Of fishes, Cyprinus falcata, or Nepoora of the Assamese, together with the Sentooree [{75}] of the Assamese, both occur. Of plants, we noticed Stauntonia, Vitis, Cissampelos, Butomus pygmæus, Dicksonia, Hedychia 2, Croton Malvæfolium of Suddiya, Xanthium indicum; Cheilosandra ferruginea, Pothos scandens decursiva, etc., Liriodendrum, Kydia. Ficus elastica? Asplenium nidus, Conyza graveolens, south of the old clearings. Lemna, Valisneria, Azolla, Æsculus asamicus in abundance. Limes in profusion near Culleyang; Pæderia fætida and the other species, Naravelia, Hiræa, Phrynium dichotomum, Gærtnera, and Carallia lucida. New plants, Ophioglossum, Carex, Gnetum sp. nov. Choripetalum, and two incerta. Noticed Pladera justicioides during the first part of the march, and the small Squirrel of Kujoodoo.
Six A.M. Temperature 58½. Water boiled at 210° Fahr. 8 P.M. Temperature of the air 66. Altitude 1064 feet.
March 23rd.—Started at 6 A.M. and reached Lamoom about 8, where we breakfasted. Reached Tsilone, the Dupha’s village, at noon. General direction S.W. Distance about ten miles. Lamoom is a small unstockaded village on the Moneekha. Tsilone is a moderate sized Singpho village on the right bank of the Nam Tunail. The river is of considerable size, with scarcely any rapids: stream slow. The village is situated on a rather high bank.
The country continues the same, perhaps a little more open, at least Putars are of frequent occurrence, although they are all narrow. Observed Cryptolepis, Celastrus leguminoideus Cuscuta Uncaria racemis pendulis. Of birds the smaller Maina, common house Sparrow, blue Jay, and the larger grey Tern occur. We halted on a sandbank about one mile and a half higher up to the south of Tsilone. New plants, the Campanula of Chykwar, ditto Lysimachia, Dopatrium, Jasminum, Rhamnea, Pothos, Lasia, Riccia, etc.
March 24th.—Thermometer 58°. Boiling point 210. Altitude 1064 feet. After a long and hot march of seven hours we reached Meinkhoon; general direction -- distance 17 miles. During the first two hours we marched along the bed and banks of the Nam Tenai, subsequently over grassy plains intersected by belts of jungle. Country much more open than that we saw yesterday. To the W. low ranges of hills, about one-third of a mile distant, occurred throughout the day. We passed two or three small nullahs, in one of which I observed lumps of lignite.
The Nam Tenai continued a large river, extreme breadth varying from 250 to 350 yards. We crossed at once, about half a mile from our encampment, deepest part of the ford four feet; its banks are either thickly wooded or covered with Kagara jungle. The day’s march was very uninteresting. I observed a few Mango trees, a Mucuna, Laurineæ are common, as well as a Wendlandia in open grassy places. Sagittariæ sp. was the only novelty. Noticed the Hoopoe bird, Upapa Capensis.
March 25th.—Meinkhoon is situated on a very small nullah, the Eedeekha. The village which is large and well stockaded, is divided into two by this nullah. The population of both cannot, including children, be less than 200. They belong to the Meerep tribe. The women wear the putsoe somewhat like those of Burma, which seems to me quite new in Singpho women; and is not the fashion with those in Assam. To the S.W. there is a group of somewhat decayed Shan Pagodas, and a Poonghie house, around which are planted mango trees and a beautiful arboreous Bauhinia, B. rhododendriflora mihi, ovariis binis! Around the village is an extensive plain, and to the S.E. one or two more Pagodas. This Bauhinia has flowers 1½ inches across, calyx spathaceus, petalis, sub-conformibus, obovatis, repandis læte purpureis, vexillo coccineo-purpureo, colore saturate venoso, carinæ petalis distantibus, odor Copaivæ! Stam. 5 declinata, cum petalis, alternantia. Ovaria 2! anticum posticumque, longe stipetata, difformia superiore minore, aborticate, ambobus vexillo oppositis! Stylus ruber pallide; stigma capitatum. One B. variegata, W. Roxb. Fl. Indic. vol. ii. p.319, quamvis auctor de ovario antico silet.
Two snakes were captured, approaching in shape to the green snake of the Coromandel Coast. Under surface throughout bright gamboge colour; upper surface throughout, excepting about a span or less of the back of the neck, bright ochraceous brown. The space above alluded to is in one faintly, in the other strongly variegated with black and white. Irides, gamboge-coloured.
March 26th.—Visited the amber mines, which are situated on a range of low hills, perhaps 150 feet above the plain of Meinkhoon, from which they bear S.W. The distance of the pits now worked is about six miles, of which three are passed in traversing the plain, and three in the low hills which it is requisite to cross. These are thickly covered with tree jungle. The first pits, which are old, occur about one mile within the hills. Those now worked occupy the brow of a low hill, and on this spot they are very numerous; the pits are square, about four feet in diameter, and of very variable depth; steps, or rather holes, are cut in two of the faces of the square by which the workmen ascend and descend. The instruments used are wooden-lipped with iron crowbars, by which the soil is displaced; this answers but very imperfectly for a pickaxe: small wooden shovels, baskets for carrying up the soil, etc., buckets of bark to draw up the water, bamboos, the base of the rhizoma forming a hook for drawing up the baskets, and the Madras lever for drawing up heavy loads.