1842.] in Ava, to Aeng in Arracan. 1 149 



the fine, or produce his sureties, he is himself kept in servitude. 

 Should he escape and take refuge in another village, the inhabitants 

 of it immediately return him, if they have a proper sense of propriety ; 

 but if they do not, and refuse to send the Kicaam back when demand- 

 ed, war is denounced against them, and their village destroyed. The 

 murderer if taken is recommitted to slavery, it being expressly recom- 

 mended them by the Passive, not to shed the blood of each other. 



Theft is not considered a very heinous crime, but should corn be 

 purloined, the offender is obliged to purchase his own freedom, either 

 by finding a substitute, or paying thirty rupees. 



The Kicaams have no knowledge of medicine, but on the contrary, 

 appear to hold it in great contempt. When therefore a man is taken 

 ill, he is taken to the Passive, who first partaking of a feast prepared 

 by the friends of the invalid, recites incantations over him, and uses 

 the meteoric stone as a charm against the ravages of the disease. If 

 these do not prove efficacious, the man is left to his fate, and no fur- 

 ther exertion made to save him. 



Hospitality is a virtue which it is difficult to ascertain whether 

 they would put in practice or not; shunning as they do all intercourse 

 with strangers, the manner in which one intruding on their haunts 

 would be received, seems rather problematical. They, however, state 

 that if a foreigner was to fall in with one of their villages, he would 

 not be ill-treated, but they did not recollect such a visit ever having 

 taken place. 



From the wild cotton growing in the mountains, the Kicaam 

 women fabricate their own clothes, and even make enough to become 

 an article of traffic with the lowlanders. Silver is not procure in 

 the mountains, but iron ore is found in considerable quantity, and 

 with honey and dried fish, form their principal articles of trade; 

 these they carry into Arracan and Ava, and exchange for money, 

 or such articles of food and clothing, as their own wilds have denied 

 them. 



With the use of fire-arms they are generally speaking unacquainted, 

 and seem to hold them in great awe; their own weapons are the 

 spear, dah, and the cross-bow with a quiverfull of arrows. The latter 

 are made of bamboo, with the point hardened by fire, and doubly 

 barbed. They are deeply poisoned, and the slightest touch inflicts 



