Page:The Tribes Of Burma - 10.png

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Henri, who reached the Malikha from almost due east, indicate that the transition from the Lisaws of the Salween to their neighbours the Lutzes, and from the Lutzes to the Kiutzes was comparatively slight, and it is certain that voca-bularies and such data as exist in regard to physical type point to the Khunnongs (Kiutzes), Lutzes, Marus and Lashis as well as the prehistoric Burmans being all component parts of a cluster of tribes spreading in a southwesterly direction down from the headwaters of the Sal-ween and connected with the Lisus or Lisaws, who still occupy a considerable portion of the upper reaches of that river and are also found scattered here and there on the hills along the eastern edge of Upper Burma and the Shan States. The Lisus are, so to speak, a link connecting the Burmans with the Lolos by way of the Mossos of the Upper Mekong, The Lisaws of Burma are identical with the Lisus described by Prince Henri, Cooper, Gill and other travellers. It has been suggested that the Lahus or Muhsos of the Shan States are the same as the Mossos. That there is a connection between the two tribes is certain, but it is probably not as close as the similarity of name implies. At the same time there is ample linguistic evidence to show that the Lahus have much in common with the Lisaws, the former being an eastern branch of the same prehistoric stock who in their southward journey have followed the course of the Mekong just as the Lisaws have that of the Salween, and it seems likely that, unless they are more closely related to the Lolos, the hill dwelling Akhas or Kaws of Kengtung also belong to the same Eastern Tibeto-Burman branch. However this may be, the country of the Lahus and Kaws, which abuts on that of the Lolos and Miaotzus, marks the furthest eastern limit of the region inhabited by those Tibeto-Burmans with whom we are dealing. The furthest western limit has been reached by the Arakajnese, who, breaking