1838.] The Mergui Coast-line and Islands. 1033 



of the locality takes place, that, like the Tenasserim river, wind- 

 ing their course round the base of hills and through a mountainous 

 country, some of these streams may not so approximate to each 

 other, as to make communication with the gulf of Siam side, easier 

 and shorter in this part than in any other. The last and only 

 river which I have to notice is situated opposite the island of 

 St. Matthews, and which I consider to be the Sa-kopah or Pak- 

 Chan forming the southern limit of our territory. Its entrance is 

 in lat. 9° 58' N. and, from the anchorage inside St. Matthews, it is 

 completely hid from view by a group of small islands in shore. The 

 extensive flat lying off the coast here, led me however to believe that 

 there was a large opening in its vicinity, and I proceeded to examine 

 the locality in the vessel's boat, when after crossing the flat and round- 

 ing the group of islands spoken of, I was gratified by coming suddenly 

 upon the entrance to the river, which is a nobld stream having 8 or 10 

 feet depth of water in it, and being about one and a half miles wide, for 

 seven or eight miles up, beyond which I had not the means of conti- 

 nuing my examination. The direction of the river thus far was about 

 N. N. E. or nearly parallel with the coast, and its course lay between 

 two ranges of hills of 5 or 600 feet elevation. I am however rather 

 disposed to think that the entrance to it will be found to be intricate ; 

 but further and minute examination may prove the contrary. That 

 this river must be the one forming our boundary appears to me evident, 

 as there is no other answering the description : but unfortunately I 

 had no person on board who was acquainted with the locality, nor had I 

 any interpreter, having been disappointed in both, by not being able 

 to bring on a small tender and pilot I had engaged to accompany me, 

 owing to the violence of the weather. Under these circumstances, even 

 if it had come particularly within the object of my inquiry, it would 

 not have been prudent, in a small open boat, to have continued my 

 examination of the river up to the Siamese frontier town, which is said 

 to be a place of some consequence, situated 30 or 40 miles up, nor 

 could I have done so, in all probability, without incurring great risk of 

 giving offence to the authorities by my intentions being misunderstood. 

 I did hope to gain some satisfactory information from boats, but al- 

 though we saw several, they viewed us with great suspicion, and evaded 

 every attempt we made to communicate with them. Taking it for 

 granted that this is the river forming the boundary between the British 

 and Siamese territory, it is much further to the southward than the 

 position generally assigned to it, and will account for the island and 

 harbour of St* Matthews being considered as within our dominion. 



