passed by the elephants It was interesting to alarmingly precipitous. see the manner in which they cautiously clambered up a broken hillside, or slid down, belly almost touching

were

the ground, the opposite

always slippery and

declivity,

When approaching the perpendicular. frequently crossing a stream or swampy ground, they sounded the depth before each step was taken, literally feeling their

with their trunks thrown forward.

way,

Their

seemed to approach almost to human judgment and discretion, and astonished us greatly. When

instinct

crossing

an

unfordable

is

usually

trunk

is

just

The mahoufs 1

breathe. as,

case

in

of

presence of mind, it is trunk and thrust him

The Siamese African

feet

improbable

that

they

and thirteen

feet

in

The Karens

are

position

under

We

species.

than

the

Salween, water, while

the

;

foot,

anything but en-

the

so

Shans

say.

generally smaller than the seldom saw them of a greater is

but were are

height,

Elephant

told

sometimes near the

much kinder 1

is

the animal suddenly losing its apt to seize the driver with the

elephant

nine

height

like

the completely under sufficiently elevated to enable them to

body

viable,

river,

what found

Mekong

seems twelve River.

drivers than the natives

driver.

AMONGST THE SHANS,

94

of India,

Burmese, or Shans, and their charges seem

more compliant

and coaxing,

to their soft words, signs,

than to the cruel hook-hammer used by the others. Ten years previous to our visit, good elephants could

be

in

purchased

Shan

the

hundred to four hundred great

demand

for

them

yards, the price has

a thousand.

in

risen

are

They

Muang Nan, Muang

country

for

from

three

owing to the the teak- forests and timberto eight hundred and even rupees

now

Phe, and,

;

but,

chiefly

what

procured is

called

from

by the

Zimme, Lao Myo, a name loosely employed by them for the Shan country north-east of Zimme, or strictly the region east of the Mekong. 1 to be caught, as They are said many a young gentleman is ensnared, by the fascinations of the softer An elephant in love must be an exceedingly sex. Burmese

of

comical sight. parently with

The all

female enters upon her task apthe keen delight which that sex seems

She is experience in captivating the heart. taken to the edge of a jungle where a herd is known

ever to

to

be roaming,

and

fashion, to cultivate

So

skilfully

at

once proceeds,

their acquaintance

in

insouciant

and

friendship.

does she use her blandishments that she

number of admirers, whom she back to a strong kraal, or bamboo

rarely fails to attract a

triumphantly leads stockade, which has been prepared for the purpose of their capture and subjection. After entering this the hunters close the entrance,

1

and remain masters of the

According to the accounts given to us by the Shans and Burmese foresters, for which I do not vouch, however.

WHITE ELEPHANTS. The poor

males she has enticed.

on extremely low used and coaxed

95

captives are

and are alternately

diet,

until

feel

they

kept ill-

cruelly

themselves

to

be

They are then against the will of man. The gradually turned out ready to be sent to market. female elephant, having very short tusks, is of little powerless

in

and

is

manipulating timber in the forests and yards, therefore of less value than the males.

use

According

to

M. Mouhot, the Siamese, who,

like all

metempsychosis, think that the soul of some prince or king has passed into the white believe

Buddhists,

and

in

their

belief

the

same

in

to

white apes and other albinos. They white elephant these in great respect.

all

elephant,

is

regard therefore hold

A

is

thought

So much is this bring good luck to the country. the case that they have often proved the cause of a

to

war

between Siam that

belief

of

this

Gaudama's

colour,

before he

and

soul his

during

The well-known

Burmah.

became Buddha,

inhabited

last is

an

elephant on earth

appearance

likewise a reason for the

great reverence in which it is held. a Although the elephant is formidable-looking animal, its skin is easily excoriated, and hence a sore

back

is

saddle.

the

The

inevitable

sores

consequence

being

difficult

of

an

to heal,

ill-fitting

the doctor

who was with us had the dangerous task of attending to a wound on the leg of one of our elephants, which had through neglect become full of maggots. To prescribe was easy enough, to apply the remedy was a totally different task.

A

large syringe being

filled

with

a lotion, every one gathered round with bated breath, in

AMONGST THE SHANS.

96

Taking good aim, expectation of what would happen. the doctor squirted with all his force, and the contents

The

home.

went

Raising

swayed

was

animal limb

his

injured about as if

as

astonished.

fairly

high

as

he

would topple over.

he

could,

he

Fortu-

however, he did not lose his temper nor his balance, nor yet attempt to break loose and hurt any When future applications had to be made, he one.

nately,

behaved

like

human

a

that the doctor well

again.

doctor's

was

The

patient,

his

friend,

result

reputation

and seemed

of

spread

and

be aware

a week he was

was that the and wide throughout

this

far

in

to

cure

the country.

Elephants were used as a means of transport by the One Siamese and Burmese armies in great numbers.

branch of the army consisted of an elephant service, the animals being trained to carry two jingals and four

men

each.

The

artillery

was never

fired

over

the

being turned to the enemy before the piece was discharged from its back. To journey on foot is considered to be undignified, animal's

head,

its

tail

who and the Shans were fairly astonished that we were officials, and therefore dignitaries in their eyesused our legs by preference whenever the road permitted us to do so.

CHAPTER Rest-houses

provided

Bathing

Paying

Hospitality

Kiang Tong

scruples

incident

modesty triumphant

ornamentation

priests

Lost

the

the

monasteries

;

foolish

?

from

Shameless

villagers;

good"

The Primitive modesty Rural life during harvest

Two harvests plain cultivation Fishing hamlets

Meping

Hill

or

of

Kindness

forest

natured curiosity ; white all over " shameless people Water-wheels of

presents

A friendly official Boat-women contretemps; Curiosity of Shan ladies; Monasof serfs Cities refuge Pagoda

Chinese

Fertility

for

Boats

teries

in

VII.

Sugar-cane

Balachong Siamese States Northern Shan peopled by the BurNga-pee mese Shans People of Vien- Chang removed to Bangkok and Zimme' Shans to Mokme' Return of descendants as slaves. Toung-ya

THROUGHOUT our journey

Kiang Tong, and indeed along the whole line of march to Zimme, houses had been erected for our accommodation by order of the king of Siam. They were roomy and well-built bamboo structures, with raised floors and verandahs We were hospisupported on stout bamboo posts. to

tably received everywhere, presents being brought for ourselves and followers and we had the main sup;

plies,

such as

rice,

vegetables,

fruit,

and firewood, pro-

vided always with great promptitude along our route. Finding that these provisions were supplied by the people at their

when paying

officials

for

own are

cost

which

concerned

usual in the country we made a point of is

everything used by ourselves and retinue. 97

AMONGST THE SHANS.

98

Our Burmese

laughed heartily at our foolish scruples, and told us that we were furnishing a bad followers

precedent for the future. Kiang Tong is a clean and sisting of

perous

some

town,

con-

three hundred houses, and has a pros-

A

air.

well-built

quantity

great

bamboo

of

grows

in

neighbourhood, which is extensively used both for building the houses and for roofing the shallowthe

bottomed

boats,

now numerous

on

the

river.

The

boats are formed of single trees, opened out by means a broad plank is of fire until they are nearly flat Nails are nowhere used in then added to each side. ;

their

construction,

rattan. thitsee

When

being pegs and boat is coated with

fastenings

complete,

(wood-oil),

The bottom

the

which

the is

equal

to

any

calking.

generally of thingan> a wood heavier and the sides of teak. The boats are is

than water, At usually about sixty feet long and six feet broad. Zimme we saw a number being made on the banks of

the

The

river,

and

boats are

the " lords

it

forms

there

quite

an

industry.

"poled" along the stream by women, "

confining themselves to the saw lighter and more agreeable task of steering. a number of boats near Kiang Tong, and never once

of creation

We

saw a man at work, except at the stern of the boat. Soon after our arrival ti\,puniah, or head local official, He was a pleasant, fat-faced old paid us a visit. gentleman, with a merry twinkle in his eye and a very He presented us with a number of friendly manner. cocoa-nuts, which were

march.

very grateful after our weary

A DILEMMA:

:

'

J

->

In the evening we went to a neighbouring stream for a bath, undressed, and were swimming about, when, turning back, we saw, to our astonishment and dismay, that a number of Shan dames and damsels were con-

gregated close to our clothes, and were watching us with intense interest and amusement. They were In this dilemma

neither shy nor diffident of strangers.

we

naturally felt

reverse.

In vain

them

incline

abashed, but they were painfully the

we hoped

to retire

not.

We

Not a

were

all

council

of war, resolved

hoping

that

Vain

sake.

modesty might

on our displaying the intention

of making for the bank.

would

that their

bit

getting

to

of

it

they and, after a

chilly,

make a

Go

!

of landing,

feint

they would withdraw for very shame's were our hopes, for our manoeuvre was

The only received with shrieks of sustained laughter. leader of the band of these merry nymphs should have known

better than cause us such

cruel embarrassment.

She was the wife of a young ckao, or chief, who had this added been appointed to meet and accompany us ;

to our perplexity.

At

last

we

could stand

it

no longer.

Shivering with cold, and notwithstanding the volleys of laughter which greeted us, we made a rush for the

bank and our

clothes.

to conquer his

Our worthy medico was unable

native propriety.

The

lady was stern,

and would not budge an inch. It was now getting dark, and being her dinner-hour, she at last consented to retire, and the shivering disciple of ^sculapius was able to in his

In

come

ashore, chilled

to

the

marrow, but proud

consciousness of modesty triumphant. Kiang Tong, the bonzes, or Buddhist

priests,

^

'

102

have

by

AMONGST THE SHANS.

a

stronghold, the place being entirely inhabited people who have phra-gyoons, or pagoda serfs

been dedicated to the service of the pagoda. These serfs are generally either criminals who have escaped pagoda, as the Jews did to cities of refuge, or they are the descendants of captives in war, who have been dedicated by the chiefs to the pagoda. There to the

are three or four such towns, or villages, in the

The phra-gyoons have

territory.

Zimme

to present tithes

of

they produce for the use and maintenance of the not a hard servitude. In pagoda and its priests

all

every town there is a monastery, generally situated in a picturesque site. Compared with Burmah, there are but few pagodas scattered about the country, and these are of a peculiar design. The base is square,

and the building runs one-third

of

its

in

rectangular terraces for about

The upper

height.

and of the Burmese

part

is

circular,

type.

The

kyoung, or monastery, at teak -roofed building, the interior

handsomely decorated with

Kiang Tong

The

fine,

of which

pillars

gold.

a

is

general

are

orna-

mentation of the building bore a strong resemblance to Chinese art, being very rich, but fantastic in design

and

gaudy

in

colour.

The

statue

of

Buddha

was

solemnly enthroned in the background, and surrounded, as is usually the case, by a number of Shan statuettes

and tawdry knick-knacks, which would seem more place

in

a

London

curiosity

shop

than

in

a

in

temple

devoted to Buddha.

The temple gardens

were

beautifully

kept,

well

stocked with fruit and other trees, and evidenced great

SHAMELESS care

PRIESTS.

103

The old priest part of the custodian. to greet us with a cordial air of genuine welcome,

on

the

came and seemed pleased to pay us every attention, and show us over the monastery. Imagine our disillusion when, on parting, he asked us point-blank for a present On our refusing this most unpriestly reof money quest, his suavity disappeared, and he became very !

rude

in his behaviour,

belabouring us with his tongue

we were out of earshot. The priests are in bad odour

until

cause of

their

lives

evil

and

with their flocks, be-

their

rapacity.

They

have retrograded from the observances required from the priesthood in

still

further than the

Maha-gandee

sect

Not only do they take money openly, opposition to all their vows of abstinence from

Burmah.

but, in

they covet and vociferously beg for everything that they think can be acquired by Far from turning their eyes aside or looking begging.

all

cravings of the

down, as

is

a

least

ill

custom

the

woman

when

flesh,

of their confreres elsewhere, present, their morals are, to say the

is

of them,

not

of

the

strictest.

They

have,

however, the merit of being good handicraftsmen, and work with a will at carpet-making, carving, painting, and other arts. The monastery cells in which they live are

The

by no means

ascetic,

but extremely comfortable.

hospitality of the people, as often

appeared constraint.

to

be

One

two of us

intuitive,

and

not

day, proceeding

to

shown

arise

to us,

from any

ahead of the

main

our way, and, after a wearisome tramp of four or five hours, found ourselves, as Punch were once had it, " five miles from everywhere." party,

lost

We

AMONGST THE SHANS.

104

thoroughly wearied in body and mind, and were rapidly attaining a state of ill-humour, when we stumbled

on a

small

We

village.

were

once cordially welhad probably never seen a at

comed by the people, who They conducted us European before.

to a cool veran-

brought us cocoa-nuts, and quickly supplied us with refreshments, which we so much required. Their dah,

which was

curiosity,

natural,

was evinced

humoured and courteous a manner, sible to

be offended

at

proved unpleasant, as

my

watch and

it

Nevertheless,

tested

After examining

severely.

ing

it

it.

that

in

so

good-

was imposit

at length

our sense of decorum

our belongings, includaneroid, which they could by no all

means comprehend, the ladies were bitten with the same desire as the Siamese chiefs wife and her attendants had previously shown during the doctor's dilemma. They seemed to think that only our hands and face were white, and the police officer, my companion, was He accordasked to convince them upon this point. ingly accommodated them so far as to take off his coat, and bare his arms for their inspection. This, however, did not satisfy their curiosity, and they proposed that he should clothing, so that they

still

further divest

might be

certain

himself of his that

we were

On his refusing their request, quite white all over. loud shrieks of laughter greeted his too oppressive propriety.

a comparative quality, and varies in different climes, but according to Western views it is little

Modesty

is

I feel uncertain understood by these primitive people. to this day whether they do not believe our skins were

V'";

io6

THE SHAMELESS PEOPLE.

