29 



V7lh April, 1871. After crossing numerous little choungs which traverse this Ever- 

 green forest, we emerged finally at the commencement of a spur of the water-shed betweea 

 the Toukyegat and Sittang rivers. Troublesome deserted toungyas continued on the same 

 for several miles, until the ground became strewn with granitic boulders, when the upper 

 mixed forests remained untouched. Having passed the ridge at the path to Kyettike, we 

 encamped at a little choung quite conspicuous on account of the great number of yellow- 

 flowered Phrynium, which grow here. The forests around this place are upper mixed forests. 



\Bth April, 1871. Continued our march on the ridge. The spur shews (as was to be 

 expected) Evergreen tropical forests along its northern face, and at the bottom of the vallies, 

 but on the sunny slopes upper mixed forests continued. These, however, were soon replaced 

 by poonzohs about 10 to 11 years old, in which lynggyan {Dilleiiia parviflora) Kyun nalieu, 

 bambwe, Ehtis semialala, Lantana arborea, etc. had sprung up. Ascending to an elevation of 

 about 2000 feet, a change for the better occurred, and after a troublesome cut through a wa- 

 pyu geley junjjle, we descended to the Sway nyoung beng choung, amongst which Saurauya 

 Koxhurghii with its azure-blue blossoms was conspicuous. Ascending ou the other side to 

 an elevation above 3000 feet, patches of drier hill forests interrupted the monotony of the 

 hill-poonzohs, in which Sterculia ornata, Dillenia aurea, Pithecolobium, etc. could be observed^ 

 indicating the former existence of drier hill forests. On arriving at the crest of the water 

 shed, we met with fine typical drier hill-forests with oaks, Scliiina, Pi/rennria camelliaflora; 

 Helicia, etc. and soon arrived at the Chinchona plantation on Shan toung gyi, beautifully 

 situated, but unfortunately having a Western exposure. The soil is peculiar meagre brick red 

 soil, full of angular quartzy korrels, and apparently a decomposed granite, although no sub- 

 strata could be traced down to a depth of 15 feet. As is usual, these Martaban hills are full 

 of rounded huge granite boulders, but they have no connection with the soil itself. The 

 average height of the trees was between 50 to 60 feet, and along the choung itself they were 

 70 to 80 feet high. Here a sort of tea (Camellia caudata ?) a small tree, 15 feet high, is not 

 uncommon. As my elephants had not come up, I sent down some of my men to fetch my 

 bedding, etc. for the night, but they only returned at 1 a. m. in the morning. 



l^th April, 1 871 The forenoon was spent in exploring the environs round the plantation, 

 the forests being chiefly drier hill forests replaced by damp ones in sheltered valleys. Wabo and 

 Kyellowa were plentiful and still more so was a climbing bamboo (Pseudodachyiim compac- 

 tijlorum) of which the globular fruits, the size of a small apple, hung gracefully down, or were 

 densely strewed on the ground. The following were the plants chiefly noted : Schima oblata, and 

 Sch. Wallichii,Myrica (iale,Albizzia stipulata, Pandanus furcatus, WaUlchia oblongifoha, Sfrobi- 

 lanthes Brandisiana, a Phrynium with large leaves but flowerless, Ilelicia robusta, Quercus spicafa, 

 Eurya Chinensis and . Japonica, Terndcemia Japonica, Anneslea monticola, liubiis rugosus, Pi- 

 thecolobium montanum, Binchoffia Javanica, Ampelo}}sis Himalayana, Vitis affinis and another sp., 

 Stnilax, a tomentose Bauhiiiia, Alpiiua nutans ? and another sp., Dillenia aurea, Melastoma 

 Malubathricum 0.S a. Viit\Q ir^e, Pollinia, Dianella, Areca gracilis, 1 species of Symplocos, a 

 Psychotria, Castanea dicersifolin, Sonerila secunda, Chamaerops Khasyana, Xyris WalUchii, Nip- 

 hobolus, Fleopeltis, Ilymenophyllum, Pteris aqnilina, Leea sambuclna, Chavica, Vaccinium 

 tnacrostemon, Tabernaemontana, Aporosa, Calophyllumspccfabile, Begonia, Strobilanthes penste- 

 nionoides, Molineria recurvata, Osbechia rostrata, Lepidagathis mucronaUi, Hoya, Ttaynnia Nepa- 

 lensis, a strigose Argyreia, Ardisia sp., Orthopogon sp. Beilschmicdia globularia, Garcinla anomala, 

 Sauraiija lioxburghii, Pyrenaria camelliaeflora, Podocarpus neriifolia, a new Calamus with 

 the leaves white beneath, Smilax lanceaefolia, Cnestis ignea, Lygodium polyitachymn, Steno- 

 chlaena scandens, Maesa ramentacea, Wendlandia glibrata, Peliomnthes mncrophylla, T>ipistra 

 nutans, Ophiopogon, Carex, Commelyna obliqna. Polygonum Cliinense, AKp'ulinm, Nephrodium, 

 Gymnogramme decurrens, Aspleniiim laserpitiifolium, Didymocarpus mollis, etc. It will be 

 observed from this list that a good number of alkali plants are amongst the representatives ; 

 and also that not a few of the low level shade plants, ascend to this elevation, quite in unison 

 with the dampness, as causal factors. Returning to my camp about noon I was startled to find 

 a Karen deputation waiting for me, who claimed damages from me for having burnt down 

 their toungyas to the amount of about 500 baskets of rice. I looked rather astonished, the 

 more so as I could not see any fire around me, and was not aware that a jungle fire had raged 

 over the ridges we passed yesterday. I of course declined to pay any damages, particularly as 

 their separate statements were of a contradictory nature To bring the long discussion 

 to a close I mounted my pony and rode with them to tlie scene of the fire, and told them there 

 that the only redress they could obtain was by an appeal to the court at Toungoo. On return- 

 ing to the plantation I looked over the nurseries which were well kept ; the seedlings, though 

 very young, had not sufi'ered from the drought, though tlie ferns in another shed had all died. 



The jungle fire approached nearer to the plantation and towards midnight it was only 

 a little more than a mile of. It was one of the largest fires I ever saw in Burma. It raged 

 chiefly amongst the gigantic wabo bamboos, and the tongues of fire reached a height of 70 

 feet, enveloping the trees and producing an alarming noise by the explosion of the 



