﻿PHYSICAL 
  GEOGRAPHY. 
  23 
  

  

  River 
  -system. 
  — 
  As 
  regards 
  the 
  physical 
  conditions 
  of 
  its 
  surface, 
  Pegu 
  

   displays 
  great 
  variability, 
  more 
  so, 
  indeed, 
  than 
  is 
  often 
  found 
  within 
  an 
  

   equal 
  area 
  in 
  India. 
  Towards 
  the 
  mouths 
  of 
  the 
  Irrawadi 
  and 
  within 
  its 
  

   delta, 
  we 
  have 
  a 
  tract 
  of 
  country 
  of 
  no 
  less 
  than 
  12,000 
  square 
  miles 
  in 
  

   extent, 
  which, 
  with 
  the 
  exception 
  of 
  about 
  1,000 
  square 
  miles 
  of 
  more 
  

   or 
  less 
  elevated 
  ground, 
  occurring 
  in 
  patches 
  in 
  different 
  parts, 
  is 
  almost 
  

   everywhere 
  characterised 
  by 
  its 
  extreme 
  flatness 
  and 
  low 
  level. 
  So 
  low, 
  

   indeed, 
  is 
  the 
  level 
  of 
  vast 
  tracts 
  in 
  the 
  delta, 
  that 
  I 
  calculate 
  no 
  less 
  than 
  

   2,000 
  square 
  miles, 
  in 
  round 
  numbers, 
  are 
  actually 
  below 
  the 
  level 
  of 
  

   a 
  spring 
  tide. 
  This 
  delta 
  is 
  bounded 
  on 
  the 
  East 
  by 
  the 
  Myit-ma-kha- 
  

   choung, 
  which, 
  under 
  the 
  name 
  of 
  the 
  Rangoon 
  river, 
  falls 
  into 
  the 
  sea 
  

   below 
  that 
  town, 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  West 
  by 
  the 
  Bassein 
  river, 
  which 
  enters 
  the 
  

   sea 
  near 
  Ne'grais 
  island. 
  The 
  Myit-ma-kha-choung 
  takes 
  its 
  rise 
  in 
  a 
  

   swamp 
  behind 
  the 
  town 
  of 
  Prome, 
  and 
  first 
  receives 
  the 
  flood-waters 
  of 
  

   the 
  Irrawadi, 
  through 
  some 
  channels 
  opposite 
  and 
  below 
  the 
  village 
  of 
  

   Pouktein, 
  45 
  miles 
  above 
  the 
  origin 
  of 
  the 
  Bassein 
  river 
  at 
  Tham- 
  

   byadeing. 
  Menghyee, 
  situated 
  between 
  these 
  two 
  points, 
  may 
  be 
  there- 
  

   fore 
  assumed 
  to 
  be 
  the 
  apex 
  of 
  the 
  delta 
  for 
  all 
  purposes 
  of 
  calculation 
  

   in 
  which 
  case 
  its 
  Eastern 
  and 
  Western 
  sides, 
  measured 
  from 
  Menghyee 
  to 
  

   Elephant 
  and 
  Pooriam 
  Points, 
  marking, 
  respectively, 
  the 
  entrances 
  to 
  the 
  

   Rangoon 
  and 
  Bassein 
  rivers, 
  will 
  be 
  129 
  and 
  176 
  miles, 
  with 
  a 
  base 
  

   between 
  these 
  points, 
  measured 
  as 
  the 
  crow 
  flies, 
  of 
  137 
  miles. 
  

  

  The 
  Myh>ma-kha 
  requires 
  a 
  passing 
  notice 
  here, 
  as 
  it 
  rises 
  in 
  so 
  

   unusual 
  a 
  fashion 
  as 
  to 
  give 
  countenance 
  to 
  the 
  belief 
  sometimes 
  express- 
  

   ed, 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  merely 
  a 
  disused 
  channel 
  of 
  the 
  Irrawadi, 
  of 
  which 
  it 
  once 
  

   constituted 
  an 
  important, 
  if 
  not 
  the 
  main 
  channel. 
  East 
  of 
  Prome 
  a 
  range 
  

   of 
  low 
  hills 
  having 
  a 
  general 
  South-south-east 
  direction, 
  and 
  stretch- 
  

   ing 
  some 
  32 
  miles, 
  divides 
  the 
  Myit-ma-kha 
  valley 
  from 
  the 
  Irrawadi. 
  

   Below 
  this 
  point, 
  the 
  flood-waters 
  of 
  the 
  Irrawadi 
  find 
  their 
  way 
  into 
  the 
  

   Myit-ma-kha, 
  or 
  the 
  Myit-ma-kha's 
  waters 
  into 
  it, 
  according 
  to 
  the 
  

   height 
  of 
  flood 
  in 
  either 
  river 
  at 
  the 
  time. 
  Six 
  miles 
  East 
  of 
  Prome, 
  

   on 
  the 
  edge 
  of 
  the 
  sandy 
  tract 
  of 
  country 
  fringing 
  the 
  above 
  line 
  of 
  

  

  ( 
  an 
  ) 
  

  

  