1030 Mission to the Court of Siam. CDec. 



bly more ; as they have no market for the paddy or cotton, they pro- 

 bably cultivate no more than enough for their own subsistence, cloth- 

 ing, and tax ; they almost all possess elephants ; a female one is worth 

 from 80 to 180 rupees, the males are somewhat dearer. 



January 13/^.-1 Way-pee, 2h. 35m., eight miles. Left the last 

 halting place at 9h. 20m. and crossing the Oulaung three or four times, 

 proceed along its banks ; at lOh. pass a small clearing, and at lOh. 50m. 

 ascend for five minutes a stony hill, after crossing which the ground 

 is broken till llh. 30m. when there is a small space more level, with 

 a high range (6 or 700 feet) of hills running away north on the 

 western side of the Katern-tsein or Mime Kyning, which we cross 

 here, at Ta-ka-noon, a Taline post of three or four houses and two large 

 granaries, one without a roof, and neither having any grain in them ; 

 indeed the frontier duty is now a sinecure. The chief of the post 

 was an uncivil old Taline ; he took down the number of the people, 

 muskets, elephants, horses, and a rough list of the presents, which 

 detained us till 12h. 25m. when we crossed the river waist deep, which 

 occupied a quarter of an hour, continued our march till lh. 20m. when 

 we halted on the banks of a small stream near a Kareen village ; had 

 some discussion with the people at Ta-ka-noon about the road ; they 

 insist that the eastern road from this to May-nam-noi has not been 

 used for some years, and that it is two days march from this place ; 

 the western road is well frequented, and also occupies two days ; it is 

 inhabited by Kareens, and level, which the other is not; we have 

 consequently come the western road, for which they furnished us with 

 a guide, a simple little old fellow, whose head I have decked out in a 

 gay handkerchief, and out of whom I think we should have got the 

 truth, had they been attempting to impose on us about the roads. 

 The elephant hired at Neaung-ben village returns from this, where we 

 get another; path to-day pretty good, altogether amongst the hills. 



January 14th. — Dat-katein, 4h. 20m., thirteen miles. Started 

 at 8h. 25m. and crossing a hill of some height, come on the river at 

 9h. 25m. running in a ravine, perhaps 300 feet below us, near which 

 our route lay, up and down hills with gradual slopes, and passing 

 two old clearings, about lOh. enter the May-nam-noi district, at llh. 

 pass a Kareen village, where we obtained the first fowls we have seen 

 since leaving the last village in our own territory ; at 12h. 30m. leave 

 the river, near and above which we have marched all the morning, 

 entirely amongst the hills, a high range of which hills run nearly 

 north and south on the other side of the river, beyond which lies the 

 eastern road before mentioned, which the Kareens have deserted, 

 and come west since we have occupied the provinces; at lh. 30m. come 



