1150 Report on a Route from Pakwig Yeh [No. 132. 



instant death. This poison is vegetable, and procured by making an 

 incision in the bark of certain trees, and collecting the liquor which 

 exudes. 



The frightful custom of tatooing the faces of the women, derives its 

 origin from a very curious story, and one that reflects much credit on 

 the inhabitants of the mountains. At the period when the Tartars 

 conquered the plains, and drove the Kicaams to the mountains, they 

 imposed an annual tribute on this persecuted race, and in default of 

 payment, used to seize the prettiest of the mountain beauties, and 

 collecting a considerable number, present them to their despotic sove- 

 reign, who selected from the groupe those whom he deemed worthy to 

 adorn his seraglio. To such an extent was this monopoly at last car- 

 ried, that the Kicaams in order to save their race from extermination, 

 persuaded all the servile women to sacrifice those personal charms 

 which drew such a dangerous distinction on them, a proposition with 

 which they immediately and cheerfully complied, and tatooed their 

 faces.* When these hideous creatures were presented to the monarch, 

 he sent them back in great wrath, and ordered a fresh search to be 

 made for new objects to fill his haram. It, however, proved fruitless, 

 all the young girls had undergone the test of freedom, and none re- 

 mained unblemished, save old women and children. Foiled thus in 

 his attempt to destroy the happiness of the inoffensive Kicaams, the 

 tyrant turned his views elsewhere, and no longer molested them. The 

 custom, however, still remained, and it is only latterly that it is falling 

 into disuse, the women never tatooing till between thirty and forty 

 years of age, and then it is a mere matter of choice. 



From the little I have seen of the Kicaams, I should suppose them 

 to be quiet, and entirely devoted to agricultural pursuits; but as those 

 individuals I have met with were mostly all living in a comparatively 

 civilized state under the British and Burman Governments, it would 

 not be a fair criterion to judge the generality by them, particularly as 

 all accounts agree in stating them to be savage, and addicted to plunder 

 and rapine. To judge, however, by their simple code of laws, they are 

 not by any means deficient in the knowledge of right and wrong, and 

 are quite aware of the footing on which men stand with each other. 



* The precaution is certainly superfluous with the present generation. 



