agreeable and interesting intercourse were so fortunate as to obtain information respecting a variety of topics, many of them suggested by Dr. Pfitzmaier, and recommended by him to our investigation. On most of these topics accurate intelligence was in the course of our voyage transmitted to the Imperial Academy of Sciences; of the remainder elaborate and comprehensive particulars are reserved for the scientific publications of the Expedition.
We may, however, more closely investigate here one topic of universal interest, namely, the latest researches respecting the very remarkable, little known, half-savage tribe, known as the Miáu-Tze.
These extraordinary human beings are usually encountered in the provinces of Kwei-chan, Yun-nán, Szechuen, Húnán, Kwang-si, and the western part of Kwang-tung. The wild tribes of the island of Formosa belong, on the contrary, to an entirely different race. In the Imperial Dictionary of Kang-hi, the sign
, miáu (a compound of the words "flower" and "meadow"), signifies "germinating seeds," "blades of grass springing from the seed-vessels." The sign
, tsz, on the other hand, is that usually employed to express son, or descendant. In accordance with this explanation, the Chinese also seem to consider the Miáu-tze as children of the soil, as aborigines, or indigenous inhabitants of the country. In their descriptions of this singular people they divide them into "Sang" and "Schuh." Sang, ordinarily used when speaking of fruit, signifies "green, unripe,"—schuh again means "ripe," or, when
speaking of food, the former signifies "raw," the latter "thoroughly cooked." By these means they discriminate them into the savage independent "green" Miáu-tze, and the subjugated more civilized "ripe" Miáu-tze. The subjection and civilization of these latter are however as yet very problematical. As in days long gone by, so up to the present hour, the Miáu-tze are restless and troublesome neighbours to the Chinese. Dr. Bridgman has lately translated into English the sketches made by a Chinese scholar upon the Miáu-tze, during his travels in the province of Kwei-chan, by which he has added greatly to our stock of information respecting those "children of the soil;" the work consists of two volumes in 8vo, containing about 82 sketches or delineations. Each of these fills one page, the handwriting being condensed or expanded according to the amount of the contents, while that opposite contains an illustration elucidatory of the text. This very rare work divides the Miáu-tze into 82 tribes according to their customs, more or less savage, very few of whom possess any trace of a written language, recording the most important events simply by certain marks on a stick, or by what are called "tallies," and subsisting upon wild fruit, fish, and the flesh of wild animals. They usually go about barefooted, are very scantily clad, lead a life full of privation and hardship, and in all their troubles have recourse to the invocation of the evil spirits. Only very few of their race follow agriculture, or any branch of industry, or worship
Buddha in their festivals.[148] Some of these however seem to be more or less crossed with Chinese blood, as, for example, the Tsche-Tsai-Miáu, in the district of Kutschan, whither the rebel Má-sán-pái formerly fled with 600 of his followers, when his attempt, under his feudal leader, Mu-san-Kwei, to overthrow the reigning dynasty, failed of success. Many of these fugitives formed connections with the native women, and their descendants are now known by the name of the six hundred savage Miáu families.
Adjoining Dr. Bridgman's residence, is a school maintained at the expense of the mission, in which twenty-four Chinese girls are during five years instructed in reading and writing their mother tongue, in arithmetic, and in the rudiments of Christianity, after which they are provided with a small portion and married to Chinese Christians of good character. Selected under the idea that very favourable results may be anticipated, if the various subjects in which the scholars are