The Hickman courier., 1872-03-30


In the provinces of Yuuuan, Kwei-
Chow aud Kwangse in China, rises Il
range Of mountains, among which live
people who differ essentially frem the
rest of the Ceiestials Although lriug
in the southern centre Of the esgpire
they igu0re the authority of the ulhnda-
rims. and ouiY communicate with the in
La0itauts Of the plains when their own
convenience requires IT, They are dIvi
ded into numerous tribes, al OF which
the Chinese know by the name OF Mia
otszo. As they are all i'll disposed to.
ward travellers, no European has ever
visited them, and the Chinese never will
ingly trust themselves among them.
They never lntermarry with the Chinese,
and the most of the knowledge which
the two races have Of each other Is OBJ
taiued by means u the toragIng expedl-
tions which the M Juutaineers undertake
against their Chinese ueigLbors. They
are believed to be oashoots Of the great
Sac nation, which has spread from It's
original seat in Yunuan westward to
southeastern India and south@arI tc
Siam
The Chinese, although affecting con-
temp, for these mountaineers, have es
tablished military posts along the foot OF
the mountain to check their iDcursiouS
In the absence Of any printed work which
deserves credit, an anonymous Chinese
manuscript in the British museum is oil
interest although it relates only to those
tribes living within the limits OF Kwri-
Chow. They are divided into three di-
visions. aud these again are subdIvided
into thirty eight clans. One Of these /.
sprung from the original occupiers oi
that part of China. One of the mos
astonishing things told of these people
is the great diversity of dress, customs
and manners existing between tribe:
which occupy district less than hun
drci miles in extent. Cannibals auc
uameless savages live within . few mile,
of tribes possessing more than Chinese
skill In the mechanical arts. For In
stance, the Patau mioo. who dress like
Chinamen, lead industrious lives, aDC
employ agricultural machinery nearly
equal TO our own, live adjacent 10 anothe
Mao tribe Of savages, who reeA ven
/ geaDce on their enemies By killing anC
eating them. The widows of this clal
differ widely from the Chinese, sine,
they make n point of marrying even be
. fore the iunernal Of the dear departed
The courtship of the people Is pecu
liar During the ''lea6ug month" th,
young people of the ebay chal tribe pat
rouize open air concerts. in which tht
young women sing to the music Of thei
lovers guitars. The singing of thes
women Is said to be very fine. and BY /
the youth are reported to choose thei
wives This tribe are said to be descend
ants Of six hundred soldiers left by
General Ma on his return from a victori
ous campaign ia the south, but as thi
story Is told Of nearly every other noun
tain tribe iu China, it must be taken at
large discount The spring time anon.
these people seems especially devoted +,
wooinc aud mating.
/, Is then that the young people Of on
of the clans erect a May pole ia SOM
nook. which the young women dane
around to the sound of the mems casta
nets. The clan called "Fiowery Misc
resemble ourselves on one particular
Their women wear false hair, which they
unlike Us, obtain from the tails Of horses
These people also delight in open al
. amusemeuts.