ADDITIONAL NOTES ON THE BIRDS OF TENASSERIM,. ETC. 139 



Mooleyit was ascertained by Major Tickell to be 7,171 feet 

 in height. Moulat, a peak further to the south and east, is 

 given on the Official Government Map of Tenasserim as 5,500 

 feet high, but it is I believe in reality higher than Mooleyit, 

 and the Taoo plateau is stated to have an elevation of 

 4,000 feet. 



The whole of these mountains, collectively called the Dawna 

 range, constitute the southern and western walls of the 

 Thoungyeen basin, and divide it on the south from the sources 

 of the Mekalang (of Siam) and the Houndraw which rise 

 on its southern flanks. Westwards they form the watershed 

 between the valleys of the Thoungyeen and Houndraw, 

 and further north the Hlinebooey, which latter river, rising in 

 the northern extremity of this range, turns southwards to meet 

 the Houndraw flowing from an opposite direction. From their 

 junction they become the Gyne (properly Jyne.) 



The Thoungyeen river, as is well known, forms the boundary 

 between the Shan states and British territory. Its general 

 direction is north-west, and " its entire length, following the 

 windings of the stream, cannot be much short of 200 miles." 

 On the whole it is a narrow but sluggish river, easily fordable 

 in many places along its length during the dry weather, and 

 interrupted by numerous " hats" (i.e. rapids) formed by the 

 obstruction of rocks crossing the bed of the stream. The 

 chief of these and the only two of any importance are Kam- 

 aukla and Kymkhet, one below, and the other above the town of 

 Meeawuddy. 



The following passage, extracted from the " Progress Report 

 of the Forests of the Tenasserim and Martaban Provinces for 

 1858-59 and 1859-60," gives a very good idea of the character 

 of the Dawna range : — 



a The ranges which bound the valley of the Thoungyeen to 

 the south-west present a rugged, and at first sight an irregular 

 mass of mountains, covering a wide extent of country between 

 the parallel valleys of the Thoungyeen on the one side, and 

 the Houndraw and Hlinebooey rivers on the other. 



" The greater part of the tops and ridges of these mountains 

 are composed of granite, but occasionally steep and rugged 

 masses of blue limestone form elevated peaks among them. 

 Frequently the structure of these mountains is that of parallel 

 ranges running north-north-west ; but as they are joined 

 laterally by transverse spurs, generally of lower elevation, the 

 direction of the whole mass is shifted, and is almost due north- 

 west and south-east." 



The wide extent of country covered by this range narrows 

 the valley of the river considerably. In many places spurs 



