188 Dr. Heifer's Fourth Report [No. 98. 



remains unused — as the late discovered locality of coal presents 

 far greater facilities for transport. 



Should the Tenasserim Provinces advance in prosperity, it is 

 very probable that the gulf of Siam will be united with the 

 bay of Bengal by a railroad. To form a canal through the 

 isthmus of Kraw, as has been once proposed, would rather appear 

 a chemerical undertaking. I had opportunities of examining 

 that portion of the country this year, navigating the Packchan 

 river as far as it is navigable for vessels of some burthen, 

 and the natives informed me that an interruption exists in the 

 range of mountains, which runs through the peninsula, and 

 that another navigable river (Telim-foung) is met with at a 

 distance of six hours march on the other side; but whatever 

 localities might be chosen to traverse the peninsula, a rail- 

 road in a tract of country abounding with timber, iron, and 

 coal, would at any rate be preferable to a canal. 



For the present such an undertaking must remain a theoretic 

 scheme ; it would only be recommendable in the event of 

 Tenasserim being occupied by European settlers ; the relations 

 with Siam, as a country full of resources, better understood ; 

 and the commercial intercourse with China not only re-esta- 

 blished, but also become more vigorous, and still more extensive. 

 In the latter case a speedy communication between China, 

 India, and Europe, and across the peninsula, through Tenasse- 

 rim, would be very beneficial. 



Recapitulation. — Recapitulating what has been said in the 

 foregoing pages, we are led to the following conclusions. 



1. That Tenasserim is particularly well situated for an Eu- 

 ropean colony, on account of the quantity of good land unoccu- 

 pied, the variety of tropical productions which can be raised, the 

 salubrity of the climate, and the facility of communication, 

 possessing a large extent of sea-coast with numerous navigable- 

 rivers. 



2. That the natives will be no impediment in any way to 

 European settlers, as they are in many respects in Hindoostan. 



3. That Tenasserim therefore ought, in preference to any 

 other part of British India, to be chosen as a resort for Europeans 

 who are desirous of occupying the land as agricultural settlers. 



