TRAVELS IN THE SHAN STATES.*
A SOLID book of travel is always welcome, especially when the traveller is a methodical as well as a keen observer, and one not too anxious about his creature-comforts. The outward aspects and the substantial condition of countries and people change so fast, that if new reports on old lands are interesting, how much more so a careful account of races and regions which, if not absolutely, are comparatively new to us, and will still bear a great deal of exploration. Indo-China is really a big place, and large areas between the oceans and the girdling mountains have yet to be investigated. The annexation of Burmah by the British and the acquisition of Tonquin by the French bring them into rivalry in the East once more, and into close neighbourhood with China,—political facts of some moment, and freighted with incalculable future contingencies. A fresh zest is therefore added to the study of the whole subject, which thus acquires a greater interest in the eyes of the politi- cian, the trader, and even those common folk who read only for information and amusement. The merit of Mr. Hallett's book, which is agreeably written and solidly illustrated with maps, figures, and field sketches, is that it supplies the wants of all these classes, and is also attractive in itself. Some day we shall know enough, perhaps too much, of Judo-China, a land of extinct civilisations and mixed races. At present, we only know enough to see that it may become the theatre of con- siderable events, possibly of the clash of Empires.
Mr. Hallett's object in travelling through the Shan States was to ascertain the best. route for railways connecting Burma,h with Siam on one side, and China on the other. Respecting the desirability of achieving the latter purpose, he bolds strong opinions in common with many other officials and
• A Thousand Milrn on an Elephant in the Shan Stales,. By Holt S. Hallett, C.E. London and Edinburgh : Blackwood and Son..
ex-officials who have served in Burmah, whose ardour is increased by the evident intention of the French to push roads into China, and monopolise trade by dint of prohibitory and differential duties. There is little to be said against railways through the Shan States, if any one can be found to make them ; but it seems to us that the first duty of the Indian Government in that sphere of action is to connect Bengal with Burmah, so that population may flow over the dividing hill-ranges, people the whole basin of the Irrawaddy, and thus realise the boast that Burmah is, or will be, "the garden of the East." Next comes the railway to Siam, from Moulmein by way of Raheng ; and when these bases have been laid, extensions towards Yunnan would come of themselves. Mean- time, here are Mr. Hallett's plentiful and painstaking notes of the country from actual surveys of different routes up to Muang-fang and Zimme, and his approval of the long-suggested line from Moulmein to Bangkok, the Indian Government making the section as far as Raheng, and the King of Siam undertaking the rest. Into the merits of these projects we shall not enter, still less discuss the large anticipations of future railways, running into Tonquin and seaming the face of the Chinese provinces, which are unfolded to our view. The search for available and profitable tracks through Judo-China has brought us a book of travel good in itself, and we may leave the business matters severely alone.
We may first note that, on the whole, the country traversed is beautiful in its aspect, diversified with plenteous streams, picturesque lines of hills, grand forests and groves of mighty trees, abounding in flowers, strewed with the ruins of images, temples, wrecks of cities, and not wholly without populous towns as well as many villages. But over it all has passed in bygone years the hand of the destroyer, so that what survives is a remnant of a preceding period, when the plains and villages were covered with cultivation, and swarming with human life. It is also a land where many races have met and blended more or less, so that the variety of folk is considerable, including a tribe of dwarfs who have their own ways and customs, who are more or less slaves, yet live apart, pay a heavy tribute to their masters, and sometimes break into wild revolt when the oppression becomes intolerable. Mr. Hallett thinks they are the aborigines of the territory between the Meh Kong and the Annam seaboard, who were long ago driven into the hills by the Laos, who fled before the Chinese. What is known of the dwarf tribes, called Khas, is derived from American missionaries. Their stockaded villages are built on the hill-tops, but the majority live in isolated houses. They grow rice, cotton, tobacco, vegetables, fruit and betel-nuts, and are great cattle-breeders. But these industrious little people pay tribute to the Laos or the Siamese ; "and without them," says Mr. Hallett, "their pleasure-loving, opium- smoking masters would have to work or die of hunger." Sometimes they turn on the idlers, and as late as 1887 sacked and destroyed Luang Prabang. But they are a kindly dis- posed set, short but well made, "cheerful, hard-working men, -with pleasant faces." The King of Siam, it seems, allows the harmless hill-tribes to the east of the Meh Kong to be hunted down and sold as slaves ; and the hunters are fast depopulating the hills. "There can be little doubt," says Mr. Hallett, "that the Khas, being spirit-worshippers, like the Karens, and not Buddhists, would flock into the Christian fold in the same manner that the Karens have done." The deeply ingrained popular impressions respecting spirits and demons have direct and constant effects on the people, who are perpetually