The Travels of Marco Polo Volume II Part 164

L., p. 90.

Mr. H.A. OTTEWILL tells me in a private note that the Kachins or Singphos did not begin to reach Burma in their emigration from Tibet until last century or possibly this century. They are not to be found east of the Salwen River.

L., p. 91.

COUVADE.

There is a paper on the subject in the _Zeitschrift fur Ethnologie_ (1911, pp. 546-63) by Hugo Kunicke, _Das sogennante, "Mannerkindbett,"_ with a bibliography not mentioning Yule's _Marco Polo_, Vinson, etc. We may also mention: _De la "Covada" en Espana_. Por el Prof. Dr. Telesforo de Aranzadi, Barcelona (_Anthropos_, T.V., fasc. 4, Juli-August, 1910, pp.

775-8).

L., p. 92 n.

I quoted Prof. E.H. Parker (_China Review_, XIV., p. 359), who wrote that the "_Langszi_ are evidently the _Szi lang_, one of the six _Chao_, but turned upside down." Prof. Pelliot (_Bul. Ecole franc.

Ext. Orient_, IV., July-Sept., 1904, p. 771) remarks: "Mr. Parker is entirely wrong. The _Chao_ of Shi-lang, which was annexed by Nan Chao during the eighth century, was in the western part of Yun Nan, not in Kwei chau; we have but little information on the subject." He adds: "The custom of Couvade is confirmed for the Lao of Southern China by the following text of the _Yi wu chi_ of Fang Ts'ien-li, dating at least from the time of the T'ang dynasty: 'When a Lao woman of Southern China has a child, she goes out at once. The husband goes to bed exhausted, like a woman giving suck. If he does not take care, he becomes ill. The woman has no harm.'"

L., pp. 91-95.

Under the t.i.tle of _The Couvade or "Hatching,"_ John Cain writes from Dumagudem, 31st March, 1874, to the _Indian Antiquary_, May, 1874, p.

151:

"In the districts in South India in which Telugu is spoken, there is a wandering tribe of people called the Erukalavandlu. They generally pitch their huts, for the time being, just outside a town or village. Their chief occupations are fortune-telling, rearing pigs, and making mats.

Those in this part of the Telugu country observe the custom mentioned in Max Muller's _Chips from a German Workshop_, Vol. II., pp. 277-284.

Directly the woman feels the birth-pangs, she informs her husband, who immediately takes some of her clothes, puts them on, places on his forehead the mark which the women usually place on theirs, retires into a dark room where is only a very dim lamp, and lies down on the bed, covering himself up with a long cloth. When the child is born, it is washed and placed on the cot beside the father. a.s.safoetida, _jaggery_, and other articles are then given, not to the mother, but to the father. During the days of ceremonial uncleanness the man is treated as the other Hindus treat their women on such occasions. He is not allowed to leave his bed, but has everything needful brought to him."

Mr. John Cain adds (l.c., April, 1879, p. 106): "The women are called 'hens' by their husbands, and the male and female children 'c.o.c.k children'

and 'hen children' respectively."

LI., p. 99 n. "M. Garnier informs me that _Mien Kwe_ or _Mien Tisong_ is the name always given in Yun Nan to that kingdom."

_Mien Tisong_ is surely faulty, and must likely be corrected in _Mien Chung_, proved especially at the Ming Period. (PELLIOT, _Bul. Ecole franc.

Ext. Orient_, IV., July-Sept, 1904, p. 772.)

LI., LII., pp. 98 seq.

WAR AGAINST THE KING OF MIEN.

The late Edouard HUBER of Hanoi, writing from Burmese sources, throws new light on this subject: "In the middle of the thirteenth century, the Burmese kingdom included Upper and Lower Burma, Arakan and Tena.s.serim; besides the Court of Pagan was paramount over several feudatory Shan states, until the valleys of the Yunnanese affluents of the Irawadi to the N.E., and until Zimme at the least to the E. Narasihapati, the last king of Pagan who reigned over the whole of this territory, had already to fight the Talaings of the Delta and the governor of Arakan who wished to be independent, when, in 1271, he refused to receive Kublai's amba.s.sadors who had come to call upon him to recognize himself as a va.s.sal of China.

The first armed conflict took place during the spring of 1277 in the Nam Ti valley; it is the battle of Nga-caung-khyam of the Burmese Chronicles, related by Marco Polo, who, by mistake, ascribes to Nasr ed-Din the merit of this first Chinese victory. During the winter of 1277-78, a second Chinese expedition with Nasr ed-Din at its head ended with the capture of Kaung sin, the Burmese stronghold commanding the defile of Bhamo. The _Pagan Yazawin_ is the only Burmese Chronicle giving exactly the spot of this second encounter. During these two expeditions, the invaders had not succeeded in breaking through the thick veil of numerous small thai princ.i.p.alities which still stand to-day between Yun Nan and Burma proper.

It was only in 1283 that the final crush took place, when a third expedition, whose chief was Siang-wu-ta-eul (Singtaur), retook the fort of Kaung sin and penetrated more into the south in the Irawadi Valley, but without reaching Pagan. King Narasihapati evacuated Pagan before the impending advancing Chinese forces and fled to the Delta. In 1285 parleys for the establishment of a Chinese Protectorship were begun; but in the following year, King Narasihapati was poisoned at Prome by his own son Shasura. In 1287, a fourth Chinese expedition, with Prince Ye-sin Timur at its head, reached at last Pagan, having suffered considerable losses.... A fifth and last Chinese expedition took place during the autumn of 1300 when the Chinese army went down the Irawadi Valley and besieged Myin-Saing during the winter of 1300-1301. The Mongol officers of the staff having been bribed the siege was raised." (_Bul. Ecole Extreme-Orient_, Oct.-Dec., 1909, pp. 679-680; cf. also p. 651 _n._)

Huber, p. 666 _n._, places the battle-field of Vochan in the Nam Ti Valley; the Burmese never reached the plain of Yung Ch'ang.

