1840.] the Report of the Coal Committee. 587 



amongst others Choomphon. These materials were embodied by Co- 

 lonel Burney ; taking as it will be seen, the coast line from Horsburgh 

 for his ground work, I concluded that the point respecting the posi- 

 tion of Choomphon would have been thus set at rest, but finding that 

 though many of the latitudes given in the Journal coincided with the 

 position of the places as laid down by Horsburgh, that with a quadrant 

 only, which Mr. Leal had, (unless some mistake has been made res- 

 pecting the instrument) he could not have taken the altitudes of the 

 sun at the places where he was, at the time of the year, to produce the 

 results given, unless he worked by double altitudes, which from 

 the situation he was in, I fear he could not have had the opportunity 

 of doing, I am at a loss, therefore, what value to place upon these 

 observations, especially as he has made a great error in the position of 

 the Pakchan river, on the western side of the Peninsula. 



Mr. Leal proceeded from Bangkok to Mergui with a number of 

 Burmese captives, who had been released by Colonel Burney's exertions. 

 This portion of Mr. Leal's journey has been noticed by Mr. Wilson in 

 his usual interesting manner, and devoid of the stiffness of a Journal. 

 It does not appear that Mr. Leal took any observations during this 

 journey; at least the autho* does nor mention them, nor does he 

 indeed notice those noted in Mr. Harris's journal in their journey up 

 to Bangkok. 



After landing at Bangnorom, in the Gulf of Siam, on the fifth day, 

 Mr. Leal and his party reached the Kosoon mountain. This is placed 

 in the sketch by Colonel Burney about thirty-five miles direct from the 

 village on the coast. 



By the description of this portion of the journey, I conceive the 

 mountain to be one of the range placed by me immediately to the 

 southward of the coal field,, or a continuation of them to the eastward. 

 A tree was pointed out to me as the spot where conferences were held 

 by the Burmese and Siamese; this may have been one of the three 

 mentioned by Mr. Leal. I did not, however, understand that it mark- 

 ed the boundary, and would, I think you will admit, be a strange 

 mark in a land of mountains and forests to divide two countries. I 

 was informed that the spot was selected as the most convenient and 

 spacious for such meetings, after passing over the hills from the 

 Siamese side, and, indeed, the only one adapted for such assemblies, 



4f 



