1SG2.] 
the Isthmus of Krau. 
349 
orders upon our wishes, but just as we were starting the next morning, 
(2nd April) with some four or five coolies we had managed to procure, 
an elephant made its appearance, and we were enabled to proceed a 
little more comfortably than we had anticipated. 
7. We commenced on the 2nd April a route survey across a 
country which we believe is quite unknown to, and has never been 
traversed by Europeans. There is a good level cleared road for the 
first two miles, and to the third mile it rises and passes along the 
right bank of the Krau river. The forest on each side contained 
bamboos and trees, as mentioned in the plan. Up to a little short 
of the 8th mile, the road follows the course of the Krau river, 
and is difficult,—we had to wade for a mile through the stream, which 
was not, however, more than ankle deep, but falling every now and 
then over rocks, with banks about twenty or thirty feet high, and 
forty feet apart; at this time, the rain commenced and fell with little 
intermission till we returned to Krau. 
8. At the 8th mile, we arrived at the water-shed of the country, 
a small grassy plain. The Krau river runs hence west to join the 
Pakchan at Krau ; and a quarter of a mile further on, a river called 
the Bankren, joining the Tsoompeon at Tasan (1^ miles) flows to 
the gulf of Siam on the east. 
9. At Tasan is another zayat similar to that at Krau, with a few 
houses and dry cultivation. We continued to cross and re-cross the 
Tsoompeon river to the 10th mile. At 151 miles, after crossing 
tributaries of small breadth, but with steep banks, we got again to 
the Tsoompeon , where it was some 200 feet wide, but of little depth. 
The jungle remained of the same character, and the nature of the 
country, as the path descended to the plains passing through low 
but steep hills, was very similar to that in the ascent from Krau 
to Tasan. 
10. At 17|- miles we got to Apay , another zayat, and were glad 
to rest for the night, for, in addition to the walking over very rough 
ground and for miles through the rivers, wet throughout, the rain 
had brought out the leeches, which attacked us most unmercifully. 
The first indication of their attacks was finding our trowsers covered 
with blood; our last resource was to tic the trowsers round the ankles 
so as to prevent them getting inside, but even then, unless some one 
was looking after us while engaged in taking angles or reading the 
2 z 2 
