31 



just in the same way as we see the mangroves emerge one by one in approaching a low 

 coast. The trees with their dense rounded heads appear like dense green balls, floating on 

 the water, and as we approach nearer and nearer finally become consolidated into a forest. 

 A good representation of such a landscape will be found in Griffith's Journal of Travels, 

 p. 154, c. tab. 



Baup [Biitea frondosa) and didu [Bomhax Malabaricum) were the principal trees which 

 often exclusively formed the savannah forests. At Khaya su village we entered the Khaya 

 8U choung, but had to stop here waiting for the flood-tide. The muddy banks of these salt- 

 water channels are often during ebb-tide quite covered with a white saline powder. We 

 started in the afternoon, and proceeded until sunset when we halted for the night. 



21st May, 1868. The country remained the same, flat in the extreme and covered solely 

 by savannahs of a tidal character, varied only occasionally by groups of tidal trees or shrubs, 

 such as Tamarlv, Desmodhim poh/carpum, and D. triqiietrum, a Glochidion, Fluggea, Zizyphus 

 jujtiha, Aviceiuiia, etc. Besides Saccharum ftpontaneum, Andropogon, muricatum and Imperata, 

 which form i\0 bulk of these savannahs, there were chiefly observed Curciuna sp., Blumea, 

 Buchnera, a terrestrial Orchid (dried up, Habenuria ?) , Hygrophila, Argyrein, Ipomaea tur- 

 pethum ? , Malacoclwete pectinata, Cyperi, etc., while along the muddy banks themselves Salsola, 

 Sesiivium and WoUasioiiia indicated the presence of brackish water. Tigers seem to be not 

 unfrequent in this locality, for I never missed their footprints when walking up some of the 

 numerous small tidal channels here. The pagoda of Pegu, although about 10 miles distant, 

 seemed to be only a short way off. Owing to the neap-tides we could not proceed, and re- 

 mained on the mud bank for nearly 12 hours, which was exceedingly trying, for in addition 

 to the annoyance of being unable to proceed, the^boat abounded with bugs which came down 

 upon me thickly whenever the boatmen walked over the bamboo cover under which I was 

 sitting. However after all this misery, we managed the same day to proceed as far as Being 

 na beng, where we slept. 



22nd May, 1868. Like yesterday we were unable to make much progress on account 

 of the neap-tides. We passed several villages as poor as those in the Sunderbuns, but I 

 do not exactly remember where we stopped for the night. 



23rd May, 1868. Came sluggishly up to the junction of the channel with the Pegu 

 river where 1 stopped for a few hours in order to explore the low laterite ranges that crop 

 up from the alluvium. With the commencement of the ebb we dropped rapidly down the 

 Pegu river, landing only at a few places to explore several other laterite ranges, and also 

 the tidal forests which are fully developed in some places on alluvial grounds. Phoenix 

 paludosa forms the most attractive object, while Sonneratia apetala and Avicennia tomentosa 

 were the prevailing trees. Slept at Tha-byu. 



24<A May, 1868. The gilded pagodas of Rangoon and Syriam soon became conspicuous 

 objects in the landscape, and we arrived in the morning at the jetty. I remained at Rangoon 

 up to the 5th June on which date I embarked on the S. S. " Coringa" for Calcutta, arriving 

 there on the 11th of the same month. 



Year 1871. 



24:th, 25th April, 1871. I remained these two days at Toungoo, during which time the 

 complaint of the Karens at Tan pya were heard in court and dismissed. Made also the 

 necessary preparations for my return to Rangoon along the usual Toungoo route via Menlan 

 pyu and Pegu. 



26tk April, 1871. Started for Otweng. The road led chiefly through rice cultivation. 

 The patches of forests passed were of a peculiar nature, being savannah forests but mingled 

 with {Dillenia pulcherrimci) Kun pyenma [Lagerstroemia macrocarpa) and a few of the laterite- 

 loving trees. Eugenia Jambolatm, a tomentose Dioscorea, Celastrus paniculatus and Ftero^ 

 labium lacerans were here represented in larger numbers than on the Irrawaddi side. 



27th April, 1871. Cultivation continued and the forests passed were of the same charac- 

 ter as those of yesterday. Encamped at Thabie gon. From here 1 visited the lakes 

 to the east that lie concealed in the savannah forests, but I was greatly disappointed in my 

 expectations, as they were either dried up or covered by Hyinenachne myurus only. In the 

 savannah forests were chiefly represented : thit {Albizzia elata) baup {Butea frondosa) 

 myouk zi (Zizyphus rugosa), thit poh [Dalbergia purpurea), Kun pyenma (Lagerstroemia rna- 

 crocarjja), Genu gyi [Cassia jfistula) tasha (Emblica officinalis') , Y^^q {Spondias jjinnata) etc. 

 In addition to coarse grasses the little Ardisia WalHchii and 2 species of Dioscorea were the 

 most prevailing undergrowth which, especially the latter, locally prevented our advance. I 

 returned to the cattle-shed at Thabie gon, which is used here as a traveller's- bungalow, but 

 not appreciating the cleanliness of the place I preferred to pitch my tents. 



28</s April, 1871. The thermometer stood this morning at 76^ before sunrise, and 

 though I expected a very hot day, marched over the country which wore much the same 

 aspect as that of yesterday, the forests being an intermediate sort of savannah and low forest, 



