Report on the settlement of the Siam and Tenasserim boundary

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SELECTIONS

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FOREIGN DEPARTMENT.

IN'O. L.

REPOK.T

ON THE

SETTLEMENT OE THE SUM AND TENASSERIM

BOITNDARY,

Bt

LIEUTENANT A. H. 6AGGE, R.E.

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CALCUTTA:-

PRINTED AT THE FOREIGN DEPARTMENT PRESS,

1866.
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SETTLEMENT OF THE BOUNDARY BETWEEN
SIAM AND TENASSERIM.

From Captain C. P. Hildebrand, Officiating Secretary to Chief Commissioner
of British Burmah, to the Secretary to the Government of India, Foreign
Department, — No. 19, dated Rangoon, the 6th February 1866.

I HAVE the honour, by direction of the Chief Commissioner, to for-
ward, for the purpose of being laid before His Excellency the Viceroy
and Governor General in Council, the undermentioned papers, containing
a Report of the first Season's operations for the settlement of the
boundary with Siam and a brief notice of Lieutenant Bagge's proceed-
ings up to the 8th January 1866 : —

Letter from Lieutenant Arthur H. Bagge, K. e., No. 67, dated
the 25th December 1865, and enclosure.

Letter from Lieutenant Arthur H. Bagge, e. e., No. 3, dated
the 8th January 1866.

From LiEUTEKANT Arthur H. [Bagge, e. e., Her Britannic Majesty's Commis-
sioner, Siam and Tenasserim Boundary Settlement, to Lieutenant-Colonel
D. Bkown, Commissioner of Tenasserim, — No. 67, dated Camp " Kannee,"
Attaran River, the 25th December 1865.

I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your docket. No.
636, dated 11th December 1865, forwarding copy of letter. No. T.-104<2
from the Secretary to the Chief Conimissioner, on which I am requested,
by orders from the Secretary of State, to furnish a full Report of the
operations conducted by Mr. O'Riley and myself, last season, on the
settlement of the boundary between Siam and Tenasserim.

2. I did not anticipate that the Report would be called for until
the demarcation of the whole of the boundary, i. e., from the source
of the Thoungyeen River to that of the Pakchan, had been completed.

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vihen it would have been my duty to furnish an exact description
of each and every mark on the boundary, together with reliable maps.

3. In the Report I have now the honour to submit I have
endeavoured, in the short time before my departure for my second
season^s work, to describe our last season's operations and their result,
and have appended thereto a list of the " marks" with their inter-
mediate distances, together with a sketch map showing the topography
of the two countries contiguous with the boundary line.

4. But in submitting this Report, it would be unworthy of me
not to make mention of the good old man who has passed away in the
middle of his labours.

5. Unselfish and kind-hearted, he possessed an amount of per-
severance and energy unequalled by men of his age and physical capa-
city. Being thoroughly acquainted with the political nature of the
duty he was chosen to perform, he exhibited, on his discussions with
the Siamese Commissioners, that firmness and patience, tact and dis-
crimination, which rendered him so fitted for his post.

6. His death has been a source of regret to all, but to me,
perhaps, more so, for I, his companion, far junior in years, was obliged
to leave him through sickness, because he was intent upon returning to
the Three Pagodas and continuing the work ; and had I been with him,
I feel that I, under Providence, with care and watchfulness, might have
averted his death in this wild desolate country, where he breathed
his last.

DocM iVb. 50 of 1866.

Teue copy, with Report in original, forwarded to the Secretary
to the Chief Commissioner of British Burmah, with reference to his
letter. No. T.-1043, dated 7th December 1865. The sketch map
has not yet been received j it shall be forwarded as soon as it comes
to hand.

MouLMEiN, 'i (Sd.) D. Bkown, Lieut.-Col.,

The 20;!/* Ian. 1866. } Offg. Commr., Tenasserim Division,

British Burmah,
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Report on the Siam and Tenasserim Boundary, — 1st Season.
Adhere to the principle of the watershed line for the basis of the

boundary, only departing from it
Government instructions. . -i • . • n

Letter, No. 500, of 14th November, ^'^^'^^ S*™°g grounds exist in favour

J^opSeoretarytoGoTernment,tothB of Some relaxation of this principle;
Chief Commissioner. ' r '

for instance, where a rigid adherence
to the watershed might involve sacrifices or concessions on the part of
the Court of Slam, that it could with difficulty bring itself to admit ;
or, again, when its assertion was accompanied by anything like encroach-
ment on established rights of sovereignty, or was inequitable to the
Siamese Government.

