18G2.] the Isthmus of Krau. 349 



orders upon our wishes, but just as we were starting the next morning, 

 (2nd April) with some four or five coolies we had managed to procure, 

 an elephant made its appearance, and we were enabled to proceed a 

 little more comfortably than we had anticipated. 



7. We commenced on the 2nd April a route survey across a 

 country which we believe is quite unknown to, and has never been 

 traversed by Europeans. There is a good level cleared road for the 

 first two miles, and to the third mile it rises and passes along the 

 right bank of the Krau river. The forest on each side contained 

 bamboos and trees,- as mentioned in the plan. Up to a little short 

 of the 8th mile, the road follows the course of the Krau river, 

 and is difficult, — we had to wade for a mile through the stream, which 

 was not, however, more than ankle deep, but falling every now and 

 then over rocks, with banks about twenty or thirty feet high, and 

 forty feet apart ; at this time, the rain commenced and fell with little 

 intermission till we returned to Krau. 



8. At the 8th mile, we arrived at the water-shed of the country, 

 a small grassy plain. The Krau river runs hence west to join the 

 Pakchan at Krau ; and a quarter of a mile further on, a river called 

 the Bankren, joining the Tsoompeon at Tasan (1^ miles) flows to 

 the gulf of Siam on the east. 



9. At Tasan is another zayat similar to that at Krau, with a few 

 houses and dry cultivation. We continued to cross and re-cross the 

 Tsoompeon river to the 10th mile. At 15 \ miles, after crossing 

 tributaries of small breadth, but with steep banks, we got again to 

 the Tsoompeon, where it was some 200 feet wide, but of little depth. 

 The jungle remained of the same character, and the nature of the 

 country, as the path descended to the plains passing through low 

 but steep hills, was very similar to that in the ascent from Krau 

 to Tasan. 



10. At 17|- miles we got to Apay, another zayat, and were glad 

 to rest for the night, for, in addition to the walking over very rough 

 ground and for miles through the rivers, wet throughout, the rain 

 had brought out the leeches, which attacked us most unmercifully. 

 The first indication of their attacks was finding our trowsers covered 

 with blood ; our last resource was to tie the trowsers round the ankles 

 so as to prevent them getting inside, but even then, unless some one 

 was looking after us while engaged in taking angles or reading the 



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