THE "ETHNOLOGY OF BOTTTH EASTERN *9U. 



does this appear to have boon mainly indigenous. In the western 

 plains the culture has, in great measure, been of Chinese, Indian, 

 and western origin. The number of foreign settlers must at all time* 

 have been small and incapable of affecting a change in the physical 

 character or language of the native races, save in India, Arracan 

 and the rest of the western seabord. The tribes that hive been 

 successively subjected to the civilising influences of the Oceanic dis- 

 tricts, appear to have all been offsetts from the native races of the 

 interiJitr. * There has probably been much displacement and mix- 

 ture. Amongst the existing hill tribes there are doubtless remnants 

 of races once in possession of the vallies, as the Kyens assert them- 

 selves to have been of that of the Irawadi before the advance of the 

 May a ma peopre down the basins of the Koladan and Irawadi. At 



fweseni the most important of thecivilisi d races in possession of the 

 ower plains and vallies are the Chinese, preeminent amongst all the 

 peoples of Eastern Asia for numbers and civilisation, and who for 

 a long period have been slowly extending their population up the 

 basins and into all the larger vallies of the middle division, 

 gradually dispossessing and separating the ancient tribes* No 

 other part of the world probably exhibits a similar advancement of 

 a civilised race, under the pressure of population, from the plains 

 into the heart of a vast alpine region. Their combination of 

 enterprize with well disciplined and patient industry, gradually 

 overcomes all physical impediments, for wherever any other race 

 can find a footing and bare subsistence the Chinese can flourish. 

 The advancement and civilisation of the Chinese, after their early 

 discipline in contending with inundations, appeal's to have been 

 mainly owing to the size and intimate connection of their two 

 great basins which have caused the growth and ultimate amalga- 

 mation of populous and industrious nations. The southern division, 

 on the other hand, is much divided by mountain chains and its 

 basins are comparatively small, wanting in compactness, and 

 deficient in continuous alluvial tracts of great breadth, This has 



• The native condition of the Mayaraa race in particular Is well represented by a 

 larRe number of highland tribes in the basins of the Koladan and Irawadi, and the 

 B. E part of that oi the Brahmaputra. The habits of these tribes have a wonderful 

 resemblance to those of the inland lank -haired races oi ^ I ndoiiesla, Such are the 

 JKiikii Bmgjtif Khumi, Lunkhd, Sfttnrfu, Mrung f Toung~mru, the numeroua 

 tribes known by the generic names of Hingphu (including Kkatang, Kaphok, 

 Lophalf Khaku t &e.) and Nag«, the last constituting a distinct family of the same 

 alliance, but having much more of a Tlbeto-Indian character. There is hardly a 

 minute trait in the legends, superstitions, customs, habits and arts of these tribes and 

 the adjacent highlanders of the remainder of the Brahmaputra basin, that is not al»o 

 characteristic ot some of the ruder lank-haired tribes of Sumatra, Borneo, the Phili- 

 pines, Celebes, Ceram and the trans- Javan islands. 



The existence of Negro tribes in the Anaiu chain and in Formosa and the trace 

 they have left of their ancient presence in Japan, when taken in connection with 

 their great extension in India, the western side of Ultraindia and Asianeaia at a 

 period undoubtedly antorwnr to the advancement of K. Asian peonies into the 

 fatter, render it not improbable that the first Turanian tribes who extricated 

 themselves from the alpine land and descended into the outer basins found Negro 

 Ulbee scattered over a large part of the shores of S. E. A<na. 