On undisputed British right to any locality being admitted by the

Siamese Commissioners, prevent any

^ , , J^^T. men wry. undue influence being used to induce

Colonel Fytche, Commissioner, °

Tenasserim Division, letter, No. 164, the people to quit their holdings and
dated 18th December. .... ^. ^

retire withm the Siamese boundary

by explaining to them the nature of our Government and the tenure

upon which land is held. Also, if necessary, offer them exemption

from taxation for any period the circumstances would appear to demand,

keeping in mind that in such wild and distant parts of our territory,

far away from the regular supervision of the local authorities, the object

to be gained is more that of establishing British influence than to serve

any fiscal purpose.

Naerative.

On the 26th November 1864 Colonel Fytche, Commissioner of the

Tenasserim Division, informed Mr,
Commencement. ^,t>-i

O Riley that he would send an express

to Bangkok on the 28th, addressed to His Majesty the King of Siam
and to Her Britannic Majesty's Consul, requesting that arrangements
might be made without delay to appoint and despatch the Siamese Com-
missioners to the frontier to meet us, fixing the Three Pagodas as our
place of rendezvous, which he considered would take place on the 15 th
January 1865.

. This was received by His Majesty the King of Siam on the a7th

December 1864, vide letter dated 28th of that month from Chao Phaya
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Sri Suri Wong-si, " the Pra Kalahora," or Prime Minister of the Court
of Siam, who says that the Royal Commissioners will take their
departure on the 29th. But His Majesty the King in a subsequent
letter of the same date, addressed to Colonel Fytche, mentions that,
owing to the unusual decrease in the floods of the " Rajpuei" and
" Kanchanpuri" Rivers, the Commissioners would have some difficulty
in reaching the Three Pagodas by the appointed date, viz., the 15 th
January. Our departure was therefore postponed for a few days.

Mr. O'Riley, Her Britannic Majesty's Special Commissioner, left
Moulmein on the 20th January with the baggage and supplies, going
up the Attaran River as far as " Kannee," our Police frontier station,
where elephants had been already collected.

Under instructions from Colonel Fytche, I waited till the arrival
of the King's messenger, and left Moulmein four days later, but I
arrived at " Kannee" on the 28th, the day after Mr. O'Riley, for he had
been detained at the rapids and shoals till the spring tides helped him on.

We left " Kannee" on the 30th January, taking the shortest route
to the Three Pagodas, but, as usual, there's some screw loose on the
first start : the elephant-pads were quite unsuited to them, so they tossed
oif their baggage as fast as it was put on. Mr. O'Riley and myself
had gone on to our intended halting ground. Late in the evening
two elephants came up ; the rest were anywhere. We slept in the forest
that night on two elephant-pads; our servants and followers slept
somewhere on the path in detached parties, where the elephants had
last thrown off their loads. A salutary lesson this, " when you are in
Karen's land do as the Karens do." They made their own howdahs next
day with the green cane in the forest, and we never had any more
trouble. On reaching the Maygathat River we found that the Siamese
Commissioners had already arrived and encamped on the left bank of
the Attaran, a short way above us. They had been there since the 31st
January, three days before we came up. But for our mishaps on the
march and the overgrown state of the forest track we might have
reached the Maygathat on the same day. In the evening Colonel
Brown, the Deputy Commissioner, Tenasserim Division, and Captain
Hamilton, Superintendent of the Police, arrived. The Siamese Com-
missioners signified their intention of conferring with us the following
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morning, so our party were busily engaged in constructing a shed in
the centre of our camp for their reception. By the next morning every-
thing was ready. Handsome rugs were laid down in that part of the
shed allotted to His Majesty's Royal Commissioners, and a guard of
honour was drawn up to receive them as they entered our camp. On
their approach we advanced to meet them, greeting them with the
respect and civility due to Officers of their rank, and conducted them
to our "jungle Council Hall," over which the British flag floated in the

The Royal Commissioners were—- "*r„ , ,\
1. Hlweng-na-dit. | 2. Pinya-keng. | 3. Pya-thee-tha-not.

The Chief Commissioner, Hlweng-na-dit, was a young man, of 30
years of age, who spoke English a little. He told us that he accom-
panied an Embassy to England some nine years ago. His father
was the former Prime Minister in the Court of Siam.

The second Commissioner, Pinya-keng, was a Chief of the
Talaings, and a very good specimen of his race. He took a pro-
minent part in the dis'cussions.

The third,, Pya-thee-tha-not, was a Chief of the Karens.

