1030 The Mergui Coast-line and Islands. [Peg, 



appearance of former consequence, there being only two or three small 

 pagodas, and the remains of an old brick outwork running along the 

 brow of a hill on the south side of the town. It produces but little for 

 export, but the Shans bring a quantity of elephants' tusks and rhino- 

 ceros* horns for sale, and occasionally rubies and other precious stones 

 may be procured but of inferior value ; there is also said to be a con- 

 cealed trade in gold dust, which with other traffic is in the hands of the 

 Burmese and Chinese. During my visit here, the head-man of the 

 town was absent, and I could gain but little information. 



The other rivers within this delta, and communicating with each 

 other, are small, and unfit for the general purposes of navigation, and 

 not being of any importance as leading to villages, it will be sufficient 

 merely to enumerate them. They are the " Wayaung taung myit," the 

 li Thuhwa,'' the " Nayaza myit," " Megyaung yethonk myit" " Ka~ 

 po myit," Kyauk phyu myit and the Kopha nein myit, (" myit" means 

 river.) — The opening to the last named is spacious, and receives the 

 waters of Linya river or creek, which leads to a village of the same 

 name, situated by native accounts about 30 miles up. There is 

 here said to be an extensive country capable of being brought under 

 cultivation, sufficient for the support of a much larger population, than 

 the few Shans who inhabit it. I regretted much that I could not visit this 

 place, as a correct delineation of its position might show it to be very 

 near the coal fields of Dr. Helfer which are in lat. 11° 53' N. and 

 long. 99° 30' E. : and this leads me to doubt whether the locality in 

 question, is in the British or Siam territory : for Cin point of the charts 

 on the gulf of -Seam side, is in lat. 12° 10' N. and long. 100° 10' E., or 

 only about 35 miles in a direct line from the coal site, whilst from the 

 town of Cin situated in a more southerly direction, where the gulf of 

 Siam is represented as having a deep course to the westward, it is only 

 23 miles. 



The entrance to Linya river is in lat. 11° 40' N. and long. 98° 50' 

 E., and off the opening leading to it and to the " Ko-pha nein myit" 

 there is a spacious place for anchorage, to which vessels could have no 

 difficulty in proceeding, and which I have called Whale Bay, from 

 the circumstance of its being resorted to by numerous whales, and 

 it is the only part of the coast where I have seen them. 



To the southward of Whale Bay, the features of the coast begin to 

 assume a different character ; the shore is high and rocky close to the 

 sea, with only occasional patches of mangrove in the vicinity of, or at 

 the entrances of small rivers ; here also the inland navigation ceases, 

 for none of these streams so far as I could learn, have any conimuni-- 



