KHAMTI TO INDIA 



without reservation and without delay to extract the benefits from 

 the fresh territory. 



We inquired of our interlocutors as to their origin. They 

 said the people of Khamti had always dwelt there, under their 

 own name of Thais, like the Laotians. The mountain tribes to the 

 east, west, and north of Khamti were known by the general term 

 Khanungs. One portion of the plain was called Lakhoum, and 

 another, comprising about a dozen villages in the west, Manchi- 

 Khamti. 



As at this point of the conversation we appeared to be on 

 such good terms with each other, we ventured to reopen the 

 subject of porters. In a moment our friends' faces were made 

 to exhibit blank amazement. To the watchword "porters" the 

 countersign was "presents." Everyone demanded something. We 

 perceived very clearly that short of actual molestation we had 

 fallen into a nest of brigands ; should we never shake off these 

 jackals ? A petty chief from Tsaukan put in for ten rupees ; we 

 refused, having already given him enough ; whereupon he laid 

 at our feet a sword-blade sent to us irom his people ; and when 

 that was also declined, said he could not take it back for very 

 shame, what would we offer i* — got rid of at five rupees. The 

 prime minister next claimed value for an ox ; — settled him, and 

 off" he went to confer with the king. The evening visits took 

 the form of emissaries, sent to urge their own, and to decry their 

 neighbours', merits. Altogether we received a lesson in dis- 

 crimination and diplomacy. 



Although at other times there was no regular market, the 



inhabitants preferring house-to-house exchange, one sprang up 



towards the end of our stay round our kiosk, chiefly for the sale 



of rice, vegetables, eggs, and potatoes. Salt was very scarce and 

 X 321 