As the Commissioner who had been deputed by the Court of
Siam to confer with Lieutenant-Colonel Brown and Captain Hamil-
ton on criminal matters relating chiefly to dacoities occurring in our
territory, the perpetrators of which were in the habit of escaping
beyond the border, had not accompanied them, the boundary subject
alone was discussed. They were prepared for it, for they produced
a sketch on a parabeit, delineating in a fanciful manner what they
considered the boundary line should be. They had undoubtedly
endeavoured to follow out the principles enunciated by the Court of
Siam, and but little argument was necessary, inasmuch as a mutual
understanding existed between the two Governments. Towards the
. end of the interview the Chief of the Siamese Commissioners informed
us that he had no intention of accompanying us in our troubles, for
he had been charged by the King with a very important duty of
a sacred character relating to the Shoay-da-gon Pagoda in Rangoon,
that he had brought with him a number of Budhist Priests, and

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was bound to go there and carry out the instructions given him by
His Majesty the King of Siam. Mr. O'fiiley represented that the
credentials they bore from their King distinctly set forth that they
would settle the affairs of the boundary, and that Her Majesty's
Government had appointed us to meet them for that express purpose.
The Pagoda duty was, however, of such importance, that they asserted
that it must be done first; but being finally impressed with some
appreciation of the service we had been called upon to perform, they
agreed to leave one of the Commissioners, " Pya-thee-tha-not,'' with
us, who, they stated, was empowered to discuss and settle all boun-
dary questions that might arise during their absence, arranging to
meet us again at Mya-waddee in the beginning of April, when they
would discuss the merits of the boundary line we were about to lay
down. As there was no alternative, Mr, O' Riley agreed to their pro-
posal, and business being ended, they took their departure. The
carpets upon which they sat were presented to them in token of the
friendly spirit in which we had come to meet them, and which Her
Majesty's Government intended to maintain. Throughout the inter-
view they evinced great cordiality and friendship, and appeared quite
pleased at their reception.

The preliminaries being ended, the most practical, and therefore
important, part was to come. A profound ignorance of the watershed
for the first 50 miles northward prevailed in both camps, entailing a
great deal of discussion as to how we were to begin : various maps
and sketches were made out, but they gave us no positive information.

Those who from inexperience are in the habit of laying down a
number of caterpillar-like detached hills can hardly be made to
understand that there must be in reality some general form or
system in the various chains, and that there is some line or other
which, though it be in some places far below the subsidiary spurs
yet, in connecting the higher hills, forms the watershed or backbone
of the country.

Our guides had traversed the mountains, but they had been so

confused by the apparently unconnected heights that they could afford

us but little help in ascertaining the direction of the watershed to

the north. Our investigation led us to determine upon following the

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same route as Major Tickell had some years before, until we could
reach some affluent of the Houndraw, for by doing so we should
cross the watershed twice at least, and it appeared to be the nearest
track to the conceived boundary.

On the 7th February the whole party marched for the Three

Pagodas, which we reached by mid-

Crassing the Zder into Siamese ^ay, but were obliged to march on

TeTifcory. three miles further to the bank of

District of Pra-thoo-wan. , -rr- t -r.- i*M j n

the Hsekay-wan Kiver, a tributary ot

the Thoung-kalay, for the springs and tanks near the Three Pagodas
were nearly dry, and we were some 150 men in the two camps.

On careful examination I discovered that the watershed was about
one mile north-east of the Three Pagodas ; but as they were ac-
knowledged boundary marks, I left Mr. O'Riley's camp on the
Hsekay-wan Khyong, and pitched mine at the Three Pagodas to
determine their position.

The track through the forest was overgrown and impassable, but
the Siamese Commissioner was good enough to send his party on to
clear the way. By the 10th we were able to move on, and encamped
that night on the small cultivated valley of Krondo.

This valley is about half mile broad and one and a half miles
long, and is cultivated by some 20 Talaing Karens. The head-man,
who looked very old and worn, brought us some yams, and received
in return beads, white and red, also some two-anna pieces, which he
appeared to prize, for he went through all kinds of genuflexions and
prostrations before Mr. O'Riley. This small population seemed quite
contented and happy. The valley is bounded by spurs, which do not
exceed 400 feet in height.

On the morning of the 11th February we left the valley and
crossed the spur, which bounded it on the east, descending into the
Thoung-kalay River, a principal feeder of the " Teik-ma-kyit." The
Thoung-kalay is about 50 feet broad, and the average height of the
bank above its bed is 10 feet. Instead of following the Thoung-kalay,
which bends off towards the south-east, we went up the Tharawah
valley, keeping along the spurs which bounded it on the west,
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encamped on a small stream in the valley, a short distance beyond Eng-
ding-toung, a high and well-known hill, 1,900 feet above the sea.

The next day, the 1 2th, we ascended the hill, and I took observa-
tions for position. We had cause to be thankful for this hill, for from
the summit we were enabled, after some care and patience, to delineate
the whole system of hills with which we were surrounded.

