TO THE COURT OF AVA. 
143 
picturesque and imposing: at six miles distance 
from us we had the spires and temples of Ava 
on the east bank of the river, and those of Sa- 
gaing on the west. To the south-east, behind 
Ava, we could plainly distinguish four ranges 
of hills, gradually rising one above another: 
the nearest did not appear to be above ten miles 
from Ava; but the most distant seemed at least 
fifty or sixty miles off, and these last were to 
all appearance higher than any portion of the 
Aracan range which we had seen. 
Sept. 30.~—We made excursions into the vil¬ 
lage yesterday afternoon and this morning. The 
country is here a low champaign, running from 
the bank of the river, for at least fifteen miles, 
to a low range of hills to the east. The whole 
of this plain was in a state of culture, with the 
necessary exception of some lakes; two of 
which, not far from the river, we visited. The 
soil, as before, was thin and sandy, perceptibly 
undulating, and of course improving in fertility 
on the borders of the lakes. The peasantry were 
engaged in their labour, and we found them ex¬ 
tremely civil, communicative, and not wanting 
in intelligence. I conversed with them chiefly 
through my interpreter, Maongno, a Burman of 
Rangoon, who had acquired some knowledge of 
English and Hindi at Madras, and who, with 
