FROM TALI TO TSEKOU 



short distance to the east, runs northward almost as far as 

 Atentse, southward to within two or three days' march of Yetchd, 

 and westward beyond the Mekong and the Salwen till it touches 

 the borders of the Irawadi ; but the DiokoJia only accounts to 

 China for his administration, that is to say the collection of 

 imposts, in the districts on the left bank of the Mekong. Indeed, 

 China, on the principle of divide tit imperes, and lest these 

 kinglets should become too important, has broken up their spheres 

 of power on her frontiers by the insertion of Lamas, toussous, 

 and other petty chieftains. The mokoita is responsible yearly 

 to China for the tax of the villages that possess rice-fields, forty 

 or forty -five taels per village, the Chinese families paying him 

 the iipi or ground rent of their holdings. He levies on his own 

 subjects every three years the tithe of their live stock, and to 

 him of right belongs the yearly issue of a licence to hunt called 

 the chamachu rni (price of the chamaclm or flying squirrel), 

 which more especially affects the Lissous of the Mekong right 

 bank. They must furnish besides, yearly and by family, four 

 tsiens, paid in cereals, wa.x, or money. Occasionally the niokoua 

 himself fixes the nature of the contribution. He for his part 

 presents, also yearly and by family, to one-third of his people a 

 plate of salt, to another third wine, and to the remainder meat. 

 The Christians are exempt from the corvee and from military 

 service, but not from the cereals or the four tsiens. 



On the first day of the year the niokoua receives a visit from 

 his Lissou subjects, who bring with them presents, not of duty 

 but of respect ; it would not be fitting to come empty-handed. 

 One offers some roots, another edible fungi, a third a pheasant 

 killed en roide. They then perform a dance before him — a round 

 one, in which sometimes as many as a hundred men take 



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