National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books

CHAP. LIII. p. Io6.   BURMA.   89

I owe the following valuable note to Mr. Herbert Allan

OTTEWILL, H.M.'s Vice-Consul at T'eng Yueh (II th 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 to 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-méng 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 :

(I) Yin wang (? Niu wang) ; (2) P'ing ti ; (3) Chen an so ;

(4) Lung Ling. The Salween was crossed on the third day at

La-méng Ferry. Yung Ch'ang is at an altitude 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-méng.

Personally I have only been along the first stage to Niu Wang,

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 Wang there must be a steady drop to

the Salween, probably along the side of the stream which drains

the Niu Wang Plain.

" La-méng and Chen an so are in the territory of the Shan

Sawbwa of Mang Shih [Möng 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 Kúblái a General was sent to

punish Annam and passed through this territory or parts of it

called Meng to 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-méng 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