II 1 11 



rou wide branches, but they are not navigable, on account 

 of the bar* before their embouchures. The Rangoon or 

 Syrian channel, which is also called the A*iae Khiaun. that 

 ,M-t.-rn channel. flows off nearly in an eastern direc- 

 tion, mill affords in all season* an uninterrupted navigation 

 into the main river, being from 80 to 150 yards across, and 

 rally three or four fathoms deep, which, however, on 

 some shoals lessens to two and a naif fathoms. At the 

 i au-r the depth on these shoals is said to be not more 

 than five feet ; and hence Crawfurd infers, that the whole 

 rise of the water in the river amounts to ten feet. The ad- 

 vantages which this branch of the Irawaddi offers for naviga- 

 tion have concentrated on its shores, especially at th< 

 of Rangoon, all the maritime commerce of the Binnaii 

 empire. [See RANGOON.] In the dry season the titles 

 ascend the branches of the river to the place where the two 

 principal branches meet at the village of Yangain-chain- 

 yah, but in the wet season they are observable in the Ran- 

 goon channel only as far as the village of Panlang, which is 

 many miles farther down. 



The distance from Rangoon to Ava along the river, ac 

 cording to Colonel Wood's map, is 446 miles ; according to 

 Symes, 500; and according to the Diana's log-book, 540. 

 At the height of the freshes, a war-boat, proceeding day 

 and night, has been known to go from Ava to Rangoon in 

 tour days. In the dry season, a war-boat, proceeding in the 

 same manner, will go from Rangoon to Ava in eight days, 

 ami in the rainy season in ten. 



The Delta of the Irawaddi, as far as the tide reaches, is 

 covered with a thick forest of moderate-sized trees, sparingly 

 interspersed with some grassy plains. As soon as the tides 

 , the character of the vegetation is greatly altered. 

 The country is covered with a tall rushy grass (a species of 

 sa<-charum), among which are scattered trees from twenty to 

 sixty feet high, without any underwood. The appearance 

 of inhabitants and cultivation is extremely scanty. Here 

 and there, on the immediate banks of the river, are a few 

 villages of Talain fishermen ; and farther off are the Karian 

 villages, somewhat more numerous, and with a few patches 

 of rice-culture. As the banks of the river are a foot or two 

 above the level of the surrounding country, this circum- 

 stance might betaken advantage or for watering the lane 

 to a great extent But irrigation is neglected, and the 

 country is covered with innumerable pools, which are often 

 so extensive that they might be called lakes. In the pro- 

 \ince of Bassein alone, 127 of these lagunes were counted 

 at the time when it was occupied by the British. In the 

 northern district of the Delta, especially north of Hcn/a- 

 dah, the cultivated portion of the country is much more con- 

 nble, and here the water of the river is used for irri- 

 :ig the rice-grounds. 



The country which extends to the eastward of the Delta 

 is to be of the same description. It is drained by the 

 Pegu river and the Setang. The Pegu river, which is callec 

 liy ihe natives Bagoo Kioup, or ' Pegu Rivulet,' has its source 

 in the Galladzct hills, and unites with the Rangoon branch 

 of the Irawaddi three miles below the town of Rangoon. It 

 ugable only a few miles to the northward of tin.' towi 

 i I I'( t;u, which advantage it owes wholly to the action of the 

 tide. In ti.r fuir season it is almost dry at low-water. The 

 Sctung has its sources near the 20th parallel, and runs 

 southward the whole of its course, till it empties its wa!ir 

 into the northernmost angle of the Bight of Martaban. This 

 river, where it is of great breadth, is rather a considerable 

 arm of the sea than a river. Beyond the reach of the lidos 

 it is an inconsiderable stream ; and even as low down as 

 tin? town of Tongo it is only navigable for boats. Its mouth 

 is confined by sand-banks, and is liable to a dangerous bore, 

 which renders its navigation impracticable for large vessels 

 and difficult for vessels of all descriptions. 



That portion of the Birman empire which extends along 

 the western banks of the Saluen river is almost entirely 

 unknown. It seems to be more mountainous than the 

 coun; .< middle course of the Irawaddi, but to con- 



t.in lo tracts. 



Of . r that portion of Birma which extends on 



the left hank of the Saluen river, between the Chinese 

 province of Yunnan and the kingdom of Siara, we have so 

 !.;(': information, that we only know it to be a mountainous 

 country, whi'-li however contains some fertile and cultivated 

 tract- id'ing the courses of the rivers. It seems to be rich 

 in metallic wealth. 



