22 



proposed military road from Thayet myo to Tounghoo. From here we marched upwards in 

 the bed of the Paday choung and encamped in the village of Nyoung beng Khyeng. 



29/A March, 1871. Crossed the ridges and came down to the Subboh choung. Another 

 cross march over a ridge brought us to the Allay choung, in the bed of which we continued 

 our march upwards, and encamped a short distance from Ne bhu toung (Nee pa hsay Kyoung 

 of map), a Karen village. The ridges which we crossed to-day were (as was the case with 

 all those of former days) covered with fossiliferous rocks, these being mostly calcareous sand- 

 Btones. The forests were mixed dry forests, in which were observed chitfly slia wa {Stercnlia 

 colorata), engyin, Harrmnia, yimma, {C/iickrassia tabularinj, teak, byu (Dillenia puk/ierriitia), 

 yindyke [Dalhergia ciiltrata), tadi {liurisera serrata ), bebia {Cratori/lon neriifoiium), a few 

 padouk, Stereosperwuni neuranthum, palan, nagyi, didu, Khaboung, etc. Kyattoun wa now 

 began to shew itself sparingly along the choung, but looked wretched and leafless. At this 

 Tay I experienced some difficulty in procuring guides, but finally succeeded. 



30/A March, 1871. After following up a small but very winding feeder of the Allay 

 choung and forcing our way through deserted toungyas, covered chiefiy with Thtjasanolaena 

 acari/era, we ascended the spur that divides the Allay and Paday choungs, and joined the 

 proposed military road that runs along the ridge, now represented only by a narrow and 

 often obsolete path. The ridges are still covered by fossiliferous boulders although the forests 

 have passed into upper mixed forests, containing a strange mixture of engyin, Kinbalin, 

 Vitex eanescens, Dillenia, parvijiora, a few eng trees, Steiculia iirens, S. eoloratn, toukkyan, 

 sha, good grown teak, thinwin, pyenkadu, yung, toung kathit, kway, Zollingeria macro- 

 caipa, kaboung, tadi, myouk gna, myouk sha, nagyi, nabbe, yemene, thim byuu, myaya, etc 

 Of bamboos there were kyattoun wa, myinwa and teiwa, but all leafless. The curious nodes 

 on tlie ridges, so characteristic of the soft sandstone ridges reappear here. We soon de- 

 scended to the AUny choung, where water was still procurable in a pool, and encamped here. 

 A few evergreens were seen, such as Ficm nitida, Ptcrospermum aceroides, Murraya, Wallichia 

 oblongifolia and a few waya bamboo. 



31s/ March, 1871. Keasceuded the ridge, and continued our march. The forests and 

 the geological structure of the ground remained the same. Of trees, besides those of yes- 

 terday, we met with lein thein, Ueterophragma mlfurva. Millettia glaitcescem became very fre- 

 quent, and a few nat-napyo {Mum glattca)vfeie also observed. After passing the Hso bu toung, 

 a very precipitous passage, we reached the main range of the Yomah about 1200 feet high. 

 Up to tiiis, the forests had changed but little, and engyin was still frequent, but the bamboos 

 were in full foliage, and we again enjoyed shade. Evergreen forests lay at our feet in the deep 

 gorges and valleys extending in all directions, and I felt quite refreshed. Even my Burmaus 

 who sluggishly and depressedly followed me, became quite enlivened and burst out into their 

 usual merriment. Water was, however, nowhere procurable, except in a few places far down 

 the choungs, which flowed N. and S. to the Swa and the Kyet sha choung. We descended 

 to a small feeder of the Swa, but had to follow it far down until we met with water and 

 encamped in a spot surrounded by evergreen forests. 



1st April, 1871. This morning I sent away the Karen guides as they were perfectly 

 ignorant of the country and could not help us in any way. Coming again on the ridge, we 

 followed the wooden mark pins of the surveyed road. The Prome character of vegetation 

 now disappeared completely and even myinwa was no more observed, but teak trees became 

 of finer growth and tinwa and kyattounwa grew more luxuriantly. The forests were now 

 typical upper mixed forests while evergreen tropical forests continued in the valleys. We 

 encamped in one of Mr. Gates' old camps at a small feeder of the Swa. 



2nd April, 1871. Continued our march on the Ouk Khyeng tu Kyan (as this watershed 

 is called) through upper mixed forests. Country the same as yesterday. Saw a teak tree 

 which had been blown down, and which measured 71 feet to the first branch with a girth of 

 only 10 feet. Encamped on the ridge at the surveyor's old camp (64 miles from Tayet myo). 



3rd April, 1871. Followed the ridge which now became rather crooked, and gave us 

 much trouble in marching up and down, before we came to our next camp on a feeder of the 

 Swa, at mile the 72ud. The forests remained the the same. An elegant new toon tree {Cedrela 

 mulfijiiga) appeared to be rather common in the evergreen forests along this choung. My 

 people had no more stores and I myself did not know exactly where I was, so I sent two men 

 in search of a village in order to obtain food. 



Ath April, 1871. On our onward march along the ridges we met with our reconnoitering 

 Burmans in company with a few Karens carrying bags of rice that spoke volumes in favour 

 of a Burman's appetite. The forests were upper mixed forests and of a moister character 

 interspersed with evergreens which no doubt ascended from the damp valleys. The trees 

 too, were fine grown and lofty. After a few miles march we branched ofl' from the military 

 road, and passing through hilly toungyas reached a Karen tay, which was called Mouug ku 

 Tay, if I remember correctly. However, we continued our march over ridges with upper- 

 mixed forests containing teak, and over toungyas and came down to the Choungmenah 

 choung, a feeder of the Khaboung choung and encamped in a narrow shady gorge overhung 



