54 



Notes on the Karens. [No. 11, new series. 



such a class ; in appearance they are well made, rather slight but 

 exceedingly active. A strange mark distinguishes them ; on the 

 broad of the back is tattooed an outspread leaf of a tree. A good 

 many years ago the Karennees were a people under one ruler, sub- 

 sequently they separated into Western and Eastern Karennee, who 

 are at constant feud with each other. The former is the weaker 

 State, and has always sought our acquaintance ; the latter much 

 more numerous has shown its hostility on every possible occasion. 

 Beyond the Karennee country live the Burmese Shans, commonly 

 called the Ko-soolivah or " nine principalities." These peo- 

 ple are evidently a Mongolian race, and possess strong trading pre- 

 dilections. Every cold season considerable caravans of them come 

 into our territories for the purpose of buying, selling, or bartering. 

 Lastly there are the Toung-thoos or hill men, very like the Shans 

 in appearance ; but very little is known of this people. 



We thus have White Karens, Red Karens, Siamese and Burmese 

 Shans, and Toung-thoos, — all distinct races, — at least the one can- 

 not understand the language of the other, — and however tedious 

 this enumeration may be, it is essential to enter upon it, for with- 

 out some such explanation the history and customs of the Karen 

 people could not be well understood. 



The want of a written language, the consequent absence of all re- 

 cords, and the imperfections of a rude oral tradition, render any 

 attempt at stretching the past history of the Yoon-tha-lin Karens 

 by no means easy. The people themselves know very little of their 

 own history, and what little is learnt from them, is so mixed up 

 with fable and superstitution that it is difficult to trace the thin 

 vein of truth amidst so much improbability and so much absurdity. 

 Their own statement is, that they originally came from the table 

 land to the northward, now inhabited by the Karennees, and that 

 about three centuries ago they were expelled from thence and mi- 

 grated towards the south. 



Whether at this period they were one united people or whether 

 at a much earlier stage of their history a separation into different 

 tribes took place, it is now impossible to say ; but the fact remains 

 that at present there are three great divisions of white Karen 



