Chapter I: Preface

Seven years have elapsed since the date of the expedition which furnishes the subject of the larger portion of this work. Its results have been recorded, but can hardly be said to have been published, in the official reports of the several members, printed in India, and not accessible to the general reader.

The public interest in the subject of the overland route from Burma to China, called forth by the repulse of the recent mission and the tragedy which attended it, has suggested the present publication. It is hoped that a compendious and popular account of the expedition of 1868 will be acceptable, if only as an introduction to the simple narrative of the mission of this year, commanded by Colonel Horace Browne. The statement of the difficulties which beset our advance in 1868 will prepare the reader to estimate the opposition which, under a changed political condition of the country, compelled the mission under Colonel Browne to return without accomplishing its object.

The narrative of our experiences of the border country between Bhamô and Yunnan, and its motley population, has been supplemented from materials collected by Colonel Sladen, including a catalogue of Kakhyen deities obtained by him, and which will be found in the Appendix, along with a Panthay account of the origin of the Chinese Mahommedans. To him, as well as to my fellow travellers, Captain Bowers and Mr. Gordon, I gladly record my obligations for the information that has been derived from them.

For many details illustrating the condition of Yunnan and the Mahommedan revolt in that province, I am indebted to the volumes, issued by the French government, which contain the results of the French expedition from Saigon to Yunnan, under Lagrée, Garnier, and Carné, whose premature loss their country has to deplore, and to the travels of that enterprising pioneer of commerce, Mr. T. T. Cooper.

No one can treat of the border lands of Cathay without deriving assistance from the stores of knowledge collected and arranged by the erudite editor of ‘Marco Polo,’ Colonel Yule, to whom I tender my tribute of admiration and indebtedness.

My observations on the Kakhyens are confirmed by the learned Monsig. Bigandet, the annotator of the ‘Life of Gaudama,’ who was the first European to visit those hill tribes, and who communicated his experiences to the columns of the leading Rangoon journal. The reader will find among the appendices a valuable note by the same author, on Burmese bells, especially those of Rangoon and Mengoon.

The list of Chinese deities given in the Appendix has been translated from the original by the well-known Chinese scholar, Professor Douglas, of the British Museum, who has kindly added an explanatory note. The appended vocabularies may prove interesting to philologists.

The illustrations of the country and people as far as Ponsee have been executed from photographs taken by Major Williams and myself, while the views of the country to the east are reproductions of sketches which fairly claim the merit of accurate delineation of its features.

The map illustrating the topography of the district travelled has been based upon surveys made during the expedition by Mr. Gordon and a Burmese surveyor, and a second has been added to show the general relations of our Indian empire to Western China, with the various routes which have been explored or projected, including those followed by the French expedition, and by Margary from the terminus of the boat journey to Bhamô.

The journal of our ill-fated companion, recently published in China, and received in this country when this work was completed, unfortunately does not carry him on to Tali-fu, but his impressions of the country beyond this point have been briefly summarised in these pages.

The scientific reader will perhaps be inclined to complain that the following pages do not contain more of the results of the proper work of a naturalist. Of these, a full and illustrated report, unavoidably delayed by absence from this country, is in active preparation. This will be published by the aid of the Indian government, given at the instance of the Chief Commissioner of British Burma, the Hon. Ashley Eden, by whom the opening up of the overland route to China, as a measure beneficial to the province administered by him, has ever been strongly advocated.

J. A.

6 ROYAL TERRACE, EDINBURGH,
_December 31, 1875_.

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

FIRST EXPEDITION:--CHAPTERS I. to XI.

SECOND EXPEDITION:--CHAPTERS XII. to XVI.

PAGES
CHAPTER I.

MANDALAY TO BHAMÔ. 1-36

Overland trade of Burma and China--Early notices--English
travellers--Burmese treaty of 1862--Dr. Williams--Objects of the
expedition--Its constitution--Arrival at Mandalay--Second coronation
of the king--The suburbs--The bazaars--Mengoon--Burmese
navigation--Shienpagah--Coal mines--The third defile--Sacred
fish--Tagoung and Old Pagan--Ngapé--Katha--Magnetic battery--The
first Kakhyens--The Shuaybaw pagodas--The second defile--View of
Bhamô

CHAPTER II.

