They all understood Shan as well as their own language; but even so, these monosyllabic languages have so many tones and inflections, that great caution and care have to be taken when translating, to prevent all chance of error. Professor Forchhamer gives an instance of this in the Shan word _kan_, which, although written with only two letters, _k_ and _n_, “is capable of conveying sixteen totally distinct meanings, according as the vowel is pronounced with the high, low, middle, or rising tone; with teeth and lips either widely or but slightly opened; with full or restrained expiration of breath.” Luckily, I had with me two exceedingly capable and careful Shan scholars, Drs Cushing and M‘Gilvary; and even then we had at times the greatest trouble to agree upon the true sound that was uttered in a strange language; many of the consonants might be taken for one or another, as the sound was strangely between the two—_W_ running into _V_, _H_ into _R_, _L_ into _D_, aspirates into non-aspirates, and single consonants into double ones. How the men and women did laugh as they tried to put us right by pronouncing a word dozens of times over. To see Dr Cushing leaning over, with his hand up to imply the request for perfect silence, and then eagerly become as if all ear for the sound of the word, was better than a play. I was of little use, except in taking the letters down whilst they were being haggled over by my two companions, and stating the words and sentences I wished to be translated. To show that the La-hu are a Lolo tribe, I will compare a few of the words in the La-hu vocabulary with words taken by Mr Bourne from the Lolo tribes in Yunnan. In Lolo, father, fire, foot, gold, hand, head, iron, and moon, are _ha-pa_, _um-to_ and _mi_, _t’u chieh_, _shi_, _la_, _ê-ku_, _shu_, _la-pa_; in La-hu they are, _nga-pa_, _am-mee_, _keu-sheh_, _shee_, _la-sheh_, _o-ku_, _shō_, _ha-pa_. The resemblances would be still greater if the same person had taken down the two vocabularies—as _mee_ and _mi_, _chieh_ and _sheh_, _am_ and _um_, and perhaps other syllables, would have been similar. Having given us their vocabulary, the La-hu said good-bye, as they wanted to return home; took up their presents, smilingly accepted the rupee offered to each of them, and promised to return the next day. More could be got out of us, and perhaps out of them, in two visits than in one. CHAPTER XVI.