seeking to propitiate these beings with all kinds of offerings. Mr. Hallett is of opinion that Buddhism has no real hold upon them, and is only "a veneer covering their old Dravidian and Turanian superstitions,"—in short, that the "religious ceremonies have no hidden mystical signification, but are for the most part rather magical rites for averting the influence of malicious spirits, or freeing themselves from the unwelcome visits of their departed relatives." The wide field covered by the popular dread affects the whole life, and examples of it crop up all over the book. Nevertheless, the Shans appear to be a eheery, merry, playful folk, and as the demons have no power over Christians, it is easy to see that the country affords a very promising field for missionary labours. Altogether, Mr. Hallett is of opinion that they are more lightly taxed and better governed—that is, less unjustly— than the Siamese. The judgment of our accomplished traveller on the govern- ment of Siam, in all parts, wherever he met it, is severe. The King is credited with "good intentions," but the officials turn all these to evil. Nine-tenths of the non-Chinese inhabitants are slaves. John Chinaman is as potent as he was two cen- turies ago, when he alone in Bangkok lived in brick-built houses. The taxes—and "everything is taxed "—are farmed to Chinese monopolists ; and while the annual revenue exceeds three millions sterling, only a million and a quarter reach the Treasury; so that Siam rivals France in the days of Richelieu. Mr. Alabaster, the King's adviser, indeed, said he was within the mark in placing at nearly six millions the sums collected by the tax-gatherers, who gather for themselves and the monopolists. Protection from extortion can only be got by buying an appointment, and "justice" in the Courts by means of bribes. The functionaries are also robbers under cover of administrative orders, and even benevolent schemes ; while the police apply torture to obtain confessions, and girls, to pay gambling debts, are sold to infamy as well as slavery. The magistrates are said to be the "biggest liars, and the police the greatest thieves" in the country, and it is admitted that no railway could pay, such are the hindrances to trade, so long as the condition of Siam is unchanged. This is not a hopeful prospect, and one is not surprised at Mr. Hallett's judgment in favour of the Shans.
Among these at Zimme, he met with a really remarkable woman. Her name was Chow-oo-boon ; she was the sister of the Queen of Zimme, and recommended to the traveller as the greatest trade authority. He found her eager for a railway. She told him that-
" She was one of the largest traders in the country, and would do what she could to further the project. A railway, she knew, would bring wealth to the country, and carry the produce cheaply away. Every one, nobles and people, would be glad if a railway were made to connect their country with Burmah and China." That she had some right to form an opinion, is shown by the fact that she was a rude sort of statistician, having "en- deavoured to arrive at the number of men and animals employed in the caravan trade." She forthwith gave her estimates, founded on interested observation, and mentioned the numbers coming and going between Yunnan, the British Shan States, Burmah, and Siam, together with the boat traffic on the river, and the quantity of elephants available in the different States. Altogether an enterprising and intelligent specimen of Shan womankind, and also a potentate in another way, being the "spirit-medium" of the Royal family :— " As an instance of her power, he [Mr. Wilson, a missionary] stated that when called in to consult the spirits after the late Chow Halm, or second King, was struck down with sickness, she boldly told him that the spirits were displeased at his oppression of the people, and advised him at once to abolish certain vexatious taxes, especially the monopoly of arra.ck, or rice-spirit :" —perhaps with an eye to business, being interested in "the currents of trade," but most probably to stay the extortion of the functionaries, as well as remove the temptations which their spirit and gambling-houses had thrust upon the com- munity.
The women, in fact, were always ready to give information. Not far from Zimme, Mr. Hallett and Dr. M`Grilvary, entered a house to learn something about the Valley of the Meh Lim. They were received by an old lady and four granddaughters, ranging in years from fourteen to twenty-four :—
" All were evidently in gala array, their hair neatly dressed and decked with flowers, jewels on their fingers and in the cylinders in the lobes of their ears, bracelets on their wrists, and handsome gold chains round some of their necks, but without jackets, or any other covering from the waist upwards, excepting a kerchief round the old
The young ladies, at a hint lady's top-knot un
from their grandmother, at once brought clean mats anddndsetehmreee-
cornered pillows to make us comfortable A anxious that we should have correct information, even the youngest daughter breaking in to mention the name of a village which the others had forgotten. There was no timidity, no shyness, no awkwardness, and apparently no self-consciousness, amongst the neat and comely little damsels. Their demeanour was courtesy itself, their manners and deportment were as graceful and perfect as could be found in any drawing-room in Europe."
But we have said enough to show how bright, agreeable, and informing is this book of travels, and to hint how the wanderer found much that is deeply interesting to us all, when he was seeking, on his elephant, paths for railways.
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