1842.] in Ava, to Aeng in Arracan. 1139 



which formerly adorned the summit having fallen down. This great 

 height of brick work was only between three or four feet thick, sup- 

 ported by slight abutments every fifty yards, and it seemed quite 

 extraordinary, that so much of it still remained in many places 

 tottering on its base. Near the summit of the walls, were small aper- 

 tures intended to receive the beams by which platforms whence the 

 defender's fire was sustained, and on enquiry I found these walls to 

 be long antecedent to the use of fire arms. The Thanduck Woon in- 

 forms me, that Cholain Mew is said to have been built 1500 years 

 ago, at the time Pagham Mew was the seat of Government, and that 

 it used frequently to be honored with the residence of the sovereign. 

 Menzaghee, the present Queen's brother, occupied this post for seven 

 months, and only left it when the English army approached Pakeng 

 Yeh. 



Cholain Mew contained 10,000 inhabitants, and is the chief town 

 of the district of Cholain, which consists of between five and six hun- 

 dred square miles, and has a population of 200,000 souls. Sixty-four 

 villages are scattered over this fertile tract, and furnished during the 

 war, 10,000 men as their quota to the army, of whom only one-half 

 returned. 



The district of Cholain is governed by a Musghi. From Cholain 

 Mew the road branches off to Talak, and as it was the wish of Sir A. 

 Campbell, that Lieut. Bissett, Quarter Master General's Department, 

 Madras, should proceed by that route with part of the force, I made 

 every enquiry respecting the possibility of this measure being carried 

 into effect, but the accounts were so very unsatisfactory, that it was 

 deemed proper to give up all idea of attempting it.* 



I was informed that a foot-path existed over the mountains to Ta- 

 lak, occasionally frequented by a few itinerant merchants, and that 

 ponies and bullocks were the only beasts of burden by which the road 

 could be traversed. A great scarcity of water exists for four marches, 

 so much so, that those who went that way, used always to carry a sup- 

 ply of water in bamboos — the chance of finding crevices in the rocks, 

 or pools of water being very precarious, and if found, would not prove 

 sufficient for more than twenty or thirty men. The hills are very steep, 



* There is a road from Phyng on the eastern of the Zooma mountains to Talak in 

 Arracan, but it is even at this time so indifferent, as not to be much used. 



7 i 



