10 
JOURNAL OF AN EMBASSY 
viously a foot or two above the level of the 
surrounding country: and thus, in the season 
of the rains, the circumstance may be taken 
advantage of for watering the land to a great 
extent. This, in fact, has been done to some 
degree towards the north-west extremity of the 
river, where we saw a number of recently cut 
canals, carrying a full stream of water to fields 
in the neighbourhood. 
Sept. 5 .—At five in the evening we arrived 
at Donabew (Danubyu), twenty miles above 
the entrance of the Panlang river. Here we 
overtook such of our boats as had not already 
joined us. A little way below this place, we 
were overtaken by a dispatch-boat from Ran¬ 
goon, which it had left on the 2nd. On board 
of her was a Burmese officer, who had brought 
a letter from the Wungyi, and future Governor 
of Rangoon, now residing at Henzada, to the 
British Commissioners. I had the reply with 
me, and, at his request, delivered it to this 
person, who would certainly reach before our¬ 
selves. The village of Donabew was by far 
the largest we had seen, and consisted of one 
long row of houses, extending along the very 
brink of the river, which here and elsewhere 
was full to the level of its banks; although 
the latter, in the dry season, are twenty feet 
