1859.] Itinerary in the district of Amherst, Tenctsserim . 433 



S. S. E. ascending a little into dryer undulating country, through 

 an arid scanty jungle, where the sun beat fiercely. Halted at a 

 nasty spot close to a deep boggy pool, covered with tangle and 

 underwood, near the ruins of an ancient entrenchment or stockade 

 of the Burmans called Anlcanoo — day's run 17 miles. 



Ankanoo appears to have been the furthest Southerly position of 

 the Burman Army, which invaded this Province. The Talyngs fled 

 before their conquerors and took refuge in the Shan states, and in 

 Bangok the Siamese Capital itself, where they settled and became 

 naturalised, intermarrying with the Shans — most of whom in this 

 direction speak Talyng. 



We received here intimation that the Shans (whose territories we 

 are getting near to) had barricaded the only pass into their coun- 

 try—not with hostile intent but from fear of our infecting them all 

 with small-pox, which indeed was then prevalent at Moulmein. I 

 therefore sent off a civil letter to the Governor of the district we 

 had to enter, giving a clean " bill of health," and intimating that it 

 would be excessively inconvenient for us now to turn back. 



February 13th. — Marched to Thoonzoo, about five miles E. by S. 

 through a light scattered forest. Passing heedlessly by a pond in 

 the jungle, I suddenly put up a pair of that rare and handsome 

 bird Anas Melanogaster (of Blyth, who however I think makes it a 

 Sarcidiornis.) It is a noble species of duck, as large as a barnacle, 

 and I felt much chagrined at not having been ready with my gun 

 to secure such a valuable specimen. 



In this march we turned the flank of the limestone barrier, which 

 appears now to trend to the Eastward and to break up into innu- 

 merable insulated groups of rocks. These unite again to the South 

 of Thoonzoo but lose their mural form, and run in parallel rounded 

 ridges from E. to W., the black bare rocks and the scanty burnt 

 up jungle on them, giving a most dreary appearance to the country. 

 But Thoonzoo itself cheers the eye by displaying a tolerable extent 

 of open down — a relief to the senses only to be appreciated by 

 those who have journeyed for days through the monotonous forests 

 of Tenasserim. We stopped here to breakfast ; examined a little 

 spring welling out of the grass, round which tiger's foot-prints 

 were numerous; noted the three mounds of stones, or cairns, which 



