March 30th.—Marched for about thirteen miles along the bed of the river, and a more uninteresting march I never had. We breakfasted about four miles from our halting place at the granary of the Meewoon. The bed of the river continues wider, and more sandy: the water being in general shallow. The only acquisitions met with to-day are Grislea, an arborescent Capparidea, and a pretty Grewia. Of birds, I noticed the Avocet, or curved-billed Plover, the grey Kingfisher, the green Pigeon, and the snake-bird, Plutus Levalliantia. The plants occupying the banks and the bed of the river are the same, viz. Ehretia, Saccharum spontaneum, spirale; Kagara, Erythrina, Ficus, Gnaphalia, Podomolee, Bombax. Of fish, Cyprinus falcata, and Nepoora mas, occur in this river.
Temperature at 5¼ A.M. 6l. Water boils at 210.
March 31st.—Continued our march down the Mogaung river, passing through a most uninteresting, inhospitable-looking tract. General direction S.E., distance fourteen miles. The river is not much enlarged: it is still shallow, and much spread out, and impeded by fallen trees and stumps; it is navigable for small boats up to the Meewoon’s granary. Noticed Æsculus in flower. Of birds, saw the grey and black-bellied Tern.
The Botanical novelties are an arborescent Salix, a ditto Cordia floribus suave odoratis, Phyllanthus Embelica.
Saw some cultivation on low hills to the S.E. and E. inhabited by Kukheens. 1st April. Temperature 63. Water 210¼ altitude.
April 1st.—Started at 5¼. Leaving almost directly the Mogaung river we traversed extensive open plains, halting for breakfast on the Wampama Kioung. This we crossed, continuing through open plains until we came to patches of jungle consisting of trees, and quite dry. We subsequently traversed more open plains until we reached the Mogaung river, on the opposite (right) bank of which Camein is situated. These plains were in many places quite free from trees; they are, except towards the south, quite surrounded with low hills, the highest of which are to the E., and among these, Shewe Down Gyee, from which the Nam Tenai rises, is pre-eminent, looking as if it were 3000 feet high, and upwards. The hills although generally wooded are in many places quite naked; and as the natives say, this is not owing to previous cultivations, I suppose that they are spots naturally occupied entirely by Gramineæ. The plains slope towards the hills on either side. They are covered with Gramineæ; among which Imperata, occasionally Podomolee and Saccharum, Anthistiria arundinacea, a tall Rottboelia, and Andropogon occur; and in the more open spaces a curious Rottboellioidea, glumis ciliatis, is common. In addition a Polygala, a Crucifera with bracteæ and white flowers, an Acanthacea, Prenanthes? Centranthera tetrastachys are met with. The trees are quite different from those of Hookhoom; the principal one is a Nauclea; Bombax, Wendlandiæ sp., a Rhamnea, Phyllanthus, and Bignonia cordifolia occur; the Nauclea giving a character to the scenery. The Botany of the patches of jungle is varied. Strychnos Nux-vomica is common; Congea tomentosa, Engelhardtia, etc. Bauhinia arborea, and Costus also occur.
Teak occurred to-day for the first time, but not in abundance, neither were the specimens fine: it was past flowering, it occurred only between the patches of jungle among grass. I should have mentioned, that throughout the first portion of the plains traversed, a dioceous dwarf Phœnix was not rare, as well as an Herpestes. A beautiful Rose occurs on the banks of nullahs, and at Camein, on the Mogaung river: it has large white flowers, involucrate; smell sweet like that of a Jonquil.
The general direction of the march was S.S.E. Distance fourteen miles.
Camein consists of two stockaded villages: the smaller one being situated on a small hill on the Endaw Kioung, which comes from near the serpentine mines, and falls into the Mogaung river here; this has about twelve houses: the one below about twenty, the inhabitants are Shans chiefly, and appear numerous and healthy. Assamese slaves are not uncommon.
Observed the large blue Kingfisher of the Tenasserim coast, Alcedo sinensis.