364 Mr Crawford's Account of' the Mission to Ava. 



the most considerable since the commencement of the insurrection. On both 

 sides it was paltry and contemptible to the last degree. The Talains, in one 

 place, caught sleeping or cooking, fled to their boats, and were soon seen cross- 

 ing the river in great numbers. At another post, between the town and the 

 great pagoda, they were more vigilant, and easily repulsed a feeble and cow- 

 ardly attack made by the Burmans. 



" On the 23d the mission left Rangoon, and in less than four and twenty 

 hours reached the new settlement of Amherst, in the harbour of which we 

 found lying the Company's ships. Investigator and Ternate, and a large fleet of 

 gun-boats. To these in a few days were added the large merchant ships Al- 

 morah, Felicitas, and Bombay Merchant^ with two trading brigs and some 

 schooners. This was a curious spectacle, in a harbour which was not known 

 to exist ten months ago. The settlement contains from 1,600 to 1,700 inha- 

 bitants. Maulemhyeng, the military cantonment, twenty-seven miles further 

 up the river, contains twice this number, chiefly camp followers. Neither of 

 them had a single inhabitant a few months back, but, on the contrary, were 

 covered with a thick forest. This fine country already produces some of the 

 necessaries and comforts of European life, in a degree which, under all circum- 

 stances, is remarkable. Fowls are to be had in abundance for five rupees per 

 dozen ; a milch buffalo and calf for fifteen rupees : fish is in abundance, and 

 of excellent quality : the best kinds are the calcop, the large mullet, and the 

 mangoe-fish. It is curious that this last is found in plenty, both in the rivers 

 of Rangoon and of Marttban, with roes, for nine months of the year, or from 

 December to August inclusive ; whereas in the Hooghly, three months is the 

 utmost limit of their season. 



" On the 26th, the mission proceeded to Maulemhyeng, and on the 28th 

 ascended the Ataran river in the steam- vessel. This stream, which is deep 

 and free from danger, might be navigated for fifty miles up by vessels of 300 

 to 400 tons burthen. It leads to teak forests, distant about seventy-five 

 miles, inexhaustible in quantity, and of the largest scantling. 

 " On the 8th of February, the ship Bombay Merchant having been taken up 

 for the accommodation of the mission, the members embarked that evening, 

 and on the following morning sailed for Calcutta. 



" The following is a very brief sketch of what has been observed by the 

 mission in the department or science of statistics. In the departments of mi- 

 neralogy and geology, it is to be regretted, that no scientific observer accom- 

 panied the mission. Our party, however, were assiduous collectors, and the 

 collection brought back is so extensive, that it would afford men of science a 

 very tolerable notion of the mineralogical and geological constitution of the 

 countries .which were visited. From between the latitude of 15° and 16°, to 

 between that of 18° and 19°, is a low alluvial country, forming the debouche- 

 ment of the Irawadi river. Here not a mountain or a stone is to be found, ex- 

 cept in a very few places, such as Rangoon and Syriam, where a little cellular 

 clay iron-ore presents itself in low hills. In about lat. 18° 30' we quit the 

 Delta of the Irawadi, the native country of the Talain race, and enter at once 

 into a hilly region, which extends almost all the way to Ava, or to about the 

 lat. of 21° 50'. The Irawadi, in all this course, is skirted by hills of from 

 about 300 to 500. feet high. The lowest portion of these is composed of 



