THE ETHif6L0er OF BOOTH EASTERN 4BTA . 25 



the generic name of Khani and in China under that of Si-fan, are 

 spread over all Tibet to the northward of the depression of the 

 Indus and Zangbo, and eastward along the greater wart of the 

 eastern margin of the inner division to a considerable distance 

 within the boundaries of the Chinese Provinces.* They p$)babiy 

 come in contact with the inner tribes of the Brahmaputra and 

 Irawadi baains 3 and are intermixed wiih the most westerly Chinese 

 tribes pfid the Mangolian tribes who chiefly occupy the northern 

 and N.E. portions of Tibet. 



The ethnology of the E, middle division is very obscure, and will 

 probably prove to be of extraordinary interest. In a region of 

 which a great portion is inaccessible from lofty mountains and 

 snow, many of the inhabited districts must still be secluded. 

 Numerous oetty tribes must retain their ancient independence and 

 their aboriginal languages and rn; oners, and it is probable that 

 amongst the former some will be found intermediate between the 

 Chinese, the Burmese and ihe Tibetan, This region promises to 

 be the richest for ethnological discoveries of any that yet remains 

 unexplored in Asia, or perhaps in the world. All the S. E. Asian 

 tribes appear to meet in it. On the south the tipper division of 

 Burraah and the Chinese province of Yun-nan ace Known to con- 

 tain many rude tribes akin to the Burmese and the Lau and all or 

 most of the Turanian races who now occupy the lower basins of the 

 rivers which descend through this region must have been derived 

 from it. The great provinces of Szc-chuen and Kan-suh are also 

 known to contain rude tribes, and the languages or even the more 

 civilised communities of the hitter are peculi iivf In r lie western part* 

 of these provinces the Kham or Sitan of Mongolian hUhta, and the 

 true Mongol tribes of the Mongfan and Kukuuor Tartars meet the 

 Chinese tribes. In the S. the Mongfan are in contact with the 

 most northerly tribe of the Irawadi basin, the Khanung. The 

 civilised Chinese have pushed themselves imo all tin- more ojinn 

 and fertile portions of the western Provinces. It is through the 

 Province of Kan-sun that the great trading route lies which i on- 

 necte China with Western Asia, and the movements along which 

 most in all eras have affected the distribution of the tribes of mid* 

 die Asia. 



The outer division is occupied by the great bulk of the Chinese 

 peoples in its eastern se- tion or in the basins ot the Petho, Hoang-ho, 

 Yang-tse-kiang and Hong-kiang, the subject Mongol tribes extend- 

 ing along i he northern boundary. The S. W. section is occupied by 

 the Anamese in Tonkin and Anam, the Muong and Moi in the 

 mountains separating this region from the valley of the Mekong; 

 the Loi or L ham (Champa) Xammen, or Kommen, (Kambojans), 



• They &rt found to the west of the Yalong and probably in acme place* reach 

 to the Yun -ting mountains, 



t According to Chinese writers some of the eastern Tibetan dialect* approatoaatu 

 totheChiDCMu 



