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a short distance of the amber mines. It numbers thirty-five Shan 

 houses enclosed within a stockade, and a custom-house, where all 

 duty on amber and jade is levied ; the inhabitants, though profess- 

 ing the Buddhistic faith, are nevertheless believers in demonology, 

 as was apparent from the votive offerings everywhere to be met 

 with about the village. Scenes of a most indecent nature were 

 witnessed daily : the men and women bathed naked, exposing their 

 hoc genus omne in a most bare-faced manner. 



322. Sunday, 1st March 1874. — Thermometer, 73° at 6 a.m.; heavy 

 dew last night. The river here commenced to narrow, and was 

 obstructed by snags ; the course was sufficiently winding to admit of 

 an inland excursion, at different times, without impeding progress. 

 The banks on either side are low, and extend to the base of the 

 hills, which vary in distance from half a mile to one mile : a little 

 further on, we came to a small pagoda on the right bank, situated on 

 a slight elevation of red clay : it is known as the Saithma Pyah, sig- 

 nifying Doctor's Tank, the idea being that, no matter what the 

 disease, all are cured who bathe in it. Here again we are carried 

 back to scriptural teachings, and reminded of the healing proper- 

 ties of the waters of the pool of Siloam. 



323. The building was in a good state of repair, and apparently 

 reverenced by the mountain tribes, as well as others : just about this 

 building, I collected some Fieus elastiea seedlings growing in the 

 fern previously mentioned and attached to a Bombax forty feet off the 

 ground ; fortunately, I had some good climbers with me, who were 

 always ready to risk their lives for a few annas. I shot some heron, 

 a peacock, and a vulture ; the latter was seated in its nest of sticks 

 with a lining of grass built on the summit of a high tree ; before 

 I fired, it swooped down on us three times in a most determined 

 manner, once nearly carrying away the steersman's go'ung boung. 

 I found two unfledged birds in the nest. Made fast for the night 

 at old Kamine. 



32-1. Monday, 2nd March 1871.— Thermometer, 73° at 6 a.m.; 

 dense fog ; heavy fall of dew overnight. The first part of the morn- 

 ing was employed planting the Fieus seedlings, of yesterday's col- 

 lection, in small open-work bamboo baskets, containing one part of 

 sand, and two, of vegetable mould. This was the original site of 

 the village of the same name lower down ; but a misunderstanding 

 between the people brought about the division. In a straight line 

 the two villages are not over three miles apart, but they are sepa- 

 rated by the tail end of a low spur of hills. The character of 

 the stream remains unaltered, though, perhaps, it has decreased in 

 breadth; the vegetation continues unchanged. I added Antidesma pa- 

 niculata to my collection, with numerous other specimens unknown 



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