What had before appeared a confused mass of elevations and
depressions, revealed itself in well-defined spurs, whose serried and jagged
crests assorted themselves in regular and similar directions in obedience
to the ordinary laws of upheaval. From this hill, too, we had a fine view
of the Tharawah valley, which lay like a beautiful green carpet beneath
us ; but we could see no signs of cultivation ; both hills and valleys were
covered with one immense dense forest. Here and there, near the river
bank, one could distinguish with the telescope clusters of plantain leaves
mingling with the forest trees, which marked sites of old Karen settle-
ments. Not that the valley was ever so populated that these spots were
villages at one and the same time, but rather that they marked the
migration of the Karens from one spot to the other according to their
usual custom, for they never occupy a place for more than two years.
This does not arise from poverty of soil after cultivation, but from other
causes bearing upon their superstitious rites. If any influential man
dies in a village, the whole village is deserted. Again, should certain
questions regarding the advisability of remaining in the place prove
unfavourable in their auguries with fowls' bones, they leave it and go off
to another. Some of these tests of luck with fowls' bones, which are
innumerable, are amusing. They kill a chicken and remove the flesh from
the wings ; then, when the wing bones are well cleaned, they insert a piece of
wood about the size of lucifer match into the small space between the front
and back bones of each; they put the bones side by side, the ends beino-
even. If the sticks they have inserted are opposite to each other straight
across the bones, it is favourable, and therefore they are bound to remain
in the spot they occupy ; but if it be otherwise, and a line joining the
sticks cut the bones at a slant, it is unfavourable, and off' they go. They
use fowls' bones in many other questions relating to domestic life but
they always use the bones of a chicken, and not those of an old bird.

If you send for the head Karen, your messenger has to wait till he has
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examined the bones ; and if they augur ill^ he would rather die than
follow him.

They have another method ,of trying their luck. A man sits down
and marks a number of straight lines on a board with a piece of charcoal :
the man is sometimes blindfolded, and is supposed by the by-
standers to be in utter ignorance of the number of strokes he has made
with the charcoal. When a sufficient number of strokes have been made
to confound all counting, he stops and asks the charcoal if it can catch
the sun j the answer is obtained thus : the man begins to wipe every
second stroke out, and when he reaches the end, he goes to the begin-
ning again, and repeats the process, removing two strokes together, till
at length none or one only remains. If the number of strokes happen
to be a multiple of two, which will naturally obtain when nothing
remains, the charcoal is supposed to say, " I can catch the sun." There
is no meaning in this beyond that the charcoal has told a lie, for the
Karens say, since no one of us can catch the sun, how can you, " Mr.
Charcoal, catch hold of it ?" But you say you can ; you are deceitful, and
the wood from which you were made is bad ; so we must leave the place.

These are some of the many peculiarities of these Talaing Karens
on the border. It is very difficult to get any information out of them,
for they get so frightened, that they almost forget what they actually
do know, and they vary so much iu their style of speaking, that a
Karen as interpreter is only of use among his special class.

The next day, the 13th February, we resumed our march, keeping
along the Tharawah valley till we came to an affluent, named the
" Krata khyoung," a small, insignificant stream about ten feet wide;
but as it skirts and nearly surrounds a high hill, which is a point in
the boundary between the Siamese Districts of Pra-thoo-wan and Ceesa-
wot, it should be noticed. Having crossed the Krata, we ascended the
bill, which we found to be 1,000 feet above the valley. The summit
and slopes of the hill were so covered with dense jungle and large trees,
that we could see nothing from the top, which was a great disappoint-
ment, as the ascent had been very laborious. The descent brought us
again into the Krata valley, which contains a plain about two miles
wide. Here we found some old houses and a few Karens. The ap-
pearance of the valley, whiuh was covered with overgrown cotton
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and tobacco plants, mingled with lowisli jungle, as well as that of
the ruined sheds in the outskirts of the village, bore signs of
extensive cultivation in some previous time. The main watershed
is but one mile north of the village, so that this is about the
nearest village on the Siamese side of the border in this part of the
boundary. The Yomas are so low here that you would never fancy
you were so near them : they appeared to be about 400 feet higher
than the Krata valley, and not more than 1,500 feet above the sea.
]3ut, though low, the shed is sufficiently clear, for after leaving the small
feeders of the Krata and ascending the Poma, you can distinctly see
that there is some main division of drainage at this spot. But
instead of being a rough and broken ridge of limestone rock, as it
has hitherto appeared, the ground sloped oflF gently to the west, the
surface being disturbed by' slight rounded knolls, covered with long
grass and ferns. This, though, Was the only open space we could
see ; the rest of the Yoma was covered with dense forest, but it had
entirely lost the character it possessed in the limestone formations.

The first stream we met after cross-
t..hTerr"iLT.' ''''''''^'^ '"'° ^"- ing the Yoma was the " Lontee-

koung," an affluent of the Maygathat
lliver. It sweeps the base of a high hill over which our route lay :
near the top of the hill there is a narrow gorge, in the middle of
which there is a small heap of stones in imitation of a Pagoda.
This rocky defile is extremely narrow and difficult, but after leaving
this hill the route goes along gentle and undulating spurs with a
scanty forest in a north-east direction, till you come upon the eastern
bank of the Maygathat. Here the river is 60 feet broad, running
deep and clear through a gorge between two high limestone rocks.
These Mr. O'Riley considered excellent boundary marks, and called
them the boundary brothers.

