1837.] 



from Ava to the Frontier of Assam; 



409 



distance of nearly a mile : we were preceded by the Myo-wun's people 

 carrying spears, gilt chattas, &c. and at intervals during our walk, a 

 man in a very tolerable voice, chaunted our praises, and the cause of 

 our coming to Mogaung. Several women also joined the procession, 

 carrying offerings of flowers and giving us their good wishes." 



The Myo-wun appears to h;ave lost no time in availing himself of 

 the advantages of his situation, for on the very day after landing, he 

 commenced a system of unsparing taxation, to enable him to pay for 

 his appointment. A rapid succession of governors within a very few 

 years, all influenced by the same principle, had already reduced the 

 inhabitants of Mogaung to a state closely bordering on extreme pover- 

 ty, and the distress occasioned by the exactions now practised was bit- 

 terly complained of by the wretched victims of such heartless extor- 

 tion. The Shan inhabitants of the town were employed by the Bur- 

 mese officers to enforce this excessive payment of tribute from the 

 Singphos and Kakhyens of the surrounding hills, which had led to 

 much ill-will on the part of the latter, by whom they are stigmatised 

 " as the dogs of the Burmans." 



" The town of Mogaung" says Captain Hannay, " is situated at 

 the junction of the Namyeen or Namyang, and the Mogaung or Num~ 

 hong rivers, and extends about a mile from east to west along the 

 bank of the last named river, the west end of the town being bounded 

 by the Namyeen khyoung, which comes from the district of Monyeen 

 in a direction S. 43 W. The town of Mogaung, strictly speaking, is 

 confined within what is now only the remains of a timber stockade. 

 Outside of this, however, there are several houses, and within a 

 short distance a few small villages are scattered about, but even in- 

 cluding all these, there are not more than 300 houses. Those with- 

 in the stockade are inhabited by Shans, and those outside by Bur- 

 mans, Phwons, Assamese and a few Chinese. The latter to the num- 

 ber of fifty reside here, and are under the authority of a Thoogyee 

 of their own nation; — they derive a profit from their countrymen 

 who come annually in considerable numbers to purchase serpentine. 

 Amongst them I saw both blacksmiths and carpenters, and, for the 

 first time since leaving Gangetic India, I saw the opera! ion perform- 

 ed of shoeing horses. The Shans, inside the stockade, reside in 

 large houses, such as I formerly described having seen amongst the 

 Phwons ; — the Burmans and others live in the same description of 

 houses as are to be seen in every part of Burmah proper, but all bear 

 signs of great poverty ; and if it were not for the Chinese, whose 

 quarter of the town looks business-like and comfortable, I should say 



