﻿MOULMEIN 
  GEOUP. 
  13 
  9* 
  

  

  between 
  the 
  Gaine 
  and 
  the 
  Attaran 
  rivers, 
  and 
  exhibit 
  the 
  precise 
  

   appearance 
  of 
  what 
  they 
  undoubtedly 
  were 
  at 
  no 
  remote 
  geological 
  

   period, 
  sea-girt 
  rocks, 
  such 
  as 
  still 
  stud 
  the 
  Mergui 
  Archipelago, 
  and 
  

   which 
  from 
  their 
  position 
  in 
  low-lying 
  alluvial 
  plains 
  even 
  now, 
  during 
  

   the 
  rains, 
  are 
  approachable 
  only 
  by 
  boats, 
  through 
  a 
  mimic 
  freshwater 
  

   sea. 
  The 
  exploration 
  of 
  the 
  caves 
  in 
  these 
  hills 
  has 
  been 
  suggested 
  

   in 
  the 
  hope 
  of 
  acquiring 
  the 
  relics, 
  and 
  enlarging 
  our 
  knowledge 
  of 
  an 
  

   extinct 
  local 
  fauna, 
  such 
  as, 
  in 
  Europe, 
  has 
  so 
  often 
  rewarded 
  cave- 
  

   research 
  ; 
  but 
  I 
  consider 
  that, 
  as 
  regards 
  all 
  caves 
  similarly 
  situated 
  

   to 
  those 
  near 
  Moulmein, 
  the 
  chances 
  are 
  much 
  against 
  finding 
  anything 
  

   to 
  repay 
  the 
  labor 
  expended, 
  as, 
  if 
  I 
  am 
  correct 
  in 
  regarding 
  these 
  

   insular 
  masses 
  of 
  rock 
  — 
  such 
  as 
  contain 
  the 
  Dumathat 
  or 
  Phaienku 
  

   (' 
  Farm 
  ') 
  caves 
  — 
  as 
  at 
  no 
  remote 
  period 
  rocky 
  islands 
  in 
  the 
  sea, 
  it 
  is 
  

   improbable 
  under 
  such 
  conditions 
  that 
  they 
  ever 
  afforded 
  retreat 
  to 
  any 
  

   vertebrata 
  save 
  the 
  edible 
  swallow 
  or 
  a 
  few 
  bats. 
  In 
  the 
  case, 
  however,, 
  

   of 
  caves 
  situated 
  in 
  limestone 
  rocks 
  at 
  a 
  greater 
  elevation, 
  and 
  conse- 
  

   quently 
  not 
  like 
  the 
  others 
  guarded 
  by 
  the 
  surrounding 
  sea 
  from 
  ap- 
  

   proach, 
  the 
  case 
  is 
  different 
  ; 
  and 
  such 
  caves 
  hold 
  out 
  promise 
  of 
  a 
  rich 
  

   harvest 
  to 
  future 
  explorers. 
  I 
  am 
  not 
  personally 
  acquainted 
  with 
  

   any 
  such 
  in 
  British 
  territory, 
  though 
  some 
  well 
  known, 
  but 
  jealously 
  

   guarded 
  ones, 
  of 
  large 
  extent 
  exist 
  beyond 
  Tonghoo 
  to 
  the 
  North-east. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  probable 
  that, 
  with 
  these 
  Moulmein 
  beds, 
  representatives 
  

   of 
  the 
  underlying 
  Mergui 
  group 
  are 
  also 
  to 
  be 
  met 
  with, 
  associated 
  

   together 
  throughout 
  the 
  Yunzalin 
  district 
  and 
  wherever 
  the 
  newer 
  

   Moulmein 
  beds 
  occur 
  east 
  of 
  the 
  Sittoung 
  ; 
  but 
  the 
  country 
  is 
  almost 
  

   entirely 
  unexplored 
  and 
  its 
  constitution 
  unknown 
  save 
  towards 
  the 
  edge 
  

   of 
  the 
  Sittoung 
  valley. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  probable 
  that 
  this 
  group 
  may 
  prove 
  to 
  be 
  metalliferous, 
  as 
  it 
  is 
  

   traversed 
  by 
  the 
  same 
  series 
  of 
  granite 
  and 
  elvan 
  dykes, 
  as 
  the 
  older 
  

   crystalline 
  rocks 
  of 
  the 
  district 
  ; 
  and 
  these 
  may 
  not 
  improbably 
  be 
  con- 
  

   nected 
  with 
  the 
  development 
  of 
  the 
  ores 
  of 
  tin, 
  lead, 
  iron 
  and 
  copper 
  

  

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