There are several limestone rocks rising out of the valley at
intervals of half a mile : the principal one is called Hseng-douno- ;
another Hieing- wa-may.

Near our camp there were traces of past occupation, and they

say that this was the very spot which was recognized among the

two nations as the ancient boundaij.

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On February IJtli Captain Hamilton and myself, together witli
a, number of Karens, ascended Hseng-doung : from its summit, which
is about 600 feet above the valley, we could see far down along the
Maygathat, and could trace the main range as far as Yathay Toung,
a high conical hill, at that point where the Yoma changes its
direction and stretches north-west towards the great Moolayit. This
is the only accessible rock of the many we saw about us.

On the 15th February Mr. O'Riley had a cairn of boulders put
up near the eastern bank of the Maygathat, thus marking the limit
to British right and interest on that river. The information obtained
with reference to the old Burmese entrenchment of Lenka on this
river was exceedingly vague and doubtful. Mr. O'Riley considered it
to have been much higher up the river, but I do not think that he was
certain of the fact ; indeed, subsequent enquiry has led me to believe that
our camp was the actual Burmese outpost. The boundary being settled
thus far, our next work was to continue up to the Houndraw River.
The Tayloo was its nearest affluent, and so on the 16th we resumed
our march in that direction, but in consequence of the most direct
track being shut up by huge fallen masses of rock, we had to follow
the Maygathat for some three or four miles to the east before we could
cross the "watershed which divided the Maygathat and Houndraw, which
is generally termed the Pantoo-nan-kyan.

We encamped on the evening of the 16th on the Tayloo Khyoung,
and halted one day for the purpose of taking observation from a hill in
the neighbourhood. The next day we moved on, following the Tayloo,
and only left it to ascend a very high and well-known hill, called
Thoung-bon Toung. The Tayloo valley is bounded by the Pantoo-nan-
kyan on the south-west and a broken line of limestone rocks to the
north-east ; it is a wide, extensive valley, covered with long grass and
a few stunted trees. We encamped close by the Hton-baa Toung
(one of the boundary marks) near an affluent of the Tayloo, as we
found that we should not be able to reach our destination on the
Thayboo River that day, and there was no water to be had further on.

On the 1 8th February we reached the Thayboo, where we found

the Siamese Commissioner and his party ; they had pushed on and

reached the river the day before. Here we remained three days.
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Ou the 2OLI1 Mr, O'Riley, Captain Hamiltou^ and myself as-
cenJed the Thoung-boii Toung, a high mountain in the neighbour-
liood of our camp. The ascent was very difficult, for the hill side was
so steep and slippery, that Mr. O'Riley had to be pulled up by a
long rope. The Siamese Commissioner could not accompany us, but
lie sent his Assistant. From the summit of this mountain, which is
composed of hard sandstone rock rising to a height of 3,472 feet above
sea, we had magnificent view of the hills and plains. To the north,
far below us, lay the valley of the Houndraw River, and in the
distance towered the giant peaks of Moolayit and Moolayat. Directly
facing us, on the other side of the Houndraw valley, the dark granitic
masses of the Moogadak range (the main watershed of the country)
could be traced, trending south-east as far as Yathay Toung, one of
the principal centres of upheaval ; and beyond it we saw an endless
succession of spurs stretching east into the distant plains of Siam.
From the south-east round to the west hills and plains lay like a map
before us; indeed, from this point of observation we gathered more
information on the arterial drainage system of the country we had left
behind than we had ever expected to obtain. The Thoung-bon Toung
is a part of the Pantoo-nan-kyan, which ridge, stretching out into the
plains of Tenasserim in a north-westerly direction, forms the watershed
between Houndraw and Attaran Rivers.

This isolated mountain is about 1,200 feet higher than the spur
to which it belongs, which appears to be the limiting line to the
limestone formations that surround the valley of the great Maygathat.
Looking down south-east, this spur, which appeared to us when march-
ing in the Tayloo valley to be a continuous unbroken line with but
little width, now revealed itself to be an undulating plateau of laro-e
area covered with dense forest jungle. More than satisfied with our
good fortune, we descended to our camp. The next day we were obliged
to halt, for, though we were all in good training, Thoung-bon had been
too much for us.

We settled the boundary line as far as we could, ending with Hton-
ban, the high limestone rock in the Tayloo valley close to our camp, on
the 17th, The next thing to be done was to reach the Houndraw itself
and, settling our ^o'^^j^^^l^^eS Jby 'fcos6/^(i) ^°""^^^ *''^ ""'''''' ^it'»

[ 13 ]

Hton-ban. On the 22ncl we marcbed to the village of Hsalangyan,
descending en-route abruptly into three distinct levels of table-land, which
drains itself into the Thalyso and Weng-ka-deng streams to the north-
west and into the Taylop to the south-east.

