ON THE ROUTE FROM ASSAM TO AVA. 



143 



Population. — This must be considered as scanty. From a list of 

 towns and villages, observed by Captain Hannay, between Ava and 

 Mogoung inclusive, I estimated the population at 1,00,000 souls, but 

 from this one-third at least must be deducted. In this estimate of 

 the number of houses, Captain Hannay was probably guided, either 

 by the Burmese census, or by the statement of the writer who 

 accompanied him. From the numbers given by this officer, in almost 

 every case one-third, and occasionally one-half, or even more, must 

 be deducted : as instances, I may cite his statement of the number of 

 houses in Bamo and Katha. 



In almost every case Mr. Bayfield counted all the houses, and in 

 all doubtful cases, I counted them also at his request, so that I am 

 enabled to speak with great confidence on this point. 



As a collateral proof of the scanty population of this extensive 

 portion of the Burmese territory, I may allude to the fact that Bamo, 

 the third place in Burmah, and the emporium of great part of an 

 extensive Chinese trade, contains only even at the rate of seven souls 

 to each house, which is two too many, 4,250 inhabitants. The 

 capital may be adduced as an additional instance ; for including 

 the extensive suburbs, no one estimated it as having a larger popu- 

 lation than 1,00,000. It must be remembered also, that there is no 

 doubt, but that the banks of the Irrawaddi are more populous than 

 any other portion of the kingdom. 



Throughout the above rather long journey, we were treated, with 

 one exception, tolerably well ; indeed our delays arose from the 

 unwillingness, real or pretended, of the authorities to forward us 

 on while the country remained so unsettled. The headman of 

 Kamein on our first arrival was extremely civil, but on our return 

 after he had received news of the revolt of the Tharawaddi, he behaved 

 with great insolence, and actually drew his dha on Mr. Bayfield. 

 It must be remembered however that he had been brought to task 

 by the Mogoung authorities for having, as it was said, accepted of a 

 douceur for allowing us to proceed to the serpentine mines. 



The general idea entertained by the people through whose 

 countries we passed, was, that we had been sent to report upon the 

 country prior to its being taken under British protection. Of the 

 existence of this idea, Mr. Bayfield met with some striking proofs. 



On reaching Katha our troubles ceased, and these, excepting at 

 Kamein and Mogoung, only arose from the evident wish of the na- 

 tives to keep at a distance from us, and not to interfere in one way or 



