Mt'D.V OH TEN* AG A DISTRICT. 



223 



Ir is thirty miles, at the least, by water from Penany 

 Town to the pillar just noticed, and from the month 

 of the river to the pillar is commonly seven or ci^bt 

 hours' pull, or poling, against the current. The 

 hanks arc high, excepting: those within a few Teaches? 

 of the sea. and this condition is occasional!} the cause 

 of floods, which, when they occur either at early seed- 

 time, or when the grain is ripening, are apt to do a 

 good deal of mischief. 



The river up to the brick pillar, has long been a 

 neutral thoroughfare to British subjects, and the 

 people on the Keiklah side;— the expression in 

 the original Treaty of Cession leaving it doubtful 

 which bank was meant fbr the British line. But, as 

 tfie Siamese maintain no regular polit y the trouble 

 of keeping this route to the interior free from decoits, 

 falls, at any rate, on the English police. 



The area of the Muda district is about fifty square 

 miles, and it contains a population of 18,500 souls. 

 This tract, as above observed, exhibits traces of having 

 been cultivated and well-peopled at a remote period. 

 Rice, sugar-cane, and cocoauuts are the chief pro- 

 duels. Spices have scarcely been fairly tried as yet. 

 The soil is ver\ fertile. 



Betwixt the Muda and Pry rivers, there are seve- 

 ral creeks or streams which can be navigated bv 

 small boats. One of ihese, the Qualla Tullnh AfQf 

 Tawar, forms a convenient boat-harbour, and gives its 

 name to the flourishing village on its banks, and to 

 the surrounding district. 



This district embraces an area of about thirty 

 miles square, and ii c< m tains a population of 13,340 

 souls. The soil is deep and decidedly alluvial with 

 exei-piinii of a Jew narrow sandy ridges, called per- 

 matantjs. The cultivation, generally, does not differ 

 from that of Muda district, but spices have been lute, 

 Jy introduced and promise well. 



