CHAPTER VIII.
Notes made on descending the Irrawaddi from Ava to Rangoon.
28th May.—I left Ava and halted about two miles above Menboo.
29th May.—Continuing the journey, the country appears flat with occasionally low hills as about Kioukloloing, no large villages occur; the river is sub-divided by churs; no large grasses to be seen, and the vegetation is arid. Bombax is the chief tree: Mudar and Zizyphus occur: Guilandina, Crotolaria a large Acanthacea, and a Jasminioides shrub are the most common plants: Borassus is abundant: Fici occur about villages. The banks are generally sandy, not high.
Yandebo. This is a wretched village; barren plains bounded to the east by barren rather elevated hills; base jungly. Observed the tree under which the treaty was signed with the Burmese at the close of the late war. It is an ordinary mango, near a pagoda on a plain with two large fig trees. I counted to-day 28 boats sailing up between this and our halting place of yesterday, mostly large praows. The banks present few trees, are flat, barren, and from being occasionally overflowed, adapted to paddy.
Halted at Meengian, which is a middling sized village on the left bank, about a mile below Tarof myoo.
30th May.—I made an excursion into the country which is dry, barren, and sandy, with a descent towards the banks of the river. Zizyphus, Acacia, Euphorbia 20 feet high, Calotropis, Capparis 2, etc., occur all the same as before, only one Ehretiacea appears to be new. Hares are very common. Likewise red and painted Partridges, and Quail. Carthamus and Tobacco are cultivated, specially the latter at Meengian. The most common tree here, is Urticea procera? which has always a peculiar appearance. The country towards Pukoko becomes prettier, the left bank wooded, and the ground sloped very gradually up to Kionksouk, which is barren, and 2,000 feet high at least, with the slopes covered with jungle.
31st May.—Passed Pagam, a straggling town of some size, famous for its numerous old pagodas of all sorts. The surface of the country is raviny, and the vegetation continues precisely the same. Below Pagam, the range of low hills becomes very barren: altogether the country is very uninteresting.
The low range of hills on the right bank is nearly destitute of vegetation. The hills present a curious appearance of ridges, sometimes looking like walls. The country continues the same.
Halted opposite Yowa.