698 An account of some of the Petty States [Nov. 



undoubtedly do so next season ; the present one being too far advanced to allow 

 of their increasing their distance from home. They requested that an interpreter 

 should meet them at Zimmay ; — and from their repeated requests that he should 

 be at Zimmay in all November, in order to accompany them down, I feel con- 

 vinced these people will be at Maulamyne before the end of the year. With the 

 chiefs I found no difficulty whatever in obtaining their consent to their passing 

 through the country : no objection was ever hinted, nor have I reason to expect 

 that any will hereafter arise. 



" The imports by these caravans consist of copper and iron vessels, silk, (raw 

 and manufactured,) satins, gold and silver thread and lace, musk, walnuts, car- 

 pets, and vermilion. They export from the Shan country cotton, ivory, skins, 

 horns, &c. &c. From the information which I could collect, the caravan assem- 

 bled at Moungkoo, distant from Zimmay about two months' journey. Their goods 

 are conveyed by mules, and they would appear to travel rapidly ; as they asserted 

 they would not be more than twelve days from Zimmay to Maulamyne*. They 

 allow nothing to detain them on their journeys. If a man fall sick, or is dis- 

 abled, he is left behind ; and if one dies, they do not even stop to bury him, but 

 cover his body with a cloth and continue their route." 



Dr. R. left Zimmay on the 23rd February for Lagon, m a town 

 he had not hitherto visited. The following is his route : — 



" 23rd. Direction S. 65 E. Distance, 5§ miles. 



" Started at 1 p. m. and reached Paboung 108 at 3. 30. This is a small 

 village of only twenty-four houses, but the Thongyee, or head-man, has altoge- 

 ther about three hundred houses under his jurisdiction. The road was level, 

 through paddy fields, intersected by small slips of jungle. 



" 24th. Direction S. 20 E. Distance, 16f miles. 



" Left Paboung at 7. 35. At 9 crossed the May-quang, which runs past 

 Laboung and falls into the Moypiny to the southward. At 11. 40 we halted at 

 the village of Ma-wan-tchay 109 . The road throughout the day was good and 

 pleasant ; considerable cultivation, and the inhabitants numerous. The people of 

 the village where we have halted are all captives from Mein Neaung, who, never 

 having seen an European, were very curious, but, at the same time, exceedingly 

 civil and hospitable, having provided a dinner for my followers. An old man of 

 the village remarked to me, after we had been encamped a few minutes only, 

 that a Burman chief, travelling as I was doing, would ere this have tied up and 

 flogged some of them to shew his authority, and that neither he nor his father had 

 ever heard of a person travelling through a country merely to make friends. He 

 wished I would open the road to his native place of Mein Neaung. 



" 2bth. Direction S. 20 E. Distance, 13 miles. 



" The road to-day was through a teak forest and over several small hills lying 

 from a few yards to a mile distant from each other. Our guide to-day was a 

 Doctor, who was quite an amateur in his profession, and spread out all his me- 

 dicines under a tree and began prescribing gratis for our people. He had in his 

 store of medicine the thigh-bone of a dog, the jaw of a monkey, the vertebrae of 



* A small party of them have since arrived at Maulamyne in company with 

 the men sent to meet them. They made the march in 15 days and express 

 themselves satisfied with the market here. 



