219 
at Mogaung is well washed, dried, and minutely examined, ball by ball, 
before it is sealed. Those Kachins who have received advances from 
Li, make the refund by selling to him at half the current price, until 
the amount of the debt is cleared off. A small quantity of rubber, as I 
have said, is collected by uer agents of the lessees. Up till quite 
recently there were only 10 or 12 of these agents. They travel from 
distriet to district making ud from Kachins. The price paid is 
nominally the same as at Mogaung, but as the Kachins possess no 
standard weights they are usually cheated to the extent of about 
70 per cent. This profit on the difference of weight more than pays all 
the expenses of the agents. In November of last year a new and 
hitherto unworked district was open ned. Lin, one of the monopolists, 
the Amber mines. Objection to this inroad was at once made by the 
local Kachin tsawbwas, who insisted on the right of working the forests 
themselves, and declined to admit other labour. ter much discussion a 
compromise was arrived at on the following basis. Two hundred of the 
new coolies were to return at once, the remainder were to be allowed to 
collect rubber under the superintendence of the Kachins to whom they 
were to pay 10 per cent. of the quantity collected. The place of the 
200 dismissed coolies was to be taken by an equal number of Kachins 
who were to be paid for what they collected at the rate current in other 
districts. Under this system matters have so far worked smoothly; it 
was expected at Mogaung that at least 20,000 viss of rubber would be 
obtained from the new forests this season. 
In most cases India-rubber is subject to certain charges whilst in 
transit through Kachin districts other than those in which it was pro- 
ced. The tsawbwas of such places usually take a very moderate toll, 
perhaps two or three balls out of each hundred. = long as these charges 
do not amount in all to more than 10 per cent. no complaint is made, 
But this proportion is sometimes largely ird and in ^ 
a remonstrance, nearly always successful, is made b ‘the Chinese to the 
tsawbwa or tsawbwas who have helped themselves too liberally. Posaw, 
the ex-Myoók of Mogaung, was of great service to the Chinese in 
arranging disputes of this nature between them and the Kachins ; since 
his flight a regular expenditure in presents to the tsawbwas has become 
necessary in order to keep the amount of transit dues at a reasonable 
ve ber comi 
wn to Mogaung the Chinese beste d and the Kachin owner bear 
the iios | in equal shares. The Kachin, however, is amply co sat 
by being housed and fed at the sche of the Chinese during his stay 
in Mogaung. 
The circumstances a the past year have been very favourable to the 
prod di been 
stric 
apprehension caused by the visit of ee Bae M 
country, gos or no work m attemp! i q 
the a numbe Kachins dd Shans KTE employed at 
the sty in able t o alee their services to the India-rubber traders, 
e 
u 
e profits realised tliis year by the lessees mus considerable. 
There are no means at Bhamo for ascertaining how much India-rubber 
they have already sent down to Rangoon, but it is gst here that 
before the end of their term thay. wil have collected at any rate, if not 
hipped, something over 150,000 viss, I estimate that a total collection 
