THE BOTANY OF THE KACHIN HILLS NORTH-EAST OF MYITKYINA. 221 
is used for making house-floors and walls ; a kind of waterproof 
coat, termed Li^kyeng by the Kachins, is also manufactured from 
the very fibrous tissue just within the rind. Among the Nanwa 
Marus the pith of this tree is boiled and eaten ; the sago obtained 
is however very flavourless and did not seem highly nutritious ; un- 
fortunately no specimens of this tree were collected. 
Besides the fibre obtained from the Caryota another fibre, appa- 
rently obtained from Villebrunea^ is used for making ropes. All 
the cloths manufactured by the Kachins are of cotton locally produced. 
Cotton is grown in small patches near villages ; the ground is 
carefully prepared, all stones and weeds being removed ; the seed 
is then scattered loosely over the surface and driven into the ground 
by the first heavy shower of rain. The surplus cotton crop forms 
the principal commodity exported to China in exchange for various 
necessaries and luxuries. 
The plant from which the inhabitants obtain their dark blue dye 
does not appear to be cultivated. It seems to be found pretty gener- 
ally wild in the virgin-forests, but the plant was never itself actually 
seen ; when asked for it was always spoken of as growing some 
considerable distance away. Its use is common throughout the 
Kachin Hills and in many parts of the Shan States; it is apparently 
the well-known rum of the Assamese {Strohilanthes flaccid ifoliui). 
A considerable demand exists among the Chinese for a small plant, 
common in the higher ranges, which yields a yellow dye. No 
specimen of this could be brought away, though the plant was 
pointed out to the party while crossing the mountains between the 
head-waters of the Taking Kha and the Nachawng Kha. Madder 
is also used as a dye by the Kachins, but the plant itself was not 
seen. No green dye seems to be known in the Kachin Hills. 
In many villages there were walnut trees, but the nut was usually 
very hard and thick-shelled. Small apricot trees were met with, and 
a kind of crab-apple {Docynia tndica) was also seen. In the upper 
valley of the Nachawng Kha, near Galing village, mulberry trees 
in ripe fruit were met with at the end of May. Yellow and black 
raspberries and brambles were found at elevations above 3,000 feet, 
some of them being fairly palatable. A Cinnamon^ either C. 
Tamala or an allied species, the young shoots of which have the 
cinnamon flavour and smell, was also met with, as was a Baer fruit 
(Zizyphus) ; the latter was very common but very sour-fruited. 
Along the foot of the hills mangoes and jack-fruits, always 
planted, were occasionally met with, as were litchis ; once too the 
fruits of Diospyros Kaki^ the keg^ were offered to the party Two 
