MINBU IN UPPER BURMA. 
5 
main chain of the Yomahs, and referred to throughout this paper as the 
Nwamadaung Hills. The Arracan Yomahs geologically belong — as 
do all the Minbu rocks— to the tertiary period, and deposits of fossil 
wood are not uncommonly met with. The chief summits of the range 
in the district reach an altitude of over 6,000 feet and the range is 
forest clad throughout The Nwamadaung hills are not named on the 
map but are readily recognised thereon as a well defined narrow 
range, single for the greater part of its length but showing a double 
contour for some distance just north of 2o° N. latitude and again just 
north of 20° 30' N. latitude. Part of the route traversed runs along 
the crest of the ridge just south of 2o° 30' N. latitude. The 
general altitude of the range appears roughly to be about 1,000 
feet. It is clad entirely with deciduous forest. Between the main 
chain of the Arracan Yomahs and the Nwamadaung hills lies a 
narrow trough or valley,— -at Sidoktaya about four to six miles 
wide— in which the waters of the Mon and Man rivers flow before 
breaking through the Nwamadaung hills to make their way to the 
Irawaddy. 
II. — A narrow flat alluvial belt or strip about four to five miles 
wide fringing the western bank of the Irawaddy from a little north 
of Minbu town to the northern boundary of the district. 
III. — A zone which for lack of a more precisely descriptive term 
is described throughout this paper as the desert zone. This con* 
stitutes the larger part of the district and extends from the Nwama- 
daung hills to the alluvial belt, north of Minbu town and to the banks 
of the Irawaddy south of Minbu town. The breadth of this zone 
varies from twenty to thirty miles. Its surface is abrupt and broken 
westwards, but becomes more undulating as one travels eastwards ‘ 
until it merges into the alluvial belt. South of Minbu town this 
zone continues abrupt up to the Irawaddy. 
The district is drained by three rivers, the Salin, Mon, and Man. 
The Salin arises in the north-west corner of the district, at first 
runs in a south-easterly direction and then sweeps round to the 
north-east before debouching into the Irawaddy. The Mon river 
drains the central portion of the district. It arises on the eastern 
slopes of the Arracan Yomahs, and flows for some distance between 
the Yomahs and the Nwamadaung hills until it emerges into the 
desert zone, across which it meanders with many windings in a 
north-easterly direction, finally turning to the south-east before 
it falls into the Irawaddy. It is navigable for country boats as 
far upas Sidoktaya. The Man river has its source in the south- 
west corner of the district, the southern portion of which it drains. 