We conclude our description of the Birman Empire with 



B I R 



a short notice of the Saluen river, which forms the eastern 

 xnindary-line between it and Sunn, and the British pro- 

 vince of Martaban, for between 500 and 000 miles. The 

 Saluen, or Thaluen, called also Sanluen, rises in the east- 

 ern districts of Tibet, in the country of ihe N'.u or > 

 vnd its up[>cr course is called by l UianL'. It 



afterwards passes through the Chines.- province of Yun- 

 nan, where it is named the Lou-kiang. Continuing its 

 southern course, it leaves China, and divides ihe province of 

 Upper Lao from the remainder of the Birman territories, 

 and afterwards forms the boundary between Simn and Mar- 

 taban on one side, and the Birman empire on the other. 

 This river is remarkable for the small number of large bends, 

 and for not forming a delta, as i the case with all larger 

 rivers in this part of the world. It is likewise : 

 gable: vessels of moderate si/e can only come up t 

 town of Martaban, and with dilh'cnlty and danger. Small 

 boats may ascend as far as Ka Kayet, at the confine:.' 

 the Yunzalaen river; but farther to the north the naviga- 

 tion in the wet season is entirely interrupted by numerous 

 eddies, rapids, and cataracts. About twelve miles north of 

 the town of Martaban, a creek, called the Kadachaong, 

 leads from the Saluen to the Setang, and another channel 

 hence to the Pegu river; so that there is an inland water 

 communication between the Saluen and the Bassein branch 

 of the Irawaddi, a direct distance of more than 'JOO miles. 

 Near its mouth the Saluen is divided into two branches by 

 the island of Balu, which is about twenty miles in length, 

 and about half that extent in average breadth : it is : 

 for its groat fertility in rice. The southern branch of the 

 Saluen, between the island of Bain and the new settle- 

 ment of Amherst, is seven miles across, and the wider of 

 the two. 



The climate of such an extensive country, which extends 

 over twelve degrees of latitude, must, of course, vary very 

 greatly. We are, however, acquainted only with a small 

 portion of it. The greatest difference observed is that 

 which prevails between the low country at the southern ex- 

 tremity and the valley of the Irawaddi before it branches off 

 into different channels. In the lowlands the south-west 

 and north-east monsoons divide the year between them, and 

 hence there are only two seasons, the wet and the dry. 

 From the end of April or the beginning of May, to the end 

 of July, or during the south-west monsoon, violent rains 

 pour down nearly without intermission; and at the 1 

 ning, as well as at the end of this period, the rains are 

 accompanied with tremendous thunder and lightning, and 

 with violent winds. These rains are followed by an un- 

 settled state of weather, which continues to the end of Oc- 

 tober or the beginning of November. But from this time to 

 April the season is perfectly dry, except the month of Feb- 

 ruary, in which a little rain sometimes falls; but it is very 

 gentle, and never continues for several days. In the 

 mornings however thick fogs are frequent in October and 

 November. 



In the valley of the Irawaddi and the adjacent hilly coun 

 tries three seasons are observed, the cold, the hot, and the 

 The cold season, which may be called the winter, 

 though it never freezes nor snows, prevails during the two 

 months which precede the winter solstice and the two which 

 follow it. The air is dry, the nights and mornings chilly, 

 and the heat ofjlhe day very moderate; but mists ;n 

 qucnt in November and December. This is the most plea- 

 sant part of the year, and the season of the harvest of rice, 

 grain, and pulse. The transition from cold to heat is very 

 sudden. In March and April it is often very hot, and the 

 heat continues to the month of July. In May main 

 shod their leaves, but they are instantly clothed with new 

 ones. During the season of the heat the climate of the 

 low lands is less warm than the valley, because the rain di- 

 minishes the heat. In the valley a little rain falls in May 

 or the beginning of June, and this rain is called the first 

 rain ; but sometimes the rains do not come on, and even 

 when they are abundant, they do not continue long 

 enough to change the temperature very much. During 

 the hot season the clouds are curried by the south- 

 west monsoon between the two ranges of mountains 

 which enclose the valley of the river to the hilly country 

 adjacent to it on the north, where the moisture contained in 

 them descends on the mountains which divide the Birman 

 Kmpire from Asam, and |wurn down to the valley of the 

 Irawaddi in torrents and streams, which cause the river to 

 rise and to inundate, the lower tracts on its banks during 



