May 12th.—Reached Malé about 6 P.M. Passed en route a few villages, none of any size or importance. The river varies in width, i.e. the channel, from 400 to 600 yards. The banks are either alluvial or rocky; and there are hills on the right bank skirting the river; those on the left, are more distant and higher. Borassus commences to be common; it is a taller, and more slender tree than that of Coromandel, and the trunk is not covered with the persistent bases of the petioles.
The village of Tsebainago is opposite to Malé, and appears nearly of the same size. Both are situated close to the mouth of the third Kioukdweng. Malé contains 150 houses, all small; it is a place of no trade. To the north is a hill forming the river bank, and covered with pagodas; it is the prettiest place we observed after Katha. The soil has now put on the dry sterile appearance of the Coromandel coast, all the trees of which, except the figs, are common; and often render the banks very pretty. Tectona of Hamilton is very common; it is a tree not exceeding in height 40 feet, much resembling in habit the more valuable species; the flowers are blueish, particularly the villi; the leaves have the same excessive rough feel. Two other Verbenaceæ, a curious Capparidea, caule laxo, foliis lineari-oblongis, basi hastato-cordatis, and a Ximenia are common. On the banks Stravadium, and an arboreous Butea, a Combretum, are common. Low stunted bamboos likewise prevail; and all the bushes are prickly. Nyctanthes is cultivated. The rocks as well as those forming the Kioukdweng, are of coarse sandstone, here and there affording nourishment to abortive Compositæ, stunted grasses, Mollugo, etc.
Left Malé, and entered immediately the last Kioukdweng on descending, or the first defile on ascending against the stream. This is a pretty passage, and moreover has no dangerous places; the hills are low, lower than those of the two former passes, consisting of sandstone partially clothed with the same scanty vegetation, presenting the same barren appearance. Olax, Fici, Leguminosa, stunted bamboos, Hippocrateacea, Mimosa, and Stravadium, occur. Celsia on sandy spots, together with Campanula, but this last is becoming rare. Adelia nereifolia continues. An arundo occurs on the naked rocks; Cassia fistula, Tectona Hamiltoniana are also present.
We are much impeded by south-west winds; and owing to this and the slowness of the stream, we were compelled to remain some time at Thee-ha-dau. We there had excellent opportunities of seeing the fish, which are so very tame as to come up to the sides of the boat, and even to allow themselves to be handled. The faqueers of the place call them together; but I think they are not much disposed to come from mere calling, for they seem to require more substantial proofs of being wanted, in the shape of food: they are found in still water in a small bay, which is closed up still more from the influence of the stream by a round island, constructed superficially on a rocky base, and on which pagodas are built. They resemble a good deal the Gooroa Mas of Assam, but have no large teeth as this has. They are very greedy, of a blueish grey colour, occasionally inclining to red; the feelers are in some forked: they have no scales.
We continued our course when the wind lulled; halted to dine on a sandbank, and proceeded on afterwards, until we reached Kabuct about 8½ P.M. On the sandbank where we dined I gathered a Crotalaria, Campanula, Cleome, a Graminea, Polygonum, Cyperaceæ, and a Dentelloidea. The villages seen were all small.
May 13th.—Left Kabuct before 6. Halted to breakfast on a steep bank, finding it impossible to proceed against the south-west winds, which have now become prevalent.
At this place, which is hilly, I gathered Gmelina villosa, an Anonacea, calyce 6 sepalis, cor. tripetala, pet. patentissimis, margine revolutis, luteis. A Carissa, Grewia, Malpighiacea samaris, 3-alatis, alis dorsalibus abbreviatis, a curious Graminea, a green Orchidea, terrestris, bulbosa, flore ante folia evoluta, a Diospyros, Polygala, Plectranthus, Rungia, Pladera, etc.
Halted at Movo, owing to the wind. This is a very pretty village; of no great size, and of no importance. A delightful tope formed by Mango, Fig, and Garcinia, or Xanthochymus, the dense shade of which is most agreeable; Averrhoa, Ægle Marmelos is cultivated here; Borassus is common, trunks of which are often of very irregular diameter. Low grassy places occur running along the back of the village, with abundance of a Combretum fruticosum; and a nullah at either end of the village presents many trees on its banks, particularly a very large and handsome Myrtacea, Hemarthria compressa. Stravadium racemis longe pendulis.
We were compelled to put into Malá on the right bank, about a mile above Tsengoo, by a severe storm from the north-west. This village consists of about forty houses, many pagodas, and has a good many potteries, and some fine trees. It is at the entrance of the Kioukdweng. Observed Jatropha Curcas, and Vitex negrendo. In the evening we proceeded to Tsenbou.
May 14th.—Left Tsenbou, and breakfasted at Nbat Kiown-wa. Just above this are several villages, two of which number nearly seventy houses each. This is the most populous part I have seen. To the east of this are the Ruby mines in the Shan hills; and to the south-east low hills from which the marble is procured, from which they make the idols. The river features continue the same; namely, low hills close to the right bank, and more distant as well as higher ones on the left. On the Shan hills to the east, teak forests occur; on those to the west, tea also grows. In Polong tea districts also occur; but the tea is very coarse, and said not to be drinkable. Hemarthria, and Hoya viridiflora were found.