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conspicuous, growing in luxuriant profusion, and its graceful foliage 

 contrasting notably with the smaller leaved plants among which it 

 nestled. Here and there, from some prominent craig, a coup d'ceil 

 of the low country could be had, and the Taping — which appeared as 

 a mere silver thread — might be traced in its tortuous course along 

 the valley, from the Irrawaddy to its embrochure from the moun- 

 tains. The forests now echoed with the peals of laughter and the 

 wild songs of people fast approaching us. I was told these were 

 our nruch-dreaded enemies, evidently drunk, and cautioned to pass 

 them on the side their swords were suspended ; the reason for which 

 I afterwards learnt was to avoid the first cut, which is always a 

 horizontal sweep made in the act of unsheathing the sword. In 

 about quarter of an hour, we had met ; the party was made up of 

 twenty young Kakhyen men and women, all remarkably well dressed 

 in the costume previously described, but the latter appeared to have 

 more silver ornaments about them than I had hitherto noticed on 

 these people. The former were armed with guns, spears, swords, 

 crossbows, and poisoned arrows, and wore a couple of cock's feathers 

 in their hair, which added to their wild appearance. They stopped 

 to demand of us whence we had come, and where we were going, 

 but refused to answer any of our questions. Their eyes were fixed 

 on me the whole time, and after a few more questions, they took a 

 hurried look round at all we had, and started off with a fiendish 

 yell, which might either have been intended for contempt or 

 respect — I expect the former. 



Next we came on thirteen Shan-talokes on their way from Sanda 

 to Bhamo ; they had been robbed of everything they said, with the 

 exception of what they had on, and begged assistance of me : under 

 any other circumstance, I would gladly have acted the good Sama- 

 ritan ; but travellers are always liable to be imposed upon, so I thought 

 it as well to say I had nothing to spare. A short halt was made at 

 the stream where they were resting, to let my people quench their 

 thirst, while I listened to the full particulars of the robbery. 

 According to their account, it appeared they started from Sanda 

 a party of eighteen, with a quantity of silver, which they had 

 intended to exchange at Bhamo for cloth and other articles, this 

 being the trade they had followed for the last three years. As was 

 customary, they took an escort from village to village, and paid the 

 usual blackmail of Bs. 1-8 per man, or silver to that amount. 

 Shortly before reaching Malan, which froni their description lies 

 north-east of Bonelein (the village I was on my way to visit), they 

 were attacked by a large body of Kakhyens, overwhelmed, and 

 robbed of all they had, besides losing half of their party who were 

 killed in the engagement. They seemed to treat the matter in a 



