identity of Anin and Ho-nhi, M. Garnier writes again:  “All that Polo has said regarding the country of Aniu, though not containing anything very characteristic, may apply perfectly to the different indigenous tribes, at present subject to the Chinese, which are dispersed over the country from Talan to Sheuping and Lin-ngan.  These tribes bearing the names (given above) relate that they in other days formed an independent state, to which they give the name of Muang Shung.  Where this Muang was situated there is no knowing.  These tribes have langage par euls, as Marco Polo says, and silver ornaments are worn by them to this day in extraordinary profusion; more, however, by the women than the men.  They have plenty of horses, buffaloes and oxen, and of sheep as well.  It was the first locality in which the latter were seen.  The plateau of Lin-ngan affords pasture-grounds which are exceptionally good for that part of the world.

[Illustration:  Ho-nhi and other Tribes in the Department of Lin-ngan in S. Yun-nan (supposed to be the Anin country of Marco Polo). (From Garnier’s Work)]

“Beyond Lin-ngan we find the Ho-nhi, properly so called, no longer.  But ought one to lay much stress on mere names which have undergone so many changes, and of which so many have been borne in succession by all those places and peoples?..  I will content myself with reminding you that the town of Homi-cheu near Lin-ngan in the days of the Yuen bore the name of Ngo-ning.”

Notwithstanding M. Garnier’s caution, I am strongly inclined to believe that ANIN represents either HO-NHI or NGO-NING, if indeed these names be not identical.  For on reference to Biot I see that the first syllable of the modern name of the town which M. Garnier writes Ho_mi_, is expressed by the same character as the first syllable of NGO_ning_.

[The Wo-nhi are also called Ngo-ni, Kan-ni, Ho-ni, Lou-mi, No-pi, Ko-ni and Wa-heh; they descend from the southern barbarians called Ho-nhi.  At the time of the kingdom of Nan-Chao, the Ho-nhi, called In-yuen, tribes were a dependence of the Kiang (Xieng) of Wei-yuen (Prefecture of P’u-erh).  They are now to be found in the Yunnanese prefectures of Lin-ngan, King-tung, Chen-yuen, Yuen-kiang and Yun-nan. (See Deveria, p. 135.)—­H.C.]

We give one of M. Garnier’s woodcuts representing some of the races in this vicinity.  Their dress, as he notices, has, in some cases, a curious resemblance to costumes of Switzerland, or of Brittany, popular at fancy balls.[1] Coloured figures of some of these races will be found in the Atlas to Garnier’s work; see especially Plate 35.

NOTE 2.—­All the French MSS. and other texts except Ramusio’s read 15.  We adopt Ramusio’s reading, 25, for reasons which will appear below.

[1] There is a little uncertainty in the adjustment of names and figures
    of some of these tribes, between the illustrations and the incidental
    notices in Lieutenant Garnier’s work.  But all the figures in the
    present cut certainly belong to the tract to which we point as Anin;
    and the two middle figures answer best to what is said of the
    Ho-nhi.