MALAYAN PENINSULA. 151 



The low hill, on which the stockaded town of Ye stands, exhibits no 

 peculiar features to attract a geologist — granite decomposed at the sur- 

 face, is most prevalent, I believe. 



On the route from Ye to Martaban, I perceived in the dry beds of ri- 

 vers massive strata of striated clay slate of a fawn colour. These strata 

 are either vertical, or dip at a considerable angle — Martaban and the ad- 

 joining countries, would well reward the labors of a geologist. As the 

 Burman war was being carried on, when the former was visited by me, it 

 was not without the imminent risk of being cut off, or of being made a pri- 

 soner by the enemy, then encamped on the north side of the river, that 

 I was enabled to explore the country up to about north latitude 18° 20'. 



A hasty geographical sketch of this province may not here be alto- 

 gether irrelevant — for, without some idea of the localities of a country, the 

 future geological traveller may find his plans prove abortive. 



Martaban is bounded on the north, by a branch of the great central 

 range of hills dividing it from Siam. On the south, it merges into the 

 district of Ye, being divided from it by the Balamein, a narrow stream. 

 On the east, the Siamese range presents a very formidable barrier, shew- 

 ing at intervals peaks of considerable elevation. The highest of these was 

 conjectured to be about five thousand feet in height. Across this wall, 

 there is only one good pass, that termed Pra-song-chii by the Burmans, 

 and Pkra Cheda-sam-ong by the Siamese, " the pass of the three Pagodas " 

 and lying in latitude 15° 18' 00" N. longitude 98° 22' 15'^ E. according to 

 Captain Grant's observation after the peace. Another, but difficult pass, 

 lies directly north of Martaban. On the west, it is partly bounded by the 

 sea, and partly by the provinces oi Cheldng and Thdm Pagu. It may be 

 computed to contain about twelve thousand square miles. 



The 



