May 6th.—We left Bamoo, and in three hours reached Kounglaun, a rather large village on the left bank, containing 100 houses, many of which are respectable, better indeed than any in Bamoo. It contains many small ruined pagodas. A gigantic tree grows within the stockade, which is a very poor one. Punica Granatum, and Beloe, were the only plants of interest observed in the neighbourhood.
We passed several (six or seven) villages, none except one with more than thirty houses; the one alluded to had sixty. All the houses continue small. The river is here much subdivided, and in many places shallow; sandbanks are common. Vegetation of banks is almost entirely Gramineæ, and coarse strong-smelling Compositæ. The grasses are different from those previously met with, except the Arundo. Rosa continues; Salix is common. Between Koungloung and Tsenkan, which is on the same bank, and close to the entrance to the Kioukdweng, three villages are met with; but none of any size. Tsenkan is prettily situated on a high bank, or rather low hill. The houses are about 100 in number, all poor and small. The stockade is a miserable affair. There are some good Poonghie houses, and a very pretty group of pagodas on a small rock. The country is jungly; just above the town a nullah enters the Irrawaddi: it is down this that large quantities of teak is brought, from hills two days’ journey to the eastward; some large rafts were seen, but although some of the timbers were stout, none were of any great size. I gathered a pretty Hippocrateaceous plant in the jungles, as well as a Combretum; a Vitex, an Amyridea, etc. Phrynium dichotomum occurs here; Rosa continues; Jatropha is cultivated.
May 7th.—Started at 5 A.M., and entered the Kioukdweng almost immediately. We halted about 7, at Tsenbo. Noticed Æsculus, Sisymbrium, Campanula, Adelia nereifolia, Dillania speciosa, the usual Compositæ, and largish Dipterocarpeæ. The river is a good deal narrowed, but never less than 130 yards across, and as there are no rocks in any direction to impede the stream, the water flows but slowly and very placidly. Almost all the rocks forming the hills are grey carbonate of lime. These hills are covered to high-water mark, with scanty somewhat stunted trees, the most of which have no foliage. The scenery is by no means so bold as in the upper K. dweng, although just above Tsenbo, there is a noble cliff, 300 feet high, and almost perpendicular; under its ledges we observed great numbers of bees’ nests. The rock when exposed is rather greyish black, and in many places reddish. Serpentine occurs, but is not common. A good deal of lime is prepared in this Kioukdweng, and some portions of it in the rugged serrated appearance, remind one of the limestone cliffs on the coast. Above Tsenbo and nearly opposite the cliff, is a small village of eight houses. Tsenbo numbers fifteen; it is on the left bank, and is a miserable place. Here we were left by our escort which accompanied us from Tsenkan, and the Thogee refused positively to give us two or three men to row. Although master of a miserable hole, he had made preparations for defence, and had set on foot a custom house. We saw a good many boats passing up, all evidently containing families moving away from their villages.
In this Kioukdweng a fine Palm exists, which I have never seen before. Caudex 10-15 pedalis, crassa, petiolorum basibus processibus vestitis, frondibus pinnatis, 10 pedalibus, pinnis ensifornibus 2 to 2½ pedalibus, subtus glaucis, diametro 1½ uncialibus, basi valde obliquis, bilobis! lobo inferiore maximo, decurrenti, uninervi: floribus in spadicibus nutanti-curvatis, amplis, basi spathaceis spicato-paniculatis. Florib. masculis polyandris.
Petiol. bases cretosæ, intus processubus atris, subulatis, longissimis robustis quasi panicillatis.
Habitus quodammodo Wallichiæ. Hab. in Umbrosissimis.
An arbuscula Anonacea, floribus dioicis, Mas. corollæ petalis apice valvatim cohærentibus, basi apertis, potius distantibus, Ovariis (fæm) pedicellatis, also occurred.
Fructus elliptico-oblongus, subuncialis, hinc a basi ad styli punctum linea tenui exsculptus, unilocularis, unisporus. Endocarp, ac testa viscoso-gelatinosa. Testa ac tegumen intera membr. chartacea. Albumen copiosum hinc et suturæ fructus oppositæ, profundius exarat. sectione transversa-reniformi. Carnoso albumeni germen secus sulcum affixium. Embryo in axi albuminis, radicul super. Cotyledones foliaceæ, albæ, amplæ, curvat seminis sequentes: suturæ placental, oppositæ. Ejusdem generis cum Menispermea: in sylvis Singfoensibus cum Wallichia: vide Icones.
Arrived at Kioukgyee at 5 P.M. Waited on and dined with the Meewoon, who is a gentlemanly, spare, lively man with grey hair. Dinner was good, and clean. Preserved dried jujubes from China, as well as some preserved by himself were very good. Kioukgyee is on the right bank of the river, which is here undivided by islands, and about 1200 yards broad. Just above the town there are some rocks. The number of houses is about eighty-five, most of them arranged in a broad street running along the river, and the best that I have seen for some time.
The village is surrounded by a new and wretched stockade, the outskirts being fenced or pangaed; the people are on the qui vive, and the whole village seems to be in a constant state of alarm. All the jungle immediately adjoining the town is cut down; many of the houses are unroofed, and all the gates are guarded. Visited this morning the lines occupied by the attacking force; these were not 300 yards from the village, and occupied the skirts of the jungle: trees had been felled and earth thrown up, but not in such a manner as to obstruct in any way tolerably brave men. We saw none of the slain, we may therefore doubt if there were any, but it was evident from platters, etc. strewed about, that the flight of the robbers had been very precipitate. We passed some little distance above this, a holy island, the numberless small pagodas on which, had a very pretty effect. Close to these there was a small village, Sheweygyoo, which had been just burnt down by the Kioukgyee people, for giving assistance to the robbers; this as well as two other contiguous villages before occupied a good extent of the left bank, and numbered probably 150 houses. Most of the inhabitants have retreated up the river.