Table of Contents

1. Introduction 2. Their Origin, Language and Physical Characteristics 3. Some of their National Customs 4. Their Agriculture: Pee Bee Yaw, the Goddess of the Harvest 5. Their Folk-Lore: One of Their Satirical Traditions 6. Some of Their Fireside Stories 7. Some of their National Characteristics 8. Historical Tradition: Taw-Mai-Pah, the Mythical Ancestor of the Karens 9. Their National Religion and their God-Traditions 10. The American Mission Among the Karens 11. Christianizing a Heathen Karen Village 12. Policy of the British Government Towards the Karens

About the Author

Donald Mackenzie Smeaton CSI was a Scottish politician who was the Liberal MP for Stirlingshire from January 1906 until January 1910. In 1879 he went to Burma where he served as Chief Secretary in 1887, officiated as Chief Commissioner in 1892 and 1896 and was a Member of the Governor-General's Legislative Council of Burma in 1898 and 1901. He was made Companion of the Order of the Star of India in 1895, was awarded the Kaisar-i-Hind Medal in 1900 and retired in 1902.