1S35.] Island of Ramhree on the Arracan Coast. 9$ 



dye*h, who has been invoked to bear witness to the sincerity of the 

 above declaration.) 



This done, all arose from the ground ; the corpse was taken out of 

 the litter and deposited in the grave. I observed that pawn and 

 spices had been placed in the mouth of the deceased, for the purpose 

 as I was informed of rendering the odour of the body, consequent to 

 decomposition, less offensive to the bystanders. At the sight of the 

 corpse, the poor woman commenced her lamentations afresh, and as 

 my curiosity was satisfied, I returned to the Soogree's habitation, 

 leaving the Phoongrees to perform over the grave of the child (on the 

 opposite bank), a service in every respect similar to that I have just 

 described. 



January \7th. — The Mughs can form no other idea of the distance in- 

 tervening between one place and another beyond what is derived from 

 the time taken in going over it. In a country like this, abounding 

 with impediments of every description, any other species of measure- 

 ment was out of the question, so substituting my elephant for a Per- 

 ambulator, and making every allowance for the several obstructions met 

 with, I conceive the distance between Oogah and Singhunnethe to be 

 as much as 16 miles ; from that to Seppo-towng 12 miles; and as many 

 more from thence to Rambree. 



Bidding adieu to the good old Soogree, I set out at day-break on my 

 journey to the capital of the island. The Saaynekyong creek, after 

 winding through the vale to the right, suddenly takes a turn into the 

 interior, crossing the road within a very short distance of Seppo-towng . As 

 the tide was at the flood the elephants were unloaded and swam across ; 

 a boat having been placed at the disposal of myself and followers. Pro- 

 ceeding onwards the route was but a repetition of what had been met 

 with on the preceding day. Patches of paddy ground, succeeded by 

 long mountainous ranges with the same abrupt ascent and inclination, 

 were the never failing features of the country passed over between 

 Singhunnethe and Rambree. The soil on the hills was generally a red 

 clay, containing nodules of chert, and felspar combined with talc. 

 Had I possessed even a common acquaintance with botany, I might 

 have derived much pleasure in the examination of the various vegetable 

 tribes that surrounded me. Unfortunately I was a stranger to the grea- 

 ter number, recognizing only those of most frequent occurrence, such as 

 the Girjun, Tilsah, Jharral, wild Peepul, and a host of Mimosas. There 

 were also some very pretty creepers, and a vine which corresponds in 

 description with that given me of the black pepper-plant*. After the 



* The black pepper-plant is found on the hills in the Sandoway district. 