BHAMÔ. 37-66

Arrival at Bhamô--Our quarters--The town--The Woon’s house--The
Shan-Burmese--Kakhyen man-stealing--The environs--Old
Tsampenago--Legendary history--The Shuaykeenah pagodas--The Molay
river--The first defile--Delays and intrigues--Sala--The new Woon--Our
departure--Tsitkaw--Mountain muleteers--The Manloung lake--The
phoongyee’s farewell

CHAPTER III.

KAKHYEN HILLS. 67-86

Departure from Tsitkaw--Our cavalcade--The hills--A false
alarm--Talone--First night in the hills--The tsawbwa-gadaw--Ponline
village--A death dance--The divination--A meetway--Nampoung gorge--A
dangerous road--Lakong bivouac--Arrival at Ponsee--A Kakhyen coquette

CHAPTER IV.

PONSEE CAMP. 87-124

Desertion of the muleteers--Our encampment--Visit of hill
chiefs--Sala’s demands--A mountain excursion--Messengers from
Momien--Shans refuse presents--Stoppage of
supplies--Ill-feeling--Tsawbwa of Seray--St. Patrick’s Day--Retreat of
Sala--The pawmines of Ponsee--A burial-ground--Visit to the
Tapeng--The silver mines--Approach of the rains--Hostility of
Ponsee--Threatened attack--Reconciliation--A false start--Letters from
Momien--A hailstorm--Circular to the members of the mission--Beads and
belles--Friendly relations with Kakhyens--Their importance

CHAPTER V.

THE KAKHYENS. 125-154

The Kakhyens or Kakoos--The clans--Their chiefs--Mountain
villages--Cultivation and crops--Personal appearance--Costume--Arms
and implements--Female dress and ornaments--Women’s
work--Sheroo--Morals--Marriage--Music--Births--Funerals--Religion--
Language--Character--How to deal with them--Our party

CHAPTER VI.

MANWYNE TO MOMIEN. 155-188

Departure from Ponsee--Valley of the Tapeng--A curious crowd--Our
khyoung--Matins--The town of Manwyne--Visit to the haw--The
tsawbwa-gadaw--An armed demonstration--Karahokah--Sanda--The chief and
his grandson--Muangla--Shan burial-grounds--The Tahô--A murdered
traveller--Mawphoo valley--Muangtee--Nantin--Valley of Nantin--The hot
springs--Attacked by Chinese--Hawshuenshan volcano--Valley of
Momien--Arrival at the city

CHAPTER VII.

MOMIEN. 189-222

Momien--The town of Teng-yue-chow--Aspect and condition--An official
reception--Return visit--Government house--A Chinese tragedy--The
market--Jade manufacture--Minerals--Mines of Yunnan--Stone
celts--Cattle--Climate--Environs--The waterfall--Pagoda
hill--Shuayduay--Rock temples--Ruined suburbs--City
temples--Four-armed deities--Boys’ school--A grand feast--The
loving-cup--The tsawbwa-gadaw of Muangtee--Keenzas--The Chinese poor

CHAPTER VIII.

THE MAHOMMEDANS OF YUNNAN. 223-247

Their origin--Derivation of the term “Panthay”--Early
history--Increase in numbers--Adoption of children--The
Toonganees--Physical characteristics--Outbreak of the
revolt--Tali-fu--Progress of revolt--The French expedition--Overtures
from Low-quang-fang--Resources of the Panthays--Capture of
Yunnan-fu--Prospects of their success--Our position--The governor’s
presents--Preparations for return

CHAPTER IX.