107

as dark as their own, and that the fairness of our faces

and hands was by some means artificially produced. While on this subject, I may mention that the Burmese who have visited the Shan country tell wonderof the utter indecency of the poorer class of inhabitants and, indeed, go so far as to call them

ful tales its

"

;

The bazaar at Zimme was people." described to me, before leaving Burmah, by an epi" a mile and a half of nudity." grammatic Burman as the shameless

This proved to be

mere

a

traveller's

tale, as,

though

the garments worn are not superfluous, they are estly worn, and all that the climate requires.

The and

we passed

village, like others

inclosed

a

in

mod-

through, is pretty, plantation of trees, consist-

small

The houses were ing chiefly of cocoa-nut and palm. the surrounded with neatly kept pieces of ground ;

gardens were carefully tended and very well stocked.

Water

is

Persian

to

supplied

the villages by

about

wheels,

seventeen

means of in

feet

large

diameter,

having some sixteen spokes and twenty paddles, each paddle being four feet long and one broad. They are

bamboo

let into

increased

stream

weirs thrown across the

caused

velocity

the

gives

by

necessary

the

power

of

the

driving

the

damming for

The

river.

wheel.

The

and as a are agriculturists good deal of land belongs to the chiefs and officials, at the time of the harvest these often proceed to their fields

people,

and

live

The towns autumn,

it

at

as

a

rule,

;

the work-people. resemble London in the

there, superintending this

may be

season said

there

is

no

one

in

town.

AMONGST THE SHANS.

loS

But so sparse

the population as compared with the extent of land, that only one-twelfth of the available is

ground

is

The

cultivated.

land throughout the

Meping

generally fertile, and can be cultivated in the rains, or by irrigation from the streams during the dry plain

is

weather.

The

principal rice-harvest The ready in July.

crop is by the serfs of the chiefs

is

November

in

cultivation

and

officials,

is

;

another

carried

and by those

dedicated to the pagodas, as well as

some more

districts

In

by freemen. extensively grown, and

is

sugar

on

the

disreputable portion of our following found constant employment in making raids on the plantations,

notwithstanding their

our

depredations,

frequently

which

they

them

punishing considered

for

harmless.

The ground is prepared for the cane in what is Burmah the toung-ya fashion. called in Trees are cut down and burnt, and the cane is planted, the first year's harvest

covering the cost of production, the second crop being better than the first, and the third the best of all. The old roots are then generally

sometimes dug up and new canes put in. Generally, however, the ground is forsaken, and a new part of the forest is fired and similarly treated, as before. The toung-ya, or hill-gardens, are precisely similar

met

with

people,

mon the

in

Burmah

in

and

this

different

hill-tribes

the

central

ya,"

and

in

system parts

exist.

Siam

and of

of

They

amongst

cultivation

is

to those

the also

hill-

com-

probably wherever are found in Mysore and

India,

where they are called " dhaiAssam, under the name of "jhoom." provinces,

HILL CULTIVATION.

The system

109

extremely wasteful, and is only possible amongst a people not very numerous, and for whom a large extent of unoccupied land is available. It

is

the

is

noir of

bete

the officers

of

the

forest

de-

partment, in whose reports may be read many a denunciation of this pernicious method of cultivation. The slopes of the hills are seen dotted here and there

by these patches of toung-ya, the most favour-

able spots being chosen. Having selected the side of a hill the more thickly covered with bamboo and the cultivator and his family set to forest the better

work

in April

and

away as close grubbing up the

everything, the stumps being the ground as possible without

fell

to

cut

After

this being the hot drying and dried brushwood are set

several days

the in

some of the

localities

in

order to facilitate

is

commenced from

on

fire,

larger logs

and

even

burn

for

for weeks,

Shan country an ingenious method is adopted The work of felling operations.

ashes fertilizing the

suitable

a

couple of months' season the fallen trees

roots.

the

soil.

In

the

bottom of the

hill-slope

;

the

lower trees are only cut slightly on the upper side, the woodman, as he ascends the hill, cutting deeper and In deeper, until he at last completely fells the trees. this

way they

fall

on those below, turn them over, and

this continues to the bottom.

planted on the round tops of knolls, or on the steep slopes, with little attempt at levelling the After the first fall of rain, the soil is slightly surface.

Rice

is

broken up with a kind of hoe, and the with

it

;

the seed

is

then sown broadcast.

ashes

mixed

From

this

i

AMONGST THE SHANS.

io

time onwards the principal labour is in keeping down weeds and roots which spring up again and the It would be unwise to invade the rice-fields. dig the for the diluvial

ground deeply,

the soil with a rush

by the usual

crops are

cotton

unlike

rice

glutinous

and sessamum.

The

of

that

rice

and

the

sessa-

September or October, and the from December to April. The

in

reaped

is

would carry away

when no longer kept in its place the hills of the Shan country the

a

are

cotton,

plains,

mum

In

roots.

rains

picked is then abandoned.

The obstacles offered toung-ya by nature seem to develop the energy and activity of the hill-tribes, and endow them with manly qualities and an independence of bearing which the inhabitants of the plain lack. Some of the hamlets near the

river-bank are exclu-

and every man, woman, and child, from October to June, is at work with net, rod, line, or the baskets which are worked at every

sively inhabited

weir,

situated

of salted fish

the

Shan

where

it

is

by fishermen

;

A

next the fisher hamlets. is

much

use, not

but

country,

known

in

to

in

the

condiment

only in

Burmah and

Straits

Settlements,

Europeans as balachong.

The

Burmese have three varieties; namely, nga-pee goung, "whole nga-pee"; toung tha nga-pee, "pounded ngaand tsein-tsa, " raw eaten," so pee," or fish paste ;

named "

because "

whole

the well

nga-pee

fish

as

scaled

it

is

can

be

eaten

eaten

uncooked.

roasted,

fried,

being, if possible, kept whole The by the manufacturer.

by hand, but

the

smaller

The

or curried,

by the cook as

ones

large

fish

are

by means of

FISHING UTENSILS.

NGA-PEE. a bamboo, the end of which a kind of

The

mortar.

This

brush.

thrown

of fish

and

stiff

is is

up and made into worked amongst a mass split

together, almost

fish

113

alive, into

a wooden

are then cleaned, and the head,

fins,

removed.

They are then well rubbed with salt, carefully packed in bamboo baskets, weighted down, and put away for the night, Next day the liquid draining through the baskets. of the

tail

they are

large

carefully

ones

are

taken out, again rubbed with

salt,

and spread on a mat in the sun, and the day following are packed away in jars, with alternate layers of salt, and then left in a cool place. Gradually the liquid rises to the top

on the

surface.

and evaporates, leaving a layer of salt In about a month they are ready for

Sometimes the supernatant liquid gets full of maggots before completely drying, in which case it is removed and more salt added. " " Pounded nga-pee is made only from small fish and shrimps, which are spread out for two days on sale.

mats

the

in

When

sun,

without

any

salt,

and

uncleaned.

commence to turn putrid, they are pounded in a wooden mortar with salt. The mass is heaped up in a shed, and several hollow bamboos inserted into it. The Through these the liquid escapes. nga-pee is then dug out and shovelled into boats to

be

they

taken

This

away.

is

the

offensive-smelling residents in Burmah, and

nga-pee, known best to all alluded to in books on that country.

The

"

"

raw eaten variety is made entirely from The shrimps, and principally at Mergui and Tavoy. colour

of the

shrimp paste

is

either

red

or

brown,

AMONGST THE SHANS.

114

made from a red or brown- coloured The smaller kind are exposed to species of shrimp. the sun immediately they are caught, and, when they

accordingly as

are half dry,

it

is

salt

is

added

;

the

whole

then

is

inti-

mately mixed into a paste by hand three times a day for three days, being left in the sun in the intervals. then ready for

It is

and

use,

is

put

into

exposed in the same way, pounded with salt once a day for three days. sort

larger

The

descendants

the

but

are

inhabitants

of the

Meping

valley

The

pots.

are

chiefly

Shans who were driven

of the

now independent Shan States Not only under the Burman rule. the

whilst is

are

from

they were the

this

case,

but the majority of the Shans found in the country between the Meping and Luang Prabang come from

same

the

Many

quarter.

villages

occupied

are likewise found on the backbone of hills

the

Menam

from the

Mekong

River, an

by them

separating

unknown

part.

Before the migration of these people the country was occupied by another branch of the same race, who

were

called

Lau-Phun-Ham, or

"white-bellied

Laos/'

name

on account of their not having given The tattooed Shans, adopted the custom of tattooing. who came from the upper country, the now indepena

dent "

Shan

States,

are

called

Lau-Phun-Dam,

or

black-bellied Laos."

Even

in

Zimme and

the

time

of

McLeod,

when he

visited

Shan country in 1836, settlers were found in the country from Kiang Hung, Kiang Tung, Muang Niong, and Kiang Tsen, and many other places to the north. Having left the Burman Shan States the

FISHING UTENSILS.

ZIMME SHANS REMOVED. about

beginning of the

the

century,

117

had been

they

by the Siamese authorities in the five towns of Zimme, Labong, Lagon, Muang Phe, and Muang Nan. Together with the Talains, who had 1 they comprised more than escaped from Burmah, distributed

two-thirds

On in

the

whole

the

population

of

the

country.

of Vien-Chang by the Siamese inhabitants of that part of the country

destruction

1827,

were

of

the

taken

away

and

settled

at

Bangkok.

The

people of Zimm6 had mostly been removed in 1777 by the Burmese to Mokm6, or Mokmay, a town in

Burmese Shan States. At the present day these Mokme Shans are often kidnapped by the Karennees, and sold as slaves to the Zimme Shans, a very the

uncomfortable

of returning

fathers.

foregoing

way From the

nection which

of

the

exists

Siamese

between

and

the

to

the land

of their

we

see the strong conthe present inhabitants

independent

The Northern Siamese Shan said

to

States

Shan

may,

in

States. fact,

be

be colonized by Shans from the now indepen-

dent States to the northward. 1

Shan

It is alleged that

States

between

occurred under

200,000 A.D.

Meng Kyaik

left

1772

Burmah forSiam and and 1814.

in 1824.

the Siamese

Another emigration

CHAPTER A

VIII.

into Zimme A Shaking hands Entry Siamese commissioner King of Siam's kindness

chief

A

ornc

Yunnanese

Bazaar Women conservaLarge households Home manufactures Distance from costumes

Zimme

cook tive

cottage

Shan

and rosy cheeks Quiet as Chained and unfed Cattle-thefts Quakers Frogs a delicacy Barlaw Rule- of- thumb Punishments Palm-oil prisoners Punishments for Death for theft Even-handed justice barity

Bangkok

Dyes

Fair complexions

adultery.

AFTER an Pahpoon,

interesting journey

we

days from

within one day's distance of the were met by a chao, 1 called

arrived

town of Zimme'.

of seventeen

We

one Myintha, or Prince, by our Burmese followers of the thousand chaos with whom the place abounds.

Four

ponies

decorated

with

glaring

and

cumbrous

The chao insisted on trappings were waiting our use. shaking hands, which was not altogether pleasing, as his were not of the cleanest. Hand-shaking, it may be noted, is a custom imported from Bangkok, and all the chaos we conversed with insisted on our complying with it, more to show that they were conversant with the convenances of society than for any 1

A

chao

Shan and Siamese

Nan-Chao

in

signify

King

"Marco

in

is

the

Polo," vol.

ii.

title,

said

by a Chinese author

language p.

meaning prince or of

59. 118

these

other reason.

chief.

"

The

title

(Pauthier, p. 391) to Vide Yule's barbarians."

ENTRY INTO ZIMME. The

following day

somewhat sorry

looking a

and

consisting animals.

entry into Zimm6,

unkempt, and Our procession, however, was imposas it did of such a variety of people

travel-stained. ing,

we made our

119

The

lot

dirty,

thronged out in great numbers to see the strangers, but were quiet in their demeanour, and formed a great contrast to the often turbulent and rude crowds of the Chinese cities. Their

manner was who behave

inhabitants

as

fully

courteous as

under similar

well,

that

of

Burmese,

circumstances.

We

town by the north-eastern gateway, and were conducted to what was a great surprise to us

entered the

a charming little residence, in the shape of a cottage Here orne', which had been built for our reception.

we were little

welcomed by a dapper, wizened, old gentleman, who was evidently used to holdcordially

ing intercourse with Europeans.

He

informed us that

he had come from Bangkok, and was holding office in Zimme as resident commissioner of the King of Siam. served

Having

us

with

and other recommunicative, and we

wine,

coffee,

grew more learned that we were the guests of one who had visited .London, knew Paris by heart, and loved it, he

freshments,

I

especially,

ters

of that

brief but

fear,

city.

graphic

London

the not altogether too

proper quar-

His

opinions were expressed in " too much plenty work language :

plenty pleasure Paris." Although he had quite forgotten his knowledge of the French tongue, he still retained his love and admiration of France and

in

French

The

;

things.

cottage,

which had been prepared

for us

by the

AMONGST THE SHANS.

120

express command of the King of Siam, was furnished with all sorts of Parisian knick-knacks, a practice much

The by the court officials at Bangkok. cookery was a strange travesty of the European art, affected

in the

French

style.

When we

learnt

who

the cooks

the chefs were YunnaNotwithstanding our wish not to hurt the old

were, our astonishment ceased nese.