The whole of this appears to have been cultivated in days gone by,
especially the last level, on which Hsalangyan stands ; but the village
itself is deserted now, and the valley is. choked up with overgrown
plants and long grass. The next morning we reached the Houndraw,
and pitched our camp near the mouth of the Taylay.

On the 24th February we erected cairns on both banks of the '
Houndraw near our camp, and determined the line thus far, connecting
the spot with Hton-ban by a chain of three prominent limestone rocks,
respectively called " Khon-dan,'' " Hlein-gwa-boo," and " Hsa-lang-
yan," The Houndraw River is not more than 150 feet wide at this
spot, and does not appear to carry any great depth of water in the rainy
season ; but below this the river enlarges rapidly, being fed by a number
of large streams which drain the southern face of the " Moogadak"
range. To continue the demarcation of the boundary from the Houn-
draw northwards was no easy matter ; we thought that the best thing
we could do was to go to Moolayit, the highest mountain in the hills
to our north, which were covered with dense impenetrable forests, and
thence determine by observation those points we selected for boundary
marks. We were in the Siamese District of " Pra-may-kloung," and
therefore hoped that they could show us some direct track up to
Moolayit j but we were disappointed ; there was only one track through
the forest, and that led to the village of Pra-may-kloungon, the
Mayklong River, beyond the watershed in the Siamese Territory. The
Siamese Commissioner's party had run out of provisions, so Mr.
O'Riley considered that our best plan would be to march down the
Houndraw to Meetan, and, collecting supplies there, proceed by another
route up to Moolayit. Captain Hamilton, the Superintendent of Police,
left us, as he had to return to Moulmein as quickly as possible.
Leaving our boundary cairns on the Houndraw on the morning of
the 25th February, we reached Meetan on the 27th. The route lay
along the right bank of the river : the first two marches were tedious
and uninteresting ; nothing to be seen but a dense forest with a choking
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[ 14 ]

undergrowth. Now auJ again we touched the river bank, and were
thus enabled to judge of its character. The bed of the river appears
to be broken by a succession of falls ; between these falls the water is
of considerable depth, while the surface is apparently quite still and
motionless. The most peculiar of the large streams which pour their
contents into this truly beautiful river is the Hteeman ; its mouths form
a miniature delta ; each outlet is a waterfall, and between them there is
a regular network of little brooks encircling the forest trees and
gurgling into wells and pools at their roots. Even at this season of
the year there was a considerable discharge from this river, which, as
the watershed was not far oflF, suggests the probability of great lateral
drainage. The track which leads to Pra-may-kloung from our boundary
mark on the Houndraw enters the Hteeman near its source, and thence
following the bed crosses the watershed, on the eastern side of which
it meets the head waters of one of the affluents of the Maysan or
Maisar. Among the other streams we crossed on our march to
Meetan the Maynandah and Meegwee are the most deserving of notice.
There is another track across the watershed into Pra-may-kloung at
the source of the Maynandah, also a branch track, which leads to the
head waters of the Thoungyeen Rivei', almost in a direct line, leaving
the main watershed to the west.

The Meegwee was the former limit to our possessions in the
valley of the Houndraw. The Siamese Commissioner and his party
encamped on their side of the stream, while we passed on to Meetan,
our Police frontier station.

The last march into Meetan was more pleasant than the two first
had been, for, instead of thick malarious jungle, which almost stiHed
us, the forest was clear and open. As we approached the Siamese out-
post of Meegwee we came across a large cultivated plain, not au
unwelcome sight after so much jungle and forest. A short distance
off the plain to the west is the village of " Thean-kway,'' and the
people on our side of the border say that it is one of the principal
retreats of the dacoits. Want of supplies forced us to halt at Meetan
till the 5th March. The Siamese Commissioner sent for Pra-may-kloung,
the head-man of their district, , with a view of obtaining supplies

through him; but Pra-may-kloung, fearing that he might be carried
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[ 15 ]

away captive to Bangkok to answer for all his misdeeds, pleaded
sickness.

On the 6th March, as the Siamese Commissioner did not make
his appearance, we marched off en-route for Moolayit, reaching the Kyeat
Khyoung that day, and then had to wait till the 11th, for the Siamese
Commissioner could not follow us till Pra-may-kloung provided his
party with the requisite supplies. Tired of waiting, our party were
quite glad to hear, on the night of the 10th, that the Siamese at
last came up, and had brought Pra-may-kloung with them. We were
rather surprised to find this harhotirer of dacoits in the person of
an old, decrepid, worn-out-looking man, expecting at least to see a
powerful and active Shan with a cruel severity about his countenance,
instead of which there he sat huddled up with the rest, a wretched-
looking Talaing Karen with white hair and a half-starved face. It
is extremely probable that he would have been murdered long ago
if he had not administered to the wants of the dacoits, for he is
only a Chief in name, and has no actual power nor means where-
with to exercise it.

