224 
Analyses of Books. 
two hundred. Their northern extremity lies behind the town and valley of Plnm- 
ga; the southern rests in the sea: their direction is nearly that of the Trang rocks. 
At a distance they have a pyramidal outline which, on a nearer approach, is changed 
to columnar, yet they are not basaltic but calcareous. There are grottoes here 
also lined with calcareous spar, with stalactites depending from the roof, and a cu- 
rious natural tunnel, the height of the arch being twenty feet. 
The valley of Phunga is about three miles long by one, on an average, in breadth. 
It is hemmed in by rocks and hills to west and east. Those on the west, less abrupt, 
seem mostly granitic ; those on the east, with perpendicular precipices of four and 
five hundred feet, and highly picturesque, are calcareous. At a short distance, they 
look like chalk, being covered with the agaric mineral. Tin abounds in the grani- 
tic range. The population hero is about 8,000 souls, including 600 Chinese and 
100 Siamese priests. 
Northward of .Jtink-ceylon are several calcareous rocks off the coast frequented 
by birds’ nest gatherers. 
The Peninsula now narrows extremely, and with it the central range ; but Capt. 
Low is of opinion, that there is no break in it, and that it must always present 
obstacles to any attempt at forming a communication between the Gulf of Siam 
and Hay of Bengal. He admits, however, that a traveller may, by running up the 
Kra, or other stream, in a boat, get within three days’ journey of a navigable river 
on tlie other side. 
Tin is said to abound between Junk-ceylon and Mergui. 
The Coast of Tenasserim, from 10° to Vl° 30' N., is' shut out from the ocean bv 
high, and generally rocky islands. Those which form the west side of Forrest’s 
straits arc composed chiefly of granite. 
Beyond the principal of these, named Home], there is a considerable opening, 
where a distinct archipelago of bleak and rocky islands begins, stretching north and 
south. The belt consists of four or five parallel rows of islands, am! mav be about 
twenty miles in breadth. They are not laid down in the charts. The channels 
between them are for the most part deep, and frequently there is no anchorage at 
half a cable's length from them. 
Their formation is primitive (primary) ; the granite is occasionally associated 
with black .schistose strata or sandy slate.” Limestone was not observed, though, 
as some of the islands are frequented by the nest gatherers, it is to be inferred they 
are calcareous. 
We are now arrived at the boundary of tlie British and Siamese teritories. Of 
f ew particulars are known. The gold mines at Bantaplmnnae, in the latitude 
o_ Mergui, appear to be of no consideration ; their produce yearly is not more than 
15,000 Rs. The gold is found in an alluvial deposit. 
Returning to Tenasserim, we find the islands fronting Mergui of granite, as also 
the hill on which the town stands. Argillaceous petrifactions are said to be found 
here; some petrified crabs were obtained. The province of Mergui abounds with 
tin ore, especially to the southward. 
Tavoy is a hilly province. The foot of the hills is about 10 miles east of the 
town; they ran chiefly north and south: the streams which are found between, after 
escaping from them, turn to the westward, and flow through the level plains to the 
sea. Grey granite is the prevailing rock, with occasional patches of slate. The 
tin mines are merely stream works. Antimony has been obtained in small qusn- 
About lo miles north east from Tavoy is a hot spring, having a temperature 
• u ,;!“ s 110 tHS,e > and the incrustation derived from it is pronounced to be 
calcareous. Ibe rock trom which it issues is a transition slate, effervescing slightly 
18 a road leading across the hilly tract into Siam, but exceedingly difficult, 
and only passable by foot travellers. It was visited by Captain Low. The height 
: b , v tb;- road is about sixty miles, is 3000 feet. Four very distinct 
rnvSL f s °! lu, ls wcre seen w,tllin thu Siamese frontier. About 40 miles 
> lx allowed as the width of the hilly tract here. 
eaung ‘a curious w Ca l ,tflin Ij ’ found ou |>’ granitic rocks. At Enbieu near Kulin- 
peratu're of ,= h ?n" e , U w * s " let w,tll > about ,ort y in diameter, having a tem- 
composing granite. °“ wlueh the to ' fn of Yfe is “'Elated consists of de- 
to the north hv'ih re n T for tbe b '* l0ul ' s the geologist. It is bounded 
sou h flm Balun i n l ' ° f tlle great central dividing it from Siam. On the 
mese raL slow * nar t '' ow •*««“ divides it from Ye. On the east is the Sia- 
mese range showing at intervals peaks, the highest of which may be about 5000 