;

gentleman's feelings, we were compelled to fall back on the bread and excellent Chinese tea which were provided. Our host did

he could to make us comfortable, and the transformation in our surroundings which had all

A

taken place within a few hours was great.

two

we had been

before

dwellers

tents

in

day or in

the

primeval forest, seemingly hundreds of miles away from all civilization, while here we found ourselves in

an

Parisian

caf^

provisions,

king

arrive

in

little

and with

us.

surrounding the

built

excellently

and

A

house,

every appliance

large supply

wines,

adorned

which

like

some

of home-life

of European tinned

had been

ordered

by

be sent for our use to Zimme, did not time, owing to the delays on the river in

to

the upward journey. Majesty the King

The of

consideration

Siam

in

shown by His

the

arrangements made both our

supplying our wants journey and our stay at Zimme pleasant. The town of Zimme, Kiang Mai, Tsching Mai, or

ordered

for

Zama-pada-pur-there-nagara-nawara-raza

(its

name

according to the Labong Chronicle), is situated on the right bank of the Meping, at a height of about eight

hundred

feet

above

sea-level.

It

is

the largest place

ZIMME. in

the

river, is

Meping

which

eastward

on

its

have been

said to

is

There are

plain.

lies

a large

123

between

fields

the

eastern side, and the town, which

built

A.D.

or tank

swamp

Northward and

1294.

ground and garden land the old Burmese fort and cultivated broken

fields

cultivation,

westward

the

to

;

ward one large sheet of

the north-west

to

;

;

and south-

mainly

rice.

In

the dry season the river is fordable in several places near the town, the depth at the crossings being wooden bridge, built some three and a half feet.

A

of

substantially

good

teak,

some two hundred yards

spans the river near the north-east corner of the town, over which large droves of cattle and crowds in length,

of

foot-passengers

McLeod and

Richardson

Labong, but during our

Some

of

the

Carts

pass.

chaos,

as

by Zimme and

existing at we did not observe any.

visit

when

mentioned

are

visiting

Maulmain, have, have little doubt

and I however, purchased carriages that on my next visit this will have led to a great improvement in the roads about the town. ;

There each

is

what

surrounded

where the

tsobua,

is

by or

called

an inner and outer town,

The

fortifications. chief,

and

other

inner

chaos

town, reside,

an oblong, six thousand feet from north to south and Each four thousand eight hundred from east to west. is

face

has

southern

a

gateway in the where there side,

centre,

are

except

on

the

five placed hundred yards from the angles; the gates are defended in the same way, with a small bastion at the sides.

two,

These, as well as the walls, have embrasures for guns, at varying heights, but we nowhere saw any trace of

AMONGST THE SHANS,

124

guns, except in the centre of the town, in an open space near the chief's palace, where they lie half buried in

the ground and surrounded by heaps of rubbish. The walls are inclosed by a ditch, some fifty feet in width,

which

north-west angle by means of a water from springs in the hills. The at the

filled

is

canal

leading depth of the

originally

anywhere now more

hardly

At

ditch,

first

than

fifteen

six

or

feet,

seven

the walls are, from

built,

strongly

some

is

feet.

continued

and great portions are to be seen lying toppled over and half buried, while only here and there has any attempt been made to patch neglect, fast falling into ruin,

the

crumbling structure. Although at one time, no doubt, a formidable place to the undisciplined

up

fast

Burmese and Siamese,

forces of the

it

would present

no resistance to European artillery of the present day. The outer fortifications, which reach from the northeast to the south-west, are curved, in

They

length.

are

built

and about two miles

partly

of brick,

the

re-

mainder being merely a wooden stockade, with a ditch outside, which is nearly dry.

The town inner in the

fort,

has some nine hundred

but there are

many more than

portion of the town inclosed

fications

which are

and

in

houses inside the that

number

by the outer

what may be termed

the

forti-

suburbs,

banks of the Meping River. not be judged from European

built along the

The

population must examples of the average number of the household, or

even from that found as Burmah. thirty, or

In

even

in

Zimme

fifty,

neighbouring countries, such the household often contains

people under one roof at night.

WOMEN

SELLING AT BAZAAR. 126

BAZAAR.

The

inner

fort

is

127

with

water

by small directions, and the

supplied

channels intersecting it in different The houses, as a rule, roads are kept clean and neat. are

of

built

The

have a substantial

teak-wood, and

palisading, about

ten

look.

surrounding the the aspect of a prison.

feet

high,

gives the place extent of a compound varies with the wealth and

compounds,

The

owner

a big chao has a big garden, an ordinary freeman a more limited space. All the gardens are well stocked with a variety of fruit-trees. position

of the

The morning strolled down

:

we

got up early and to the bazaar, which consists of long rows of booths lining one of the main streets. It was after

our

arrival,

a pleasant sight to watch the market-women, carrying their loads on their heads, quietly filing through the

them must have been up long before dawn, as some of the villages from which they came are situated at a very long distance from Zimme. The market for edibles opens at 6 a.m. and continues town.

for

Many

of

about three

hours,

when

the sellers,

who number

The stalls in the hundred, return home. vegetable, fish, and meat markets are occupied solely whilst those where miscellaneous articles by women

about

fifteen

;

and

The far

piece-goods are sold are dress of the women is,

more picturesque than

which

the

ladies

than their male

at

folk,

as

that

Zimme and

tended by

still

either

sex.

usually the case, of the men besides

are

is

;

more

conservative

adhere to the costumes

worn by their race previously to leaving the Burmese Shan States for these parts. Unlike the Siamese, they wear their hair long, tie it in a tasty knot on the

AMONGST THE SHANS.

128

crown of

fasten

their head,

it

with a handsome gold

The only and twine a gold chain around it. other ornaments worn by them are gold bracelets, and pin,

sometimes gold ear-rings.

Their petticoat

either of

is

is it or of a particoloured cotton fabric fastened below the breasts by twirling and tucking one

coarse

silk

;

The

lower portion of their dress is decorated with a border worked in silk or gold thread. of the ends

in.

The young women wear pink

kerchiefs,

ones have a dark-blue cotton

scarf,

sash

red

of

thrown over their

generally drawn across their bosom. wear a putsoe^ tied round the loins, a

shoulders, which

The men

and the older

is

cotton

material

round

the

and

waist,

sometimes a huge turban of the same material and Their hair is dressed in the usual colour as the sash. "

Siamese

style,

a la cock's comb," well greased, and

cut close at the sides. ears

decked with

are

women seem

The

holes in the lobes

flowers, of

of their

which both men and

be very fond. Their jackets, which are generally of a dark blue, are often bordered with tinsel, a large quantity of which is imported from China. to

The garments worn by both sexes are generally manufacture of their own looms the silkworms bred fields. field,

in

the

villages,

and the cotton

is

grown

in

the are

their

English piece-goods are gradually entering the notwithstanding

the

present

cost

of

carnage.

brought up from Bangkok, taking forty-five days on the journey of about five hundred miles, and from Maulmain in British Burmah.

They

are

1

Burmese name

for a waist-cloth

worn by men.

FAIR COMPLEXIONS. Their dyes are of use

in

amongst

129

local manufacture, similar to those

Burmese.

the

Saffron

is

generally dipping threads

used for yellow green is produced by that have been dyed yellow in a boiling decoction of ;

creeping Marsdenia tincIndigo, which grows wild as well as in a cultistate, is used for blue, the mordant being the

the leaves and twigs toria.

vated

of the

bark of a kind of Eugenia. Stick-lac, the fruit of the The safflower tamarind, and various woods, give red. yields yellow, and, when mixed with other ingredients, red.

Jack,

the

root

flowers of the B^ltea,

of a

species

of

Garcima,

the

and the leaves of the Memeclyon,

Black is produced from give different tints of yellow. the Diospyros mollis, Terminalia chebula, and the Jatropha cure as. Orange from the seeds of the Bixa orrellana.

The some

people struck us as fair for Easterns, and It was of the women even had rosy cheeks.

quite

pleasant

rather

whose

to

see

blushes

people who could blush, or Their could be discerned.

a

on which good-natured frankness was were of an even more Tartar cast than

countenances,

stamped, those of the

The was

Burmese,

at

least

so

it

seemed

to

us.

nearly dead silence which reigned in the bazaar only broken by an occasional half-suppressed

but genial laugh. who had so lately chatting,

and

This was left

a

Burmah,

vociferation

in

surprise to us where the haggling,

great

the

markets

is

nearly

Here the people were as quiet as Quakers; deafening. business was carried on without people being importuned to buy, and even the necessary chaffering was

K

AMONGST THE SHANS.

130

undertones, which only made more noticeable the strange quietude of the scene.

done

in

The

principal

which

is

killed

until

name

for

plentiful it

;

in

the

no pig

brought before

a

market is

is

allowed

dine, the

pork, to be

Burmese

a superintendent, who is appointed by the Pork being a monopoly, a tax of about three

chief.

shillings is

levied from the

when

Chinese butchers on each

allowed to be slaughtered. Pig's properly reduced, is the cosmetic generally

animal before fat,

is

meat sold and good

it

is

use at Zimm6, and, being unscented, gives anything but an agreeable aroma to the hair of the people. in

Very

little

the town.

gingelly, castor, or cocoa-nut oil is found in Owing to the frequent cattle thefts which

used to occur, special inquiries are made before cattle this accounts for the scarcity are allowed to be killed ;

of beef in

the market.

Fish, although plentiful

in all

the streams, particularly to the north, is rather scarce in the town, most likely because the principal part of the people, being Buddhist, are therefore adverse to All fishermen are looked upon here, as taking life. in

Burmah, as Vegetables,

outcasts.

such

as

Karen-potatoes,

onions,

and

were abundant, as well as cocoa-nuts, plantains, A mangoes, and other fruit in considerable variety.

chillies,

great number of frogs are seen tied up on strings in the food bazaar, and are esteemed a great delicacy Most cases of snake-bite which occur by the Shans.

here

and

in

Burmah

hunts after the frogs.

men poaching upon

during the torchlight snakes naturally object to

happen

The

their preserves, frogs

chief article of their food.

forming the

ZIMME PRISONERS. As

131

the case amongst all Indo-Chinese races, the servants of the chiefs and high officials have the privU is

lege of providing for their masters' requirements without payment to the stall-holders. This custom might be made a source of great oppression were it not for

the

force

of public

The

opinion.

prisoners,

who

are

roam in their chains about the town, their relations and friends being responsible that they do not escape, seem to be allowed the same privilege,

allowed

to

but this

may

arise

from

the

kind-heartedness of the

These prisoners undoubtedly great. have an iron collar rivetted round their necks, from people, which

is

which are fastened

heavy irons which keep

the

the

arms and legs in bond so far as rapid exercise is concerned. There is no Government allowance for their so they are entirely dependent upon the holders and their relations for their diet. The food,

of

their

imprisonment

seems

to

stall-

term

depend very much pay the fines which

upon the ability of their friends to are imposed for all crimes but murder. In cases of debt, the debtor

put in chains

and

;

and

if

is

imprisoned, or rather

unable to satisfy his creditor, he

his family are sold for the creditor's

crimes,

the

principal

part

of

the

fine

benefit.

goes

to

For the

aggrieved person, the remainder to the chief and court If a theft is proved, three times the value of officers. the article is decreed to the owner and if not paid, ;

the offender, after suffering imprisonment in irons, is made over with his family, to be dealt with as in cases of debt.

No

inquiry

lodges, or gives

is

security

made for,

until

the

prosecutor the amount of the value

AMONGST THE SHANS.

132

of the property stolen and if he charges, he forfeits the amount, ;

greatly, according to the

The the

proving his

in

which

given to fines for assaults and abuses vary

The

the accused.

fails

is

rank of the party complaining.

decided according to the judgment of officers who try them, and not from any fixed cases are

code of laws.

The

are

obliged to provide the officer with refreshment whilst the case is pending. Palm-oil is said to be very efficacious in some cases litigants

;

poor wretch, on the occasion of our had been tied up for some hours in a broiling

example, one

for

visit,

sun preparatory to being flogged. We were informed by a bystander that he could easily have escaped the punishment had a little blandishment in the shape cash been bestowed on the jailer in charge. latter individual was a fat, cheery fellow, quite

of hard

This

a wag in his way. He chuckled hugely at the good joke he was about to enjoy in thrashing the miserable wretch who was tied up ready for the lash. The reason for the flogging was that the culprit had the previous night attempted to commit suicide by drownWhen I suggested the ing himself in the river. cruelty of tying him up in the sun, as he was evidently suffering from fever, the jailer laughed immensely,

remarked merrily, night's

damp

"

The

and

heat of the sun will take last

out of him."

One

of the prisoners was the son of the chief of The punishment of his offence would proLabong.

commend itself to the disciples Lawson. The young scapegrace had

bably

one

evening

consumed a large

of Sir

run

quantity

Wilfrid

wild,

of

and

country

A SHAN GIRL.

134

PUNISHMENTS.

when

135

cups had insulted some ladies, who reported the matter to the chief of Zimme, by whose order he was detained in spirit,

a

and

a

and

in

his

disorderly conduct. law is not always equally applied to the nobility part of peasantry in these parts, however.

chains as

The

of sam-s/iu,

sort

punishment

for

his

A

a dirt-begrimed den was set apart for prison It is only in recent years that the chaos, or nobles. this chaos have thus had justice meted out to them the

;

is

owing

to

the

more

just administration

of the law,

by the Siamese officers deputed by the Government to be resident at Zimme. The floggings are severe, and consist of thirty stripes laid on with enforced

all

their

might by three strong men, each giving ten

writhing wretch, who is tied up to a The punishframework of bamboo in a public place. lashes

to

the

Shan States lying west of the Salween, when they were under Burmese rule, used ment

for

theft

in

the

invariably to be death, a great contrast to the clement rule of the Zimme and independent Shans.

At a

by the French expedition in one of the Shan States on the Mekong, the two offenders were tied one at each end of the same bar, and forced to look each other in the face, meanbamboos together to while striking two sonorous The woman was fined some attract public attention. Husfifty shillings, and her paramour four pounds. bands

trial for

in

such cases are allowed to divorce their wives,

but, if they

do

for ten years.

to

adultery, witnessed

are not allowed to take them again The fine levied on the woman is paid

so,

the husband, that inflicted on the

man

is

pocketed

AMONGST THE SHANS.

