The Journal of the Siam Society Vol. XXIX, Part 1-2, 1936 - Khamkoo

PT .. II] Sm J. GEORGE ScoTT 145
who, like the Dann and Taungyo, speak an archaic form of Burmese.
Mr. Giles adds that the Danaw, ·who also live on the Myelat
plateau, "have a language of their own, and although only a remnant
of this tribe still exists in the State of Pendaya they are (pite
interesting people. The surrounding people say that the Danaw
Rpeak the language of birds."
The Taungthus, alRo living in the Myelat, are, of course, well
known in Siam as wandering pedlars. Here we call them Dongsu.
'!'hey are met with right over to the Mekhong river and even in
Cambodian territory. Sir George thinkR they are of Karen extraction.
rrhis is confirmed by Mr. Giles who says:- "rrhe word
Taungthu is Burmese and means a hill man. They call themselves
Ba-o, and I am inclined to think that they are a sept of some very
ancient. Karen or Kha tribe, probably mixed with Pyu blood. 'There
is a state called 'l'hn,ton in the Southern Shan States, entirely
populated with ~tnd governed by rraungthus, and three other 'l'aungthu
states; viz:- Loi-ai, Loi-maw and Pinhmi (in Tai, Pangmi) in
the Myelat.
The word 'l'aungyo is also Burmese and means the hone of the hill,
for these people live rnor;tly on the hills.
'l'heir dress iR the same as that of the Taungthus, only it is brovvn
in colour instead of black."
About the famous leg-rowers of the Inle lake, the Inthas, the
author :-:tates that they claim to have come from 'l'avoy and to be
of Antkanese origin. Mr. Giles confirms this, saying "their ancestorr;;
were Ara,kanese prisonerR of war, settled in Tavoy and eventually
brought to this lake at the head of which stands the capital town
called Y awnghwe after the State of the same name. There i::; a settlement
of Tavoyans in Bangkok, also prisoners of war, being the same
people as the Inthas. 'rhe word ·intha means son of the lake.
Sir George treats the Karens in two chapters but, though he says
that they are not Thibetans, and are as much Pre-Chinese as the Thai
nre, he does not try to find out 'I,Uhcd they really are. That the Red
and the white Karens Rpeak allied languages is well known, but
physically speaking they are very different. The Red Karens, by
reason of their queer skull forms, present something of an anthropological
puzzle, so much so that 1\fr. Giles believes that the Karen-ni
or Red KarenR belong to the Wa people, as there is, Jiving south of
the Wa country, a people very much alike the Red Karens.
It must, however, not be forgotten that the Red Karens are long