1833.] Journal of a Mission from Ava to Kendat. 65 
swampy (with long grass) than any part of the country since leaving 
Ava; the road is however still very passable for any common carriage : 
1 p. m. low range of hills, S. 70° W. distant six miles, running S. 20° 
bed of the river, which is now a continued stream, and march along its 
banks till two :—halt at Thoun-bouk, a village of about 20 or 30 houses 
on the E. ; leave the banks of the Khyen-dwen. The road we have come 
to-day is the only one by which communication is held with the capital, 
even in the rains, though the torrent is so impetuous during and imme- 
diately after heavy rain as not to be fordable, yet it soon runs off and 
never sends a continued body of water into the Khyen-dwen for any 
length of time. 
29th. Time 4 h. 15 m. distance 12 miles, direction about N. 75° W. 
8h. 30 m. send the baggage by the river, by which greater part of 
the communication to the N. W.is carriedon; we leave Thoun-bouk ; for 
a few minutes we travel through a thick jungle, then ascend a low but 
steep hill, down the descent of which we are obliged to dismount and 
lead the horses. At 9 h. 10 m. in sight ofthe Khyen-dwen, and proceed 
along the broad bed of a mountain torrent in deep white sand, with 
high perpendicular banks running off in ridges from the stream :— 
9h. 35 m. enter the jungle, and immediately ascend another hill; 
pass along a narrow ridge, and descent very steep; continue cross- 
ing steep ridges of low sandy hills, covered with jungle, and winding 
amongst them in the dry beds of torrents, till 12h. 15m. when we 
pass a small village in a cultivated plain:—12 h. 30 m. cross a small 
stream about knee-deep, in which the horses suddenly sink up to 
their girths in the sand, and we are obliged to dismount, to allow them 
to extricate themselves; they crossed with some difficulty. 12 h. 
45 m. at Mouk-ka-dau, a village of perhaps 80 or 100 houses, close to 
the banks of the Khyen-dwen. About one day to the north of our march 
to-day, are a considerable number of cassia trees. In the bed of most of 
the streams and on many of the hills also, saw numerous (calcareous) 
woody petrifactions, but could hear of no fossil organic remains in this 
neighbourhood ; there are two pretty large boatson the stocks here, and 
teak timber of good size cut in the neighbourhood, ready for the con- 
struction of others. | 
30th. Time 6 h. 20 m. distance 17 miles; direction N. 30° W.; 
7h. 30m. leave Mouwk-ka-dau, and in a few minutes descend slight- 
ly into the valley of the stream in which the horses swamped yes- 
terday :—pass along a bad and swampy road through paddy fields, in- 
to which the water has been turned for cultivation; cross and 
recross the stream till 9 h. 45 m. when we proceed up a small 
branch more to the westward, with high sandstone banks on the west- 
K 
