546 Journal of a Visit [Dec. 



I am told, that the Siamese used to collect from this cave some tons of 

 saltpetre annually. I must say, that the grandeur of this cave sur- 

 passes the celebrated one on the Isle of Elephanta, or any thing of the 

 kind I ever saw in my life. Left this cave, and continued our course 

 up the river, steering on a westerly direction. At 4 p. m. passed a high 

 range of hills in a north north-west direction. Beyond this, the 

 river deepens to seven fathoms, with rocky and muddy bed : — passed 

 a creek, said to empty itself into the Tavoy river: — was deterred 

 from investigation by the boatman's assurance, that no native ever 

 frequented it : — a long reef of sunken rocks, with two to four and a 

 half fathoms water : — freshes running ten and eveu fourteen miles an 

 hour : — forty men could not track the boat : — banks of the river 

 covered with jungle so thick as to be impenetrable. 



September llM, 1830. — Returned to Tenasserim, ill, and again as- 

 cended the river, to the same spot, by the 1st October. 



October Ind^ 1830 — At 10 a.m. arrived at the second range of 

 Sapan forests on the east bank of the river : the hills which surround 

 this forest are about five hundred feet high. Saw a boat with twenty- 

 six men, returning with six rafts of sapan-wood. Here I landed and 

 visited the forest. The trees grow on hills, as well as on plains. The 

 mountain-torrents had made such chasms through the forest to the 

 river, that it was with difficulty I could cross them before I could well 

 get at the place where the natives are employed cutting the wood. I 

 suffered a great deal in this excursion from the bites of leeches and 

 stings of musquitoes, which abound in the forests. The day was wet 

 throughout. The leaves of the sapan tree are small, and resemble 

 much that of the tamarind, of a dark-green. It bears small flowers, 

 of deep orange-colour, which blossom during September and October. 

 The tree is in full growth, and worth cutting when it attains the height 

 of twelve or fourteen feet : — the bark is of a grey color, with notches, 

 from each of which protrudes a sharp thorn, about a quarter of an inch 

 long. These trees do not grow close to one another, and are not found 

 near the banks of the river. 



October 3rd, 1830. — At 7 a. m. proceeded up the river in a 

 northerly course. Fell in with a boat at 9 a. m. from Mergui, with 

 spirits and other comforts, for the purpose of selling to those employed 

 in cutting sapan-wood. This boat was owned by a Chinaman. 



October 4tfA, 1830. — At day light, wind easterly, arrived at Yebew 

 Gheune, formerly an extensive place for sapan-wood, but now almost 

 exhausted. Left a boat here belonging to some Chinese and Burmese 

 proceeding up for sapan-wood. The river here is rocky. All the 



