1838.] The Mevgui Coast-line and Islands. 1029 



consumption. Four miles above Mounglaw on the right bank, a small 

 branch or creek runs off to the northward, which after receiving the 

 waters of several other streams, gradually enlarges itself until it falls 

 into the sea three miles to the northward of Mergui, and forms the 

 land on which that town is situated into an island. About nine miles 

 further up on the left bank is a similar but rather larger offshoot the 

 Thuhwa, which falls into the sea in 12° 10' N. Beyond this at the 

 distance of about 14 miles is the old town of Tenasserim. It is situated 

 where the river divides into two branches, the great and little Tenasserim, 

 opposite to the point of confluence, and on the left bank of the latter. 

 The river is 115 yards wide abreast of the town, and the depth of it in 

 the latter end of May was three fathoms at low water in the centre of 

 the stream : the rise and fall of tide at the springs was six feet, and it 

 was high water at about three hours, the velocity of the stream was very 

 weak, not exceeding one mile per hour. The natives describe the 

 water as being fresh all the year round, and the surface of the river as 

 being bodily raised about nine feet during the period of the freshes, (or 

 from July to September.) The bed of the river is very variable and 

 irregular both in tenacity and depth, and there are several shallows, 

 and rocky patches ; the high land too coming down in many places 

 close upon its banks, renders it difficult to navigate ; but small vessels, 

 such as the river sloops of Calcutta, by waiting for the tide to drop up 

 with, and to cross the different shallows, may be taken to Tenasserim, 

 should Dr. Helfer's coal discovery render it necessary at any future 

 period. 



The position of Tenasserim has been very inaccurately placed in all 

 our old maps, and its distance by the course of the river from Mergui 

 is very much exaggerated ; this may have been caused partly from the 

 position assigned to the latter being that of two islands of the same 

 name in latitude 12° 12' N. instead of the correct position of the town 

 itself. During my visit to Tenasserim, the sun was too vertical to 

 obtain a meridian altitude by artificial horizon, and the night was so 

 cloudy and unfavorable that I failed in obtaining the latitude by a star. 

 Captain Macleod however, whom I have reason to consider a good 

 observer, made it in 12° 6' N. and using that latitude I made the lon- 

 gitude by chronometer 35 miles east of Mergui, or in 99° 3' east, 

 and by a sketch of the river it is 40 nautic or 46 statute miles from 

 the entrance. 



Whatever may have been its former extent and importance, it i3 

 now a very insignificant place, and I should think does not contain 

 more than 100 houses and 4 or 500 inhabitants : nor does it bear much 

 6 o 2 



