Here I found Solanum, Tribulus, a Mimosa, lime trees, Carissa, Mimusops, Stemodia ruderalis now appear. The most interesting is a small diffuse Caryoplylleous-looking plant, with white Campanulate flowers; it is probably a Frankeniacea. On the pagodas an Aristella grows. Certain features prevail in the vegetation similar to those of the Coromandel coast. Fig trees often surrounded at base with brick-work; this never lasts long, the roots tearing up the masonry in every direction.
The exit from this 3rd Kioukdweng is very pretty. Tsengru with its numerous white pagodas; the noble river expanded into a broad bay; the Eastern hills are very beautiful, and the Marble hills which form a background to Tsenbou are no less so. The banks towards the exit from the defile are sloping, often covered with grass. The Palmyra trees and Fig trees have a very pleasing effect. At Kiougyoung there is a large brick fort, built by Alompras. The village contains about 150 houses: no large village is passed between this and Kubuct.
Halted above Sheemnaga to look at Gaudama’s foot, a piece of workmanship contained in a pagoda; it is a very large foot, with a central circular impression. This is about a mile below Endawka. Sheemnaga never contained more than 400 houses, I counted upwards of 180, and although extensive traces of fire, and of new houses existed, I should reckon it to have contained only about 300. At the Pagoda I gathered a curious Rutaceous-looking decandrous thorny tree, with foliis bijugis.
Reached Mengoon about 7 P.M. Landed at the commencement of the sandstone hills, which in some places assume the form of cliffs: texture very loose. They are full of holes, and abound with blue rock Pigeons. Gathered a Murraya. Trichodesma indicus and Compositæ, Asclepiadea, Calotropis gigantea, and a curious Arenariod-looking plant.
May 15th.—Mengoon boasts of a huge unfinished Pagoda, consisting as it now stands of an immense square brick mass, surrounded by four fine broad raised terraces; it would have been, had it been finished, upwards of 700 feet high. The dome was to have been with angular sides. Height 170 feet; the basement, as may be supposed, is immense. The plan or model of it was first built in a small adjoining grove to the south, by the grandfather of the present king. The whole kingdom must have been occupied in its erection. The entrance to it is guarded by two huge Griffins. Several large bells lie close to it. The country around is hilly; the hills low, raviny, and clothed with stunted vegetation. Beautiful topes exist along the river bank, between this and the cliffs before alluded to; consisting chiefly of fine mango trees, noble Fici likewise occur. About Mengoon, Jatropha Curcas is common. Gymnemea, Calatropis gigantea, and Argemone abound. We found a Pergularia, Lippia, Zyzyphus, and one or two small Euphorbiaceæ. The soil is dry, sandy, and barren.
We reached Ava about 1 o’clock.
May 21st.—Went to Tsegai on an excursion: the hills in this vicinity are low, none exceeding 300 or 400 feet, dry and barren, chiefly composed of grey carbonate of lime, and in some places Kancha occurs. Pagodas are very numerous, but none are very large, or bearing the stamp of great age. A fine view of country is however afforded: large plains are seen to the east of the city, and between the hills and the river two large jheels are visible from the hills.
The vegetation almost entirely consists of low stunted, very ramous shrubs, and these are generally thorny. Not a tree visible except Bombax and Tamarindus, but this last is planted. A large subarboreous Cactus, spinosus, ramis 4 angulis, is common. Noticed four species of Capparis, and the following plants, Barleria, Prionitis, Tamarindus, Ægle, Zizyphus, Cocos; Borassus, Bixa, Cordia, Punica, Ricinus, Melia Azederak; Citrus Cassia, near houses and on the hills; Euphorbia 2, Ximenia, Cleome, Boerhaavia, Adhatode, Cassia sennoidea, Sidæ, Andropogon, a lax Linaria common on old pagodas; Calanchoe, Sedum, Pommereulla, Vinca rosea, Tectona Hamiltoniana, but not of such size as at Malé. Bambusa stunted and rare, Blepharacanthus, Polygala, Labiatæ 2, Æruæ, sp. Fici one or two, an Alstonia, Celosia mollugo, Solani sp. Stemodia, Combretum, Heliotropium indicum, and the Euphorbiacea of Mengwong. It will at once be seen that the vegetation has some similarity with that of the Carnatic, for in addition I found Asplenium radiatum, and Limonea Monophylla, a Carissa, Ximenia, Flacourtia, etc. etc.
Ava is a fine town, surrounded with an excellent brick wall: the streets are wide, and kept clean; the houses are regular, and as trees are interspersed, a pleasing effect is produced. The appearance is much improved by a lattice before each house. The houses also are of a superior description, a few only are of brick. The fort is surrounded by an additional wall, and a broad but shallow ditch. The palace is a handsome, irregular, gilt edifice; but its precincts are not kept so clean as they might be. The Shwottoo is a handsome hall. The town altogether conveys an idea of importance. The river is about 800 yards broad opposite the Residency; but above, it is encroached on by a sandbank. Boats are numerous, and opposite Tsegain there is a busy ferry, especially now the king is at Tsegain. This is a much preferable place, and rendered much more pleasing by its superb Tamarind trees, with their most elegant foliage and sculptured trunks. The plants cultivated about Ava are Palmyra, Cocoa (rare). Tamarinds abound; Carica Papaya, Punica Granatum; Mangoes, which are of good description; Cordia, Plantains, Ægle Marmelos.
The country is flat, and destitute of trees to the south and southwest. The whole of this is cultivated during the rains, chiefly for Gram, Tobacco, Capsicum, and a Melilotus. At present the plains are barren, the low places being almost exclusively occupied by a Combretum; the rest give a new Polygonum, Lippia, 2 or 3 Compositæ, and a curious dwarf grass. On the walls Linaria is common. Noticed near one of the gates, Cryptostegia grandiflora; the waste places and banks are occupied by Argemone, Mollugineæ three, Xanthium, Dentella, and low annual Compositæ.