136

by the judges. severe.

A

husband's

woman slave,

the punishment was more convicted of adultery became her

Formerly

and

could

not

be

redeemed.

In

A Tonquin at one time it was still more rigorous. husband was then authorized to cut off his wife's hair, and lead her in that state before the mandarin, who caused her to be thrown to an elephant which A still was trained to be the public executioner. more barbarous punishment is said to have been in The peccadilloes of the force formerly in Burmah. husband are never interfered with by the law

Shan

country.

in

the

CHAPTER The Sooptip pagoda

A

valley

Buddhism

Burmese

IX.

An

forts

A

The Moping

aqueduct

monks Cambodia

Entrance

of

nest gigantic bell into Burmah, China, and

of

Shamanism

The Tha-tha-na-paing ; its former Absorption into Buddhism " " BurMonasteries for the lazy Pure from infancy powers mese monks;

Temples and monasteries at Zimme Two bad Dissolute priests Character of schools to one good A light of Buddhism Ruined pagoda A nat's Human sacrifice Religion of the Steins Shamanism temple treated

respectfully

the fount of nat worship.

A to

RANGE of due

peaks

is

resort

for

the

peaks,

the

of

far-famed

the

The

in

feet

height,

to

and it

the

one

pagoda,

a

A.D.

1766,

a

building

of

two

three

these

favourite

of

great

through the ruins half a mile distant

leads

;

Burmese, who, when they

in

about

lies

square fort about western gate of the town

by the place,

of which are

On

town.

Sooptip

religious,

road

some

small

from built

west

the

sanctity.

a

with

thousand

three

miles

of

hills

had

the last

was

fort

invested

numerous works

all

round Zimme'. After passing the fort, the road continues through fields to a village at the foot of the hills, where the ascent

begins.

The

ascent

but latterly very steep. order,

is

The

at

road

first is

very gradual,

in tolerably

and an aqueduct fed by one or two very

springs

is

carried

alongside,

conveying

a

good fine

plentiful

AMONGST THE SHANS.

138

A

supply of excellent water to the town. pines is planted on each side of a long

fine

row of

flight of steps

leading immediately to the pagoda on the hill top. From the top of the platform, about two thousand feet

flows

Moping

The magnificent panorama. the north-westward, and, bending

a

seen

is

high,

from

banks

at the town, trends

away

to the south-west.

darkened

trees,

concealing scattered houses one or two large tanks are

are

and small

villages,

country beyond

is,

numerous topes of

many

and

the northward not far from the town.

to

visible

by

in

one sheet

of

fields,

with

trees

miles broad, stretches

the

fact,

The

marking the position of as The valley here, from ten to fifteen

villages.

itself in

Its

away

fine deltaic

to the south, until in

plain

which

it

loses

Bangkok, the

On

capital of Siam, is built.

the outside of the platform is a great bell, highly prized by the Shans, which was presented to the pagoda by the late chief, weigh-

on

chiselled

Shan tons

to

according

ing,

one

it,

or

viss,

the

about

inscription

and

hundred one

hundred

which fifty-six

and

has

been

thousand

eighty-three

!

Zimme monks

;

I

a perfect nest of poongyees, or Buddhist should think there must be at least five

is

hundred of them inhabiting the seventy-five monasteries in the town. Their religion is the Buddhism of Ava, and almost

the zedi, or pagodas, both in and out of the town, were erected by the Burmese while all

they held the place.

Zimme and

the

Whether Buddhism

neighbouring

Burmah, China, or Cambodia,

is

first

entered

country from

Thibet,

unknown.

ENTRANCE OF BUDDHISM. Gaudama and

588,

have become

to

said

is

Buddhist

the

Buddhism entered Thibet Buddhist

Ceylon

and about

;

great Buddhist

last

B.C.

543.

90, the

into

Thawna and

Ootara, two

Thatone, a town near the gulf

at

From

Martaban.

B.C.

B.C.

writing in 241, the time of the third and

council,

missionaries, landed

of

reduced

in

B.C.

In

in B.C. 313.

were

scriptures

Buddha from

dates

era

141

this

place the religion the valleys of the

is

sup-

posed to have spread up Sittang and the Irrawadi it does not seem to have become ;

the

Burmese

national

afterwards

;

for

many centuries Na-ra-pa-dee-tsee-thoo, who was king

for

religion

Pagan, an old capital of Burmah, described by the native historians

of

The and

in

date of it

Cambodia

its

entry into China

1368,

was not

religious

given as

The Mongols

to Col. Yule,

amongst them

A.D.

is

when

until A.D.

A.D.

66

;

have been brought from Ceylon to

in A.D. 422.

dhism, according in

is

the time ot

at

conquest of China were Shamanists

their

tinct

a

as

1191,

did

said to

is

A.D.

much toward firmly establishing Burmah and the other adjacent countries.

monarch who

Buddhism

in

after

the

their

old

became

;

and Bud-

practically ex-

expulsion from China,

Shamanism

revived.

It

1577 that the great reconversion of

Mongolia to Lamaism began. It may be here noted that Shamanism, or nat worship, is not only the sole religion of most of the hilltribes

in

Indo-China,

but has been absorbed into the

worship of the followers of Buddha. " of this is given by Shway Yoe,"

and interesting book

"

A

capital

in

his

example

very able

The Burman," where

the

in-

AMONGST THE SHANS.

142

scription

a

to

on a

presented by two Buddhist peasants amusingly jumbles the two religions.

bell,

pagoda,

The Soola-gandee

sect "

in

Burmah, and

British

master of religion," Tha-tha-na-paing, or in Mandalay, are doing their utmost to

and

religion

obedience to

enforce

to

its

who

resides

purify

rules

the

the

on the

so far as one can judge. In the present day the power of the Tha-tha-na-paing the effects of his jurisdiction are is merely nominal

monks, but with

little

effect,

;

his

scarcely

felt

however,

according to former times.

case

in

beyond

own neighbourhood.

Bishop

Bigandet,

Such,

was not the

commissioners were

Spiritual

sent yearly by him to examine into and report on the state of the communities throughout the provinces,

amongst which Zimm6 was included whenever Burmah could get the upper hand. They had to inquire particularly whether the rules were regularly observed or not, and whether the professed members were really qualified

for

empowered

their

to

holy

repress

calling

abuses

;

or

not.

and

They were

whenever

some

unworthy brother was found within the inclosure of a monastery, he was forthwith degraded, stripped of his yellow garb, and compelled to resume a secular course of life.

Unfortunately for the welfare of the order, these the wholesome salutary visits take place no more check is done away with, and, left without superior ;

the order has fallen into a low degree of abThe profession of talapoin jectness and degradation. poongyee, or monk, is often looked on now as one control,

fit

for

lazy,

ignorant,

and

idle

people,

who,

being

"PURE FROM INFANCY."

143

anxious to live well and do nothing, put on the sacred dress for a certain time, until, tired of the duties and obligations

of

new

their

betake themselves once

profession,

more

a

to

and

retire

they

secular

It

life.

very common to meet, even among the Burmese Yahan, men who from their youth have persevered to an old age in their vocation. These form not

is

rare

are very much respected and consideration during their lifetime, and

exceptions.

held

in

They

high the greatest honours are lavished

remains after their demise. the

by "

upon

their

mortal

are often designated denomination of Ngay-hpyoo

honourable

They

pure from infancy."

No member

could formerly enter the becoming a mendicant, bidding

of the

laity

without priesthood adieu to the world and entering a monastery, subjecting himself to a life of self-denial, and spending his

days

the

in

strict

observance

of

restraining

rules,

In Burmah the however galling he might find them. priests, or rather monks, are represented by the yellow-clad poongyees, dwelling in monasteries scattered over the face of the country, living upon alms, possess-

no property, receiving their food morning after morning from the townsfolk of their quarter or the ing

inhabitants

of

their

village,

all

in

strict

silence,

the

eyes fastened on the ground and without even looking a request. Passing slowly down the street in single each one carries a pot, which he opens on the file,

approach

change

of a donor

of

and receives the

expression,

word of thanks.

They

movement

of

gift

the

without a head,

or

a

are held in the highest respect

AMONGST THE SHANS.

144

people, from the throne to the beggar in the street.

by

all^

mode

ranks

of

on

sovereign

the

Their dress, their their renunciation of the world and its

life,

pleasures,

of the

of

draw on them the admiration and veneration

laity.

When

they appear in public, they are the objects of all people, whatever may be the greatest deference ;

their social position, give

way

The

before them.

visitor,

who

seeks them in their monasteries, prostrates himself before them three times with joined and upraised hands,

On both on entering and leaving their holy presence. standing up, he must fall back to a convenient distance, as

would be highly indecorous

it

so

saintly

right,

he

a

personage,

may

depart.

and,

to

back on

wheeling slowly to

Throughout

Burmah, the respect paid

turn the

to the

British

members

the

and Upper

of the order

everywhere apparent, in the liberality with which their wants are supplied, the size and beauty of the is

dwellings built

for

them by the laymen, the

respect-

which they are addressed, the submissive attitude of those who appear before them, and in the pomp displayed on the occasion of the solemn ful

in

language

cremation of their mortal remains after death.

The one

and

temples at

hall,

Zimme

are

of brick,

consisting

varying from sixty to a hundred feet

thirty to

large image

fifty

of

in

breadth,

Gaudama

surrounded

at

of

in length,

the end of which a

stands on an

elevated platThe floors are

by smaller ones. raised about three feet, and bricked, and generally the sides of smeared over with thitsee, or wood- oil some are closed, with the exception of the doorway, form,

;

146

TEMPLES AND MONASTERIES. while in others the wall

over

roof

the

centre

is

of

147

The

built only half height.

the

building,

being

raised

higher than the covering of the sides, is supported by very fine lofty posts of teak, and tiled, and the whole

carved wooden ornaments, and a small over the centre. The insides of the build-

adorned with 1

pyatkat

ings are painted with subjects taken from their sacred writings,

principally

from the

five

hundred and

fifty

and are by no means badly done the pillars and roof are highly ornamented and gilt. The interiors of most of these buildings, which are numerous in the zats?

;

town, are rich and handsome, and are kept remarkably clean and in good order.

The

monasteries of the priests are similar in size to the temples, but not ornamented the interior is par;

small rooms for their accommodation,

titioned off into

The numerous trees rendering the building very dark. about these religious buildings render them cool and and the grounds, which are surrounded by a pleasant ;

low

brick

wall,

kept very neatly swept and are looked after. soon became conare

We

evidently well vinced that the priests are by no means as strict in the observance of their duties as the Burmese priest-

hood.

They in

entering

about

eating after the sun

1 2

A

at

all

hours,

and

every

idly,

has passed the meridian, devour-

with successive

tiers of

diminishing roofs Accounts of the previous existences of Buddha. spire,

in

mixing with the people, the bazaar, conversing with women, even private houses at night, riding elephants,

direction, loitering sitting

seen

are

(3,

5,

or

7).

AMONGST THE SHANS.

148

ing

given for use in the monasand bowing to the chief and his wife, accord-

what

flesh, selling

teries,

ing to native report.

and

is

Many

unshod

about with

go

cock-fighting,

them indulge

of

in spirits

wear

feet,

"

" bad stones, supposed to convert gold and jewellery, mix be precious, into a resemblance of good ones ;

themselves

they are

and,

;

most of the

selling

which are

prices

which

days,

forty-eight

them

is

their

not

rules

to

do.

supposed to be observed receive

they

grand

offerings,

received for the highest obtainable. Pwais, or plays, some articles

means by the people in Lent of

by

enjoined

strictly

their Lent,

During for

women

of

affairs

Burmese expression, in the in fact, do many things that

a

use

to

up,

by no

moral, ;

are

and the

constantly

priests

given

themselves,

against their vows, indulge in music, every kyoung, or monastery, being well supplied with flutes, On the whole, we were forced cymbals, and drums. directly

to

the

conclusion

were

idle,

men.

To

fact,

that the majority of these

priests

good-for-nothing, illiterate, and dissolute use McLeod's words, the yellow robe, in

appears

to

be the emblem of

idleness, ease,

and

Their only literature consists of a few Pali manuscripts, and copies of the pwais usually per-

debauchery. formed.

The poongyees tional

they

wants

do

teachers,

are supposed to supply the educaof the people but, as a matter of fact, ;

nothing

by

their

of

the

kind.

example,

of

They apathy,

are

merely

laziness,

and

and every year finds them farther on downright vice the downhill road which must end in either the dis;

'50

THE ZIMME PRIESTS.

151

establishment of the monasteries or the curbing of the priests and enforcement of decent order and living

The present King of Siam has taken amongst them. means in Bangkok, his capital, to purge the monasteries and curb the licentious behaviour of the monks by closing several of the worst-conducted monasteries and forcing their inmates to return again to civil life.

A

high official of Z inline" told me, in the course of a long conversation held with him on the subject, that

and good and bad He monasteries here as well as everywhere else. had, however, to confess that the Zimme priests were there

were good and bad

priests

" Well, there are decidedly below par, or, as he put it, here two bad for one good, I think." learnt that as for strong drink, the priests no longer make so much as a pretence of abstaining from its use. One

We

day, while

the

place,

paying a

my

host

visit

one of the dignitaries of

to

some

produced

refreshments, and as

we

capital

European

verandah indulging in them and smoking our cheroots, the head priest, a sort of bishop, and a most venerable-looking old man, was introduced. He had just returned from a long in the

sat

journey, and had

hastened to pay his compliments to

my

Greatly to

entertainer.

