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my hands, — " when yon go to Pakoo on the other side of the river 

 asi for my sister Mooroorah ; she is young, and will make you very 

 comfortable." Some of the children had English rupees strung 

 round their necks, which, I was told, served both as an ornament 

 and charm against the evil eye, the Burnian coin, however, is 

 merely appreciated for its intrinsic value. As a specimen of the 

 workmanship, I purchased a bamboo basket here for two annas, 

 the texture was remarkably fine, though not nearly so good as one 

 that was refused me as belonging to a woman who prized it, in 

 remembrance of her deceased mother. There is only one bamboo 

 they say that can be utilized for such purposes ; it is called by the 

 Kakhyens messangye. Shot two peacock-pheasants, painted par- 

 tridge, and a hare. Round the village were cultivated yams, 

 plantains, limes, chillies, pumpkin, poppy, and Lablab vulgar e and 

 sugarcane. Buffalo hides were being collected here for some mer- 

 chant trader, and realized one Rupee each. Mogoung can be 

 reached from here by land in a day and a half, the route being 

 through a flat country. 



245. Continued northwards, reaching Talo by 3 p.m. opposite 

 is the Shan-Burman village of Khoung-phoo. The river had gra- 

 dually narrowed to about one hundred and fifty yards, but in other 

 respects the stream had remained unaltered. The country to the 

 west is undulating to the water's edge, but to the east the hills 

 are far distant, and the plains wooded principally with a Shorea, 

 from which the gum is collected and exported in large quanti- 

 ties to Mandalay. Clearings of considerable size for paddy culture 

 have been common. En route met a party of Kakhyens washing for 

 gold. Shot an otter, a pelican, a Brahmini duck and a fine 

 Ketupa ceijlonen.sis that had just captured a fish (Oreinus) weighing 

 eight pounds, off which my people made a hearty meal. Talo 

 not long since was a place of great importance , but, owing to the 

 disturbed state of the country, the trade with western China via 

 this route has ceased, depriving the Kakhyens of the handsome 

 revenue they derived as guides and escorts, and reducing them 

 to a great state of poverty. They are alive to their loss, and had 

 now guaranteed protection to Talo and all traders who came 

 there : they had also presented the Governor of Mogoung with 

 a pair of elephant tusks in hopes that he will assist in re-establish- 

 iog the western trade. This move on the part of the Nangsing- 

 toung Kakhyens had caused much jealousy among the neigh- 

 bouring mountaineers, who threatened to bum down Talo and the 

 adjacent villages. In the evening I called on the royal phoon- 

 gyee, a young man of about twenty-seven : he was courteous, but 

 reticent in public ; and accepted the presents placed before him, 



