183C] lying north of the Tenasserim Provinces. 607 



session of their sheds, which were the first human habitations we had seen since 

 leaving the boats. The Thaing-Ein river is the old boundary between the 

 Barman and Siamese countries, and is now the British boundary in this direction 

 with the latter nation. It arises in this range of hills about eight or ten days' 

 march in a south-easterly direction from this, about one day's march from the 

 course of the Gyne river, and falls into the Mein-lun-gkee 2i (called by the Shans 

 Mun-neum) two days west from this. The united streams fall into the T/taluru 25 

 some distance above a cataract in the latter river, which entirely cuts off all 

 water communication with the country above it, and in which even timber is 

 shattered to pieces that happens to get into it. 



"2\st. Felt the first effects of being in the Siamese country, in being obliged 

 to halt till the road was cleared by the Careens. There was an evident desire 

 on the part of the Careens, who met us here, to detain us for a day or two : 

 they indeed privately declared their orders from Chow Ho Kio, the chief who 

 was to have met us here, to do so. I, however, intimated my intention to pro- 

 ceed on the following day. We were here furnished with a pig, rice, and fowls. 



" 22nd. Direction North, 20 East. Time, 2 hours, 30 minutes ; distance, 

 6 miles, 2 furlongs. 



" 7 a. m. Proceeded along a good path through a patch of cultivated ground, 

 where the Careens grow the hill rice, which is fine and small in the grain. 



" 7. 15. Ascended. — 8. Crossed the May-tka-woe 26 river, wide 60 feet, clear 

 stony bed ; abundance of fish. — 8. 45. Path along the side of a hill of the same 

 character as last march. On the top of a steep rocky hill above the road is 

 perched the first Careen village we saw. The houses are entirely composed of 

 bamboos ; the roof, with a very little slope, is made of two rows of split bam- 

 boos ; the first row with the concave side up, and their edges touching the 

 second, with the convex side up, and their edges in the trough of the first, 

 embracing the two contiguous edges. There were only three houses in the 

 village, the inhabitants of which, old and young, might amount to forty or fifty 

 people ; abundance of pigs, poultry, rice, &c. The people are dirty in their per- 

 sons, and the skins of the men generally rough and scaly from exposure ; — they 

 were much alarmed at our first approach, but we gradually gained their confi- 

 dence. 



12. 30. Continued our march, and at 1 halted on the side of the May-tha- 

 ivoe (which we frequently crossed in the course of to-day's march) in thick 

 jungle, within sound of a heavy fall of water. 



11 23rd. Direction North, 20 West. Time, 2 hours, 30 minutes; distance, 

 5 miles, 6 furlongs. 



" 10 a. m. Having sent the coolies on three hours before, on account of the 

 steepness of the hills : proceeded along a pretty good elephant path up the steep- 

 est hill we had yet ascended. — 10. 45. A plantation of small seed cotton. 



"11. 50. Reached the top of the ascent, from which we could count seven 

 ridges of hills which we had crossed, running north, 20 east, to south, 20 west, 

 but very irregular and broken in the descent. 



11 12. 5. Crossed the Tsieu-dzot 21 ', (Elephant's tusk) rivulet, wide 15 or 20 

 feet. — 12. 30. Halted on the banks of the stream at the foot of an extensive hill, 

 covered with paddy stubble ; the Careens say they reap 30 or 40 folds ; and 

 the rice is the finest I have ever seen, almost transparent, and when boiled beau- 

 tifully white. The Careens of the hills have no cooking or eating apparatus; 