Buddhism was immediately French brandy. He drank and then begged that he

my

surprise, this

offered

light

of

a glassful of rare

with the greatest gusto, might be supplied with

it

another.

Previous to the investiture of a poongyee as head of the monasteries in the State, the tsobua, or prince, asks

him

if

he

will

obey

his

lawful

orders

;

and on

AMONGST THE SHANS.

152

being answered

him

the

in

authority

the

he makes over

affirmative,

over

all

ranks

the

of

to

priesthood.

The

high priest then asks the tsobua if he will listen to his intercession in favour of criminals condemned to

when

death,

ment

is

chief has

In the

it

too to

appear to him

shall

severe yield

for

the

that the

offence

;

to

punishwhich the

assent.

centre of the

town are the ruins of a large

It has a pagoda much higher than any of the others. square basement of considerable size and height, and

the whole of the wall, appears to have been arched In the same inand upper part, has fallen down. ;

the eastern gate, is a small building of brick, said to be the abode of a guardian nat, or deity it is of the place kept locked, and only opened once closure, near

;

a year, when offerings and sacrifices are made and within

the

were immolated and

bullocks

province

Human

is

It

building. at

are

his

is

human victims formerly, but now pigs that

said

shrine

substituted.

left

Every

house

obliged to contribute towards this

the

in

festival.

Mouhot, still according to offered up by the Steins, who are worshippers of nats, living to the east of the Mekong River in Cambodia. sacrifices

are,

These people have neither

priests

nor

the existence of a supreme they refer everything, good or evil

they recognise

whom him

"

;

Bra,"

and

yet

temples, being,

they

to

call

him in all cases. They genius, and attribute all diseases

invoke

believe also in an evil

any one be suffering from illness, they say it is the demon tormenting him and, with this idea, make night and day around the patient an insupportto him.

If

;

153

SHAMANISM.

155

able noise, which

they keep up until one of the party falls in a kind of fit, crying out, "He has passed into " my body he is stifling me They then question the new patient, asking him, first, what remedies to !

;

give the to

sick

abandon an ox

or

latter case

him up

man, and

his prey.

is

how

the

demon can be made

Sometimes the

required, often

a

human

sacrifice is

victim

;

a pig,

in

this

they pitilessly seize upon a slave and offer

to the evil genius.

have previously described the nat worship amongst the Red Karens, which is similar to that of the other I

hill-tribes

blance

it

The strong resemoccupying Indo-China. has to that of the Steins, who inhabit the

south-east of Indo-China, amongst whom M. Mouhot dwelt for some time, shows that the religion of the aboriginal tribes throughout the country is virtually the same, and so similar to the Shamanism of the old

Tartars as to leave

no doubt that

derived from the same fount.

it

must have been

CHAPTER Buddhists

The a

browsing last,

best

the

in gift

missionary

converts

The

race

ugly

A

character

distinct

Anamite

fold

An

France

of

X.

Giao-chi;

missionaries

for

race; purgatory a The Steins An tiger Hunting opening for missionaries Ancient belief of the Aryans, Chinese, and Jews Shanti Missionaries at Zimme'

worshipped by the Emperor of China

Voyage Its

the

up

population

Menam

Sir

John

Difficult

Need

the experience of both Catholic missionaries that

IT

is

a

convert 1

priests

gathered

Buddhist

have in

told

many

;

of

Population

further

it

that,

Hindus and

is

some

Roman

difficult

very of

although

of

exploration

and

Protestant

indeed,

me

mistake

Bowring's

Siam Census not published Siam an unknown country.

Bangkok

navigation

the

latter

had

they

hill-people

to

to

their

whom

they might truly count as Christians, yet the Buddhists were as goats amongst their sheep, and jumped in and out of their fold as it suited their

flock,

convenience.

They had merely

joined

them

for

the

sake of browsing, for some little temporary advantage, and could never for a certainty be counted as part of the

1

flock.

The American

missionaries at

Bangkok

told

that twenty-two missionaries had been sent out, of native Church members was thirty-four. 156

Sir

John Bowring and that the number

ANAMITE CONVERTS. It

amongst the

have

there

that

true

is

Anamites,

but

been

then

157

many

their

converts

religion

can

hardly be called Buddhism; it is a curious compound derived from many sources, and they have so little zeal in any one particle of the said olio that it is really difficult

know what

to

who would he wrote

naturally

the

that they

asserts

are

them.

call

of

speak well

best

last,

to

all

gift

M. de Carne, what was when

Fortune

of

to

France,

freethinkers.

seem to be an unpleasant people to have to live amongst.

to

Anyhow, they study, much more

Pere Legrande de la Liraye, the According to Anamites are the worst built and ugliest race in Their skin is coarse, of a dirty yellow Indo-China.

dusky than that of the Cambodians, but of a deeper hue than that of the Chinese and Shans.

colour, less

Their heads, rather sides,

and the

at

the

top, are

Their

behind.

particularly

angular, smallest

flat

broad at

faces,

flat,

the

bony,

have prominent and high cheek-bones, and flattest noses in Indo-China, and

mouths not only large but adorned with thick and which protrude equally from the face. fleshy lips

They have

little

Chinese.

the

pig-eyes, with

To

finish

off

eyelids

the

like

like

to

smaller,

turkeys.

Natural

have improved

What

this

if

they are any of the strut

about

can

hardly be said this account be true.

selection race,

of

picture,

and less vigorous than neighbouring races, have bowed legs, and

shorter,

those

most from other people distinguishes them is the distance that their big-toes are separated from the next ones, hence the flippant Chinese call them

AMONGST THE SHANS.

15$

Giao-chi,

1

"

or

Bifurcated

toes."

This

formity indicates their having been for a very long period, and very few bours, most likely none who could

a

general

race

distinct

of

their

avoid

de-

neigh-

have

it,

The peculiar big-toe, accordbeen crossed by them. Gamier, is, however, found amongst some ing to of the hill-people near Bassac, and is sometimes met with

among

the

The Anamite first

dynastic

race

yellow

in

extend

traditions

of

emperor

parts to the

China,

Yunnan.

of

time

that

of

the

wonderful

" controlled the waters," in whose engineer Yu, who time they were denizens of Tonquin and the region lying between it and the Yangtsi-kiang.

The

description given character of this hideous

by Abbe Gagelin and uncouth race

of is

the

quite

He says, speaking as displeasing as their appearance. " All sensibility apof his own Christian servants :

deadened amongst them

pears

and great that

them,

There

cheats.

the

nearest

so

is

they are very proud,

;

little

relations

affection

among

never think of em-

bracing; even a child, returning to his parents after a ten years' absence, would not think of such a thing. Among brothers and sisters it would be considered

almost a scandal.

ness 1

is

will

not permit

us

mission-

a child, not even a baby. This coldnot confined to their domestic relations under

to

aries

They

caress

;

Or

lated

Kiao-chi, written with Chinese characters commonly transThe oldest name in Chinese books, according to as above.

Terrien de

La Couperie,

is

written

with

different

characters,

which

surmised ("Marco Polo" vol. ii. p. 10 1 ) that "the syllables were originally a phonetic repre" as sentation of an indigenous name which has no such meaning

mean "Intermingled

" crossed toes."

basis."

Yule

has

an ardent sky,

HUNTING A

TIGER.

which should

warm

their stupid sang-froid, will

they, in

159

the imagination, not tolerate in a

Could preacher the slightest movement or gesture." Dante have invented a purgatory more complete for the torture of ardent French missionaries !

M. them

who had

Mouhot,

thinks

him rather hard

who had

often

suffered

judgment of a people

his

in

sheltered

exile

amongst missionary had done,

the afflicted

years, as

for

not

their

pastors

persecution at the risk of their lives. how he himself paints his Anamite lily, not is tion encouraging: altogether lively,

adroit,

times

in

Let us

of

his

see

descrip-

"They

and

that courageous," there seems to be

intelligent,

bad

are is

but a beginning, question as to the courage of the ordinary Anamite, for there are discrepancies in the accounts of travellers

not

a

which lead one to think that they,

like the

generality in facing dangers that

of people, are only courageous the habit of constantly they are in

Take, for

and

his

M. and compare

instance,

attacking a tiger, description of a

Mouhot

encountering. Mouhot's account of hunters

"

says

:

tiger

The

strength

is

it

with M. de

surprising

tiger of

to

equal

however, a couple of men armed merely with pikes.

Anam

will

his

an is

Anamite.

M.

terribly savage,

ferocity.

go alone

As

Game's

to

Often,

attack one,

soon as they see

the

powerful or more courageous of the tiger hesitates for a the two lowers his pike moment, and sometimes, if not pressed by hunger, turns and disappears with the rapidity of lightning;

animal,

the

more

;

but

at

other

times

he

will

make

a

spring

at

the

AMONGST THE SHANS.

160

the

does

of the leap

not carry him right over the man's head, he falls upon the pike, which the hunter then elevates by pressing the handle hunter, when,

if

force

on the ground. The second hunter now comes forward, and in his turn pierces him, and, uniting their strength, Now let us they both hold him down till he dies."

M. de Carne

according to him an Anamite, surprised by a tiger, treats him like a great mandarin gives him the very respectful title of grandfather, turn to

;

;

and

kneels,

meets

with

beats the earth

the fate of

grandmother

little

Red

his

and

forehead,

Riding-hood,

whom

her

ate.

Returning to the character of the Anamites, having heralded all the good points he can think of, M.

Mouhot

goes

on

with

his

as

description

follows

:

"

But they are obstinate, vindictive, dissemblers, liars, slow to get into a passion, but terrible and thieves Their dirtiness surpasses anything when they do. ;

have ever seen, and their food is abominably nasty. Rotten fish and dog's flesh are their favourite diet." I

quite refreshing to turn from the Christian. Anamites to the less repulsive, if heathen, hill-tribes. It

is

Even "

life in

"

savage

the fever-stricken

haunts of the so-called

more

Steins would be

in

accordance with

for although their superone's spiritual requirements sometimes lead them to vary their does stition ;

sacrifices of pigs

are

yet

gentle

slave,

they

and

very

hos-

in

their

Amongst them

pitable.

welcome

and oxen with that of a

;

the

fatted

pig

dispositions

a

stranger or fowl is

the loving cup produced, and

is

at

certain

once

of

a

killed,

bamboos handed round,

A STEIN CHIEF.

THE STEINS. we

use

to

be

A

follower of Sir Wilfrid

in

a predicament

used

eat

to

etiquette

of

refusal

as

a

straws

such

at

that

all

with

a is

feast,

for

before

set

is

cobbler.

sherry

Lawson would

bamboo

suction

163

find

himself

not

only you, but

considered

is

it

the

as

a

or rudeness. their Bowie-knives, great equivalent, are in vogue in this part of the country,

of

piece

and

more

insult

one

than

savage

has

for

paid

such

an

with a knife-thrust.

The

Steins display their hospitality still further by spilling a little rice before each meal, for the benefit and every day of the souls of their ancestors;

some member

family goes to the graves and sows a few grains of rice, so that the dead may have Offerings are likewise made to something to eat. their

of

ancestors

the

in

the

fields

and

other

places that At the end

they were in the habit of frequenting. of a long bamboo, which is planted in the ground, they suspend plumes of reeds; lower down are fastened smaller bamboos containing a few drops of

wine or water; and, lastly, on a slight trellis- work raised above the ground is laid some earth, in which they stick an arrow, and on which they throw a few of

grains

a

cooked

rice,

a

bone,

a

little

tobacco,

and

leaf.

In

the account

of

my

travels

through

the

South

China Borderlands, I called attention to the promising field there was for missionaries amongst the mountaineers of Yunnan and the Shan country lying to the south of it. These people are being, by the same gradual

process

that

has

acted

upon the inhabitants

AMONGST THE SHANS.

164

of the plains, slowly absorbed into Buddhism. Many of those in the independent Shan States have already embraced that religion, or rather added it to their own.

No

time should be lost by our missionaries in entering the field and rescuing these people from the atheistical

them already have a the Steins call him Bra, faint idea of a supreme being the Shans call him Phya and invoke him in all cases Then the Chinese, Tien and the Karens, Tie. of Buddhism.

tenets

of

Many

;

;

;

;

The the

the worship of Shanti, or Tien, is recorded in China. temple is said to of

religion

oldest

A

have been erected to him

2697, an d his attributes, according to Pere du Halde, are very similar to those It is of the Jewish Jehova. indeed interesting to that the

find indications

B.C.

most ancient

religions of the

Aryans, Chinese, and Jews were really one and the Shanti is still worshipped by the Emperor same. his ;

temple are

is

said

be

to

no traces of

the finest

idolatry

in

it.

in

China,

Either

and

the

there

remem-

brance of this worship, handed down from generation to generation, or else their later contact with the

Mahomedans, who have been settled for many centuries in Yunnan, or perhaps the neighbourhood of the Mussulman Malays, who have been in the Malay Peninsula

1

ever

since

their

first

settlement

there

at

the end of the thirteenth century, may have given the Karens this vague belief. Any of these assumptions

seems more

1

likely

Karens extend as

Peninsula.

than

far

that

south as

9

of

certain

writers

north latitude in the

who

Mala]

i66

MISSIONARIES have asserted, and

still

AT ZIMME.

urge, that the

167

Karens are no

other than the descendants of the lost tribes of Israel. 1

The good work

that

the American

Baptist Mission,

Judson in Burmah in and 1815, has done, has already been alluded to; I was pleasantly surprised, on reaching Zimme, to

which was established by Dr.

two

find

missionaries

One

and

their

families

established

them had been in residence for fourteen years, and the other, who was a qualified physician, for about four, happy in their Shan home. These worthy people had come to Zimme by boat from Bangkok, and described the journey as most Channels had to be dug through the shifting tedious. there.

of

sands, sometimes as often as half a dozen times a day, and so false was the bottom that work done by a boat's

crew

a

few

ing

morning was useless to craft followhours after. There were no less than

in the

where the river leaves the mountains below Muang Haut, and some of them had The boatmen had so great a fall as to be dangerous. behaved very well, and shown great courage, coolness,

thirty-two

rapids

passed

and judgment whilst running the

The

rapids.

river perhaps the navigating accounts for the fact that the inhabitants prefer travelling

difficulty

of

by elephants, ponies, or even

of water

they

are

bullocks, to

One can hardly same race who are seen

any

conveyance.

believe

the

at

A

sort

that

Bangkok,

few Jews who claim descent from the tribe of Asser, and say that they reached China during the Han dynasty (B.C. 206 to A.D. 264), are still found in the Chinese province of Honan, and are called 1

the Blue

Mahomedans.

