ASAM AND THE NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES. 433 



On the 18th Ave continued our journey a short distance to the Palan- 

 seng's village, beyond the Namlang, which we crossed by a rude bamboo 

 bridge, the river below running at the rate of full ten miles an hour. 

 On the opposite bank, we passed over some high ground, and then 

 entered another small plain, surrounded by low hills, some of which are 

 also cultivated. We heard the Cuckoo near us. The village called 

 Kumtong, is situated in the middle of the plain on the Namkumtong. 

 We here received a visit from another relation of the Raja, who came 

 with his eight or ten followers, armed with muskets of ail sorts and dates — 

 there was one marked G. R., and some fuzees of 1780, marked U. E. I. C. 

 We were detained another day at Kumtong, by very heavy rains. 



On the 20th, it continued to rain heavily ; but as this was to be the 

 last day's journey eastwards, and we were inclined to enjoy all the rest we 

 could without interruption, we set out. After wading through the Kumtong, 

 we shortly began the ascent of the hills, separating the Namlang river 

 from the plains of the IraivadL The path being well beaten, was infi- 

 nitely better than any we had traversed, but it was slippery from the 

 rain, and the same sort of jungle, with which we had been so long 

 acquainted, covers the hills. From the second, we at last, about two 

 o'clock, beheld at a distance the object of our deepest interest ; the 

 Irawadi winding in a large plain, spotted with light green patches of 

 cultivation, and low grass jungle : better eyes than mine could distinguish 

 Manchi, the capital. To the pass succeeds a long narrow dell, gradually 

 expanding towards the plains; but we saw no farther signs of the residence 

 of men till four in the afternoon, when we entered a cultivated tract. Soon 

 after, we passed the tomb of some great man, built of clay, whitened over, 

 with a vase-shaped gilt top, and surrounded with many tall poles, which 

 are ornamented in the Chinese taste, and have long flowing pendants of 

 wove silk ; these poles had not a less tasteful appearance from being 

 inclined from the perpendicular. We were met at last by the Raja's 



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