THE ETHNOLOGY OF SOUTH EASTtiK.Y ASIA. 



ID 



been from the dreary and inhospitable margin of the great central 

 plateau, to the fertile and genial vndlies and pining of the lower 

 basins on the east and south.. That die eastern tribal should have 

 attained the earliest and greatest development was a necessary 

 result of the greater size and fertility and the more temperate 

 climate of the alluvial plains of the Iloang-bo and Yang-tse- 

 kiang.* 



The j-dcondary districts of the Hong-kianp'or Canton river and 

 tho Tonkin, intermediate between the Me-kong and Yang-tse- 

 kiang, appear as an belated tract separating the southern from 

 the eastern divisions. They probably originally derived their 

 population from -ihe basins of the bounding rivers, and in early a^ra 

 they must long have been occupied by tribes disconnected with 

 those of the latter. 



The other districts not included in any of the great basins are the 

 following — 1st, the insular chain of Hainam ; 2nd, (he eastern or 

 oceanic face of the marginal A nam range, forming ihe whole 

 of Anam and part of Tonking^ 3rd, the H. W. or oceanic 

 face of the marginal ch flint of Puntiarna ; 4th, the Malayan 

 Peninsular chain, to which may be added the small hu^iu of 

 the Tavay river immediately to the north of the last proper 

 peninsular basin, that of the Tenant rim. 



The region as a whole presents, first, the western elevated plateaus 

 having a general slope from noilli to tjouth and from west to east, 

 separated by chains of mountains rising above the snow line, having 

 an exceedingly cold climate during the winter months, and a hot 

 one in summer when the southern vail its are warm and their vege- 

 tation luxuriant, but the plateaus arid and covered with clouds 

 of dust, like the vast desert wlreh lies behind them on the north. 

 The rallies and fertile parts of the plateaus are covered with grass, 

 in some places luxuriant, in most scanty. No trees are to be seen, 

 and the higher regions of the mountains present only snow, glaciers 

 and rocks. Beyond this the land slopes more rapidly on the east 

 and south towards the Pacific and Indian Oceans, but this slope 

 is at first only indicated by the rapid descent of riveis in deep 

 vallies, for great mountain chains, rising far above the snow 

 line and the highest ranges of the table laud, are so closely packed 



• The entire basins of these two rivers cover 537, 400 and 547,600 square miles 

 giving a total of 1,085/200 square miles. 



t For brevity and clearness we shall term the mountain chains which form the 

 water shed between two principal river luteins central chains; those which have 

 a basin on one side and the pea on the other, marginal chains; and those 

 which have the Bea on both sides penhmilar nml insular chains. The drainage of 

 the first is on both sides, and thai of the st-cond on one aide, into the central rivers, 

 while that of the second on one side, and that of the third on both sides, is into the 

 sea. The one kind of drainage presents a sucrcsslnn of small Insulated basins, 

 each directly uniting itself to the OeMUlta basin. In the oth«r these arc united 

 into one basin and mminnnicaTc « it h llir ikv.m l-\ u r mini on mouth, Th<» 

 ' thnoRraphir influence nf these two systems inuat aJwnya difler, but thi* diffrrenc- 

 varies with the civilisation. 



