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MUOQ. On the north side of the river the hill* arc at no 

 great distance from the banks, and here the ground is im- 

 pregnated with muriate of soda and with nitre, of which 

 great quantities are extracted. To the north of these hills 

 U the lake of Nnndagando, which extends in length from 

 S. to N. above thirty miles ; the country about it presents 

 an undulating surface. At a considerable distance cast of 

 the mouth of the Kyan Uuayn river the hills cease, and 

 an open slightly-undulating country extends to iu banks 

 aad beyond them. This portion of the valley of the Irawaddi 

 teems to be the roost fertile and most populous part of the 

 Birtnan empire, and offers at the same time the most easy 

 communication with it* internal provinces. The Irawaddi 

 opens an easy access to the north as well as to the south, 

 and it* two greatest tributaries, the Myit-ng<! and the 

 Kyan-Duayn, with the provinces lying east and north-west 

 of' the valley. The seat of government has for a long I inn- 

 beer, fixed in this central part of the empire, and here are 

 the four capitals, Ava, Amarapoora, Sagaing (Zogain), and 

 Monchabo. 



The Myit-ng6. or ' Little river' (so called in comparison 

 with the Irawaddi), which is named by Sir F. Hamilton 

 the Mringngaen, rises in the Chinese province of Yunnan, 

 and runs a little to the west of south, ncarlv parallel with 

 the Irawaddi, probably for more than three hundred miles. 

 In this course it drains an elevated but wide, fertile, and 

 well-peopled valley, in which its waters are employed to 

 irrigate the cultivated lands. Arrived at the parallel of 

 Ava, where it is still about eighty miles from the capital, 

 it suddenly turns to the west, and continues generally in 

 that direction to its mouth. Near its entrance into the 

 Irawaddi it divides into two branches, of which the eastern 

 retains the name of Myit-nge : the western is called 

 Myit-tha. On the island formed by these two branches of 

 the Myit-ng, the present capital of the country, Ava, is 

 built, more especially near the mouth of the eastern or prin- 

 cipal branch, which at this place is from 150 to 200 yards 

 broad and very deep. It must be considered as the proper 

 port of the capital, and a considerable number of war-boats 

 are always stationed there. 



Having given an account of the former capital, Amara- 

 poora, under that article, we shall here insert a short de- 

 scription of the present capital, Ava, and the antiunt 

 capitals of Sagaing and Monchabo. 



Ava is called by the natives Angwa, meaning a fish-pond, 

 because the town'was erected on a place where such a pond 

 had formerly been. This name has been corrupted by the 

 Hindus and Malays into Awa, and by Europeans again into 

 Ava ; but in all public writings it bears the name of Ratna- 

 poora, or the City of the Pearl. 



Ava consists of the inner town or city and the outer town. 

 The city occupies the north- east angle of the whole, and 

 extends nearly up to the mouth of the Myit-iige' river. The 

 outer town lies to the south-west of the city. The whole is 

 surrounded by a brick wall fifteen and a half feet high and 

 ten feet in thickness, with innumerable embrasures about 

 the distance of five feet from each other; on the inside of 

 the uall there is thrown up a bank of earth, forming an 

 angle of about forty-five degrees. The ditch round this wall 

 is inconsiderable, and during all the dry season fordable in 

 every part. The Myit-nge on the east face forms a con- 

 siderable defence on that side. The city is enclosed by a 

 separate wall, which is better constructed thau that of the 

 I.UL'I- town. The ditch on the south and west faces of it is 

 ;ils'> broader and deeper and not fordable ; the east side is 

 defended by the Myit-ngi, and the north by the Irawaddi. 

 It is mostly occupied by the palace of the king, the Rung 

 d'hau. or hall of justice, the Lut d'hau. or council chamber, 

 the arsenal, and the habitations of a few courtiers of dis- 

 tinction. All these buildings are situated in a square, 

 which is surrounded by a strong well-built wall about 

 twenty feet in height ; and on the outside of this wall and 

 at no great distance is a teak-wood stockade of the same 

 height as tin- wall. 



The circumference of Ava round the walls and excluding 

 the suburbs, i* about five miles and a half. In general the 

 houses are mere huts thatched with grass. Some of the 

 dwellings of the chief* are constructed of planks, and tiled ; 

 there are probably in all not half a doien houses constructed 

 of brick and mortar. Poor as the houses are, they are 

 scattered over the extensive area of the place, and some 

 large quarters arc, indeed, wholly destitute of habitations. 

