Inst year was 4 particularly busy one so far us affairs on the Burma-China frontier were concerned. 'The British officials were called upon to deal with many cases disorder, which, owing to the close proxi ty of Chinese territory, required the exercise of great tact, but at' the same time ne active measures. Chinesediplommey luely sensitive when the western be of the Empire are affected, and knowing this, the British officers had to be careful tht, whiler they accomplished their nim, they yet gave no cause for legitimate complaint on the part of the Chinese Government. On this account the report of the operations in the Kachin hills and outlying portions of the Ramo nnd Katha discricts—included in Report on the Administration of Burma 1892-3, which has been sent to us—interesting and important. We therefore tuke the following extract from it referring to this subject:
Numerous columns of troops and police were at work throughout, the open season in the Kachin Hills and in the outlying portions generally ut the Bamo and Kutha Giatricts, and important progress was made our knowledge of the country and in ug the wild tribes under control.
isiugkwan column explored the Hu-Kong valley and at Maingkwan met a column from Assam. The auber mine region and the Indin-rubber tract towards 'Ntup 'Nsn were visited and reported on by officers of the Geologien! Survey and Forest Departments, and the various Kachin Chiefs were called in, 'The valley was found to be in peaceful condition, the Chiefs were frieudly, and the cslumu' was unopposed, The Mogaung and Tudavgyi colunius were occupied chiefly in hunting down the ex-Sawbwa of Wuntho, who was in hiding with considerable following in the neighbvourhood of the Taungthdulén hill. The Sawbwa was not captured, but his following was ben ken up and he himself driven across the border into China, The main objects of the Kaukkwé column were to rebellious Chiefs Sinwawa and Kalingwa, and to visit nnd settle as many villages as possible in the Kaukkwe valley, Sinwawa was cleverly captured mencement of the operations; Ki gave more trouble and organ what serious opposition to the column, Eventually, however, he was killed, and the "ppesition collapsed. The column visited " good many villages, but left a good dea} to be done in the present season. A amal! column did good work in the north of the Katha district, visiting a number of Kachin villages, collecting tribute, and nnfiscating guns, and similar work' was carried on in the neighbourhood of the Sinkan valley by the south-eastern column, Prior to 1891 little had been done to} bring the tribes in the Bamo district to the enst of the Irrawaddy under control. Several expeditions had been sent out from year to year to punish outrages committed by tribes to the south of the Taping and these tribes had learnt to a certain extent to reengnise and respect British authority. The country north of the Taping was entirely unvisited, save for the reconnaissance made by Captain L. E. Eliott and Major Holiday in 1890-91 Phe necessity of bringing this part of the country under control was forced upon us by repeated outrages committed by the Kachins, and by the fact that the Kachin Hills east of the Irrawaddy served as a screen fur the outlaws and bad characters who were in the habit of collecting on the Yunnan side of the border and making, incurious thence into British territory. The perpetual disturbances and rumours of disturbances which prevailed rendered revival of trade between Yunnan and Burmaon any considerable scale impossible. The trade routes were subject to continual interrupt tion and harassment from unruly Kachins. Finally the subjugation of the eastern Kachin tracts wi ry for the purpose of preventing the import into Upper Burma of illicit opium, liquor, and arms, Te was accordingly decided that the tribes along the north-eastern frontier must be brought under thorough and permanent control, and with this object in view four columns were sent out, Commencing from the south, the Sinkan column explored the sinter f Namkhan and visited the Sinkau valley, issuing appointment orders to the Kxchin Chief collecting tribute, and collecting and licens: ing gaus. In the month of April the column attacked a dxeoit camp at the head of the Sinkan valley. The dacoits were Ariven off with a loss of three killed and six were taken prisoners, On our side Lieut, Nelson nud several sepoys were wounded, With this ex " the Sinkan column met with no opposit The operations of the ted in visiting the ast of the third defile which had not previously been brought under control, and also the section of the frontier which lies between Tuku and the southern boundary of the Matin tract. This area was thorough ly explored, tribute was collected, a large number of guns were confiscated and destroyed and others licensed. The column met with no opposition, The next section of the frontier visited was that lying between the Taping and the Nantaber. In October 1891 a party ut Chinese troops crossed the Nampaung stream, which of Into yenrs has been regarded as forming the boundary in this latitude between Burma and China, and established themselves at Lawkaxyi and near Myothit, two places well within Bi territory. Thiy aggre n could not be permitted, A letter wa dingly sent. to the Chinese auth ies requesting the with drawal of the ese troops, and on the 1th November the Deputy Com with an escort of troops and police left for the frontier. The Chinese troops retired, and to prevent further aggression on their part a military post was establish. ed, and has since been maintained on the west bank of the Nampaung stream, Subsequent to these events the northeastern column was sent out to traverse the hills within our borders from the Taping to the Nantabet. The column traversed a large area of country which had never Defore been visited, and which was inbabited by Kachin tribes reported to be ill-disposed. Owing, no doubt, to the tact and firmness of Mr, Hertz and Capt Davies the work of the column was carried through without any fighting. The Kxchins were made to understand by the collection of tribute and confiscation of arms that they are subject to British authority. Over Rs, 3,000 were collected as tribute, 680 guns were contisented, and 336 were licensed. Towards th" en) of the season the column received news of the Saddu rising, and proceeding north by forced marches succeeded in relieving the Sad6n garrison xud_in-inflicting punishment on the besiegers. The Irrawaddy column was the last of those sent out east of the river. Its object was to explore the country from the Nantaet tu the Nmaikha and to establish permanent post at Sadén to dominate this portion of the hills. The column proded first to Saddn, meeting with some position en route, and while the post was being built, the country to the north and north-east was explored. During the absence of the main. part of the column the post was attacked in force by the neigh bouringtribes. Thesmall garrison defen: itself with much gallantry till it was relieved by the north-eastern column. In recognition of the skill and gallantry with which Sad6n was defended it has been named Fort. Harrison after the officer who conducted the defence, During the next few weeks the column was employed in reducing to order the country round Sadén, and the last part of its work consisted in a tour, through the country to the north-west of the Fort. In the course of this tour information was obtained of a sort of league between a chain of Sawbwas, beginning with Sansi in China on the east and end-
Sidon langkOng, snd "Tungar. The ing with Thama on the west, and including raison d'étre of this Nengoe was smuggling, and it was consequently bitterly hostile to the British advance. The operations of 1891-92 have thoroughly broken up league, one of the Sadéu Sawbwas hi 4 been captured, and Sadangkéng, Tungar, and Thama having been driven out.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.