594 Map attached to Report of the Coal Committee. [No. 102. 



suggesting this, I was entirely ignorant that any observations had ever 

 been made for the latitude of " Champhon," which appears to have 

 been the case by a Mr. Leal ; who this gentleman was, or what were 

 his pretensions as an observer, upon which depends in a great measure 

 the confidence his observations are entitled to, is unknown ; it appears, 

 however, that he had a quadrant, and Captain Macleod very justly 

 remarks, that it is doubtful if with such an instrument he could take 

 in the sun's meridian altitude, and if not, what method did he adopt to 

 obtain the latitude ? and what had he for an artificial horizon ? Until 

 we have the position of Pakchan, as well as Champhon accurately 

 determined, (the former may be out four or five miles, as it is merely 

 laid down from a sketch by Dr. Heifer, who had no observations), I 

 shall be disposed to consider their present positions as only an 

 approximation to the truth ; at the same time my opinion is, that 

 " Penomoxin," or " Penonper" of the old charts, is " Champhon" of the 

 Siamese, and will be found to be (I mean the mouth of the river) in 

 about the latitude which they assign to it, or 10° 40' N. But this 

 interesting question ought to be set at rest ; it is of no use, sending 

 such men as Mr. George, " the Master Attendant at Mergui, who al- 

 though he has travelled two or three times between Pakchan and 

 Champhon, can give you no more idea of the direction and distance 

 of the one from the other than, that he left one place at such an hour 

 on one day, and arrived at the other, the same or the next day at such 

 an hour ! Beyond that, he has no more idea of distance, or conveying 

 information, than a common Burmese, even if so much. I think with 

 Captain Macleod, that it is very probable the Champhon river takes 

 a direction different from that laid down. Forrest says, the paterage 

 from one river to the other is six hours. Horace Wilson, in his notes 

 on Mr. Leal's journey, says the rivers are separated by a very small 

 interval of level ground, and it is said, that during the spring tides, 

 the two rivers often unite." 



