﻿PHYSICAL 
  GEOGRAPHY. 
  29 
  

  

  rocks, 
  their 
  hardness, 
  any 
  geological 
  irregularity 
  in 
  dip 
  or 
  strike, 
  and 
  

   such 
  secondary 
  agencies, 
  as 
  vegetation, 
  rainfall, 
  &c. 
  

  

  Marine 
  denudation, 
  whatever 
  part 
  it 
  may 
  once 
  have 
  played 
  in 
  abrad- 
  

   ing 
  the 
  land, 
  has 
  left 
  few 
  or 
  no 
  traces 
  of 
  its 
  action 
  (save 
  perhaps 
  

   along 
  the 
  coast) 
  in 
  Pegu, 
  any 
  traces 
  of 
  it 
  which 
  may 
  have 
  existed, 
  

   having 
  been 
  effaced 
  by 
  the 
  energetic 
  atmospheric 
  or 
  aerial 
  denudation 
  

   which, 
  in 
  Pegu 
  perhaps 
  more 
  than 
  in 
  most 
  countries, 
  displays 
  its 
  pro- 
  

   digious 
  power 
  in 
  carving 
  out 
  the 
  land 
  and 
  modifying 
  the 
  surface 
  whereon 
  

   it 
  works. 
  In 
  tropical 
  countries, 
  where 
  aerial 
  denudation 
  is 
  strongest, 
  the 
  

   dense 
  growth 
  of 
  forest 
  and 
  underwood 
  greatly 
  interferes 
  with 
  our 
  ac- 
  

   tually 
  taking 
  in 
  at 
  a 
  coup 
  d'ceil 
  the 
  progress 
  or 
  results 
  on 
  a 
  large 
  scale 
  

   of 
  the 
  work 
  ; 
  but 
  exceptional 
  causes 
  occasionally 
  allow 
  a 
  more 
  perfect 
  

   view, 
  and 
  a 
  rich 
  sight 
  it 
  is 
  to 
  the 
  observer 
  so 
  favored. 
  This 
  once 
  fell 
  

   to 
  my 
  lot 
  in 
  the 
  Arakan 
  hills 
  in 
  about 
  lat. 
  17° 
  30'. 
  The 
  hills 
  are 
  here 
  

   covered 
  for 
  miles 
  with 
  a 
  small 
  species 
  of 
  bamboo 
  (B. 
  baccifera), 
  which, 
  

   according 
  to 
  native 
  report, 
  fruits 
  once 
  in 
  30 
  years. 
  After 
  fruiting, 
  the 
  

   plants 
  die 
  off 
  and 
  are 
  readily 
  consumed 
  by 
  fire, 
  leaving 
  the 
  hill 
  sides 
  

   as 
  completely 
  bared, 
  as 
  though 
  they 
  were 
  situated 
  above 
  the 
  range 
  of 
  

   vegetable 
  life. 
  The 
  illusion 
  is 
  heightened 
  and 
  a 
  weird 
  aspect 
  imparted 
  

   to 
  the 
  landscape 
  by 
  the 
  grayish 
  coating 
  of 
  ashes 
  spread 
  over 
  the 
  whole 
  

   mountain, 
  relieved 
  only 
  here 
  and 
  there 
  by 
  a 
  charred 
  stump 
  sending 
  up 
  

   perhaps 
  a 
  thin 
  curl 
  of 
  smoke, 
  or 
  the 
  reddened 
  walls 
  of 
  burnt 
  clay, 
  of 
  a 
  

   whiteant's 
  nest, 
  projecting 
  above 
  the 
  surface. 
  Viewed 
  under 
  these 
  

   conditions, 
  the 
  full 
  potency 
  of 
  aerial 
  denudation 
  and 
  the 
  part 
  it 
  has 
  

   played 
  in 
  carving 
  out 
  the 
  surface 
  features 
  of 
  the 
  Arakan 
  Range, 
  from 
  

   crest 
  to 
  valley, 
  stands 
  confest, 
  and 
  the 
  impression 
  created 
  is 
  rather 
  that 
  

   of 
  gazing 
  on 
  some 
  well-executed 
  model 
  or 
  panorama., 
  than 
  on 
  an 
  actual 
  

   portion 
  of 
  the 
  earth's 
  surface, 
  as 
  it 
  ordinarily 
  exists, 
  divested 
  of 
  its 
  

   forest 
  garb 
  and 
  temporarily 
  bared 
  to 
  our 
  view. 
  

  

  The 
  Pegu, 
  or 
  Eastern 
  Yomah, 
  stretches 
  uninterruptedly 
  156 
  miles 
  

   from 
  the 
  frontier 
  to 
  a 
  point 
  about 
  30 
  miles 
  North 
  of 
  Rangoon, 
  with 
  a 
  

   general 
  direction 
  North-by-west. 
  From 
  this 
  point, 
  where 
  as 
  a 
  hilly 
  

  

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