4 Mission to the Court of Siam. [No. 97- 



with lofty forest trees; it had the form of a square, of a 

 mile in extent on each face, with a large tank and interior 

 town. The people who accompanied us had no traditions res- 

 pecting it, except that in former days gold and silver were 

 very plentiful here. 15 minutes more brought us out at the 

 river face, from which it is distant a few yards. An hour 

 after leaving the town we met a party of two Siamese and 

 three Talines, with an order from the Myo-won of Cam- 

 boorie to the Tseetkay of Moung-tseing to accompany us to 

 Camboorie ; as we were however some miles from him he es- 

 caped the duty. So difficult is it to get, or so careless are the 

 people in giving information to be depended on, that one of the 

 two Shans told us they left Camboorie yesterday before day- 

 light, and the other at 11 in the forenoon. At llh. 15m. pass the 

 small town of Moung-khiet, probably deserted about the same 

 time as Moung-tseing; the interior was a perfect level, cover- 

 ed with a long even grass, and high forest trees wide apart 

 from each other, and without underwood, giving it the ap- 

 pearance of a park. At 12h. 40m. halt here by a small puddle 

 of stinking green water, the only water except the river which 

 we left at Moung-tseing we have seen this march, and the 

 Siamese declare there is no other halting place for nearly 

 as far as we have come. We have had a good, perfectly level 

 cart road, though the plain has never been more than four 

 miles across (from information) ; the soil seems fertile, and 

 capable of affording subsistence to a large population ; but 

 with exception of the posts on the river, the country ap- 

 pears destitute of inhabitants, there being only one or two 

 Kareen villages of two or three houses, in the district of 

 Moung-tseing. The See-sa-wat which joins this river at Cam- 

 boorie is said to have fewer inhabitants than even this, and 

 the intermediate country is a wilderness. We have been much 

 exposed to the sun to-day, which is very powerful, our halt- 

 ing place a perfect level, open, and covered with short grass; 

 the people sleeping about in groups is exceedingly pictu- 

 resque by the clear moonlight. We have seen to-day hares, 

 partridges, and pea-fowls, and wild dogs are said to be numer- 

 ous here, larger, with longer hair than the common dog, but 