AMONGST THE SHANS.

i68

where the inhabitants form mainly a

floating popula-

the chief thoroughfares are the canals, and the people may be said, without exaggeration, to live upon tion,

A

the water.

number of the houses are

great

actually

and can be moved about as their occuThe place has been so frequently piers may desire. described by travellers that I made no particular notes on

built

rafts,

The

1856 was given by Bishop Pallegoix as four hundred thousand and the Catholic missionaries with whom Sir John

my

during

stay there.

in

population

;

generally concurred

Bowring conversed

the accu-

in

racy of the bishop's estimate. Owing to the great increase of the inhabitants, arising from the immigration

of Chinese, and other causes,

it

is

now

generally allowed to be between five and six hundred thousand. It

is

a

very

difficult

matter,

indeed

an

impossible

compute the population of Indo-Chinese kingdoms from the official returns, even if they were proone, to

curable,

for

no

one

is

inscribed

in

the

census

lists

except the regular taxpayers. According to Gamier, this class does not include any one over the age of

seventy or under the age of eighteen; neither does it include the chaos (or ruling class), their families, or their slaves, and this latter class forms from onetenth of the population in the large provinces to onefifth in the small ones. The tributary tribes pay by

the village, and therefore do not have their names inscribed besides which, no direct tax is raised from ;

Chinese, Peguans, and other strangers been born in the country.

On

inquiring

at

the

who have

not

was

told

Siamese embassy,

I

CHINESE CULTIVATOR IN THE SHAN COUNTRY. 170

POPULATION OF SIAM.

171

that none of the inhabitants of the provinces of Luang Prabang, or Kiang Tsen was ever put

inscribed

Prisdang assured me that Sir made a great mistake in taking

Bo wring had list of those who were and that

;

if

that

list

to be

liable

the gross

military service as

dom

on the

Prince

list.

John the

Zimm6,

called

out for

population of the king-

were multiplied by

five,

it

would give a nearer approximation to the population. M. Mouhot says that a few years before 1862 the native registers showed, for the male sex (those who were inscribed), two million Siamese, one million

Laotians (or Shans), one five

hundred

thousand

thousand

fifty

and a

Malays, one

million

Chinese,

Cambodians,

fifty

three

million

hundred and

thousand

Peguans,

number composed of various tribes inhabiting the mountain-ranges. Taking these statistics and multiplying them by five, which Bishop Pallegoix allows

like

is

a

should have a

hundred and

of computing from them, we population of twenty-nine million nine

fair

fifty

way

To

thousand.

this

would have to

be added the Chinese and Peguans who had not been born in the country, and were therefore not among the

inscribed

tributary,

as

about

;

also

the

hill-tribes

that

and therefore paid by the one-seventh

of the

total

were

village

of the

;

merely well

as

above

for

the ruling classes, their families and slaves. This total would give at least thirty-five million inhabitants for

Siam Proper,

to

three million

for its dependencies, Zimme",

which would have to be added about

bang, and Kiang Tsen.

The

Siamese dominions previous

gross

to

Luang

Pra-

population of the

1862 would therefore

AMONGST THE SHANS.

172

be about thirty-eight millions, instead of from four and a half to five millions, as was stated by Sir John

Bo wring. The manner

curious

is

figures

reference

to

the

he

;

Sir

John

takes

that

states

Pallegoix,

which

in

official

the

his

Bowring got

statistics

given by "with that

Pallegoix says census, neither old

men, nor

children are ever spoken of by the Siamese. questions as to the number of the inhabitants,

women, nor

To

all

The number should many men. reply is, so therefore be estimated at five times the amount shown the

in the record.'*

He

then takes the record, but, instead

of multiplying the six millions shown in it by so as to arrive at the approximate number of

five,

the

population, he not only forgets to do so, but assumes that the six millions is an exaggeration, and diminishes it

as

I

have just shown.

How

the

statistics

Mouhot managed Sir

to leak out "

John Bowring

by

quoted

says,

is

The

Pallegoix

a mystery to records

M.

and

me

for

;

of the census

are regularly made to one of the high functionaries, who is restrained from communicating the particulars

any but the king and the ministers"; and still the case. The need of further exploration to

country lutely

main

in

is

self-evident,

the dark as to

lines of travel.

as

at

its

true state

Native

present

statistics

we

are

this

is

in the

abso-

away from

the

and information

are unreliable, and European observation is required. That Siam is a land-locked country without roads

and bridges, with tance

for large

its

craft,

rivers

owing

impracticable for any disto rapids, fierce

currents,

AN UNKNOWN and

quicksands

large population

;

that in

the

it

is

COUNTRY. very

173

and

fertile,

has

a

Menam, and by

valley of the

that it contains no means a sparse one in other parts about two hundred and sixty thousand square miles ;

of territory, and is very rich in minerals and in teakforests, the greater part of which is unworkable for want of good communications, is about all that we

know of the

immediate neighbourhood and of the tracks followed by the few

at present outside the

capital

travellers

who have

traversed interior Siam.

CHAPTER

XI.

Theatres as schools for manners Burmese contempt for the Shans Madras women sold in British BurMatrimony in Burmah Value of slaves in Cambodia, and French mah Siam, Laws of slavery Slaves from gratitudeCochin-China K'ai fak and K'ai kat Wives and children Voluntary slaves A lesson for servants Forced marriage Wives for sale Wives and husbands mutually responsible purchasing each other Bond-service

Heavy

interest

not

King's

slavery

Compound

interest

slaves

Debt-bondage

not allowed

Mortgaging

Consent of slave required Debtors in chains person A bill of sale Can change his master before he can be sold

one's

Slaves

gambling, and imGovernment in Siamese provinces Small pay, and

kindly treated

providence

exactions, of officials

Chiefs

and

Heavy

One-third

taxation,

of

the

people

Danger of feudal power

vassals

slaves

Clans

Weakness of

A nation of slaves Effect of slavery Railways required France is taking advantage of Siam's weakChinese traders ness Fear of France Enlightenment of the present rulers Siam

Siam

at present

Intended

our market

annexation

M.

French jealousy and intentions Blanscube's

programme

The

Siam's helplessness The French toils railway France's action depends upon us Our stake The protection of Siam vital to British Burmah Friendliness of the king to

French

Peace on the frontier Eagerness for our alliance The French a cause of disturbance in Indo-China A warn-

the English

ing given by

The Times.

a previous page

remarked upon the arrogance and intense conceit of the Burmese, as evinced in their This supercilious contempt for the Shans. IN

arises,

I

strange to say, not from mere ignorant boast-

A LAOS, OR SHAN WOMAN.

176

THEATRES AS SCHOOLS. but from the knowledge

fulness,

their

inferiors

the

in

of

art

that

177

Shans are

the

indeed

politeness,

mere

boors in comparison with themselves. Their feeling is analogous, in fact, to that of a public-school boy

towards

From

all

their

wearers

corduroy

babyhood

very

days and nights

of

they

breeches

have

home.

at

sat

out,

for

dramas, in which frequently the case,

in

succession, long

practised performers, or, as is people of their own village or town, have displayed the manner in which kings, queens, princes, princesses,

and other perfectly all

and speak, under There can be no doubt that this

polite people, act

circumstances.

schooling

mese,

has

imparted to

particularly

to

the

the

manners

women,

a

of the

polish

Bur-

which

is

seldom met with elsewhere outside the highest circles. Their language and their behaviour towards the poongyees, other,

is

or monks, full

of

their

gracious

rulers,

strangers,

consideration,

and each

refinement,

and high-bred courtesy. Even their seeming abasement before the monks, and their superiors, is looked upon as etiquette, to omit any particle of which would be deemed ill-manners of which the heartily

they

acted

sort of plays are

Siam and the Shan have

States,

must

influenced

render

life

at

times

both in

and there can be no doubt the

manners,

language, and habits of the people. tends to increase the courtesy of other

be

ashamed.

The same that

culprit should

more

thoughts, Anything that to

each

must

raise

people

enjoyable,

by giving them a better opinion of themselves, make them more manly, and N

them

in the

social

scale, and,

AMONGST THE SHANS.

178

in

time shame them out of the

indolence which leads

of the Siamese to prefer living the life of serfs, dependent upon others, rather than as free men, who so

many

must

world and face the consequences. rather a hackneyed saying that any one treading

battle with the

It is

on British

soil

becomes

free

it is

;

true that

case a slave can claim his freedom, but

it

in

is

such a

still

the

not only are their daughters sold into matrimony by the poorer Burmese in British Burmah, but natives of India bring women over from the Madras fact that

In the case them to the highest bidder. of the Burmese it may be said that the option of accepting a husband lies with the daughter, yet custom is This custom of strong, and few elopements occur. expecting a dowry from the would-be husband is concoast

and

sell

sidered only a just remuneration for the expenses incurred in the daughter's bringing up. On the other

hand,

with

who

ployed,

Madras women, middle-men are empay the expenses of the voyage, and

the

expect to be remunerated handsomely before they The traffic in Madras part with their dark bargains.

women

is,

of course, carried

woman

married, any

she chooses

few cases of

We

;

protection,

hundred

to

In

Siam

their

is

known

have seen that

French

rosa,

and,

unless

can claim her freedom whenever

but such this are

on sub

in

slaves

ignorance

that

have happened. Cambodia, which is

very

to

vary

in

value

under

from

two

& to $2? eight hundred francs, or from the value of a man is from 10 to ^20, a

1

M. de Carnd

LAWS OF SLAVERY. woman from

179

and children from twelve l to sixteen years of age from ^5 to slaves by 7J birth in the latter country can claim freedom, on 7^ to

12^,

;

6. Some of the laws reaching manhood, by paying of slavery in Siam give one such an insight into the character and customs of the people that they are

worth while quoting. "

Laws

2

of

slaves, viz.

There

Slavery.

are

seven classes

of

:

Left by 2. 3. By birth. Bought with money. Those who become so from 4. 5. legacy. By gift. i.

gratitude.

6.

slaves

Voluntary

in

time

of

famine.

Prisoners of war.

7.

These seven

may be

classes

claimed and compelled

work.

to

The work i.

following

six

classes

cannot

be compelled to

:

Manumitted

master has

Those slaves whom the Those become talapoins. 3 3.

slaves.

allowed to

whom their masters 4. When the master

2.

have

given to the talapoins. himself has become a talapoin.

Those who come to live round the man's house. Those who live upon his lands.

5.

6.

Slaves bought with classes i.

1

3

are subdivided into three

:

Those

slaves

who

Vincent says that thirty

price at Saigon for 2

money

Anamite

Bowring's Siam, vol.

i.

are

free

dollars,

about

girls.

p.

195.

Bonzes, poongyees, or monks.

by payment of the

^7,

is

considered a high

AMONGST THE SHANS.

i8o

(These must have a

debt. '

as

K'ai

fak.')

who

Those

2.

have no

and are classed

security,

are

security,

irredeemably. (These l K'ai kat.') are classed as

bought

'

and

Those who pay interest instead of working. Husbands may sell their wives, 2 parents their

3.

masters

children,

When must

children

When if

half

prison,

under the

full

they bleed. K'ai fak take their

slaves 3

in

are sold

be beaten

not

servants.

their

value, they

till

their

money must be

master's

remitted

they are K'ai kat, no part is to be remitted. If a man sell a slave, and after receiving the

up the man, he

place

but

;

money

shall

pay twice the price

three-quarters to the buyer, and

one-quarter to the

refuse to give

Government. buyer disapprove of a slave before three have elapsed, he may claim back his money.

a

If

months If a

master strike a slave so that he

be had upon

the

security,

punished according

die,

no claim can

and the master

be

shall

law.

to

Anything that the slave shall break after the money has been paid shall be added to the redemption

money 1

paper.

This class

is

not numerous

;

they are chiefly young girls who are no redress for the purchaser if the

There is parents. girls abscond, as they frequently do. 2 husband may sell a wife that sold

by

their

A

he has purchased, but not one

who has brought him a dowry. 3

It

arrested

is

a

for

very debt,

common to

masters can collect the

make

occurrence, their

money

to

slaves

pay

when take

with.

masters their

have

place

been

until

the

LA WS OF SLA VER K

i8r

minding cattle, he should be negligent, and but if more be given him they be lost, he shall pay than he can possibly look after, he shall pay half. in

If,

;

But not

bind

robbers

if

and

him,

steal

the

he

is

liable.

claim against the slave must be sold to another master.

Any he

cattle,

is

a

If

master

against her remitted.

insist

will,

made

before

upon a female slave

marrying half her redemption money must be

go to war in lieu of his master, or by the king's command, and fight there, all his redemption money must be remitted if he do not fight, half must be remitted. If a slave be placed to plant rice, etc., he cannot If a slave

;

leave

master

the

the

season

the

a master

If if

until

be

finished.

a slave, and then re-purchase him, dies, only half can be demanded for

sell

slave.

If,

when

rice

is

the standard price

when

rice

gets standard.

the

dear,

(6

cheap,

a

for his

slave

sells

women, and price

shall

himself below 7

for

men),

be raised to

a slave injure himself when at work, compensation shall be allowed according to the amount of If

injury.

a slave die in defence of his master, nothing can demanded from the security.