Mr. O'Riley endeavoured to dissuade the Siamese Commissioner
from accompanying us, as he expected that the ascent up to Moolayit
would prove too much for the old Chief; but he would not listen to
such a thing, for at the very summit of Moolayit there is a .Pagoda,
and it is considered no small thing to have prayed at that Pagoda.
He said in reply, " If I could only crawl, I would try to get up to
the top and pray for my King," and the old gentleman seemed to
gather fresh strength and spirits at the prospect that was before him.

On the 11th, taking with us the fewest possible things we could,
and sending the rest round to the Maygala River by the Taok spur
route, we made our first march up the Kyeat spur towards Moolayit,
encamping at the " Hteewa-pa-htan" Sakhan, so called after a stream
of that name, which flows close by.

The Sakhan is a small flat open space under the brow of the main
spur, which is thickly wooded. There are a great many tigers about
here. On the march we came across a Karen's turban, which lay be-
spotted with blood and a good deal torn. The Karens told us, after
consulfcation, that the mifortunate lOTner bad. been carried off by a tiger,

[ 10 ]

and that it must have taken place the day before. We found the
Sakhan protected by a chevaiix clefrise of pointed bambooSj and everybody
who could squeeze into it for the night did so. Mr. O'Riley was suffer-
ing from inflammation of the ear, and the pain increased so much that
we were obliged to halt at this Sakhan till he recovered. I have never
seen a case of earache in which there was such intense suffering. The
Native Doctor and the medicine chest had been sent round by the lower
route with the heavy baggage, and if I had not had my private medi-
cine chest with me with a small supply of laudanum, the result, I fear,
would have been more distressing. As an instance of apathy among
Burmese, I may mention that Mr. O'Riley's servants, who were all
Burmese, never thought of helping their master when he was in pain ;
some slept and others squatted about smoking and jabbering.

On the 15th, as Mr. O'Riley had somewhat recovered, we marched
on, and encamped at the Htee-thee-than-kalee stream, so called from a
stream of that name near it. The first march up the spur was over a
red sandy soil containing a quantity of laterite ; but at the very com-
mencement of the second we met with large masses of granite, and the
track along the ridge of the spur glistened with the bright scales of
mica, while the small particles of quartz crushed audibly under our feet ;
the pathway was lined with beautiful ferns, in never-ending variety
of size and form, from the silvery Nothoclsena to the gigantic Poly-
podium.

The deep green valleys below and the ever-changing beauty of the
mountain ranges around as the clouds swept by and concealed the sun-
light, the freshness of the air, and the joyful singing of the forest,
birds, — to see and enjoy such is worth many a hard day's march,
and we thought so too.

But the treat was yet to come ; our destination still towered above
us, a conical hill, looking very cold and grey, suggestive, too, of an
immense Pagoda.

We met an old Pongyee and a number of young scholars coming
down from Moolayit. He had taken them to the sacred spot, and had
there instilled into their minds a greater reverence for Gaudama and his
laws, or, in a word, their visit had made them " complacent" as their
books term it. We li'i^/|^^^c^jjj^i)|J?c}fts§^"S O'l t'le next morning

[ 17 ]

(1 7tli), for the Karen mahouts tried to shirk the ascent ; some said their
elephants were done up, others that there was no food for them, and
that the elephants would die of starvation and exhaustion ; but they
gave in at last, and we continued our journey. This third march up
the spur is unquestionably the most toilsome, the ups and downs being
more frequent; and before you reach the encamping ground (called
Sakhangyee) at the base of the cone the ascent is very steep : both men
and elephants were quite tired out after this last struggle.

The Siamese had gone up before us, and were already beating
gongs and singing psalms by the Pagoda on the summit. But we
were too fatigued with our past exertions to go up that evening, and
signified to the Siamese Commissioner our intention of ascending on
the morrow. It was so cold during the night that we covered ourselves
with every available blanket and covering in our possession : at 3 a. m,
the temperature was only as low as 50°, but there was a strong
breeze, which made it feel uncomfortably cold. The next morning we
ascended the cone, taking the Mountain Barometers. The Siamese
Commissioner and his party were there, all gaily dressed, gathering
round the Pagoda and depositing their various oflferings ; our followers,
too, had come out in their Sunday best in turbans and putsos of in-
numerable colours. It was a great transfiguration; the scene of dust
and dirt and weariness of the previous day had changed to one of
brightness, joy, and gaiety. The top of Moolayit is a gigantic mass
of granite rock in the shape of a frustrum of a cone, rising out of the
spur to a height of 500 feet above the general level. It is only acces-
sible on the northern side ; the west and south sides are sheer preci-
pices : the flat surface upon which we stood measured 100 feet from
east to west, and 50 feet from north to south. Upon it there are two
Pagodas : the larger of the two is old and dilapidated ; the base is the
frustrum of a square pyramid, the sides being about 20 feet and height
4i feet : it is constructed with rectangular blocks of granite not exceed-
ing two feet in length without cement. On the top of this there is a
circular-shaped mass of loose tapering brick-work some 10 feet high,
which is all that remains of this old Pagoda. The history of its con-
struction as well as that on Moolayit is not uninteresting, inasmuch
as it gives us a meaning to the names of these two hills, which are
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[ 18 ]

