182 
Account of the Chinese Caravans 
[June, 
X . — Some Account of the Chinese Caravans which annually visit Ava, 
[Communicated in a letter from Major Burney, dated Ava, 9th March, 1831.] 
The Chinese traders visit Ava between the months of January and April. They 
come from two principal places in Yunan, in China; from T,heng-ye, which the 
Burmese call Mo-myen or Momien, and the Shans Menang-men, or Meng, and 
from Tali. Both of these places may be seen in most of our maps of China : the 
former, under the name sometimes of Tong-ye-chew, Chew being the Chinese 
term for a city of the second class. I had supposed this to be the Menang-Meng 
mentioned by the Chinese, who travelled overland from Siam to China in 1652, 
until I learnt that there is a second town of the same name, situated more to the 
eastward, and called Menang-Meng-Lao. But the Burmese name Momien would 
lead one to believe, that it is the same place as Mien, which the Tartars conquered 
from Ava, in 1272, as described by Marco Polo (See Marsden’s edition, page 441) ; 
and the Burmese and Chinese, with whom I have conversed on the subject, admit 
that Momien, which is only a corruption of the Shan Menang-Meng, belonged at 
one time to Ava. The Caravans consist usually of 500 to 1000 men each, and are 
25 days travelling from T,heng-ye to Ava, and 30 or 35 days from Tali. Their 
merchandize is brought in bamboo panniers on small ponies and mules, each of 
which has a load seldom exceeding 100 lbs. in weight. These animals are in a 
miserably poor condition, and they are directed on the journey by dogs, some of 
them of a large size, like the Kamtschatkadale species, or like the wild dog near 
Nipaul, described in Bishop Heber’s Journal, only much larger, (Octavo edition, 
vol. 2d, p. 221). These dogs are emasculated, and one of them has, usually, charge 
of 15 Ponies or Mules, which he keeps from straying out of the road on the jour- 
ney, and watches at night ; on which service he has been known to attack tygers. 
The Caravans put up at a village situated about 13 miles to the north of Ava, 
(six tainggy and not miles t as Air. Crawfurd reports in his work.) The village is named 
Made, and inhabited by a good many Munipooreans. The Chinese put up within 
extensive palisaded enclosures, sending their cattle out to the country to graze. I 
have made repeated visits to this village, accompanied by a Chinaman who under- 
stands English and Malay, and I have been much interested and pleased. The in- 
side of the enclosure is as full of men, merchandize, bustle and talking, as a large 
Junk which has just arrived from China at one of the eastern ports. Very few of 
the traders understand Burmese, but there is always a head man who acts like the 
Supracargo, or Captain of a Junk, superintends all sales, and is referred to, and 
apparently much respected, by the rest of the Caravan. He has under him a 
writer, who superintends the weighing, and keeps an account of the sales. I was 
surprised to see so few Burmese near the Caravans. Besides two or three collec- 
tors, with a small establishment of 10 or 15 men, there are no Burmese guards 
or peons to maintain the peace, or watch the Chinese, who are allowed to go about 
the country as they please. 
The merchandize imported by these Caravans consists of copper, which is 
brought in the shape of pots and other utensils, the unwrought material being pro- 
hibited to be exported from China, coarse raw silk, hartaC or yellow sulphuret of 
arsenic musk, and the skin of the animal which bears it ; hams, honey, paper, large 
rr;r n pans ’ " ttz - Utsq **.«., chestnuts, 
andied fruits, pears of the China kind, (being something between the apple and 
pear, and not very good,) and several others, what are called chow-chow articles. 
