12 



manner in which the ground has been dug up by them. For a short distance we had to follow 

 the Ye tsha chouiig and avoiding some large beuds by crossing over adjoining ridges we 

 arrived at tlie junction of the Ye tsha and Tahat choungs. A little further down from here 

 commence level alluvial lands covered by toungyas, savannahs and savannah jungles of a hilly 

 character. They presented no interest, and we hurried on in the bed of the Tahat choung 

 to the Peanchouug, on the other side of which we pitched our camp at Yumeiu da yua, a 

 Jabin village. 



61/t February, 1871. As is usually the case when one reaches the plains after a tour on the 

 hills all my men wanted to leave and I had no small difficulty to induce tliem to serve me 

 for one month more. I started at 2 P. M. and crossed over the ridges that separate the Pean 

 and Ye-noe choung. On the ridges grew the usual upper mixed forests with a sprinkling 

 of evergreens along shady slopes. Teak was here still in full foliage, while all along the 

 route over the hills the trees had long ago shed their leaves. The valley of the Ye noe is 

 fine and open, bordered everj'where along the favourably exposed slopes with evergreens, 

 (amongst which especially Ka-thit-ka, Peidace Birmanica) then in full fruit was conspicuous, 

 but on the alluvium itself toungyas, in cultivation or abandoned, prevailed. At the con- 

 fluence of the Ban-deo-choung and Ve noe grows, just in the fork of the two choungs, a pure 

 teak forest on alluvium. I first thought it might be a teak-plantation, so regularly did the 

 trees grow, and they all seemed to be of one age, but my jabine guides assured me that it was 

 self-sown. The stems although straight, branch out low down. The only other trees I saw 

 in passing were a few thein-gala (Nauclea sessilifolia,) a myouk zi (Zizi/p/uis rugom) and a 

 single pangha {Terminalia chebula.) After leaving this forest, the toungyas continued all 

 the way, several of them reverting again into savannah forests. Some of the trees got, in 

 single species, the supremacy, as for instance the low may zali {Cassia Timoriensis.) at one 

 place, while nia-u letsha (Sarcocephalus undulatus) formed a small forest by itself, the trees 

 standing far from one another as is usual with savannah forests. I encamped at Tantabheng. 



Till Februarij, 1871. Leaving the village I soon entered an evergreen tropical forest of 

 a kind which I distinguished as an open forest, running into a closed forest along the choungs 

 and shady valleys. The trees and shrubs were chiefly kathit-ka (Pentace Birmanica,) lyn- 

 gyan (Dillenia parviflora'), yagein (Aporosa dioica,) C/iaelocarpui custatieaecarpus,) myaya 

 {Greiria microcos.) zaluu {Lictiahi peltata,) yinga and yamatha {Calami sp.) along with Kyein 

 pyi {Calamus fascicularis ?,) several species of table {Eugenia,) tau zi {Zizyphus oenoplia,) 

 Kyet noe {Coltibrina pnbescens,) tamaka {Congea iomeiitosa), nagyi {Pferosper/nuin seinisa- 

 gittafum,) Ancistrocladus exfenstis, Kyattoun wa {Bambusa Brandisii,) tabot noe ( Uvarit ma' 

 crophylla,) Engclhardtin spicafa, Beikchmiedia Roxburghiana, minbo {Caryota urens,) thingan 

 [Hopea odorata,) Swintonia Swenckii, yemene {Gmelina arborea,) touk yama {I'urpinia pomi- 

 fera,) toung j)eing ne (Ar/ocarpus chaplasha,) Phoebe pnbescens, yuet won {Hibinciis eiilpinus,) 

 Combretum decandrum, Ventilago calyculata, Toddalia aculeata, Sterculia scaphigera, myouk guu 

 {Dudbanga grandiflora,) etc. The further route was troublesome for a large tract was covered 

 with the hall climbing wa-tabut which forced us to creep under the very low arches which it 

 forms, and which wei-e again variously barricaded by other vegetable growth, while the ma- 

 houts had to cut a way for the elephants. Ascending the sandstone ridges, we found upper- 

 mixed forests with plenty of pyenkadu, but apparently no teak. The last part of the day's 

 march was over sharp ridges along the Ye noe choung, which latter could be seen from time 

 to time. After an almost vertical descent we reached the toungyas that surround Tatalu, a 

 rather large village. It was 9 p. m. when numerous moving torch-lights on the hills and the 

 usual cries, trumpetings and confusion in a dark night, indicated the arrival of my camp. 

 The place which I selected for my encampment was soon filled with curious Karens, whom I 

 made useful preparing the ground, and at 1 a. M. I got my " dinner." 



Slh February, 1871. Started at 2 P. M. It was my intention to ascend the Ye noe 

 choung and try to cross over to the Kambala toung, but the Karens assured me, that there 

 were no villages further up and that it was impossible forme to undertake the journey. The 

 guides for some reason or other, did not lead me through the usual path, but cut a new one 

 through deserted toungyas. Passing Lue ui Tay, where we took other guides, we marched 

 in the bed of the Ye noe choung, still full of running water 2 to 2J feet in depth. Two Ka- 

 rens were met coming down the choung, one of whom became so terrified at seeing us that 

 he repeatedly tried to scramble up the almost vertical walls of the bank, rolling back as many 

 times, until he got hold of the root of a tree and succeeded in escaping. This of course 

 amused my followers considerably, while I knew now that there must be several Karen villages 

 up the stream in spite of the contradictory information. We had now to branch off from 

 the Ye noe and ascending sharp ridges continued our march through upper mixed forests and 

 deserted toungyas. Descending to the little Tshat choung flowing through poonzohs of wild 

 sugarcane, we soon had to scramble over a still higher ridge from where we moved down to 

 the large Tshat choung and encamped on its bank. The upper mixed forests to-day shewed 

 no teak but plenty of pyenkadu, pyenma and Kyun nalin. 



