( 205 ) 



hyen village of Latourtg, situated on the right bank, and perhaps ten 

 miles south-east of Tahpoon, the rapids commence, and navigation 

 becomes difficult and dangerous : the bed of the river, which is of 

 serpentine, appeared to be formed into eleven tiers or steps, the 

 channel everywhere being impeded by large boulders, and at about 

 the sixth drop, the passage will not admit of more than one 

 boat passing at a time ; for through this gate, the water rushes with 

 terrific velocity. A little above this gate we made fast, and boat 

 by boat was allowed to shoot the fall, the pace being regulated by 

 the combined efforts of the crew who had hold of a rope attached to 

 the stem ; but barely had the boats entered the opening, than the im- 

 petus of the current rendered them uncontrollable, and they shot 

 forward nearly being swamped in the descent by the curling 

 foam on either side. The rapids were now again less fierce until 

 the last drop but one was reached, when the water was so shallow 

 as to have necessiated an artificial channel being formed by a dam 

 of stones, across the river, with a small opening on the right 

 bank, just sufficient to admit of boats passing singly. We were 

 delayed here some time by the numbers of boats returning from the 

 fair recently held at Bhamo. It is customary for boats down stream 

 to assist those coming up, and so difficult is the navigation just here 

 and the gate above, that it is generally arranged for the up-journey 

 to be made in batches, with a view to the crews assisting one another. 

 Eventually, we got through ; the same precaution having been taken 

 as was followed when clearing the last opening : but here we were 

 not so successful, for a hole was knocked through the bottom of one 

 of the boats, which had to be plugged up with some cloth. It is 

 in these rapids, when boats are in difficulty, that they are attacked 

 by bands of mountain bandits ; and now a guard of six Burmans, 

 who have to provide their own arms and ammimition, had been 

 stationed here to protect voyagers, but they would be of little 

 service in case of an attack, for Kakhyen dacoits seldom go about 

 in bands of less than twenty or thirty men. Each drop or step 

 has its own name ; they are as follows : — 



(1)— Pka-ka-man-lmiaw, (ehccoy^GoSu) signifying "boat-destroyer." 



(2)— Nath-a-mee-hniaw, (^oScSscoSn) " signifj-ing residence of nut's 



daughter." 

 (3)— Har-lone-sai, (oooo^saooScoSn) 

 (4) — i T in-but-hma"w, (giSooScqSd) dangerous place, where boats must be 



propelled by the chest. 

 (5)— Toung-phoung-hmah, (ca^ScgoSgcaSoocco*") 

 (6)— Toung-phoung-gyee-hmaw (sco?Sc§- SsggcoSo) 