 There are in the town eleven markets or bazars, composed 



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of thatched huts and sheds, but well supplied with commo- 

 dities, at least with reference to the wants and habits of the 

 people. Paltry as the town is, it has a splendid and im- 

 posing appearance at a distance, winch it oi-> u the great 

 number of temples, all surmounted by lull, w'n.ie. or gilded 

 spires. 



The town of Ava, which twice before had ! .pltal 



of the Birman empire, became so a third time in IM-J-J, and 

 must therefore be considered as a new town. This accounts 

 for its small population, which Crawfurd estimated in 

 at only 2 3,000 inhabitants. 



The town of Sagaing, or Zakkain, which w as once the 

 scat of government, is situated on the opposite side of the 

 Irawaddi, directly fronting Ava. The river is at this place 

 1050 yards wide. On the river face the town has a brick 

 wall, which extends for about half a mile: the height of 

 this is not above ten feet; but it has a terre jil< iin: parapet, 

 and embrasures, like the wall of Ava. On the land side 

 there are no defences whatever. The town extends along 

 the Irawaddi more than a mile and a half, but its depth 

 towards the hills is very inconsiderable. It consists of 

 mean houses thinly scattered among gardens and orchards. 

 On the site of the town and its environs then- arc innume- 

 rable temples, ruinous, old or modern, which give it a 

 striking appearance from a distance. 



Moksobo, commonly called by Europeans Monchabo, is 

 about fifty-two miles from Ava in a north-west direction, 

 and at no great distance from the western shores of the lake 

 of Nandagando. It is a walled town, and still a pi 

 considerable traffic and population. In 1756 Alampni, the 

 founder of the present dynasty, who was a native of the 

 place, made it his capital, and gave it the Pali name of 

 Rntna sinha, or ' the pearl lion,' or lion of pearls. 



Below the town of Ava the Irawaddi is a majestic river, 

 whose breadth in some places extends to four miles and 

 upwards, but it is commonly divided into many channel^ by 

 sandy and uninhabited islands, which arc inundated when 

 the water of the river rises to its greatest height. Near the 

 place where the river declines to the south-west begins an 

 extensive island, called Ala-kyun or ' middle islands,' which 

 extends for many miles to the confluence of the Kjati 

 Duayn with the Irawaddi. It is the largest of all the islands 

 in the river, high and not exposed to inundation, and con- 

 sequently well cultivated and inhabited. Opposite this 

 island on the eastern bank of the Irawaddi is the town of 

 Yandabo, where the peace was concluded between the. 

 Birmaiis and English in 1826. 



The Kyan Uuayn, by far the largest of the tributaries 

 of the Irawaddi, drains an immense country, its further 

 branches rising in the Patkoi Mountains and the Samo- 

 khtura, where these two chains meet the hangtan Moun- 

 tains. The numerous streams which descend from llu-M- 

 ranges unite in a country called Hukhung, which, according 

 to our imperfect information, seems to be a large plain en- 

 closed on all sides by mountains, but fertile, and offering 

 extensive tracts for colonization. Hukhung lies between 

 26 and 27 N. lat The river formed in this plain n< 

 the name of the Tenui, and passes afterwards through a 

 nearly unknown mountainous country in a narrow vale, till 

 near 23 N. lat. it enters a wider valley, and unites with 

 the Narepagna, which latter, for the greatest part of its 

 course, constitutes the boundary line between liirma and 

 the kingdom of Munipoore. After this junction the coun- 

 try on the river begins to resemble an undulating plan 

 pccially on the eastern banks of the river, which is here 

 called the Ningthi. On the western batiks the country be- 

 longs to Munipoorc, and is much more hilly, and in somo 

 parts even mountainous. South of 24 N. lat. Birma ex- 

 tends on both banks of the Ningthi, which is here increased 

 by the waters of the Kongba, or river of Munipoorc, which 

 comes from the west. This latter river runs nearlj parallel 

 to the Ningthi for about 200 miles from noilh to M nth. but 

 then, suddenly turning to the east, breaks through the chain 

 of the Uanghii Hills and unites with the Ningthi. After 

 this junction the river begins to he called Kyan Duaui, 

 and to the west of it, at no great distance from its banks, 

 rises a range of hills, the Uanghii Hills, or Gnambean- 

 '1"M/, which are of moderate height, but very barren and 

 bleak. The level country on its eastern banks cxtcn 

 a considerable distance, is in general well peopled, and con- 

 tains extensive tracts of cultivated ground. It is bounded 

 eastward by an undula'.ing country, which hilly 



only near the banks of the lake of Nandugando. The K\ an- 



