( 97 ) 



175. Mr. Cooper considering that there was no immediate hurry 



for reaching Tseekaw, we determined 

 coimt^ 01 esamiuation ° f the to make a thorough examination of the 



country en route, and share the benefit 

 of each other's note-books at the end of the day. We generally 

 left the moorings of the night previous at 6 a.m., and so arranged 

 that the first halt should be at some place of interest, where we 

 could wander about, and pick up information until breakfast ; after 

 which, we parted company for the remainder of the day, taking 

 opposite banks— knowing that the Taping was sufficiently tortuous 

 in its course to admit of our excursions extending some distance 

 inland, without fear of being headed by the boat which had orders 

 to follow us up.. 



176. The entire distance by water from the mouth of the Taping 

 m CT f T • to Tseekaw, has more than once been 



computed by different travellers at twen- 

 ty-one miles, though I am inclined to add another eight to the 

 estimate. Tamine, situated on the right bank, was the first village of 

 importance we stopped at, for breakfast. It contains about a hundred 

 houses, each enclosed by a high bamboo fence, and the whole sur- 

 rounded by a double stockade eight feet high of the same material. 

 These palisades, I am told, are not regarded as impenetrable, but 

 rather intended as a protection against sudden attacks, and to allow 

 the inhabitants time to defend themselves in cases of unexpected raids 

 by the Kakhyens, who are much dreaded in these parts. Judging 

 from the comfortable appearance of the houses, and the numbers of 

 well-dressed people we saw, this village no doubt is in a prosperous 

 condition. The population are entirely Shan-Burmese ; the male 

 community gain a livelihood by cultivating paddy, and the women 

 find employment at the loom, at which they spend their leisure 

 hours weaving the gay tamines and putsoes worn by themselves 

 and family. 



Within the stockade I noticed mango, Carica papaya, Anona 

 cliadata, JEgle marmelos, oranges, sweet-hmes (citrus limetta), Pu- 

 nica granatum, tamarind, Anacardium occidentale, Bauhimia, Jatropha, 

 and a very fine specimen of a Granadilla growing over a house. 



177. Some 150 yards beyond the stockade were two Ficus elas- 

 m „. , M . tica, even more luxuriant in habit than 



Two Ficus elastica. ,-, . n -r,-, -. . , T 



those noted at Bhamo, which I ac- 

 count for by their never having been tapped. Of their history 

 nothing could be ascertained, and when I asked permission to take 

 some cuttings, I was refused, and told the trees were the sole pro- 

 perty of the Loogyee, who was absent on a visit to the Woon. Though 



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