68 JOURNAL OF AN EMBASSY 
emigration of Talains, alleged to have amounted 
to forty thousand people, which took place into 
the Siamese territory about fourteen years ago. 
Since that time, until the cession of the country 
to us, it had been a complete desert. European 
and Chinese settlers receiving grants, or perpe¬ 
tual leases of these wastes, would, with them any 
advantages—of timber, of a convenient naviga¬ 
tion, and of accessible markets, soon bring them 
into a state of fruitful culture. 
February 2 .—It was our intention to have 
gone at once up the Saluen and Gain rivers, but 
we found it necessary to revisit Amherst, for the 
purpose of making arrangements for our voyage 
to Bengal. We accordingly left Maulamyaingyes¬ 
terday evening, anchored half-way down, close to 
the island of Balu, for the night, and this morning 
reached Amherst. While the vessel lay at anchor 
last evening, we visited the village Karat-sit on 
Balu, proceeding, for this purpose, up a narrow 
creek to the distance of about three miles. The 
place contains about sixty houses, and had much 
appearance of native comfort. It is one of twelve 
large villages in the island, besides hamlets. Balu, 
which lies in the mouth of the Saluen river, 
dividing its embouchure into two branches, is about 
twenty English miles in length, and about half 
that extent in average breadth. A chain of low 
hills runs through its length, not exceeding any 
where two hundred feet in height. I am told they 
