13G 



REPORT TO THE GOVERNMENT 



V. From Mogoung to Ava. 

 The whole of the distance between the two above places was 

 performed by water. 



The time occupied in descending the Mogoung river was three 

 days. This river is exceedingly tortuous, generally a good deal sub- 

 divided, and its channels are in many places shallow. The chief 

 obstacle it presents to navigation consists in rapids, which commence 

 below Tapan, and continue for some distance ; these rapids are not 

 severe, but are rendered difficult by the presence of rocks, many of 

 large size. These rapids commence immediately the river in its 

 course approaches some low ranges of hills. Boats of considerable 

 size however manage to reach Mogoung ; they ascend the severer 

 rapids in channels made along the sides of the river, by removing 

 and piling up on either side the boulders which form great part of 

 the bed of the river in these places. The descent is managed in the 

 same way, the speed of the boat being retarded by the crew exerting 

 their united force in an opposite direction. On leaving the proximity 

 of the hills, the river resumes its natural and rather slow character, 

 and towards its mouth there is scarcely any stream at all. The chan- 

 nels are much impeded by stumps of trees. The country through 

 which the Mogoung river passes is very uninteresting, and almost 

 exclusively jungle, either tree or high grass. 



Only one village, Tapan, is met with ; this is small, and is situated 

 on the right bank ; with the exception of its river face it is stockaded. 

 At this place the Shan- Chinese leave the river, striking off in an E. 

 direction towards the Irrawaddi, which they reach in one day. We 

 observed a small Kukkeen village on some hills near Tapan ; with 

 these exceptions no sign of inhabitants occurred until we reached the 

 Irrawaddi. On the hills above alluded to, the bitter Tea is reported 

 to exist. The Mogoung river at its mouth is about 70 yards across. 

 The Irrawaddi even at the mouth of the Mogoung river, and at a 

 distance of nearly 800 miles from the sea, keeps up its magnificent 

 character. At this point it is 900 or 1,000 yards across; when we 

 reached it, it had risen considerably, and the appearance of this vast 

 sheet of water was really grand. Its characters are very different 

 from the Ganges and Burrumpooter, its waters being much more con- 

 fined to one bed, and comparatively speaking becoming seldom spread 



