1859.] Itinerary in the district of Amherst, Tenasserim. 439 



have therefore passed the water-saed between the Meykatha and 

 the Houngthrau, and may be said to have commenced our journey 

 homeward. We encamped for the night on the banks of the stream, 

 in thin bamboo jungle, and were grievously tormented during our 

 stay by the insupportable stench of a species of Acacious creeper 

 " Soo-bok-ben" like assafcetida : of which there were four or five 

 plants about. The effluvium is so strong as to be plainly percep- 

 tible two hundred yards off, but strange to say both Karens and 

 Talyngs use it to flavour their food ! Our march to-day has been 

 fifteen miles. Course N". N. E. 



February \%th. — There was an alarm last night of a tiger, so that 

 the trumpeting of the elephants, the shouting of the Karens, and 

 the fragrance of the abovementioned creeper, gave us a charming 

 time of it ! At 7 a. m. we were off down the Easterly bank of the 

 Taylo, and then along a hot arid grass valley, with rugged limestone 

 rocks in all directions. Several tiger-traps were found here also. 

 This part of the country is said to be full of tigers, and indeed 

 to-day's and yesterday's jungle looked as if made on purpose 

 for them. Nothing could induce the Karens to follow, with or 

 without me, the tracks from any of the traps which had been let 

 off, to find a wounded animal. The Ivoles of Singbhoom would 

 have done it in a moment : but the Karens know nothing of wood- 

 craft. We reached Taylo, a small Karen settlement on the banks 

 of the stream it gives its name to, at 11 a. m. — a nine mile march. 



Observation at noon, Taylo, 15° 36' 2'' N. and Longitude 98° 47' 

 E. ; at noon Thermometer 88°, at 4 p. m. 75° ; Aneroid 28° 15/ 



Towards afternoon the sky began to look threatening, and we 

 were obliged to remove ourselves and valuables underneath one of 

 the Karen houses for shelter. To have occupied the house itself 

 was impossible as the floor was of split bamboo which would have 

 let the leg of a chair or table through directly, so we had no re- 

 source but to put up in the filth under the house, or get wet 

 through and lie in the rain all night. Karens' houses are raised 

 about nine feet from the ground, so we did not want for room be- 

 low : and by dint of diligent brooming and scraping, matting below 

 and around, and ceiling with cloths of all kinds above, we manag- 

 ed to eusconce ourselves pretty well. 



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