$98 Journal of an Expedition to the Chinese Frontier. [jDe6. 



coming by the road I had, that Kiang Hang was a town of theirs, that 

 orders had been sent to treat me with attention and settle all matters 

 connected with my mission, that our merchants were at liberty to 

 trade with them, and that their own traders over whom they exercised 

 no control could likewise visit Maulamyaing if they liked ; but if I 

 insisted in coming on, it would be necessary to refer the matter to 

 Pekin. 



It would have taken a year at least to receive an answer, and as it 

 was not difficult to surmise what the reply would be from that haugh- 

 ty court, I considered it prudent to let the matter rest, hoping that at 

 some future period more success might attend a similar attempt. 



The officers had invariably prepared me for the refusal, assuring me 

 that even they themselves had never been permitted to go beyond 

 Puer, and that only on most particular business, that the Chinese 

 were alarmed at the approach of an officer from any foreign state, but 

 our merchants would be allowed to enter certain towns for the pur- 

 pose of trade. On this point however I received many contradictory 

 accounts, and I am led to think that Esmok, which is a Chinese town 

 built close to Muang La, (a Shan town on the frontier and only 

 separated by a nullah ) and five days' journey from Kiang Hang or 

 Puer, called by the Shans Muang Meng, three days' journey further 

 would be the extent of their journey. I had during my long stay 

 visited Maha Devi — she regretted much I had not gone up during her 

 husband's lifetime, that he would have at once sent me on, and 

 apologized for not having shown me more attention. Of this I certainly 

 had no cause to complain ; I was in the habit of exchanging frequent 

 visits with the minister and other Tsaubuas, and I am satisfied left them 

 impressed with a high opinion of our liberality, justice and power. 

 They said they could only compare us w T ith the Chinese, whom they 

 praised highly ; that they were punctual and just in all their transac- 

 tions, that they insisted upon the regular payment of their taxes, and 

 wrote long letters about a few pice ; but on the other hand they never 

 took or kept any sum however small, that they were not entitled to. 

 They on the other hand never failed loudly to complain of the avarice, 

 &c. of the Burmans, whom they neither respect or regard. I endea- 

 voured to penetrate to Ava by Muang Lein and Thainni, or return to 

 Zumue by the road on the eastern bank of the Cambodia river, for the 

 purpose of meeting the Chou-kona of that place, but I regret to say that 

 I was most reluctantly obliged to retrace my steps by the road 1 went 

 up, in consequence of a despatch having reached Kiang Hdng from 

 Kiang Tung entreating the Talan Tsaubua to send me back there, as 