LII., p. 106 n.

BURMA.

We shall resume from Chinese sources the history of the relations between Burma and China:

1271. Emba.s.sy of Kublai to Mien asking for allegiance.

1273. New emba.s.sy of Kublai.

1275. Information supplied by A-kuo, chief of Zardandan.

1277. First Chinese Expedition against Mien--Battle of Nga-caung-khyam won by Hu Tu.

1277. Second Chinese Expedition led by Nacr ed-Din.

1283. Third Chinese Expedition led by Prince Singtaur.

1287. Fourth Chinese Expedition led by Yisun Timur; capture of Pagan.

1300-1301. Fifth Chinese Expedition; siege of Myin-saing.

Cf. E. HUBER, _Bul. Ecole franc. Ext. Orient_, Oct.-Dec., 1909, pp.

633-680.--VISDELOU, _Rev. Ext. Orient_, II., pp. 72-88.

LIII.-LIV., pp. 106-108. "After leaving the Province of which I have been speaking [Yung ch'ang] you come to a great Descent. In fact you ride for two days and a half continually down hill.... After you have ridden those two days and a half down hill, you find yourself in a province towards the south which is pretty near India, and this province is called AMIEN. You travel therein for fifteen days.... And when you have travelled those 15 days ... you arrive at the capital city of this Province of Mien, and it also is called AMIEN...."

I owe the following valuable note to Mr. Herbert Allan OTTEWILL, H.M.'s Vice-Consul at T'eng Yueh (11th October, 1908):

"The indications of the route are a great descent down which you ride continually for two days and a half towards the south along the main route to the capital city of Amien.

"It is admitted that the road from Yung Ch'ang to T'eng Yueh is not the one indicated. Before the Hui jen Bridge was built over the Salween in 1829, there can be no doubt that the road ran to Ta tu k'ou--great ferry place--which is about six miles below the present bridge. The distance to both places is about the same, and can easily be accomplished in two days.

"The late Mr. Litton, who was Consul here for some years, once stated that the road to La-meng on the Salween was almost certainly the one referred to by Marco Polo as the great descent to the kingdom of Mien. His stages were from Yung Ch'ang: (1) Yin w.a.n.g (? Niu w.a.n.g); (2) P'ing ti; (3) Chen an so; (4) Lung Ling. The Salween was crossed on the third day at La-meng Ferry. Yung Ch'ang is at an alt.i.tude of about 5,600 feet; the Salween at the Hui jen Bridge is about 2,400, and probably drops 200-300 feet between the bridge and La-meng, Personally I have only been along the first stage to Niu w.a.n.g, 5,000 feet; and although aneroids proved that the highest point on the road was about 6,600, I can easily imagine a person not provided with such instruments stating that the descent was fairly gradual. From Niu w.a.n.g there must be a steady drop to the Salween, probably along the side of the stream which drains the Niu w.a.n.g Plain.

"La-meng and Chen an so are in the territory of the Shan Sawbwa of Mang Shih [Mong Hkwan]."

"It is also a well-known fact that the Shan States of Hsen-wi (in Burma) and Meng mao (in China) fell under Chinese authority at an early date. Mr.

E.H. Parker, quoted by Sir G. Scott in the _Upper Burma Gazetteer_, states: 'During the reign of the Mongol Emperor Kublai a General was sent to punish Annam and pa.s.sed through this territory or parts of it called Meng tu and Meng pang,' and secured its submission. In the year 1289 the Civil and Military Governorship of Muh Pang was established. Muh Pang is the Chinese name of Hsen-wi.

"Therefore the road from Yung Ch'ang to La-meng fulfils the conditions of a great descent, riding two and a half days continually down hill finding oneself in a (Shan) Province to the south, besides being on a well-known road to Burma, which was probably in the thirteenth century the only road to that country.

"Fifteen days from La-meng to Tagaung or Old Pagan is not an impossible feat. Lung Ling is reached in 1-1/2 days, Keng Yang in four, and it is possible to do the remaining distance about a couple of hundred miles in eleven days, making fifteen in all.

"I confess I do not see how any one could march to Pagan in Lat.i.tude 21 13' in fifteen days."

LIV., p. 113.

NGA-TSHAUNG-GYAN.

According to the late E. HUBER, Ngan chen kue is not Nga-caung-khyam, but Nga Singu, in the Mandalay district. The battle took place, not in the Yung Ch'ang plain, but in the territory of the Shan Chief of Nan-tien. The official description of China under the Ming (_Ta Ming yi lung che_, k.

87, 38 v) tells us that Nan-tien before its annexation by Kublai Khan, bore the name of Nan Sung or Nang Sung, and to-day the pa.s.s which cuts this territory in the direction of T'eng Yueh is called Nang-Sung-kwan. It is hardly possible to doubt that this is the place called Nga-caung-khyam by the Burmese Chronicles. (_Bul. Ecole franc. Ext. Orient_, Oct.-Dec., 1909, p. 652.)

LVI., p. 117 n.

A Map in the Yun Nan Topography Section 9, "Tu-ssu" or Sawbwas, marks the Kingdom of "Eight hundred wives" between the mouths of the Irrawaddy and the Salween Rivers. (Note kindly sent by Mr. H.A. OTTEWILL.)