and gold. One can see from this height how,' comino-
from the north, it sweeps north again through the
Second Defile, as if it never meant to reach the sea.
And east and south and north there is a billowy sea
of mountains half veiled in mist. The peaks of China
climb up on the distant horizon, the border states of
Hotha-Lahsa lie between, and here and there; alone
on the wide sea, stand the British outposts.
O f the nature of life in these hill-tracts on the
edge of China some curious particulars are recorded
in the diaries of the British officers who travel over
them every winter. Vendetta is the keynote of Kachin
politics, and nowhere in the world is it; carried to a
more subtle point. One of the aims of the.British
administration is to stop such feuds and teach the
hill-men the meaning o f a central power. Yet; year
after year the vendetta goes on, and strange cases are
chronicled in the Government annals. “ On the 9th,”
I read, “ the Civil Officer moved on to Sadasup. He
had asked the Walawpuin Duwa to meet him, but
the latter regretted his inability to come, as he had
lately raided Nong village and was expecting retaliation.
This raid was in unadministered territory, but the
history of it is worth recording. The Walawpum
Duwa’s younger brother had at the close of the last
rains put up during a journey at the house of one
’Nlon-Lein ’Nong. On leaving, he had given offence
to two women by mounting his pony in the porch.
He dismounted, but again mounted at the nat stools;
the women then cursed him and foretold his death
216
for flouting their nats. On his return home he fell
ill with fever, and it was evident to the Kachin mind
that the curse of the ’Nong women was at work.
Then the Duwa’s general set off with sixty followers
K A CH IN POLICEMAN-: K A CH IN POL ICEMAN :
UNDRESS FU L L DRESS ',
armed with thirty guns, attacked the ’Nong, burnt
N’long-La’s house’ to the ground, and killed two of
his women. Thh spell, however, was not lifted and
the Duwa’s younger brother died.”
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