1018 Mission to the Court of Siam. [Dec. 



Danoung. From lh. 5m. till 2h. 5m. travel up the bed of a small stream, 

 then cross the Thaybue; and at 2h. 20m. halt on the bank of a 

 small feeder of the Goonghe, a considerable stream, on the banks of 

 which there was formerly a town of the same name ; it runs through 

 a rich and level teak tract, and the timber is floated down it in 

 the monsoon into the Zimee. The path has been good throughout, 

 level and dry at this season, and even in the rains must be very 

 passable; there is but little teak timber near the path, none good, and 

 no sign of inhabitants after leaving Nat-Kyeaung. The soil a rich 

 alluvion, well adapted for the cultivation of coffee and cotton. 



December 23rd. — Goonghe, 5h. 40m., eleven miles. Left the last 

 ground at 8h. 10m., and almost immediately entered a teak forest; 

 the trees were nearly all killed for felling, generally of small scantling, 

 interspersed with other trees, and an underwood of small bamboos ; 

 the soil generally hard, with small nodules of iron-stone in the paths, 

 which form little water courses in the rains. None of our party knew 

 the proper road, the Kareens to whom I trusted as on former occasions 

 persist in denying all knowledge of the roads in this direction ; the 

 head elephant driver having been employed here in dragging timber, 

 had a general knowledge of the forest, we were consequently obliged 

 to put ourselves under his guidance, and with the elephants in front 

 making a road where there was none, reached this halting place, on 

 the banks of the Goonghe mentioned yesterday. The water in it this 

 season, is here twenty paces across. One of the coolies was taken ill 

 with fever yesterday, soon after passing the Kareen village, and as he 

 has not come up, I hope he has returned there. Ten or twelve traders 

 of those who started with us, unable to keep up, are encamped three 

 or four miles in the rear, and as our means of carriage are limited and 

 no rice procurable, or village to be seen for seven or eight days, our want 

 of rice will hurry us on as fast as the elephants can march. I have sent 

 the Siamese interpreter, one mahout, two Kareens, and two bearers for 

 rice, and a guide to the wood cutters in the forest, about six miles 

 westerly of our halting place. The path is nearly a dead level, in some 

 places broad and clear, in others there is scarcely any traces of it ; at 

 one time for an hour and a half, had to cut our way through a bamboo 

 jungle; passed two small streams, feeders of the Goonghe, and two 

 small lakes in the course of the march. 



December 24th. — Metakut-let-tet, 2h. 50m., seven miles. Were 

 detained looking after one of the elephants till llh. 10m. at the 

 last ground, and had then to force our way, nearly the whole march, 

 through an underwood of low bamboos, without any signs of a path, 



