1831] 
Extract from the Journal of Mr. Bedford. 
169 
send for that person to meet me at my boat early to-morrow morning, who, (he 
said,) could doubtless guide me to the exact spot where Mr. Crawford procured 
his collection, as it was from that village, and not from Yenangyoung , that Mr. C. 
obtained his coolies. 
15th. Finding at 10 p. m. that the messengers who had been dispatched last 
night to Nyoung-la, had not returned, I was on the eve of waiting upon the 
Myo-ouk, when the Akhau-woon of the Petroleum wells called upon me, and said, 
that not long ago he had found the petrified head of an Elephant, at a place called 
Phoungyoung Kyoung-bat , and he had, no doubt, but that more could be got by 
digging. He said that the Myo-ouk and he were ready to conduct me to the place, 
with the same complement of coolies as I had yesterday. We accordingly set out, 
and after a walk of 3 miles, arrived there. It is situated due north-east from Yenang- 
young, between the villages of Twun-gyoung and Thoung-say -chouk, about half a 
mile from each. The latter village is situated very agreeably on the east bank of the 
Pyun-gyoung river, which is there, at this season, a*bout 50 feet broad. The village 
contains about 350 inhabitants, who are principally employed in rearing cattle for 
the adjacent oil wells. The place supposed to contain fossil remains is a small 
hill, about 110 feet high, like the hill of the Main-lain; the surface is strewn with 
fragments of bones and petrified wood. We dug in different places to the depth 
of 11 and 12 feet, but found nothing worth the trouble of carrying away. On 
our road home I told the Myo-ouk that I heard that the hill of Ponpai-doung, 
(which is visible from this place, but is much nearer the town of Tsa-le than 
Yenangyoung ,) contained fossils ; at this they all laughed heartily, and the Myo-ouk 
replied, that the highest peak of Ponpai-doung is inaccessible, and that it was a 
popular belief that whoever succeeded in attaining its summit, would infallibly 
obtain whatever he wished for. On this account, when any person makes an 
unreasonable request, it is customary for them to tell him to go to Ponpai-doung . 
When we had reached the Myo-ouk' s house, I asked him, why other people had 
been able to procure fossils, and why I could not meet with the same success : 
especially as I had brought such a positive order from the Lhwot-tan. The 
Akhaw-woon replied, that when the British Resident was on his way to Ava, that 
gentleman and the Rangoon Tsare-dangyee desired him to collect as many fossil 
remains as possible ; and when a sufficient quantity was collected, that a proper 
person would be sent from Ava to take them away. In compliance with this 
request, he had daily sent out people to collect them, up to the period of Sub- 
overseer Richardson’s arrival. Mr. Richardson told him that he came by order 
of Major Burney, and in consequence of this he had given him the whole collec- 
tion, after having received a douceur of 4 bottles of brandy and 4 handkerchiefs. 
He also added, that Major Burney had taken down his (the Akhau-woon's) 
name, and a memorandum of a peculiar scar dn his forehead, occasioned by a 
fracture of his skull. I told the Myo-ouk, that as Mr. Abreu was anxious to 
return, and as I had received positive injunctions from Major Burney and the 
Lhwot-tau not to leave Yenangyoung until I succeeded in getting the bones ; that 
I should be under the necessity of writing immediately to Ava to inform him of 
my ill success ; and that, if he wished to avoid the severe displeasure of his 
Government, he had better strain every effort to assist me. This appeared to alarm 
him very much, and he immediately sent for all the head-men, and consulted with 
them apart. A short time afterwards he entreated me to defer writing to Ava 
until the day after to-morrow ; and added, that as the head-man of Nyoung-la 
had not thought proper to come to us, although he had promised to do so, that 
we would go to him to-morrow morning, and try once more what could be done 
