350 Report on the Island of Chedooba. [No. 113. 



bills, varying in height from 50 to 500 feet, enclosing several higher 

 detached mounds of steep well wooded sides, the loftiest of which, near 

 the south part of the Island, rises nearly 1,400 feet. 



The view from the top of these higher summits, presents, immediately 

 below a scattered irregular mass of hills, confined principally to the west- 

 ern part of the Island, covered with jungle, interspersed with grass plains 

 of more or less extent. To the Eastward a broad flat plain intersected 

 with patches of jungle; and surrounding all, lie the cultivated rice 

 fields with the different villages on their verge nearest the sea, the coast 

 of which to the Westward is every where strewed with broken and de- 

 tached masses of rock jutting far out. 



The History of this Island is involved in all the obscurity which at 

 present surrounds that of the neighbouring Continent. Under the name 

 of Inaon it constituted in the time of the Mug Rajahs, one of four 

 divisions of a province known collectively with the other three, Arracan, 

 Ramree, and Sandoway by the name of ' Preegree.' 



The head authority in each division was then called ' Jah,' and was 

 nominated every three years, to prevent any attempt at independence of 

 the supreme power by the Rajah of the Province, a matter not difficult 

 in time of oppression, confusion, and general disorder. 



On the conquest of the Province by the Burmese in 1784. its divisions 

 were still retained, but their names, as well as that of the collective 

 Province were all changed. The latter took the name of ' Lemroo,' in- 

 stead of ' Preegree,' while the name of Chedooba itself was changed 

 from Juaon to ' Mekawuddee,' and its revenue assigned to the support of 

 the King's eldest sister, condemned to perpetual celibacy, as being unable 

 to obtain a helpmate for her. 



The alteration in the names of the Province and its divisions was 

 acompanied by a change in those of the authorities. The provincial Go- 

 vernor was called ' Lemroowrain' or Governor of four countries, a title 

 still given to our Commissioner, while ' Juoroowan' took the place of 

 * Jah,' as designating the head of each division, and is now applied by the 

 inhabitants to the assistant commissioners. 



The division of the Districts into Pergunnahs was also left undisturbed 

 by the Burmese, and the head man of each, under the Mug Raj continued 

 to be called ' Soogree.' 



Of these Pergunnahs or circles with their Soogerees, Chedooba is di- 

 vided into seven, viz: Kamman, Krae-rone, Inrooma, Ineubreng, Kyouk- 

 tan, Tang-roa, and Ree-yueng, the latter its dependency of Flat Island, 

 on its southern coast. 