If

be

In

case

slave

who

demanded.

of any epidemic, and the relations of the is ill with it attend him, nothing can be

AMONGST THE SHANS.

182

If

a merchant have

habit his

of

ceived

1

slave

accounts

collecting

owner,

a

who

and

has been

selling

and that slave abscond with

on

master's

his

account,

in

the

goods

for

money

re-

his

master

cannot

smaller

selling

claim.

man have

If a

themselves to

several

wives,

the

higher

wives,

no

the

can

interest

be

2

they are all considered sisters. If a master wishes to get rid of a slave, and cannot, as

claimed,

he can take him

the judges,

to

and

if

cannot

they

him within three days, and another person buys him after that time, he must be K'ai kat.

sell

The

children

of

slaves

who

are

the

relatives

of

the master are free.

a slave run away, the money expended in apprehending him must be added to his account. If

Slaves

having

children,

the

children

must

be

charged for according to age. If the parents' price

is

below twenty- four

ticals each,

their children are not considered slaves. If

a slave quarrel with his

master, the judges will

not receive his complaint until he has unless it is a serious charge. If

1

a

slave

makes money while

The Shans who come

to

in

paid his money,

service,

Burmah with ponies and

at

cattle

his

are

generally slaves or serfs ; but though they could escape from their servitude by breaking their trust,-! have not heard of a case of one

doing 8

so.

The

wife

who has been

object of the marriage ceremony khan mak, takes precedence of all the rest, and she and her descendants are the only legal heirs to the husband's possessions. the

i8 4

DEBT BONDAGE. death

goes to

it

his

185

but

master;

he had

if

money

goes to his relatives. If a slave accuse his master of capital crimes falsely, he has his lips cut off; but if the charge is true, he it

before,

receives

his

Children

freedom.

always

accompany

the mother.

Two

slaves,

on the same paper, can be charged."

The above

having their names one of them run away, the other

husband and

are

if

wife,

generally literal

translations of the

most important laws. Slavery is hardly the term that should be used for the bond-service that is found in Burmah, Indo-China,

and the Malay Peninsula. called

army

of war,

Prisoners

who

are

king's slaves, are paid whilst serving in the or navy, and get their rice as well. They have

during three months of the year, receiving ten shillings a month as soldiers and one pound as sailors the remaining nine months they can employ

to

serve

;

as

they

slaves

Although the male children of king's

like.

are

classed

with

their

father,

the parents are

allowed the same privilege of selling their

daughters

that the Siamese have.

The debt-bondage interest

that

a month

cent,

months, after per cent.

and

there

is

carts,

or

cially

by the

from

given for loans

;

the as

heavy rate of

much

as

six

per

sometimes charged for the first three which time the rate is reduced to three is

Compound is

arises

often

other

interest

no

articles

parties to

is,

interest

which

whom

however, not allowed

;

required when cattle, can be used benefi-

they are pledged, have

1

AMONGST THE SHANS.

86

been given

as

a

security.

has not sufficient goods loan,

he

pay

the

pledges his interest,

to

If

the

cover

own person

he

;

party borrowing the value of the

and should he not

handed over

is

to

the

ruling

wander about in light chains, working on the public works by day, and linked to the other prisoners by night, until he is released by his friends paying his debt, or until somebody will do so and accept his labour in lieu of the interest, in which case he becomes a bond-slave until the prinpowers,

cipal

is

The

and

has

to

paid.

principal

Siam are slaves by These have either been

class of

slaves in

purchase, and redeemable. sold by their parents, or, when free, have selves.

No

one can

sold

a slave without his

sell

them-

own

con-

and any slave can change his master by borrowing from another man and repaying his master his manumission money. Every slave has his paper, the ordinary form of which is somewhat similar to the sent,

following

:

"

Wednesday, the 7th day of the waning moon of the nth month of the year 1217 of the little era. I, Know, the husband, and Nu, the wife, sell our son Pau to L'uang Lurassakon, for the sum of one hundred ticals (^12-^), our son being the slave of no on else, nor of the king. For the truth of which I and if the said Pau should myself responsible run away, I hold myself responsible for him."

hold

;

Bishop Pallegoix, who had been many years in Siam, was of opinion that slaves are as well treated in

Siam

as servants are in France;

and Sir John Bowring

DOMESTIC UTENSILS 1,2.

Dish of lacquered bamboo, with plaited cover. Wooden comb. 3. cooked rice. Ladle for water. 8. Bamboo lantern. 7.

for holding

4,5,6

Utensils

CAUSES OF SLAVERY.

189

informs us that they are treated so kindly that, whenever they are emancipated, they always sell themselves 1

Gamier,

again.

in

those

to

alluding

provinces, says that even savages and sold as slaves are treated so if

stranger,

long

were

it

not for

their

the

in

Laos

who

are captured kindly that, to a

physiognomy and

they would seem part of the family of their The same kind treatment of slaves is in

hair,

masters.

vogue, according to Dr. Anderson, even amongst the Kachyens, the wildest of the wild hill-tribes.

The

indebtedness of the people, which cipal cause of more than one-third of the

is

the

prin-

population of Siam being in bondage, arises from three causes heavy taxation, gambling, and indolent improvidence.

The

2

from eighteen to seventy years of 3 are age, on the inscribed lists in the Laos provinces, a head tax of icxy., a land tax of 266 pounds of rice, taxes of men,

and manumission from corvte labour the

value

of

i6s.

rice

to

be

6s.

,

Assuming about half what it

Rangoon, we have a gross taxation of The corvee money is generally apa man.

would fetch 2

the

2.

at

propriated by the governors, there being no check to show whether the people work for the three months on

This abuse doing so. to some extent on the ground that the

public works, or is

sanctioned

pay

of

public

pay

in lieu of

functionaries

is

inadequate

to

their

support. 1

According to Sir John Bowring, the Christians their slaves worse than the natives do. 2

Gamier.

8

Not including Zimme or Kiang Tsen.

in

Siam treated

AMONGST THE SHANS.

190

The four

cities

classes.

capitals

are

The

are

Muang ek. denominated Muang

resides,

prince

tributary vincial

and towns of Siam are ranged under The capital, and every city in which a to,

proand are

The towns of the third order, governed by a phaja. and those called Muang tri, have a phra for a ruler ;

of

the

fourth

class,

called

Muang

chatava,

are

governed by a luang. Every village throughout the The provincountry has a mayor, called a kamnan.

governments are composed of the governor, his balat and jokabat, i.e. lieutenant and deputy-lieutenant.

cial

A

dozen of the principal people form a council, called kromakan, which meets daily, and settles all affairs

At the end of November the importance. The princes receive their pay. principal officers receive ^200; the phajas from ^120 to ^20, accordof local

the phra and the luang from ^15 ing to their rank to while the pay of subaltern officers is from i\ ;

;

1

a wonder that complaints are heard of the exactions of officers residing far from the central 5 to /"2.

Is

it

authority and who are so badly paid In the provinces, not only are

population

said

dependent,

much

to be,

upon the

to

be

2

but

slaves,

?

of

the

clans

are

one-third

whole

as the Highlanders of Scotland used When the taxes are chaos, or chiefs.

the vassal be unable to pay them, he is frequently helped by the chief, who, on failure of the vassal to repay the principal with interest, can sell collected, should

him

as

1

a slave.

Sir

Many

John Bowring.

of the chaos, instead of taking 2

Pallegoix.

THE POLICY FOR SIAM. extreme

are

action,

vassal in

satisfied

191

from

with tribute

the

of presents and extra services to It is self-evident that the families.

the shape

and

themselves

growth of such feudal power must be very dangerous to a State like Siam, which has had so frequently to put down rebellions on the part of its tributary States.

duce

true

Its

the

power of the

by a service

At

India.

policy

similar

to

should

be

chaos,

and

to

to

replace

which

with

that

gradually

re-

them

we govern

not be

strong enough to govern the outlying bulwarks of the kingdom without their aid but, if railways are made, and communicapresent

it

may

;

tion

thus

firmer

facilitated,

of his

grasp

revolt before

the

king

dominions,

can show

its

be able to take a

will

to

repress

ambitious

by rendering the taxation of the people equal and therefore more bearable, do away with the fearful indebtedness which

it

head, and,

rapidly turning all his subjects into slaves, giving the trade entirely into the hands of the alien Chinese, and rendering them the only free men in his is

dominions.

Slavery

is

a canker which saps the manhood out of

a people, encourages them in indolence, prevents them from enriching themselves and the State, keeps them

backward

in

civilization,

poor

in

spirit,

and

unfit,

and

perhaps unwilling, to cope with another race that will not bear the yoke. It corrupts the nature of the masters, all

who,

wallowing

zest for vigorous

unfit to

their

in

action,

sensual

and

at

indulgence,

lose

length become as

govern others as they have become to control

own unruly

"

passions.

He

that loves

pleasure

AMONGST THE SHANS.

192

must

for

history

pleasure

fall,"

one of those lessons that

is

the

coast

increasing in carried on is

Chinese, and

other

Shans from

everywhere rapidly trade

The Chinese

never tired of repeating.

is

of

been

centuries

the whole Siam and the by them ;

;

the

north,

have

for

Burmah

Upper

through

permeating

are

carrying away the cotton, tea, and other produce in return for the salt and other merchandise Our Burmese subjects and that they bring down.

and

Siam,

the Chinese, with the Northern Shans, bid

have the whole trade of the country France, seeing the weakness of

fair

soon to

in their hands.

the

Siamese,

is

The King and his coveting the country. family are enlightened, having received a European education, and it is his earnest wish to raise his people already

in

the

social

scale.

The

difficulty

is

to

begin.

At

present he advances inch by inch, and falters on his course would fain lean upon England, but is afraid ;

of the jealous anger of France is afraid lest England should fail to aid Siam in any way when France ;

We

know that our advances with a threatening air. merchandise is found in all the bazaars of the country our Burmese pedlars were met by the French vending ;

our goods

at

Ubone, at Luang Prabang, at Muong De Carne found our rupee Line, and other places. was a redoubtable rival to the Siamese tical at Luang Prabang, and was accepted at the same value, although it

is

really

Burmese

worth

sixpence

offer the public

less.

English

He stuffs,

"

The says cotton checks, :

printed calicoes, woollen fabrics, buttons, and needles."

Korat, he acknowledges,

is

"

a vast entrepot, where a

A FRESCO IN A SHAN MONASTERY.

DE CARNE'S many Chinese have

great in

directions

all

"Travels

who go

settled,

cotton

checks

out from

territories,

it

and

through every part

In the concluding chapter of his Indo-China" he exclaims: "It will be

in

recollected

195

the Siamese

through

carry the English of Middle Laos."

VIEWS.

that

his

of

chief

Luang

Prabang's) States border on Tonquin that they are inhabited by a vigorous and pushing race (the Northern Shans) (the

;

;

and

that

we

commercial only

On and

one,

found

activity,

probably,

day when

the

firmly

evinced

which

capital

by a exists

our advice,

pressed,

by

subjects

his

in

have

shall

curbing

the

a

considerable

daily in

given

Siamese

the

Laos.

with

effected

ambition

market,

of

prudence, a union of

their

princes,

replacing the Burmese pedlars, the banks of the Tonquin (the Songka

Anamite merchants, will start

from

carry to Luang Prabang, and thus to the part of the middle and lower valley of the

to

River) greater

Mekong,

the

tissues

and

other

manufactures

of

Europe, at present introduced almost exclusively from These were the views of no ordinary Bangkok/'

Frenchman, but of the officer of the political department who was deputed to accompany the French

Government

in its of the expedition exploration country lying to the north of French Cochin-China. In another place he says "I know well that we :

Tonquin (M. de Carne died in was therefore written some years before the

are not established

at

this 1870 French treaty of 1874 with Anam, by which they got their footing in Tonquin) as we are in Lower Cochin;

China

;

I

am, moreover,

far

from being convinced that

AMONGST THE SHANS.

196

it

would be a

advantage to us to take immediate

real

possession of the direct government of this country but it is necessary that the Emperor Tu Due should ;

consent

to

tolerate

our

in

presence

to

it,

protect

attempts at any agricultural, industrial, or commercial made by our comestablishments which may be

When

patriots.

the voice of the Governor of Cochin-

China plays a greater part in the councils of Hue, it will not be long before it makes itself heard at Luang Prabang."

The

acquisition

Anam, and

of Tonquin,

the

Sia-

mese province of Luang Prabang, however, was no bound to his ambition. In an earlier part of his book he indicates

the

south-eastern

policy

portions

the

of

Siam

seems to have marked out the in

the

lower

part

French

of

of the

" :

field

Mekong

towards

Nature

we have valley.

the

herself to

clear

On

both

Mekong, the Se-mun, or Ubone, and the bound the zone within which our influence

sides of the

Se-don

behoves us to

On

prevail.

the right bank, the ancient

have just named seem to be Their productiveness, stimuinexhaustibly fertile. lated by new markets, by the opening of roads which the geological structure of the country makes easy,

Cambodian provinces

will

increase

the

membered by places

by him China,

exports of Saigon." the reader that Ubone

where he

The

goods. :

it

I

found

influence

will

It is

one

Burmese pedlars of

England

is

be

re-

of

the

selling

our

well

portrayed "Now that we are finally settled in Indobehoves our honour that the population of

the interior should learn to

know our name,

as

that

of

197

M.

the

has

coast

BLANSCUBES PROGRAMME. and

already,

199

England should no

that

longer be imagined by these ignorant people to be the

At Ubone,

only Western power.

which they persisted consideration

than

The

policy of the French

of

in

we

this title of English,

giving us, procured us more should otherwise have met."

