1156 Report on a Route from Pukung Yeh [No. 132. 



leaving Yandaboo, that a depot of provisions had been formed at 

 Aeng, and had consequently only brought twenty days' provisions 

 with us from Pokong Yeh, which were nearly expended ; but there were 

 no signs of any thing of the kind, and a small detachment of sepoys 

 who were stationed there, informed us they had only arrived ten days 

 before, and knew nothing about it. Captain Ross, therefore, direct- 

 ed me to proceed to the nearest military station, and report our 

 arrival. On the 28th, I arrived at " Amherst Harbour," just in time 

 to stop the departure of a detachment under Major Auriol, European 

 Regt., and the boats and provisions belonging to it, destined to recon- 

 noitre the Aeng road, which being no longer necessary, Commodore 

 Hayes and Lieut. Col. Garnham, direoted the boats intended for their 

 conveyance to proceed with provisions for the 18th Regt. at Aeng, and 

 then bring them down to " Amherst Harbour," where transports would 

 be ready to receive them. On the 5th April, the detachment left Aeng, 

 having previously sent the elephants to Arracan, and on the 16th, 

 embarked for Madras. 



It is very satisfactory to observe, that although during our march 

 from Sembeghewn we averaged more than ten miles a day, and were 

 much exposed to the sun, we only lost one man by death ; and that when 

 we entered Aeng, only three men were sufficiently unwell to be carri- 

 ed in doolies. The loss in cattle only amounted to a few bullocks, 

 already jaded when we started, by the long march from Prome to 

 Yandaboo. We also lost four elephants, and one who was allowed by 

 his mahout to stray away. 



The advantages of this fine road leading in twenty-five or thirty 

 marches to the capital of Ava, more than counterbalances the fatigue 

 and trouble likely to attend the passage of artillery over the mountains, 

 where in many places, from the great ascent, bullocks could be of n< 

 use in dragging the guns, which must therefore be necessarily pulled 

 up by sheer force of arm. For the same reason, it would be impossible 

 to convey the Commissariat or other stores in carts. 



That part of the road which requires most actual making, is for 

 eight miles in the bed of the Mine river, where the annual torrents are 

 continually changing the position of the rocks and stones ; but this 

 could be easily remedied, as abundance of materials are at hand with 

 which a road might be made. 



