150 Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. [May 



Previous to the Mahomedan war wliicli broke out in Yuumin some 

 14 years since, an enormous trade was carried on between Burmah and 

 Taili, the present Mahomedan capital of that province. Starting from 

 Bhamo on the Irrawadi river, hundreds of caravans consisting of 

 thousands of mules laden with raw cotton and cotton piece-goods 

 annually found their way to Taili, but until within the last 3 years 

 that trade has been entirely destroyed ; since then, however, a fair trade 

 has sprung up, receiving but a slight check in the beginning of the 

 year 1868, owing to a civil war which broke out amongst the wild 

 tribes on the borders inhabiting the hill country which forms the 

 boundary between Yunnan and Burmah. This route in influencing 

 the trade of Western China will soon become a serious rival to the 

 trade at present existing between the eastern sea-ports and Szchuan, 

 and can only be successfully combated by the opening of Chung Ching 

 as a port to which steamers may run ; but, in the event of steamers 

 plying to Chung Ching, Burmah can never hope to influence the 

 trade of Szchuan. Considering the great wealth of Szchuan, it is but 

 natural to suppose that the appearance of the country and people, 

 would indicate in some measure its prosperity, but beyond the luxuri- 

 ant crops always to be seen throughout the year, such is far from 

 being the case ; even in the most thriving districts of Chung-ching, and 

 Chentu, every city shows dilapidated and ruined walls. Their public 

 buildings, such as temples, theatres, massive gateways and yamuns, 

 originally built in magnificent architectural style and ornamented in 

 a manner indicating the most lavish expenditure, all show decay and 

 neglect ; even the costly and massive stone archways, built over high- 

 roads by virtuous widows as a memorial of their departed husbands' 

 goodness, are in decay and suffering from neglect, as though they, 

 like every other thing of beauty in China, were works of another 

 people. As a rule, the inhabitants appear little better off in a worldly 

 point of view, than those of other provinces, and like the people of 

 the Eastern lands, they are but a sad reflection of an utterly cor- 

 rupt government. Bribery and falsehood have usurped the seat of 

 truth and justice among them, a perfection of subtlety is the highest 

 uim of their education and reason, a monstrous self-pride and selfish- 

 ness have long since destroyed that sympathetic feeling which binds 

 man to his fellow, and strengthens a people against the injustice of a 



