1883.] Geography and Travels. 303 
without excessive rains, but to the north the country becomes 
sterile, and the population sparse, until in the extreme north fogs 
and rain are perpetually present. The people chiefly belong to 
aboriginal tribes, the Lolo Pai, and Maio, the Chinese being chiefly 
of the official class and resident in the towns. 
The natives are frank, genial, and hospitable, and have a more 
distinct physiognomy than the Chinese. The women do not 
crush their feet, dress in a costume not unlike that worn of old 
by Swiss and Tyrolese maidens, and catch their husbands by 
throwing balls to the young men, who range themselves on the 
opposite side of a gully. Whoever catches the ball wins its 
thrower, but she always throws it so that the right man can 
catch it. The couvade is still practised in some parts, as in Marco 
Polo’s time. When a child is born, the husband goes to bed for 
thirty days, while the wife looks after the work. 
Mr. Colquhoun’s journey was chiefly inspired by the desire to 
penetrate through the Shan States as far as Zimmé, a resolve in 
which he was unfortunately thwarted by the mandarin of the 
Chinese frontier town of Sstimao. He learned, however, that the 
Shan States are now entirely independent, since the Chinese with- 
drew their resident mandarin from iang-Hung six years ago, 
and the Burmese residents in this and other states were forced to 
retire within the last year or two. No tribute is now paid to 
either China or Burma. The most highly prized tea comes from 
the Shan States, especially from l-Bang, and is forwarded by 
Caravan to the Yang-tzse, and thence by river to Shanghai, so that 
it 1s too dear to be exported. 
The narrative of the travels of Count Szechenzi’s party, which 
Spent three years in Japan and China, and reached Rangoon in 
March, 1880, has been published. Little is added to geographical 
knowledge except altitudes taken in the Chung-tien plateau, with- 
in the great bend of the Kinsha-kiang. A map of the watershed 
of the great rivers is given. Upon it the Great and Little Irawadi 
are carried through the unexplored Pomi country to 32° N.; while 
the Lu-Kiang ( Salwen) and Lantsan-Kiang (Me-Khong) are traced 
to 34° N. and 92° E., within a short distance of the valley of the 
angtze-Kiang. The basins of five great streams (including the 
Sanpu Or upper Brahmaputra) are at one point crowded together 
into a space of 280 miles, and the water-partings are formed bya 
sertes of lofty ridges between Se-chuen and East Assam. 
t The Journey of M. P. M. Lassar from Askabad to Sarakhs and 
hence to Herat, the capital of western Afghanistan, has proved 
t the supposed great mountain chain of Paropamisas is nothing 
_ More than a line of sand hills less than 1000 feet in height. Con- 
os. there is no obstacle in the road of the projected Russian 
Tallway from the Caspian to Askabad, and from thence to Herat. 
P ekia - A Bourne has visited the Imperial Mausolea, east of 
in, forbidden ground to all. The great wall forms the northern 
