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possession of; but it is now too late for alterations, or even for a 

 final polish to the rough and sometimes incoherent simplicity of the 

 work, it must therefore go from me in its present unvarnished con- 

 dition, with the one redeeming clause, that, if there is an absence of 

 interest in the narrative, accuracy has been strictly maintained, for 

 I have carefully endeavoured to overcome all approach to exaggera- 

 tion. 



Compilation, it will be admitted, is at all times an arduous under- 

 taking, but in the present case the task has become more laborious 

 by my having had to conduct it in the midst of other business which 

 more than absorbed the time ordinarily allotted to Office duty ; thus 

 the few hours I could borrow from night was the only available 

 time for this work — leisure hours, that after the business of the day, 

 were alike ill-adapted for calm reminiscences of past impressions 

 or the unravelling of voluminous notes. Apart from this drawback, 

 the collation had to be carried on in the districts, where I was both 

 debarred the use of a scientific library — which materially detracts, 

 from the value of deductions drawn — and the assistance and advice 

 of scientific men — a sine qua non to one so absolutely unscientific as 

 myself. This will amply account for the very superficial manner in 

 which I have treated on the fauna and flora of the country traversed ; 

 but I hope during my furlough in England, with the aid of my 

 extensive collections and the assistance of competent authorities, to 

 re-produce an illustrated edition of this work, that will prove of 

 equal interest to the general reader and naturalist. 



Chapters I. to IV. will doubtless hang heavily on those 

 familiar with the physical geography of the country between Kan- 

 goon and Bhamo, such parts having already been frequently written 

 about by literary architects; but as I was accurate in my observations, 

 and regardless of the experience of those who had gone before me, 

 I yet hope the subject has not been entirely exhausted, and that the 

 reader may find something new or attractive in my narrative. 



I owe my best thanks to Mr. Buchanan for the trouble he has 

 taken in preparing proofs for me — no easy task, when dealing with 



