TO THE COURT OF AYA. 
IT 
tin, which are used by other nations; and in some 
cases it is no bad substitute. The varnish used by 
the manufacturers of Nyaong-ku, is imported 
from the countries on the Kyen-dwen river: we 
purchased it here at one tical a viss. Judging by 
the superior brilliancy of the lacker-ware of Lao> 
the varnish used in the fabrication of it must be 
of a finer quality. The coarsest varnish of all, used 
by the Burmans, is procured in Lower Pegu. 
Dec. 24.—We dropped down yesterday after¬ 
noon below Pugan, anchoring close to the oppo¬ 
site or western bank of the river. This morn¬ 
ing, as some delay was occasioned by neces¬ 
sary repairs to the machinery of the steam-ves- 
sel, we took the opportunity of landing to ex¬ 
plore the neighbourhood. A range of hills, not 
exceeding two hundred feet in height, runs pa¬ 
rallel with the river, within a few yards of the 
bank. We penetrated this in two different direc¬ 
tions, each route which we took being the dry bed 
of a mountain torrent. In one of these there was 
a soft sandy bottom, very generally covered by a 
saline efflorescence. On each side of it there was 
abundance of the tamarisk, (Tamarix Indica,) 
which is so familiar to those who have visited 
the banks of the Ganges: Dr. Wallich saw it now 
for the first time, in Ava; for, generally speaking, 
the plant is not to be found on the banks of this 
river. Connected with the saline formation now 
mentioned, Dr. Wallich found also three plants, 
VOL. II. c 
