TO THE COURT OF AYA. 
91 
other large village, called Menbu, (Men-pu). 
The Irawadi is here at least two miles broad, 
and in its bed are many low islands, covered 
with long grass nowhere to be seen on the 
banks of the river, which are far too high to 
be ever inundated—a circumstance apparently 
necessary to the growth of this plant. The 
higher ranges of hills on both sides of the river 
had ceased—that on the western, at Melloon ; 
and that on the eastern, a little sooner; but 
the country was still hilly in its general aspect. 
For the last two days, the teak had disappeared 
from the forest, of which the trees were now 
generally of a more stunted growth and less 
luxuriant foliage. In the evening, the range 
of Aracan mountains was distinctly seen run¬ 
ning north and south. They did not appear to 
be above fifty miles distant, and we estimated 
the most elevated portions to be about six 
thousand feet in height. North-east of us, the 
high, conical, and insulated mountain of Poupa 
was seen for the first time. 
Sept. 22. — At ten o’clock we passed the large 
village of Wet-ma-sut (the boar dry), which 
consists of three portions, and lies on the east 
bank of the river. A few miles below this 
place, the aspect of the country is remarkably 
altered. The banks of the river are naked* 
