186 Notes of a trip up the Sahveen. [No. 3, 



hill, which is about 600 feet high, and on which are more sacred 

 buildings. The Ainherstias, seen only round the principal Pagoda, 

 were undoubtedly planted, although they are left now to take care of 

 themselves, and have a wild appearance. Evidently, this is not a 

 native habitat of the tree. 



From Bering we went on to a place called Kyik-hto. Eastward of 

 this place and distant about 14 miles, is a remarkable mountain, called 

 Kyik-hteo. Capt. Harrison, one of the very few Europeans who had 

 been there, assured me that it was well worth a visit, as there was, 

 on the summit, a very singular hanging rock, surmounted by a 

 Pagoda. We went accordingly, riding the 14 miles to the foot of the 

 mountain in the morning, and walking up it in the middle of the day. 

 We reached the top 3,650 feet at 3.30 p. m. The view from the 

 summit is very fine, as all views from great heights are ; but the many 

 granite boulders which are scattered about, some of them perched and 

 balanced in the strangest manner on the most prominent peaks, 

 constitute the most remarkable feature of this mountain. On all the 

 most striking of these boulders small Pagodas have been built ; in 

 several instances, I should say, at the extreme risk of life to the 

 builders. As the only way of conveying a true idea of the appearance 

 of these rocks, I send a rough sketch of two or three of them. 



There are two principal ones. — The one at the very summit is 

 called Kyik-hteo " par excellence ;" the other, some little way down 

 the hill is, Kyik-hteo galay, or, " little Kyik-hteo." We could not 

 ascertain for certain what their names signify, further than that 

 " Kyi/c" is " rock" or "mountain-peak." I have observed that the 

 Burmese never know the meaning of the names which the mountains 

 and prominent rocks in the country bear ; the names being older than 

 the Burrnan occupation of it. They are, I believe, generally Talaing, 

 but sometimes Karen. The chief rock of all, which gives the name to 

 the mountain, is simply a wonder. It is a huge rounded granite 

 boulder perched on a projecting and. shelving tabular rock at the very 

 summit. This tabular rock is itself reached by a small foot-bridge, 

 for it is separated by several feet from the mountain by a rent or 

 chasrn ; and on the farther side it drops down perpendicularly, I do 

 not know how many hundred feet, into a valley below. On the 

 extreme verge of this flat sloping rock-table, and actually over- 



