1883.] S. E Fen]— Notes of a trip tip the Biking. 51 



They extend somewhat to the north, and also a little southwards, and 

 have colonies in the valley of the Nam sang or Disang, the tributary of the 

 Irawadi about three days east of, and parallel to Mil kha. 



As the trip practically ended here I may as well summarise the results, 

 some of the information was new, and some of value as either corroborating 

 former reports, or useful for checking them. First as to the direct route 

 east up Dihing, or Diyun kha, past Bisa, Bishi, and Khomong for Mung 

 Kamti, I learnt that the route as far as I went, and possibly to Khomong, 

 was not so very difficult, was in fact much easier than I had expected as 

 far as the Dapha Pani, being in the main a wide flat valley, and not a 

 gorge. 



From Khomong it is said to be ten days to Manchi, and the route 

 soon leaves the Dihing or Diyun, crossing Songsan group, though between 

 December and February snow may lie on the passes. This route or " Song- 

 san bat," then goes to, and down the " Mung lang kha" from which a 

 path leads north-east to Manchi, and the Mung Kamti villages. It is 

 reputed easier than the Tsaurang bat route followed by Wilcox in 1827, 

 north of Phungan Boom, and also shorter. A difficulty on each being 

 that it is all uninhabited, and supplies for some ten days or so must be 

 carried. Indeed, now there are fewer villages than when Wilcox passed ; as 

 between Pen or Kusan, and Khomong, while some five or six are mentioned 

 by him, there are none now. The signs of former population we saw pretty 

 often, and always where indicated on Wilcox's map ; though the names are 

 sometimes oddly spelt, thus his " Insoong" is the Nchong, " Puseelah" is 

 Bisa-la, " Koomkoor" is Kum-ku. At each of these there were villages in 

 1827, as also at Oglok and Lujong. 



The want of villages is insisted on, by the Singphus and Kamtis them- 

 selves, as the greatest difficulty, as people mubt now travel fast and have 

 no time to spare, either to look for easier tracks, or improve those in use. 

 At the same time it is not so very long ago that these villages existed, and 

 that, '-Lall Chand Kyah" sold his wares on the Mbong yang plateau east 

 of Dapha Pani, as I am told. 



This want of population (which is also a drawback on the route over 

 Patkai to Namyang for Hukong), does not exist to the same degree east 

 of the Mli kha, whence there are several routes east, over low hills, 

 then a central ridge, occasionally snowed, and down to the Disang or Sang 

 kha (called also Nam sang), a journey of some three days. Thence they 

 say the route crosses a range dividing this Disang from the Do ma or Nam 

 Do Mai, also a tributary if not the main stream, of the Irawadi, and which 

 is known under so many names.* East of this there are ranges north and 



* Shue mai, Sgin mai, Shuey mai, or Shoe mai, Zin mai Phung mai Kha, Myit 

 nge, Do Mai. 



