I A' DOC □ IN A, 



73 



Below Pagan follow Yentin-ytfowj, centre of the petroleum 

 industry, M*nM<u one «f the few places of any importance on the 

 right bank of the Irawaddy, and T/Ktt/etmifo, just within the former 

 British frontier* 



Fat ing Tliayotiuyo id the health-resort of Altan-myo, destined, 

 'ertninu* "f I In- Hnngftn railway, wlih-h «t prvsi'tii. s-io] <s ni I\<-tnav 

 (Promf)> one of tho oldest cities in Indo-Chmu, Prome, which lies 

 in an extremely rich agricultural district, is said to have been founded 

 about 480 B.e M ami was already a royal residence hi the third century 

 before tho present era. Although destroyed over 1700 years ago it 

 soon rose again from it* a'dte-", and is .still the moat flourishing place 

 in Pegu north of the Irawaddy delta, 



In the delta itself tho chief centres of trade and ] Herniation are 

 Bottom on tltu western branch of the Irawaddy, 75 miles from the 

 H. j a. probably c I ji- 1 ■ - v n _•- ^ of Pluh'iriy, and Rtmtjihi on tin- eastern 

 branch, less than half that distance from the wmsL Since il« occu- 

 patimi by the British in 18o2, Knngun, [in-sent uipilul of British 

 Burmah, has rondo rapid strides in material and social progress, and 

 already ranks as one of the great centres of trade, population, and 

 general en I lure in Southern Awn. At that time a mere collection of 

 wretched bamboo hovels enclosed by a log stockade and fosse, it is 

 now a stately city of over 200,000 inhabitants, well laid out with 

 good street?!,, parks and gardens., fine warchouyes, school?, hospitals, 

 factoriest and numerous public buildings. Confident in its future 

 destinies, and already claiming the proud title of ** Queen of the East," 

 it forms the southern terminus of a railway which skirts the left 

 fdde of the delta to Prome, and which will doubtless gradually 

 creep up the Irawaddy basin to Myi-kian and Mandalay, if not to 

 Bliamo, towards tho uurth-west Chinese frontier ; it is frequented 

 by large sea-going steamer?, and in the centre of an ever-increasing 

 import iind export trade with all the .surrounding laud^ and with 

 England. The most noteworthy native monument is the famous 

 pagoda of Sliway Dagnhn, yearly visited by thousands of pi 1 rims 

 from the neighbouring Buddhist regions. It is a lofty structure, 

 whose gilded *pire rises to a height of nearly 400 feet above the 

 ground. 



Besides the Prome mi I way, another line is in course of con- 

 struction, running from lbmgnn northeastwards to Tuny-it if m, the 

 chiiT town in die Sillan^ hn?dn. The most important intermediate 

 station is the once fuinous town of Pegu, on the Pegu river, which 

 communicates through separate branches westwards with the Ira- 

 u .Li l ly, eastwards with the Sittang delta. But these channels being 



