400 



Captain JIa?i?iay's Route 



[Oct. 



many articles of costly Burman household furniture, he has a number 

 of very fine muskets and other arms." The party had now approached 

 within a comparatively short distance of Bamo, and the vicinity of this 

 celebrated mart was shewn, in more numerous villages than had been 

 seen for several preceding days. From Shuegu Myu to Balet, a dis- 

 tance of three miles, the houses appeared to extend in an uninter- 

 rupted line, and Kywun-do, the name of a celebrated island in the 

 river, covered with 100 pagodas, is most conveniently situated be- 

 tween these towns, the inhabitants of which hold their principal festi- 

 vals upon it, at particular seasons of the year. 



Near this spot, is the entrance to the second kyouk-dwen, the scenery 

 of which appears to be very magnificent, and is thus described by 

 Captain Hannay. " The river passes directly through the hills, 

 which rise perpendicularly on both sides to the height of 400 feet ; 

 they are rocky, and of irregular and singular forms, having at the 

 same time a sufficient number of trees on them to render the scenery 

 very striking. One part of the range, on the right bank, rises as per- 

 pendicularly as a wall to the height of 500 feet, forming a grand and 

 terrific precipice. This kyouk-dwen extends for four miles, and the 

 hills which form it, are throughout of a rocky nature. The upper part 

 of them appeared to be sandstone, resting on a base of blue-coloured 

 limestone, mixed with veins of beautiful white marble ; and at one 

 spot I saw large masses of compact and foliated primitive limestone, 

 along with calcarious spar in large pieces." 



Koung-toun, which the mission reached on the 20th, is said to con- 

 tain about 200 houses, and is noted for the defence made by its Bur- 

 mese garrison, against a large invading force of Chinese during the 

 last war between these two nations. A ditch surrounds the town, and 

 the remains of a brick redoubt, loop-holed for arrows or musquetry 

 are still perceptible encircling a pagoda. " This is now all that is to 

 he seen," adds Captain Hannay, " of the old fortification, but the town 

 is still surrounded by a double palisade of bambus with sharp stake s 

 placed between them." These defences are intended for the protection 

 of the inhabitants against the Kakhyens, a tribe occupying the hills 

 to the east, who frequently come down in small bodies for the purpose 

 of carrying off cattle. Captain Hannay saw a great number of this 

 tribe at Koung-toun, where they barter their rice and cotton for salt 

 and gnapee (potted fish), and describes them, with few exceptions, as 

 perfect savages in their appearance ; their cast of countenance forms 

 a singular exception to the general rule, for it is not at all Tartar in its 