THE SANDA VALLEY. 248-273

Departure from Momien--Robbers surprised--At Nantin--Our ponies
stolen--We slide to Muangla--A pleasant meeting--The Tapeng
ferrymen--A valley landscape--Negotiations at Sanda--The Leesaws--A
Shan cottage--Buddhist khyoungs--For fear of the nats--The limestone
hill--Hot springs of Sanda--The footprint of Buddha--A priestly
thief--The excommunication--The chief’s farewell--Floods and
landslips--Manwyne priests--A Shan dinner party--The
nunnery--Departure from Manwyne--The Slough of Despond

CHAPTER X.

THE HOTHA VALLEY. 274-312

The mountain summit--A giant glen--Leesaw village--The wrong
road--Priestly inhospitality--Town of Hotha--A friendly chief--The
Namboke Kakhyens--The Hotha market--The Shan people--The
Koshanpyi--The Tai of Yunnan--Their personal
appearance--Costume--Equipment--The Chinese Shans--Silver hair
ornaments--Ear-rings--Torques, bracelets, and rings--Textile
fabrics--Agriculture--Social customs--Tenure of land--Old Hotha--A
Shan-Chinese temple--Shan Buddhism--The fire festival--Eclipse of the
sun--Horse worship--Ancient pagodas--Roads from Hotha

CHAPTER XI.

FROM HOTHA TO BHAMÔ. 313-332

Adieu!--Latha--Namboke--The southern hills--Muangwye--Loaylone--The
Chinese frontier--Mattin--Hoetone--View of the Irawady plain--A
slippery descent--The Namthabet--The Sawady route--A solemn
sacrifice--A retrospective survey

CHAPTER XII.

INTERMEDIATE EVENTS. 333-349

Appointment of a British Resident at Bhamô--Increase of native
trade--Action of the king of Burma--Burmese quarrel with the Seray
chief--British relations with the Panthays--Struggle in
Yunnan--Li-sieh-tai--Imperialist successes--European gunners--Siege of
Momien--Fall of Yung-chang--Prince Hassan visits England--Fall of
Tali-fu--Sultan Suleiman’s death--Massacre of Panthays--Capture of
Momien--Escape of Tah-sa-kon--Capture of Woosaw--Suppression of
rebellion--Imperial proclamation--Li-sieh-tai, commissioner of Shan
states--Re-opening of trade routes--Second British mission--Action of
Sir T. Wade--Appointment of Mr. Margary--Members of
mission--Acquiescence of China and Burma

CHAPTER XIII.

SECOND EXPEDITION. 350-378

Start of mission--Arrival at Mandalay--The Burmese pooay--Posturing
girl--Reception by the meng-gyees--Audience by the king--Departure of
mission--Progress up the river--Reception at Bhamô--British
Residency--Mr. Margary--Account of his journey--The Woon of
Bhamô--Entertains Margary--Chinese puppets--Selection of route--Sawady
route--Bullock carriage--Woon of Shuaygoo--Chinese surmises--Letters
to Chinese officials--Burmese worship-day

CHAPTER XIV.

SAWADY. 379-399

The _hun pooay_--Mission proceeds to Sawady--Visit from Woon--Rumoured
opposition--The Woon as a musician--Sawady village--Royal
orders--Baggage difficulties--Arrival of Mr. Clement Allan--Paloungto
chief--Kakhyen pilfering--Abandon route--Adopt Ponline route--Reasons
for change--Tsaleng Woon--Departure of mission to Tsitkaw--Elias and
Cooke proceed to Muangmow--Dolphins--Up the Tapeng--Tahmeylon--Arrive
at Tsitkaw

CHAPTER XV.

THE ADVANCE. 400-427

Residence at Tsitkaw--View from our house--The Namthabet--Junction
of the rivers--Arrival of the Woon--Conference of
tsawbwas--Hostages--Kakhyen women--Rifle practice--A night alarm--A
curious talisman--We leave Tsitkaw--Camp at Tsihet--Burmese
guard-house--Lankon, Ponline--Camp on the Moonam--Hostile
rumours--Camp on the Nampoung--Departure of Margary for
Manwyne--Escape of hostages--Letter from Margary--We enter China--Camp
on Shitee Meru--Burmese vigilance--Visit to Seray--Conference with
Seray tsawbwa--Suspicious reception--Return to camp--Burmese
barricades