136 Notes of a trip up the Salween. [No. 3, 
hill, which is about 600 feet high, and on which are more sacred 
buildings. The Ambherstias, seen only round the principal Pagoda, 
were undoubtedly planted, although they are left now to take care of 
themselves, and have a wild appearance. Evidently, this is not a 
native habitat of the tree. 
From Beling we went on to a place called Kyik-hto, Eastward of 
this place and distant about 14 miles, is a remarkable mountain, called 
Kyik-hteo. Capt. Harrison, one of the very few Europeans who had 
been there, assured me that it was well worth a visit, as there was, 
on the summit, a very singular hanging rock, surmounted by a 
Pagoda. We went accordingly, riding the 14 miles to the foot of the 
mountain in the morning, and walking up it in the middle of the day. 
We reached the top 3,650 feet at 3.30 p. m. The view from the 
sumuinit is very fine, as all views from great heights are; but the many 
granite boulders which are scattered about, some of them perched and 
balanced in the strangest manner on the most prominent peaks, 
constitute the most remarkable feature of this mountain. On all the 
most striking of these boulders small Pagodas have been built; in 
several instances, I should say, at the extreme risk of life to the © 
builders. As the only way of conveying a true idea of the appearance | 
of these rocks, I send a rough sketch of two or three of them. . 
There are two principal ones——The one at the very summit is 
called Kyik-hteo “par excellence ;” the other, some little way down 
the hill is, Kyik-hteo galay, or, ‘little Kyik-hteo.’ We could not 
ascertain for certain what their names signify, further than that 

““Kyik” is “rock” or “ mountain-peak.” I have observed that the — 
Burmese never know the weaning of the names which the mountains 4 
and prominent rocks in the country bear; the names being older than d 
the Burman occupation of it. They are, I believe, generally Talaing, — 
but sometimes Karen. The chief rock of all, which gives the name to — 
the mountain, is simply a wonder. It is a huge rounded granite 
boulder perched on a projecting and shelving tabular rock at the very 
summit. This tabular rock is itself reached by a small foot-bridge, | 
for it is separated by several feet from the mountain by a rent or 
chasm; and on the farther side it drops down perpendicularly, I do 
not know how many hundred feet, into a valley below. On the 
extreme verge of this flat sloping rock-table, and actually over- 
rom 
