68 Journal of a Mission from Ava to Kendat. [Fes. 
one and ahalf foot or more in length, and images of Godama are formed 
of it; its price increases with itssize and transparency, but good amber 
may be bought on the spot for one tikal and a half a viss, and I am 
assured that the best would not cost five tikals. 
The principal deposit of coal, which is found here in large quantities, 
in the bed of the river, is about 12 or 14 miles above this, in the small 
valleys, on both sides of the river. It is of that species denominated 
lignite, and some of it is so highly bituminized as to be converted into 
jet. In some specimens, whilst the outside contains this large proportion 
of bitumen, internally there is very little; the longitudinal fracture is 
dull, the woody structure perfect, and some of the fibres retain slight 
elasticity ; the transverse fracture has in all instances some degree of 
lustre in situ; it is formed in sand, and soft sandstone rock, in large 
pieces, retaining the form of the trees, from which it was originally 
formed: the Burmans say it is useless as fuel, going out unless used 
with a large quantity of wood.* 
17th. Having been provided by the Khambat Woon with three boats, 
we started this day at noon, on our return to Ava. The river which runs 
here to the southward and westward is wide, probably 600 yards; but 
the water is at this season confined to a narrow channel on the western 
side. In 1829, the river rose higher than has been remembered here, 
and the same was the case with the Me-ping, and rivers in north Laos, 
where a good deal of damage was done, and the crops, in many places, 
totally destroyed. Six p. m. halt at Matsein, the largest of the villages 
of that name; the river has been very circuitous throughout the day ; 
the banks generally high sandstone hills, covered with jungle to the water, 
which is so shallow, where it extends nearly across the bed of the river, 
that the boat has grounded once or twice; the villages four in number, 
generally small; no cultivation visible on the immediate banks of the 
river. 
18th. Seven h. 20 m. a.m. leave Mat-seim, and at 6 h. 30 m. Pp. m. 
halt at Oo-yowa; passed eight villages on our route to-day, some of 
them (as Kea-dzet, which we passed at nine o’clock,) larger than any of 
those we passed yesterday ; at 11 h.40 m.a small river falls into this 
from the north-eastward, which the people in my boat say is the Myeet- 
tha. The nature of the country has been nearly the same as yesterday, 
viz. high hills, often nearly perpendicular towards the river ; covered 
with jungle, till 3 p. m. ; since which the hills have retired from the 
river, and the country has been more level, but covered with jungle ; 
we have passed a good many fishing stakes, and several parties of fisher- 
men hutted on the sands. 
* Vide GLEANINGS IN ScrENcE, III. 125. 
