1837.] 



from Ava to the Frontier of Assam. 



421 



macy of the Barman authorities, and their own subjection to the king- 

 dom of Ava. 



The new governor having succeeded by threats and the practice of 

 every art of extortion, in raising as large a sum as it was possible to 

 collect from the inhabitants of the valley and surrounding hills, an- 

 nounced his intention of returning to Mogaung ; and on the 5th of 

 April no intelligence having been received from Assam, Captain 

 Hannay left Meingkhwon on his return to Ava, with a very favorable 

 impression of the Singphos he had seen, who appear to possess great 

 capabilities of improvement, and whose worst qualities are represented 

 as the natural result of the oppressive system of government under 

 which they live. One of their chieftains in conversation with Cap- 

 tain Hannay furnished a clue to the estimation in which they held 

 the paramount authorities around them by the following remark. 

 " The British," he said, "are honourable, and so are the Chinese. 

 Among the Burmans you might possibly find one in a hundred, who, 

 if well paid, would do justice to those under him. The Shans of 

 Mogaimg" he added " are the dogs of the Burmans, and the Assamese 

 are worse than either, being the most dangerous back-biting race in 

 existence." 



On the 12th of April, Captain Hannay reached Mogauvg, and some 

 boats arriving shortly afterwards from the serpentine mines, he 

 availed himself of so favorable an opportunity of acquiring some 

 additional information regarding that interesting locality. He found 

 the boats laden with masses of the stone so large, as to require three 

 men to lift them. The owners of the boats were respectable Chinese 

 Musalmans, who were extremely civil, and readily answered all the 

 questions put to them by Captain Hannay, who learnt " that, al- 

 though the greater number of Chinese come by the route of Santa 

 and Tali, still they are only the poorer classes who do so : the weal, 

 thier people come by Bamo, which is both the safest and the best 

 route. The total number of Chinese and Chinese Shans who have 

 this year visited the mines is 480." 



" I have made every inquiry," adds Captain Hannay, " regarding 

 the duties levied on these people, both on their arrival here and on 

 their purchasing the serpentine, and I am inclined to think that there 

 is not mlich regularity in the taxes, a great deal depending on the 

 value of the presents made to the head-man. Formerly, the Chi nose 

 were not allowed to go to the mines, but I understand the following is 

 now the system carried on in this business. 



"At particular seasons of the year, there are about 1000 men em- 



