

1864.] The Question of British Trade with Western China. 413 



9. The Burmese frontier is still officially supposed to be on the 

 east side of these Kakhyen hills, and but a few years ago, there were 

 Burmese and Chinese stockades on the western and eastern sides of 

 a little stream, the Lncyline, that marked the limit between the 

 respective territories. Although this outpost has been withdrawn, 

 and the Burmese, now, have no troops further East than Bammo, the 

 Kakhyen chiefs still acknowledge in theory the Burmese Suzerainty, 

 those near Bammd coming into the town at the call of the Governor, 

 and, to a certain extent, obeying his orders. 



The Shan villagers along the Taping creek assured me that fifty 

 years ago, there were scarcely any Kakhyens in those hills, but peace- 

 ful Paloungs, who have been gradually displaced by them. Signs of 

 former population and extensive culture obtrude themselves upon the 

 attention of the traveller, and corroborate the native assertion that 

 the Kakhyen nuisance is one of only recent growth. The inhabitants 

 very naturally, and, perhaps very justly, throw the blame on the 

 Burman government, whose local officials, careful only for the revenue 

 of to-day, neglect the duty of protecting the people, and leave them, 

 their lands and their property, a prey to these wild depredators whose 

 power for mischief might be not only curtailed, but effectually des- 

 troyed, were a little timely energy used towards them. 



In the late conflicts between the Chinese and the Pansees, these 

 Kakhyens have often mixed. More generally favourable to the Pansees 

 because they are rebels against the Chinese, who used often to punish 

 them, they have helped in their very rough way either side, according 

 as their immediate interests prompted. Their feelings towards the 

 Chinese may be imagined from what the Chinese themselves told me. 

 "■ In old times" said they " the Kakhyens on our side of the frontier, 

 were much afraid of the Chinese officials. How many villages have 

 we burnt and how many men have we killed, to punish their robberies 

 of our caravans. Several thousand men would go up and surround a 

 village which had committed some outrage, and burn and destroy 

 every soul and everything ; but still after a few months a fresh village 

 would spring up near the same spot, and it would be as bad as the 

 former." 



With some of the chiefs of the Kakhyens, on the mountains east of 

 Bammo and Taiping, I became acquainted ; and there is no doubt but 

 that these chiefs are keenly alive to the fact, that, not only are they 



