14} S. E. Feixl—I^otes of a trip up the Diliing. [No. 1, 



was considered most opportune, as the Gam's wife before mentioned, had 

 presented her adopted husband with a son, I was informed that had I not 

 appeared auspiciously, it might possibly have turned out a daughter ; I also 

 here met a young Singphu chief from Hukong named "Urup no," who had 

 come over to espouse Eanka's second wife, a rather good specimen of a 

 Singphu girl. Urup no, gave me some little information, and confirmed 

 more, regarding Hukong. He had travelled down Dinoi for some distance, 

 towards Somjok which he called Somshok. The Lanier, or nam Pagna, he 

 also called the Pang-lai-kha. 



Though anxious that I should see Hukong, and certain that I should 

 be well treated, he told me, it would be necessary to obtain the consent of 

 the Gams ere going, and that simply as one chief's son alone, he could not 

 invite me officially over. He corroborated what I had before heard as to 

 the difficulties being not so much of a physical nature, as the dealing with 

 such a disunited series of petty chiefs all bent on extorting as much as 

 possible, and in fear of no paramount authority. Passage from the Bur- 

 mese side he considered far easier, if with the Woon's consent. I gave him 

 a few sundries " to shew his friends," as he said, such as a spring tape 

 measure, and electro table-spoons, also a few sorted beads, among which 

 large red and blue bugles, pleased him immensely, not that he would wear 

 them, for Singphu men do not care for beads, but as something quite 

 unique. 



As a sample of a chief's son, he was above the average perhaps — tall, 

 well built, a fine expressive face, plenty of long straight black hair rolled 

 up in a knob on top of his head, good hands and feet. His manner was 

 authoritative and at times excitable, and when playing a favourite game with 

 cowries and dice, he could dash them down and yell out as loud as any of 

 them. The little M. H. carbine of course took him immensely, and the 

 accuracy of its fire at 200 yards, at the same time he recognized its useless- 

 ness to them on account of the difficulty of the cartridges. 



I also here at Bisa saw two more of the Mung Kamti party, and learnt 

 a good deal from them as to how the Kunungs smelt their iron ore which 

 is of two kinds, stone-like, and sandy. It is converted in a small furnace 

 of hour-glass shape, to which blast is applied from 6 or 8 pairs of the usual 

 vertical-tube bellows, the pipes from which converge to the furnace, in the 

 centre, and relays of men work the blowing. Fresh ore and fuel (of char- 

 coal) is now and then added, and after about 12 hours, the ore is formed 

 as a flattened lump at bottom weighing about 4 to 6 seers. Hammers and 

 anvils are of stone, the former held by a creeper and often with two han- 

 dles. The bellows, a pair of tubes made of the large Wra bamboo, with 

 feather-edged pistons and vertical rods to hold, there are no valves I be- 

 lieve. 





