1036 The Mergui Coast -line and Islands. [Dec. 



clothed, miserable in appearance, and do not, I imagine, amount to 

 more than a thousand persons altogether : they are found to be ex- 

 tremely shy of strangers, and avoided us on all occasions. 



Having been employed at a season unfavorable for making inquiry, or 

 gaining much information, and with little leisure left me from the more 

 immediate duties of the survey, for making any observations as to the 

 resources of the islands, their formation, natural productions, &c. 

 I can only point them out as appearing to possess a fine field for inter- 

 esting inquiry in the different departments of science. To the geolo- 

 gist in particular there is ample scope for research, and I have reason 

 to think, from specimens of rock that were collected containing rich 

 iron ore, that they will be found to be rich in mineral productions. 



The same may be said of their botanical productions ; the face of the 

 larger and moderately-sized islands, having a very rich and variegated 

 foliage, and being covered with flowering shrubs and trees of large 

 dimension to the water's edge, some of them may be found to be new 

 and valuable. 



In the department of natural history are to be found on the large 

 islands (by native accounts), most of the wild animals common to the 

 main land ; viz. the tiger, elephant, rhinoceros, wild cow, deer, &c. 

 The tiger is represented to be unusually large and fierce, when com- 

 pared with those on the continent, and Resseraing is said to be much 

 infested by them. The " Shan" huntsmen visit this and the other 

 large islands for the purpose of shooting elephants, which they are 

 very expert in tracking ; and they have been so successful in their 

 excursions to Kesseraing, that I was told by a respectable native with 

 great gravity, that there was now only one solitary elephant of gigan- 

 tic size existing on the island, and of such consummate cunning that 

 it had evaded every attempt to capture it. 



Of the birds there are several varieties of pigeons peculiar to the 

 islands ; also gulls, cranes, (" Tucans" of a large and beautiful plumage,) 

 and various other description of the feathered tribe. 



Some of the small rocky islands are much resorted to by a small 

 white gull. One of these islands I found covered with their eggs laid on 

 the hollows of the rock, and the birds sitting upon them : they showed 

 great alarm by their noise and hovering over head, and although I did 

 not unnecessarily disturb them, I found (on a subsequent visit I had 

 occasion to make, to correct a set of angles), that they had deserted 

 the island and their eggs ! 



The fish are of great variety and very plentiful amongst the inner 

 islands, and on the flats fronting the main, the fishermen have fish weirs 



