183 7. j Journal of an Expedition to the Chinese Frontier. 1003 



of some Burman villages on the western bank of the Salween, who 

 they had been informed were willing to place themselves under them, 

 if a force was only moved towards the frontier to protect them. The 

 Burmans however met them with a large force and obliged them to 

 return. The Red Kareans had sided with the Siamese and were eager 

 that an attack should be made, with the sole view of getting a few 

 slaves for sale. This useless adventure was strongly opposed by 

 many of the chiefs, but the Chou Houa and Chou Raja Wan of 

 Zumue had their own way. They were, I heard, preparing to attack 

 some small towns on the eastern bank of the Salween belonging to 

 Mone, when 1 left. 



The Tsaubua is old, upwards of 80, he is a mild and well disposed 

 person, but now entirely given up in making offerings to the pagodas 

 and priests, so that the Chou Houa, who is a clever and able man 

 though naturally of a bad disposition, and much feared and disliked 

 by the people, is in fact the ruler, and has his own way on all matters. 



The states of Muang Nan ( which is as large as Zumue) and Muang 

 Phe, (smaller even than Labong) stand in the same relation to each 

 other as the other states before mentioned do. Cattle is abundant in 

 these. They produce more cotton than the others and a greater number 

 of Chinese visit them, and many even from Zumue go there to procure 

 a return load. 



These territories occupy the space between the Salween and Cambo- 

 dia rivers, but on the eastern bank of the latter lies the town and 

 territory of Muang Luang Phaban, said to be much larger in extent 

 than any of the others, and to be the capital of Laos. This place is also 

 visited annually by the Chinese caravans, but only one or two of our 

 traders have yet reached it, and they report the authorities are anxious, 

 as those of Muang Nan, to open a communication with us. 



The tribute paid by these states to Siam is small : the five first pay 

 theirs in teak- wood chiefly, floated down the rivers which pass through 

 each province, and fall into the Me nan. Muang Luang Phaban pays 

 its tribute in ivory, eagle- wood, &c. there being no water communica- 

 tion between it and Bankok. This last state is also said to be 

 tributary to Cochin China and China ; to the former it sends presents 

 triennially, and to the latter once in eight years it sends two elephants. 



With reference to the road that is travelled generally between this 

 and Zumue and by which I w r ent, it runs for six days over a flat 

 country, then the country becomes gradually mountainous and continues 

 so for 12 marches, to Muang Hunt, the frontier Siamese village situa- 

 ted at the foot of the range. The whole distance is much intersected 



