continue its progress from thence to Canton. Its instructions were to explore the
trade routes which proceed from Bham6 to China, and to report on their capabilities
for commerce, and to collect information on the resources of the countries through
which it passed.
The duty especially entrusted to me was the investigation of the natural-historical,
physical and ethnological features of the country traversed.
This Expedition was under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Edward B.
Sladen, then B ritish Political Eesident at the Court of Mandalay.
When the Mission reached Bhamfi, a point which it attained hy proceeding up
the Irawady in one of the steamers of the King of Burma, it was ascertained that
the country lying immediately to the east, and which had never before been entered
hy Europeans from the west, was in a state of anarchy. This condition of affairs
was the means of detaining the Expedition at BhamO more than a month, a period
which permitted me partially to investigate the fauna of th a t district, having previously,
as far as lay in my power, made every use of the frequent detentions, during
our progress up the river from Mandalay, for the same object. My movements,
however, were much circumscribed, being limited only to a few miles’ radius around
Bhamd itself, owing to the very unsettled condition of the neighbourhood from the
continual raids made at th a t period by the Kakhyens, who inhabit the adjoining
mountains, and who bear among the Burmese a most unenviable notoriety for trea-
chery. I t was inexpedient to go beyond the stockade which encircled the town without
being fully armed; and even the report of a fowling-piece, heard in the town
from without, created alarm amongst the inhabitants,
Prom Bhamfi, tbe Mission proceeded on the 26th February to a small stockaded
village on the right bank of the Tapeng, immediately below the Kakhyen mountains
; a few days there were also devoted to collecting natural history specimens.
The Mission was met at this point by certain Hill Chiefs, who undertook to give
i t a safe convoy as far as th e Shan States in the Province of Yunnan. Starting
under this promised protection, the Expedition left Tsitkaw on the 21st of March,
accompanied by a large escort of hillmen, and by about 100 mules carrying the baggage.
After three marches up these mountains, we reached Ponsee, a Kakhyen
village, a t an elevation a little over 3,000 feet. The marches thither were most
unfavourable to any attempt at collecting, as the forest was excessively dense, and
the route a mere mule-track along precipitous mountain sides, from the neighbourhood
of which nearly all animal life was seared by. the tread of the mules, the shouts
of their drivers, and the constant firing of matchlocks by unruly and inebriated
Kakhyens. On the 2nd March, the whole Expedition was brought to a. halt by a
threatened attack in front; and on the morning of the 3rd not a Chief or Tsawbwa
would move until the guard had fired a volley to frighten away the Nats and any
ill-disposed persons.
At Ponsee, we were deserted hy the muleteers, who carried off all the mules; and,
pitching our tents, we were detained there over two months hy the hostile attitude
of the Hill Chiefs, and the constant reports of open opposition to he looked for, if we
attempted to advance. I t was only when we arrived at Ponsee th a t we ascertained
the real political condition of the country to the east, and th a t in crossing a small
stream on the 2nd March, we had entered the Empire of China and the Province of
Yunnan, which was then in open rebellion.
Two months in such a locality, under more favourable circumstances, would
have yielded a rich harvest of zoological results; but during the period we resided at
Ponsee, we lived in constant expectation of being attacked; and on one occasion the
headmen of even the village of Ponsee itself had the audacity to fire into our camp,
which was completely commanded by their village. There was also always an element
of uncertainty regarding our possible advance, as a portion of each day was
generally occupied in treating with the hillmen and with Shans from beyond for
carriage to take us forward; and if this had been found, our only chance of proceeding
was to have availed ourselves of it a t once. Every day when I went out,
there was the constant expectation of finding on my return the camp struck, and the
Mission prepared to start. This state of things, of course, materially restricted my
movements, and interfered w ith my researches. Apart, however, from these circumstances,
the precipitous character of the hillsides, the dense nature of the jungle
clothing them, and the paucity of hill paths* made collecting a most difficult, undertaking.
Leaving Ponsee, a descent of nearly 1,000 feet brought us into the valley of
Sanda, inhabited by Shans.
On this march the same difficulties had to be contended w ith as on the previous
marches; and a t Manwyne, the first town a t which the Expedition halted, the
inhabitants objected strongly to the use of firearms, and our movements there were
jealously watched, and when going out anywhere we were followed by a crowd of
inquisitive natives. Proceeding from Manwyne along the level valley which, a t the
season we travelled through it, was completely under rice cultivation, irrigated by
artificial channels from the Tah6 river, the Expedition was attacked within one hour
of its departure from M anwyne; and the result was tha t we had to use the greatest
circumspection until Sanda (Sanda-foo of the maps) was reached.
At Sanda, there was the same objection to the use of firearms as a t Manwyne;
and on my return to this town, about two months afterwards, I was especially asked
not to fire on the hillside behind the town, as my doing so would certainly induce