56 GREAT TRIGONOMETRICAL SURVEY OF INDIA. 



thickly-studded islands, interspersed with shoals and rocks, enjoys a 

 salubrious climate, and the scenery is beautiful. Many of the 

 islands are peculiar and interesting ; one with a central basin 

 enclosed by walls of rock can be approached through a short tunnel 

 open only at low water, and when the tide rises communication 

 with the outer world is cut off for sis hours. Another small flat 

 island, called Tho Bya, has a small fresh-water lake in the centre, 

 and until recently villages stood and fields were cultivated round 

 the margin; but tigers came and multiplied to such an extent that 

 they drove away the people, and the island is now deserted. "With 

 the exception of the fishing people from Mergui and the neigh- 

 bourhood, the only inhabitants of the smaller islands of the 

 Archipelago are the Selung, a small tribe of strange, timid, wild 

 beings, without fixed abode, living almost entirely in their boats. 

 According to Captain Hill they appear to be fleeced systematically 

 by the Chinese, who send agents to them out into the Archipelago 

 to barter rice at exorbitant rates for the pearls, shells (which fetch 

 very high prices in China), bees-wax. mats, &c. which the Selung 

 are able to supply. 



During the season 1881-82 two parties were engaged in the 

 completion of the Eastern Frontier Series and the measurement of 

 the Mergui base, viz., that under Major Eogers (who had relieved 

 Captain Hill), and the party under Colonel Braniill which in the 

 previous year had been employed in completing the Eastern Sind 

 Series. During the first half of the season these parties worked 

 independently of each other; Colonel Branfill's in connecting 

 the principal triangulation with the base-line and executing the 



ry preliminaries for the linear measurement ; Major Bogers's 

 in extending the principal triangulation southwards and making a 

 reconnaissance of the islands of the Mergui archipelago, with a view 

 10 the future extension down to Singapore. "With the aid of the 

 Indian Marine steamer " Celerity." by Avhich communication was 

 much expedited, the most was made of the brief observing season — 

 barely two months — and by the end of January all hands were 



1 in die measurement of the Mergui base-line under Colonel 

 Brantill. The base is only about 3*4 miles in length, or rather less 

 than halt the average length of the previous Indian base-lines 

 (that at Cape Comorin alone excepted); but suitable ground for a, 



base could not be found anywhere on the coasts or islands 

 of the Archipelago. 



