A CURIOUS BURMESE TRIBE. 329 



are a small, delicate people, whose brightly-beaming eyes contrast 

 strongly with their reserved behavior. The faces of the men as well 

 as of the women can not be called unhandsome. The head is oval and 

 well-shaped, the eyes are horizontal, the nose is strong and straight, 

 the ruddy lips are finely cut, and the teeth are blackened with betel- 

 juice. 



All the hard work among the Kacheen is done by the women and 

 girls, who are up in the morning at their household duties while the 

 men are still in bed. 



The woman does not venture to raise her eyes when she speaks 

 with her husband or her employer. She has no concern about the 

 business or enterprises that he is engaged in, but considers everything 

 good and unquestionable that he orders ; and the subjection of the 

 women goes to the extent that the death of one is lamented as a 

 pecuniary loss, because the laboring force is diminished by it ; and a 

 family that has several daughters is for that reason considered rich. 

 The women are all the time at work, cutting down trees, splitting 

 wood and bringing it to the house, cutting roads through the thickets, 

 driving the cattle to pasture, cleaning the house, getting the meals, 

 and weaving cloth. The men perform no manual labor, or, at most, 

 will once in a while go out into the field and show the women in a 

 rough way how the tillage ought to be done. Their principal busi- 

 ness is to visit their neighbors, to drink sheru (a sweet drink made 

 from rice), and smoke opium. Only in case of pressing need will 

 they take their mules and their women and go to Bhamo and get loads 

 of goods to take to China. Marriages among the lower classes are 

 mere business affairs, in which the dowry and physical strength of the 

 bride are the first considerations. Among the higher classes weddings 

 are regarded as important events, and are distinguished by particular 

 usages and ceremonies. 



When a death occurs, the relatives make the sad event known to 

 their neighbors by firing guns. When the friends are gathered to- 

 gether, a part of the number go into the woods to prepare the coffin, 

 while the others sacrifice to the household gods. The coffin is hewed 

 out, after sacrificing a hen, at the place where the tree is cut, and the 

 part where the head is to lie is blackened with coal. The corpse is 

 washed, dressed in new clothes and laid in the coffin, with a piece of 

 silver in its mouth to pay its ferriage over the river. The old clothes 

 of the deceased are laid, with a dish of rice, upon the grave, and rice 

 is scattered along the road on the way home. The mourners after- 

 ward assemble and celebrate the event with singing, dancing, and 

 drinking, as long as the sheru lasts. 



Persons who die by the sword are wrapped in a straw mat and 

 buried as soon as possible, and the friends build a hut for the wander- 

 ing spirit of the slain. A similar custom prevails with regard to those 

 who die of small-pox, and to women who die in childbirth. In the 



