Burma: Census of India 1901 Vol. I - Khamkoo

APPENDICES.
lxxiii
I found the population in the Bre Hinterland a purely agricultural people, just growing sufficient
paddy and vegetables and chillies for their own consumption with of course the small
crop of millet seed for their liquor, and they were all very poor.
In the Bawlake State I was accompanied by the Myoza's clerk and cne or two petty
officials and personally inspected their'work. 1 visited and counted 416 houses in 12 Yinbaw
villages besides 16 Bre, 46 Padaung, and 30 Shan houses within the State. I also raceived
some assistance from the Rev. Dr. Bunker, of the American Baptist Mission at Daw-che-i,
in testing the density of Padaung houses near the Mission, so that on the whole the figures
for Bawlake are fairly reliable.
With^ regard to the Kantarawadi State the Chief, Sawlawi, took considerable pains
in furnishing me with the figures for the State. I had personally taught his clerks what
they should do, and the clerks and the officials appear to me to have done their duty very
well, judging from the personal check exercised by me on their figures.
The small States of Naungpale and Nammek6n have also supplied me with reliable
figures to work upon. Two days ago the Rev. Dr. Johnson, of the American Baptist
Mission, came to see me in Loikaw and we roughly went into the figures, and the
Rev. Missionary agreed with me that the Chiefs undoubtedly had a very good idea of
what was in their States and be considered my figures as a very fair representation of the
population in Karenni.
I am of opinion that the Census figures now submitted are as accurate as can be estimated
under the circumstances, and that they represent very fairly the population of Karenni
I am assured.
From all that I could gather during my tour there is very little doubt that the Red Karen
population has dwindled away of late years and that immigration is the principal cause.
During last year there appear to have been a number of deaths from fever and small-pox,
and I always found a superabundance of females. This may also be said of the Padaungs
and in some -villages in the Bre country.
The difference between the figures submitted by wire is due partly to a clerical error
and partly to the omission in the list of the Kantarawadi State of a whole circle.