1836.] lying north of the Tenasserim Provinces. 615 



visible over the tops of the trees ; the whole country is so covered with tfood that 

 not twenty houses are to be seen from this place : there are as many round the 

 Fort as there are in it. It stands on the right bank of the May-qnany M , which 

 is here about 30 feet wide and three deep at this season, though navigable for 

 boats of some burthen during the rise of the river. The May-quany falls into 

 the May-ping about half a mile from this (in the valley of which river both this 

 town and Zimmay are situated), which pursues its course amongst the hills from 

 this to within a few days of Bankok, where the hills terminate, and the country 

 spreads into a plain populous and fertile. The valley varies in breadth from 

 10 or 12 miles to 60 or 80 ; the soil is a rich sandy loam, and from the beds of 

 the river apparently of great depth ; the hills are of very considerable height, 

 but no snow is visible from this, though the thermometer at 7 o'clock is 

 seldom above 53°. The distance from this to the frontier towns of China is 

 about 40 elephant marches (probably of 12 or 15 miles each) over the northern 

 hills, and throughout that distance no snow is said to be encountered ; but to 

 what other cause than snow the rise of the river can be attributed, I am igno- 

 rant ; as it is thought a heavy monsoon if there are three or four days of heavy 

 rain in a month. The annual rise of the river is considerable, aud last year was 

 so excessive as to drive the whole population from its bank. 



" I have had no communication with any of the chiefs to-day, but a letter 

 was sent to the person (a Beuya) left here to provide any thing I might want, to 

 keep the Pungees and the people from crowding round my tent, in consequence of 

 a representation of mine yesterday. The bearer of the letter said it was the 

 wish of the chief that I should be presented to-morrow, and begged that I would 

 not bring any pocket pistols or any other hidden instrument of death ; I request- 

 ed to know if I should wear any sword, as it was looked on by us as a mark of 

 respect ; to which they also objected. The materials have this evening been 

 brought to build me a small house. 



"21st. At 12. 30 sixteen coolies with seven large silver, and nine copper 

 calats (salvers), and a body of peons armed with spears, came out to carry the 

 presents and conduct me to the presence of the chief. 



" The walls of the fort are formed of the red ferruginous porous stone common 

 in Burmah at the bottom and the top of bricks of the most slender construc- 

 tion ; the sides of the streets for a few yards were lined with the common people, 

 bearing muskets ; the shed (about quarter of a mile from the gate) in which the 

 chief received me, was about 60 feet long and 20 wide, with three sheds at right 

 angles built for the occasion, occupying the whole of the front, all of which 

 were filled with people ; many of them near relations of the chief, and all in the 

 crouching position common with the Burmans ; nearly all armed either with 

 swords or muskets. The presents had already arrived, and were placed at the 

 upper end of the centre shed. Having made a bow to the chief, I went imme- 

 diately up to his seat (a small light chair) and presented the letter. I said that 

 I was fortunate in being the first to open the road of friendship between the 

 two countries, that it was the wish of the English Government that the mer- 

 chants of each should be as uncontrolled in the territories of his neighbour as 

 if they were in their own, &c. &c. He answered, he had long turned the eyes of 

 friendship towards us ; that he was happy the gold and silver road had been open- 

 ed ; that he hoped we should now be as one people, but that the presents must be 



