33 



nearly the whole day. Encamped a few hundred yards from the village in a lower mixed 

 forest, in preference to living in a Burmese house which was offered to me. After leaving 

 Thaywa we soon traversed a low forest of the cliaracter of a savannah but alternating with 

 patches of paddy fields and lower mixed forests. After having passed the Thabyu choung 

 these low forests on gravelly soil became almost the rule on the watersheds situated higher up. 



6th May, 1871. Heavy rains poured down uninterruptedly since midnight, my tent 

 stood a few inches deep in water, but notwithstanding this it kept out the raiu pretty well, 

 allowing only a fine drizzle to penetrate, which, however, in time became quit as disagree- 

 able as the rain itself. 



1th May, 1871. Started at 7 a.m. and arrived at 1 p. m. at Kyouk-la-long on the Kauleya 

 choung. After leaving the Beingda lower mixed forests, a small savannah forest was tra- 

 versed, followed again by lower mixed forests. A fine patch of evergreen tropical forest, 

 growing on ferrugineous gravel, spread out along the choungs between the Ye le and Mayau 

 choungs, but the rest of the path led through lower mixed forest. Between the Mayan and 

 Kauleya chCHng a spur of the Tomah is laid down in Fitzroy's map, but nothing of the kind 

 exists here. 



Sth May, 1871. Went as far as Bhauni on the banks of the Bhau ni choung. Along the 

 Kauleya choung lower mixed forests with teak prevailed, then followed a large tract of low 

 forest with wild sugarcane as undergrowth in which the principal trees were the following : 

 but they were all stunted mundeing {Lophopetalum Wallichii) Kaboung {Strychnos mix 

 vomica), tabie [Eugenia Jambolatia), banbwe (Careya arhorea) mani (Gardenia erythroclada) 

 Kun pyenma {Lagerstroemia macrocarpa), panga (Terminalia tomentella),hyvL [Billenia pulcher- 

 rima),hmga{Stephe(/ynerotundifolia),doa.ni{Eriolaena Gandollei), tamin sapyu [Gardenia ses- 

 siflora), thit poh (Dalbergia purpurea), thit lynda (Stereospermum neurantMun), myouk zi [Zizy- 

 phus rugosa,) tasha [Embliea officinalis) gyo [Schleichera trijuga), nyoung pyu [FicusRumphii), 

 nabbe [Odina wodier) etc. The tomentose Dioscorea is also here, as everywhere in the 

 Sittang valley, very frequent. As in the Irrawaddi valley so here, the low alluvial borders 

 of the choungs are occupied by lower mixed forepts, but in more favourable and damp 

 situations they are sometimes replaced by evergreens. Passing to the left of the village 

 Pway ta man, another patch of low forest of the character of savannahs, alternating with lower 

 mixed forests, was traversed. A tropical evergreen forest surrounds the Gonyeng gaa 

 choung, in which I found on an open spot hardly one acre in extent, seven snakes. Moist 

 evergreen forests, partaking rather of the character of a mixed forest was met with between 

 this and Bhau ni. 



9ih May, 1871. Proceeded on to Pyeng bon gyi, situated on the choung of the same 

 name. To-day savannah forests on alluvium covered the country as far as the Bhu ni gelay 

 choung, from whence lower mixed forests with an unusually large number of Kinbalin trees 

 [Antidesma diandrum) stretched as far as Kyeik so gau Pagoda. After leaving the Bhau ni gyi 

 choung lower mixed forests bordered the right side (west) of the cart-road, while to the east, 

 extensive savannahs with hardly a tree upon them formed a monotonous plain on which the 

 eye could fix upon nothing save a few prominent half-ruined pagodas. The horizon was, how- 

 ever, skirted by the romantic Martaban hills. 



lOth May, 1871. Continued our march downwards as far as Paya gyi. The country 

 remained flat and monotonous, but the cart-road itself led chiefly through paddy-fields. 

 Towards the east there werp endless savannahs, while towards the west, the cultivation was 

 skirted by mixed forests. The soil (about a foot deep) was chiefly stiff clay, resting ou 

 fine loose silicious sand (about one inch in thickness), but the order frequently becomes 

 reversed ; the latter becomes exposed, forming sandy tracts, below which is found the 

 same stiff clay which before formed the surface soil. It is possible that this thin layer of 

 silicious sand is only found at Won bay choung, where I took the section. At Wonbay I 

 procured a guide who promised to bring me to tlie Kyeik patanga pagoda, which like the 

 Paya gyi pagoda, forms a conspicuous feature in the scenery. It is a ruined pagoda over- 



frown with trees, and resembles more a conical hillock than an architectural structure. 

 leaving the paddy-fields we entered lower mixed forests with banbwe, Kinbalien, Walsura 

 rilloHa, Heterophragma mlfurea, nyoung pyu, tayet, kun pyenma, kwe, nabb^ etc. Cnestis 

 ignea also was frequently met with. Kaempferia Parishii and K. Candida were the only con- 

 spicuous flowers ou the ground. In Fitzroy's map a conspicuous range is laid down but, 

 actually the ground here is only elevated 20 to 25 feet above the savannahs. On returning 

 from the pagoda which we found inaccessible on account of the jungle growth, we again 

 entered cultivated lands and encamped near the little zyat at Paya gyi in a patch of lower 

 mixed forest of a peculiar character. 



Wth May, 1871. Started at 6 a. m. and arrived at Pegu at 11 A. m. ; the elephants came 

 in at 2 p. m. The first half of our day's march was rather interesting. First we had to cross a 

 choung (Ye ay choung ?) of very clear but deep water, the banks of which were bordered by 

 swamp forest in which especially Ancidrocladm Griffithii now in flower and fruit, was plentiful. 



