1864.] The Question of British Trade with Western China. 411 



The Province of Sechuen not less important to us than Yunan, is, 

 as far as I am aware, unaffected either by the Taiping or the Pansee 

 rebellion. 



To the West of Yunan Proper is a small cluster of Shan towns 

 under their several hereditary chiefs or Tsaubwas, commonly called 

 the Shan Shipyee or eight Shan States. They are, beginning at the 

 North, Maintee, Sanda, Mainla, Hossa, Lassa, Mowun, Maingmo 

 and Kaingma. These formerly belonged to the Burman Empire, but 

 were lost in the time of Shingpyn Shing, about 1769. On the 

 Pansee rebellion breaking out, the insurgents did not find it difficult 

 to obtain partisans among the disputants, invariably in the families 

 of the hereditary Shan Tsaubwas. By such influence they contrived 

 to get a peaceable submission to their sovereignty in place of the 

 Chinese; and many of the Shan chiefs are in their service, the 

 Nantia Tsaubwa, for instance, who is a Pansee officer under the name 

 of Taututu, and the Lookhyang Tsaubwa Siyintutu. The temptation 

 to oppression was, however, too strong, and several of the Shan towns, 

 unable to put up with the penalties of Mussulman domination, have 

 again thrown off their allegiance to their new masters and assisted the 

 Chinese commanders still holding out against the Pansee. At Bammo 

 I often conversed with inhabitants of these Shan districts and gathered 

 from what they told me that any settlement would be welcome to 

 them that would save them from being a prey to two enemies at once. 



Not unnaturally the Burmese government has been led to think of 

 resuming its former position in reference to these Shan States, impor- 

 tant for their teeming population, rich lands, and situation, and I am 

 informed on the highest authority, that some of the Shan towns have 

 invited the king of Burmah to take them into his dominions and 

 under his protection. As " quieta non movere" is, however, a maxim now 

 in much force in Burman policy, it is nob probable Burman dominions 

 will grow in that direction. Were these Provinces, however, to 

 become Burman territory, the political obstacles to communication 

 would be very much diminished, not only by so much more of the route 

 being under friendly Burman rule, but by the Kakhyen tribes on 

 the hills, being then pinched in between Burman authority on both 

 sides, and thus more easily compelled to respect the lives and property 

 of travellers, and cease their mischievous hindrances to trade across 

 their mountains. 



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