Discussion on the Origin of Varieties. 227 



reply. He is the oldest missionary in the hills, and 

 very intimate with the language, the people, and their 

 legends." 



Mr. Jones writes as follows, dating from Shillong : 

 "The right way of spelling the different names of 

 oranges is this : 



Bengali. Khasi. 



1. Kamala . . . Usoh niamtra. 



2. Naringi . . . ,, Sim. 



3. Moglai . . . ,, myngor. 



4. Satkara . . . Kuid. 



5. Kaki . . . niang-riang. 



6. Khaterjanni . . Kymphor. 



" I have never found a Khasi who could offer the 

 remotest suggestion as to the derivation or meaning 

 of niamtra, though I have asked a great number of 

 persons, and it is the same with regard to the word 

 sim. The latter is the Khasi term for a Raja. The 

 Khasis call the best sort of Bananas kait sim. It 

 may be that the Khasis used to look upon this fruit as 

 the best among the oranges. They have not any 

 legend or tradition as to how or whence the oranges 

 were introduced into this country. The invariable 

 answer is, ' God put them in our country, and how can 

 we know anything about them ? ' ' 



In BlackwoocTs Magazine for September, 1886, there 

 is an interesting article by Major-General A. R. Mac 

 Mahon on "Burmese border tribes and trade routes" 

 (vide Appendix, No. 2). It states that a century 

 before the Christian era the Emperor of the Han 

 dynasty fitted out an expedition to find its way through 

 S.-W. China to India, but his plan was frustrated 

 by the Shans, who then occupied Yunnan. The Shans 

 were eventually expelled from their country, and, gain- 



Q ^ 