M. de Carne has Government in

along been that the Cochin-China

all

whole valley of the Mekong, which forms three-fourths of the dominions of Siam, and the ousting of English influence and commerce, to be reacquisition of the

M. Blanscube, the French

placed by that of France.

delegate from Cochin-China who brought in the Bill for sanctioning the present expedition to Tonquin, has

taken

de Carne

up the mantle of M.

;

his

voice

is

eagerness by the French naThis diplomatist has been good enough to let tion. At a public meeting in us have a peep at his policy.

listened to with

Paris

the

trustful

he remarked of the

basin

" :

The mountains which

Menam

from

that

of the

separate

Mekong

peninsula (of Indo-China) into two All the western part belongs, parts almost equal. the eastern portion directly or indirectly, to England divide

this

vast

;

must

belong

Nothing

to

France."

be

could

plainer

This than

is

this

frank

language. programme of

M. Blanscube's it sums up part of the proposals of M. de Carne, and clearly defines the hope of Admiral ;

Grandiere, the late ambitious Governor of French " France may resume in IndoCochin-China, that

de

la

China the place she has

The Government ness

;

it

lost

Siam

in

India."

not wanting in astutefully understands the hopes and the designs of

is

AMONGST THE SHANS.

200

of France,

is

aware that Tonquin

desired as a base

is

for the conquest of the northern part of its

dominions,

even now being pushed up the valley of the Mekong from Saigon, in order to aid the French in their intended conquest of the south-east

and that a railway

This

provinces.

alluded

is

when he

to

the

is

said

railway "

:

Once

Blanscube

at

Luang Prabang, one branch will go to Ton-

the railway will bifurcate quin and the other to Yunnan, and :

M.

that

the products

all

peninsula and of China will flow to Siam, without exterior aid, must be unable of the

encroachments

the

condition

it

of

might be

France

;

in

vanquished

Saigon." to

resist

present weak with ease by any its

France" could force a protecEuropean adversary. torate upon it, which means very surely but the first France could crumble it up step towards absorption. and devour it by morsels, as it is doing Anam. Siam

Cambodia already torn from its our even protesting, and feels that it is has had

like

Carne's Anamite, who, his grandfather,

in its

default

useless to cry,

"

a

Don't, whipped child, that would not stop France out our help it would have to

it

without

flank,

when

don't,

please

in

career.

lie

its

down,

don't

" !

With-

like

M. de

faced by the tiger, called

and submit

to

its

fate.

At

present,

of an

inability

to

understanding with us, Siam, feeling has to crouch to its would-be resist,

oppressor, affects a leaning towards France, and dare hardly turn to us, until sure that she may rely upon

our

aid, for

fear

of rousing the

leading her to action. toils

anger of France and

The French

around Siam; only the

are spreading their other day a French man-

THE POSITION OF of- war

went

to

Bangkok

to force

It is true that King of Siam. demand that French employes on

should

line

the

not

203

a convention it

on the

only concerned the

the Siamese telegraph dismissed without the consent of

be

French consul

SIAM.

at

end of the wedge.

still

Bangkok France

If

is

it

was the

thin

allowed to think that

we

should only grumble at her annexation of Siam, as we do at the rapid approach of Russia to our north-west frontier of India, she will certainly dis-

member Siam.

she succeeds, not only will our way by land to China be blpcked, our trade with Siam and the Shan States stifled, but endless complications will arise,

which

If

will

end

the dismissal of either one or

in

other of us from the finest granary of the East Indo-China.

the

Although our stake it

is

infinitely

valley of the

greater

Menam

Siam

in

than

not at present large, If the that of France. is

opened up by railways and

is

Burmah system, our trade Even in the last year, owing

connected with the British

would rapidly increase. to a few more police-stations frontier,

The

our

land

trade

being

placed

on

the

very nearly doubled. to our trade and our

has

Siam is vital cattle plague ravages agriculture in British Burmah the herds in the latter country, and our chief source of supply lies in the enormous number that are bred in If we could Luang Prabang and other parts of Siam. not replenish our stock, our rice cultivation would be Siam is brought to a standstill or seriously diminish. protection of

;

breeding-ground for the elephants that are required for our military commissariat, our teak-forests,

the

AMONGST THE SHANS.

204

and of

our

Upper

Siam.

forests

those

opened out by railways, the between the seventeenth and

If the country

large

and

teak-forests,

rapidly being exhausted, and foresters now working those of are

our

of

many

Our

timber-yards. Burmah, are

is

existing

twenty-second parallels of latitude will become easily available and be a valuable source of supply. Siam a

is

our trade

;

protection

has

provinces to our subjects, when trading, are certain of at our request it has abolished all mono-

power;

friendly

;

polies

but

lightly

taxed

that

of

opium

both

;

it

its

opened

l ;

and

criminal

commerce

our

civil

is

suits,

but

where

our subjects are defendants, are heard by our consul our provinces have been linked to it by telegraph

;

lines

our

;

verts his

are

have

peace.

and

their

con-

The King and

European education schools have been founded in Bangkok not a received

a

;

;

required on the Siamese frontier, although bounds our territories for more than six hundred

soldier it

allowed to live in

relations

fine

are protected,

missionaries

miles

out

is

a

;

the

service

postal

kingdom

;

our frontier officers

no

is

being organized complaints are ever

of

incivility

or

the part of the tion

and

with theft

on the

The King and

is

made by

officiousness

Siamese governors, who, do their utmost to prevent

us,

through-

on

in

conjunc-

all

dacoities

frontier.

eager for a friendly alliance with us, aware that such an alliance means safety to his is

kingdom, and 1

A

is

the only aid that he can rely upon in

monopoly of

spirits exists in

Zimme'.

WARNING GIVEN BY "THE TIMES"

kingdom from annexation by the Ever since the Franco -Spanish war with 1858, when Turon was occupied by the

save his

order to

French.

Anam

205

in

they have been a cause of disturbance in The Times did well in reminding them, Indo-China. a few months ago, that on no account would we French,

neighbours, and that we might ere long have occasion to draw a line beyond which they would not be allowed to pass. That line should be

accept

them

as

the crest of the

and western are

the

States,

China.

Anam

frontiers

empire

and the present northern of Cambodia. Beyond that line hills

of Siam

and the independent Shan

through which country

lies

our

land

route

to

CHAPTER The

home

of

the

names for Description of the Youe

Shans

Origin of tattooing

The

XII.

Various

Different

operation

The

styles

Scepticism of the brooms at work in the monasteries strange

Buddhism and

Difference between

ALTHOUGH of

people

the

west,

from the

I

use the word

"

A

of Siam

France

of

The maxims

for

Regal

monks

Christianity.

"

Shan

denote a race

to

stretching from the far into the interior

valley of of China,

borders

on

of S'schuen,

races

Tattooing tribes

History

King

story

diverse

the

Assam, as

north,

well to

on as

the

Siam, it must be understood that the name is not used by themselves, but is merely that given to them by the Burmese. They generally 1 call themselves Tai, and add to the term the name

extreme south

of

their

studied

clan.

the

the

of

According

subject, the

following table indicated

call

to

races

those

Ney in

the

noted

Elias, first

at

who

has

column of

the

top

as

:

1

Or

For information regarding the terms Thai-nyai (Great " Thai) and Thai-nai (Little Thai), which latter term was formerly to the in Siamese distinction from the Great applied Thai, their kinsmen of Laos," vide Yule's "Marco Polo," vol. ii. pp. 259, 267. Thai.

206

NAMES FOR DIVERSE

RACES.

207

AMONGST THE SHANS.

208

Shan

Shans

Tarok, or Chinese

and

;

the

country of

Anam, or Cochin-China, Yun-gyee, or Great Yun. The Shans at Zimme call the Burmese, Man; the the Shans of Luang Prabang, Lau Peguans, Meng ;

;

of Kiang Hung and Muang Kiang Tung, Khian the Chinese, Hau of Muang Lem, Lem Yong, Li The Shans at Kiang Anamese, Min, or Kio. 2 Tung call themselves Khen those of Kiang Hung, Lu of Muang Lem, Lem of Zimme, Tai Nium the Mone Shans, the Mau Shans, Phong, or Tai Niu Khum the Siamese, Chou Tai, Tai Lao, and Tai Na the people of China, Hau and those of Anam, The Siamese call all the Shans living to the Kio. north and north-east of them, Laos, or Lau, merely nondividing them into classes, the tattooed and " " black-bellied tattooed, and designating them the of

;

;

;

;

1

;

;

;

;

;

;

;

;

and the

The

"

white-bellied

"

Laos.

unknown, but there is no doubt that it is very ancient, for it was in existence before B.C. 130, as is shown by a petition from the prince of Hoai-nan 3 to the emperor of China of that day, in which he says that " the people origin

of the

tattooing

is

which is said to have then been inhabited by a similar race of Demons, which is merely a term which the Burmese used for the hill-races. They still call one of the Karen tribes their present

Bhilu, or 1

position,

Demon.

The Chinese name

for

them

is

Kiao-chi

;

the Min, or Min-youe,

The language spoken in Fokien is were the inhabitants of Fokien. said, after the Sino-Anamite and the Cantonese, to resemble ancient Chinese more than any other dialect now spoken in China. 2

at

At Kiang Hung the people of Kiang Tung are called Khen, and Kiang Tung the people of Kiang Hung are called Lu. 3 Quoted by Gamier.

A CAMBODIAN.

309

TATTOOING TRIBES.

Youe shave

of are

and

light

and

their hair

tattoo their

weak

changeable,

211

and

body

;

they

The

idle.

country they inhabit is full of impenetrable jungles full of The rains are continuous, serpents and tigers.

and the heat of summer causes mortal the Chinese

used

the

word

"

the tribes to the south of them,

whether

The "

Youe spoken

the

Anamites

Little Tai,"

do

not

it

designate all difficult to decide

is

their

Shans

or

but

heads,

but a

all

As

to

were

of

shave

or Siamese, do,

"

Youe

illnesses."

not.

the

the top the same

tuft at

;

and we know that they used to tattoo in way as the Northern Shans now do, although they have quite discontinued the custom for some time. The Burmese, the Shans, and certain Burmanized tribes

the only people in the south

are

known

are

in the

north

to I

tattoo

am

their

body

not aware.

;

of Asia

who

whether any do so

The Khyen,

or rather

the portion of the race living on the western side of Burmah, used until lately to tattoo the faces of their

young women with narrow dark-blue closely

of

the

lines,

pricked so

The origin together as to resemble a mask. custom, which is dying out amongst those

our part of Burmah, is said, according to some of them, to have been to enable them to recog-

resident

nise

in

their

females

when they had been

carried off in

a foray by some neighbouring tribe others say it was to put a stop to the Burmese practice of carrying off ;

their

1

most lovely maidens. 1

" British

Burmah

Gazetteer."

tattooing in Indo-China see Yule's

For further information regarding

"Marco

Polo."

AMONGST THE SHANS.

212

The

operation is performed, except by the Khyens, on the male sex, and never commenced until

only the lad has

from the

the

waist,

knee,

and

the in

The whole person monastery. a line with the navel, down to

amongst the Shans Pe from neck to foot,

and

Muang

heraldic

the

left

of

figures

a

resembles

is

covered

tracery

of

pair

with

up

filling

so that the whole,

intervening spaces,

distance,

with

animals,

Muang Nan

of

a

at

dark-blue

little

breeches.

The arms and times more

used

is

lamp-black

sessamum as

back, amongst the Burmese, are someThe material sparingly tattooed in red.

generally,

with

with

requires,

but

not

water. first

always,

a fine hair pencil, and

is

smoke

the

or vermilion, as the case

oil,

occasion

from

obtained

may The

traced

be,

of

mixed,

is pattern on the skin

then tattooed

by a

in

punctures made by a long, pointed style, with a weight at the top, worked with the right hand, and guided by the left, which rests series of closely adjoining

on the

so joined to

the fore-finger and thumb sort of groove for the style

patient's body, with

work

as

form a

to

The

in.

three

or

four

solid,

is

pointed

style

portions

carried

;

an

like

by two slits up for about

divided

is

of

the

bottom

ordinary

enable

to

retain

joint, or

two

joints

and the

last

is

it

consists

of

which

is

piece,

lead

pencil,

right-angles to each three inches from the

second part

are

and

at

near the point, of an inch broad

these

brass,

fine

and about one higher up

;

and

other,

point

;

thirty-

these

slits

The next colouring matter. there are four, is a hollow tube,

the if

either solid, or

has a brass weight at

THE HISTORY OF

SIAM.

213

the upper end, sometimes plain and sometimes fashioned like a bird or animal, in order to give weight to the tool. The operation, which in Burmah and the

Shan of

country

is

manliness,

not

all

considered

is

painful,

On

once.

at

indispensable

and

done

is

in

each occasion the

as

a

sign

patches,

and

child

put

is

under the influence of opium, and death has frequently occurred through an over-dose of the drug being given.

The

various clans have different styles of tattooing

;

generally in vogue at Zimm6, although sometimes grotesque in its so fantastical details, is not

that

scroll-work of the

arabesques and wonderful Burmese, and consists to a greater

extent

Some

nor

of

the

as

well- imagined

bands.

of the

traditions

as to

the

or what have been given to the public as such by certain humorous Europeans, are the origin of the custom is really not worthy of belief origin

of

tattooing,

;

unknown, but

may have been

to

make

the tattooers

or,

what

is

the body to

still

more

make

it

more

either

fearful

likely,

from

to

their

the

wish

enemies,

by tattooing charms on

invulnerable.

To

illustrate

this

give an extract from a translation of the Pongsawadan, or History of Siam, which admirably displays the art the Siamese have of making

last surmise,

I

will

year of the cock 1019 (A. D. 1658) the King of Siam, hearing wonderabout France from a French ship- captain, ful tales 4