1840.] Mission to the Court of Siam. 3 



a run of water ancle-deep, soon after which we saw the first 

 sapan wood, the tree much resembling the Caouchouc tree in leaf 

 and appearance, and seldom reaching here (the N. W. limits of 

 its growth) a greater size than the thickest part of a man's 

 arm. Our route lay occasionally near the eastern and occa- 

 sionally near the western range of hills. At llh. 45m. we pass 

 another small stream (the May-ta-pan) in a sort of ravine, 

 and at 12h. 30m. halt opposite Moung-tseing (Lion's town) a 

 ruined stockade on the eastern or north-eastern side of the river. 

 I find the Taline garrison in these stockades are more military than 

 I supposed them ; they are not employed in collecting the duties 

 which are taken by the Kareens to Camboorie. The chief of 

 Moung-tseing receives sixty tickels a year from the king, and 

 fifty men are detailed for the duty of this post, but as there is 

 no muster roll forwarded to head quarters, those who choose to 

 remain with their families by paying twenty tickals to the 

 Myotsa are allowed to do so; a small part only of the detach- 

 ment find their way to the frontiers ; at this part the force 

 is larger than usual, there are now fifteen men present, and the 

 Myotsa is at Bankok with a party of five. He (the Myotsa) 

 also levies an annual tax of ten pieces on each man, the king's 

 people excepted, who cut sapan wood in his jurisdiction. 

 Their period of service on the frontier is six months ; they 

 say they are allowed to bring their families, but do not do so 

 on account of the malaria, intermittent prevailing here in May 

 and October. Here also they are all Talines from the pro- 

 vince of Martaban. A part of their duty is to carry the 

 provisions which are sent up by the king to the gold washers 

 on the Belank, of whom I am here informed there were last 

 year 1500 employed, besides 60 men of the Myotsa of Dayiek 

 or May-nam-noi. 



January 24th. — 3h. 30m., 11 miles. At 8 left the modern 

 post Moung-tseing, and in 1 1 minutes reach the crossing of the 

 river, which here runs east. Crossing in three small boats occu- 

 pied us 30 minutes, and in 20 minutes more reach the walls 

 of the old city of Moung-tseing (or Lion's city) which must 

 have been long deserted; the walls though well defined,' are, 

 as well as the whole interior of the place, quite overgrown 



