1836.] lying north of the Tenasserim Provinces. 611 



•who levies contributions from the Kayen tribes in the neighbourhood, 

 and is not scrupulous of occasionally extending his exactions into 

 our portion of the country. Such is the wild life and timorous nature 

 of these tribes that they submit to any one who appears invested 

 with any authority, and it is difficult to induce them to visit Mau- 

 lamyne with their complaints. Mein-lun-ghee being the first frontier 

 station, is generally passed through by the traders of Maulamyne, 

 and the Shan States also by those of the latter, who visit the country 

 of the Red Kayens to purchase slaves. An effort was made to detain 

 Dr. R. here, till an answer should be received from Labong regarding 

 him ; but on evincing a determination either to proceed or to return 

 immediately to Maulamyne, elephants were furnished him, and he 

 resumed his route on the 6th. 



" 6th. Direction South, 80 East. Time, 3 hours, 30 minutes ; distance, 10 

 miles. 



Six elephants were produced, and at 10. 20 we proceeded across the valley 

 to the south-eastward. — 11. 12. Commenced the ascent of the eastern hills, which 

 is gradual but considerable. 



" 1. 15. Crossed the Moy-Konie 35 within quarter of a mile of a fall (JO or 

 80 feet to the S. W. of the road. 



" 1. 50. Halted on the banks of the Moy-Konie. Three of the elephants 

 had four young ; all born in captivity, which the Shans speak of as a thing of 

 course : one of them had two, one about six years old, the other about 2§ or 

 3, still sucking. We here left all the little chiefs, but Benya-chi and the 

 Burman who was taken prisoner twenty-five years ago. The road to-day (one of the 

 principal routes to the Careen Uee (or Red Careens) country) was good, and the 

 hills not very steep. 



<i 7th. Direction South, 80 East. Time, 7 hours, 50 minutes ; distance, 14 

 miles. 



*' 8. 55. Steep ascent for two hours ; great part of the way in ruts as deep as 

 the elephants' backs worn by the mountain torrents. 



"11. The mist on the hills and valley below us with a beautiful clear sun 

 on it, had exactly the appearance of snow. A cold piercing wind from the east- 

 ward. — 11. 15. Narrow road along the side of a hill which rises perhaps 150 or 

 160 feet above it, with a deep ravine below to the eastward. — 12. Continued 

 cold and chilly ; left the elephant; steep descent for nearly an hour. — 2. 45. 

 Halted on the banks of the May-lie 36 (which falls into the Mein-lun-ghee about a 

 day below the village) on a beautiful little plain surrounded by high hills, and 

 bounded on the south-west by the stream 10 or 12 feet wide. 



" The march to-day was almost a continued ascent; some of the hills very 

 steep ; the elephants frequently obliged to stop from fatigue ; the paths tolerably 

 good, evidently much frequented, and said to be cut by a Shan king 37 of great 

 power, but evidently the tracts of elephants deepened by the torrents, in many 

 places as deep as the backs of the elephants, not more than 18 inches wide at 

 the bottom, and just clear of the howdahs at the top. The elephant from which 

 I dismounted at 12 did not come to the ground till 4. 45, and was consequently 

 4 K 2 



