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mountains at no considerable distance ; to the west, vast tracts of 

 saccharum and scrub arborescent growth alternately line the banks. 

 Another two miles and a reef of serpentine rocks crops up in the 

 centre of the river, and at this season are eighteen inches above 

 water, the beach becomes pebbly, and the banks are of a stiff clay 

 full of angular stones of convex form, and many now dry, and 

 filled with a layer of coarse gravel. Here we came on a band of 

 Kakhyens encamped on an island washing for gold; the sand 

 was of a quartzy nature with iron. At first they lined the shore to 

 look at us, the attraction no doubt being my cabin-boat and the 

 British ensign, but immediately I was seen, there was a general 

 bolt, and an attempt at concealment in their huts. I went ashore, 

 but it was with difficulty I gained their confidence, and got them 

 to answer my questions, and initiate me in their art of gold-wash- 



233. The method is simple, and not very dissimilar to that 

 practised in Hungary ; which is, washing on inclined tables. A 

 plank about four feet long, fourteen inches wide, and two inches 

 thick is employed, with a number of transverse grooves cut in its 

 surface. This is supported in an inclined position. An open work- 

 basket is then secured to the top of the plank, and filled with sand 

 which, by a repeated succession of washings, passes through the 

 perforation in the basket, leaving the gold with a certain percent- 

 age of sand in the furrows of the board. This mixture is removed 

 into a flat wooden basin, and by a peculiar movement of the hand, 

 the gold is entirely separated from the sand. A family of five earn 

 about Es. 2-4 per diem. I purchased two annas (in weight) of the 

 gold dust for Rs. 2-11. Under a better process, gold-washing here, 

 would doubtless be a remunerative occupation. 



234. The velocity of the current increases considerably, and it is 

 with difficulty the boatmen can find a firm hold for their poles ; 

 the pebbles below are constantly playing false, and the men kept 

 tumbling into the river, much to the amusement of their compan- 

 ions ; fortunately, they can all swim, so no harm results from a 

 capsize. Made fast at a sandbank a little south of Mogoung 

 choung, there being no village any where near. 



235. Sunday, 18th January 1814. — Heavy fog. Thermometer 

 48° at 6 a.m. Start at 8. 30. a.m. The mouth of the Mogoung river 

 is much obstructed by snags, it does not exceed two hundred yards 

 in width, and only a portion of that, contains water. The remains 

 of a tolerably large village destroyed by fire is situated at 

 its junction with the Irrawaddy. The main range of hills, here 

 threw off, at right-angles to the river, a low spur, which reaches 



