TO THE COURT OF AVA. 
71 
fathoms, within fifty yards of the shore, in a clayey 
bottom. It was low-water neap-tide, and the sur¬ 
rounding rocks and sand-banks were exposed to 
view : the first formed a reef of about two miles 
and a half in extent, running out in a north¬ 
westerly direction from the cape; and both, along 
with the cape itself, which sheltered us from the 
south-west wind, nearly landlocked us—forming, 
to all appearance, a good harbour. About a mile 
and a half to leeward of us, in reference to the 
south-west monsoon, was the wide mouth of a 
river hitherto unexplored. 
“ After dinner our party landed, and began, with 
avidity, to explore the little peninsula, of which 
Cape Kyaikami forms the extremity. For three- 
quarters of a mile from the cape inland, on the 
north-eastern side, the land was elevated from ten 
to tw T enty feet above high-water mark spring- 
tides ; and on the south-western side, the whole 
country was of similar elevation to the distance 
of apparently three or four miles, when there com¬ 
menced a range of hills, between three and four 
hundred feet in height. We found the country 
covered every where with a tall forest, intermixed 
with so little underwood, that we walked into it 
without difficulty for several hundred yards. Thus 
far the spot promised many advantages for the site 
of a commercial town and military cantonment. 
“ Early on the morning of the 2d, our party 
landed again, and explored the little tract of 
