MALAYAN PENINSULA. I47 



The sea, northward to Tavoy, is pretty free of islands. Grey granite 

 is the prevailing primitive rock throughout the province of Tavoy. 



There is a low range of hills, which stretches north and south, close 

 along shore, and shuts from the sea a great portion of the province ; near- 

 ly opposite to the toAvn of Tavai, on the west bank of the river at Kamau, 

 is an elevated ridge of several miles in length, which is almost wholly 

 composed of iron stone of different degrees of compactness. On the 

 surface, the soil and gravel are reddish. But on a high part of the ridge, 

 is a rock very hard and fine grained, but not striated, and of a blackish 

 colour. It is strongly impregnated with iron, and so magnetic, that a 

 piece newly detached and of a pound in weight, held a piece of iron, nine 

 grains in weight, in suspension. It was with much difficulty, that a few 

 specimens could be taken off with an iron crow. This rock might, from 

 its black appearance, be supposed of meteoric origin. But it is evident- 

 ly connected with the ferruginous strata beneath, and seems not to 

 contain any nickel, 



Tavoy is a very hilly province. The first range connected with the 

 great centre belt, lies about ten miles east from the town. Hence to the 

 main range there is a succession of north and south ranges, gradu 

 ally increasing in height, and having very narrow valleys betwixt them. 

 Through these valleys flow rapid streams which, after pursuing the direc- 

 tion of the valleys to various distances, find outlets, and then turning- 

 westward flow through level tracks until they reach the sea. The route 

 to the Nay Dang Pass into Siam, lies about north-east from Tavoy. I 

 performed the journey to the summit of the Pass in 1825, and on foot, 

 as the road is impassable either to elephants or horses. Indeed the only 

 paths, in some j)laces, are the beds of mountain torrents. A dense jungle 

 covers the face of the country, precluding the probability of satisfactorily 



pursuing. 



