600 
Cox's Burmhan Empire. 
now one on the stocks of about 300 tons 
burthen. Here is also a considerable 
manufacture of paper, and various 
articles made of it, as chatties and 
■black books. The adjacent country is 
also very fertile in grain, and the air 
said to be more salubrious than any 
other part of the Burmhan dominions. 
THE VOYAGE CONTINUED. 
October 28. Proceeded at five A.M. 
About five miles below Prone, and a 
little above Patoun is an island covered 
with trees towards the western shore : 
a considerable fl it also lies on the west 
side, backed bv high mountains. East 
bank fiat near the river about one mile, 
and backed by rugged hills, which ex¬ 
tend four or five miles below Prone, 
and then recede to the eastward, with 
banks well inhabited and cultivated. 
At nine we passed the town of Patoun, 
a place of considerable note, and the 
residence of the mewdaghee, whose 
jurisdiction, I am informed, extends 
along the western bank as far down as 
Meaouu. Mr. Reeves went on shore at 
Patoun to see the mewdaghee’s son, 
who had given him an invitation when 
at Amarapoorah. He received him 
very kindly, and his father invited him 
to come and reside there to build ships, 
promising him every support. Shinban 
planks are bought there at two and a 
half ticais, five per cent, silver, per 
pair. The mew-daghee was very busy 
collecting men and arms for the Siam 
expedition. I counted twenty-one new 
boats lying along the bank' near Pa¬ 
toun. High mountains six or seven 
miles inland ; the river about one mile 
and a half broad, but encumbered with 
several large reedy islands. We now 
passed down to the eastward of the large 
islands, that lay opposite the town of 
Pohunghee, which is situated in the 
beautiful valley on the western shore; 
and noticed as a favourable place for 
ship-building, in my passage up the 
river. At one p.m. we passed Yong- 
jerry, a long straggling town on the 
east bank, several boats were lying at 
it; there also passed several war-boats 
bound up. At half-past three p.m. 
passed Trough-Mou, where ends the 
Prince of Prone’s jurisdiction, and 
commences that of the mew whoon’sof 
Hunzawuddy; which latter continues 
to the sea shore on the east side. He 
has also jurisdiction over the country 
on the west bank and Meaoun to Bas- 
seen river, where commences the Prince 
of Basseen’s country. To the south¬ 
ward of Prone the trees are of a much 
larger size than above, and every thing 
indicates a greater fertility of soil. For¬ 
merly the whole of the country south¬ 
ward of Prone was inhabited by Pe- 
guers or, as called by the Burmhans, 
Tulliens ; but their conquerors are fast 
encroaching on them, so that now most 
of the inhabitants in the villages along 
shore, are Burmhans ; the poor Peguers 
retiring out of the country, or into the 
jungles. The country, although ap¬ 
parently flat viewed from the river, 
yet is considerably elevated inland; 
and the soil is gravel and loam in the 
rising grounds ; the country gets more 
level, however, as we advance to the 
sou til ward. At half-past five P.M. we 
made fast under a steep bank at the 
upper end of the town of Meaoun; a 
stragglingplaceabout a mileand a half 
long, the houses wretched, and sur¬ 
rounded, like all the Burmhan towns, 
with filth and weeds. The soil very 
rich ; inland are extensive paddy fields, 
the grain just in ear. About seven 
p.m. some unlucky wag thought pro¬ 
per to sport his wit on the strangers by 
pelting us with stones and clods. I re¬ 
ceived a smart blow on my shoulder 
whilst sitting on the top of my boat, and 
sent some people in chase of our assail¬ 
ants, but without success; unwilling 
to risk a second assault we dropped 
down below the town to a place where 
the beach was shelving, and our situa¬ 
tion less exposed. 
October 30. We proceeded at four 
A.M. the river broad, but encumbered 
with reedy islands, or extensive reedy 
hanks, projecting alternately from 
either shore; on the main banks, trees. 
The land appears nearly deserted, and 
all the villages on the east bank re¬ 
duced since I last passed ; but, as they 
are in general only a parcel of sheds, 
run up with bamboos, mats and straw, 
a town is soon formed or abandoned, 
and the inhabitants are constantly shift¬ 
ing about to avoid the impositions of 
their masters. One cause of this roving 
habit is the exemption from ground- 
rent, for one or two years, in which a 
new settler is indulged. At forty mi¬ 
nutes past six p.m. we passed the lower 
mouth of Sailoon Creek ; west bank at 
eight p. M. Came to the east chokey and 
town of Tanghain, and entered the Ran¬ 
goon branch ; we continued dropping 
down with the current til] one at mid¬ 
night, being a fine moon-light, calm 
night, when we anchored, in the stream 
to rest the people, having made about 
ten miles since we entered the river. 
The 
