14 
JOURNAL OF AN EMBASSY 
consist of indurated sand, with here and there 
ledges of a hard calcareous sandstone: the surface 
of this is every where smooth, as if water-worn; 
and from it projections, processes, spring out in 
several places, of a mammiferous form, and fre¬ 
quently resembling stalactites upon a gigantic 
scale. The wreck of these huge calcareous in¬ 
crustations, and of great masses of wood-stone, 
are found in that part of the bed of the river 
which is at present dry. In many situations I 
observed calcareous incrustations formed round a 
nucleus of wood-stone. In one case the mass had 
the resemblance of the huge trunk of a tree, 
the petrified wood forming as if it were the pith. 
In the steep bank there are innumerable holes 
of various sizes, which are the residence of swal¬ 
lows and wild pigeons. The last are of two de¬ 
scriptions, the common blue pigeon and a very 
handsome and large green one. In the same 
bank, and nearly midway up, there are several 
artificial excavations, once the residence of Bur¬ 
mese ascetics; but this race has been long extinct. 
In Burmese language, such pious persons are 
known by the name of Rathe,* and in Pali by 
that of Tapasa and Isino. 
Dec. 23. —Employed in making the necessary 
preparations for quitting the Burman boats and 
embarking in the steam-vessel, we did not quit 
* No doubt, a corruption of the Sanscrit word Rasi, a saint. 
