63 



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



Letter writing and remonstrance are utterly useless ; whenever it is 

 necessary, a compact expedition should be sent to chastise these 

 marauders, and when punishment has once been inflicted, like all 

 other Asiatics, they will crouch. Already has the unsafe state of 

 our N. E. frontier entirely destroyed the trade which a few years 

 ago existed, and has checked to a considerable extent the commer- 

 cial dealings which the Shan people carry on with our possessions. 

 The route through the Karennee territory and Shooay Kying has 

 been completely abandoned, and the more circuitous one via. 

 Toung-oo has been adopted. This trade is capable of great ex- 

 pansion ; and if the road was made tolerably safe, a very large 

 amount of British manufactures would find its way into the coun- 

 try of these Indo-Chinese nations. This debateable land lies be- 

 tween our frontier and the Burmese Shan country. The Burmese 

 Shans are a shrewd, intelligent, industrious people, excellent cul- 

 tivators and sharp traders ; and any extensive immigration of this 

 race into our possessions would be a real benefit, a gain far greater 

 than is ever likely to be realised from any indefinite number of 

 Karens. 



The firm and vigilant policy which we have recommended, is the 

 more necessary as the French occupation of the river Cambodia is 

 extremely likely to draw towards its basin that increasing commerce 

 which under the natural conditions, and with our advantages of 

 position and power, would chiefly benefit our manufactures. 



It is impossible to repeat too often that there is one influence 

 every Asiatic understands and obeys, from the Dardanelles to 

 Japan and that is fear, — the fear of a stronger power. We lose 

 sight very frequently of this simple fact, and attempt to deal with 

 the oriental world as we do with the world of western Europe. 



In the foregoing pages we have accidentally omitted to say any- 

 thing regarding the taxation of the Yoon-tha-lin Karens. This is 

 light enough, a capitation tax of 1 Rupee per annum on each 

 single person, of 2 Rupees on each family man, and a land tax of 

 1 Rupee per each " Da" or wood knife, are levied. Beyond this 

 they contribute nothing. Each Tsaukay collects the tax on his 

 own individual village, and makes it over to the Thoo Kyee or 

 revenue collector of the district, In the judicial department the 