uudoubtedly tlie highest peaks in the chain of monntains from
Toang-ngoo southwards.

In the year Tha-ga-yit 111, when Gaudama was preaching in
this part of the country, i. e., Martaban, in the city of "Thoo-wa«
na-bomee/' now called " Tba-hton-myo/' two Yathasys, or Dervishes,
named " Narada" and " Kappa," asked Gaudama to give them each
a hair from his sacred head, and Gaudama, as usual, consented.
Narada, assisted by a Shan friend of his, Woh-nay, took his relic
up to Moolayitj and upon it erected the present ^Id Pagoda, calling
it Mwot-la-a, which Taking expression being translated into English,
" asked for it, got it, placed on top of the Hill Pagoda." The other,
Yathay Kappa, assisted by Kalapoo, a Chief of the Lawas, took his
hair up to Moolayit and built a Pagoda too, calling " Mwot-la-ee,"
which being interpreted is " Firmly established Pagoda." When both
Pagodas had been completed Narada and Kappa determined to pass
the remainder of their days on the sites of their respective devotional
labours, and they agreed to burn fires every night, betokening to
each other their existence. If one of them saw that the other's fire
was extinguished, it was to be a sign of death. Kappa's lamp of
religion went out first, and his lamp of life too, and here the tale ends.
The Talaing tradition leaves Narada on the top of Mwot-la-a still. The
story of mountain tops and Dervishes burning lights with a similar
object is old and much used, and, therefore, familiar to all who have
read somewhat of Buddhist literature.

The western Pagoda on Moolayit is comparatively new ; it was
built 14) years ago by the united exertions of the people in the
neighbourhood, the chief actors being Mouug O, present Myooke of
Kankareit, and the Talaing Pongyee at Asoon, a village on the
Houndraw River. The Pagoda rests on a circular platform about
2 1 feet high and 10 feet diameter, constructed with loose and irre-
gular blocks of granite J its base is of red sandstone in the shape
of an octagon, and was put together before it was brought up : the
workmanship i« very good, the joints between each of the blocks being
scarcely visible; the architecture of the base is similar to that of
other carefully-built Pagodas : the blocks recede from the bottom to

the centre by regular steps, and protrude ajain in a similar manner
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[ 19 ]

one over the other up to the top. At each angle of the octagoa
a " Khyeng-thay," as usualj guards the sacred edifice. The super-
structure is brickwork, also octagonal, with recesses in each face ; the
side of the octagon is not more than two feet, and preserves these
dimensions till it reaches the height of five feet, after which the
octagonal sides gradually diminish till they almost blend with the
round tapering spire which supports the Htee and crowns the build-
ing. The upper portion of the brickwork is ornamented with small
pieces of stained glass and tinsel, which glitter in the sunlight and
produce a brilliant effect : the total , height of the Pagoda above the
granite platform is about 16 feet. On this occasion it was decorated
with small flags, while the platform and base were covered with old
mirrors, small cups, and other ofierings. The following are the circum-
stances connected with its construction: — In the year Tha-ga-yit 1213,
i. e., 14 years ago, Moung-san-doo, a native of Moulmein, came to
Amarapoora and there purchased the red sandstone base of the Pagoda,
together with the Khyeng-thays, for the sum of Rupees 150. He
brought it to Moulmein and sold it to his brother, Moung Bweng,
a man well known for his liberality in religious endowments. Moung
Bweng conveyed it in boats up the Houndraw River as far as the
Kyeat Khyoung, where it was carried by 32 elephants up to the top of
Moolayit, or rather Mwot-la-a. The Taking Pongyee of Asoon deco-
rated it with glass, tinsel, &e. Our object on ascending had been to
' obtain a view of the country, but we were cruelly disappointed ; the
season was too far advanced : a misty vapour covered the plains and hid
the distant hills ; the sun was obscured the whole day, and the clouds
that enveloped us now and again discharged a drizzly rain. The mean
reading of the Thermometer was 75° and that of the Barometer 23°760
inches : towards 3 o'clock the veil of mist gradually thinned, and we
were then enabled to observe some of the principal features in the system
of hills about us ; in the evening we returned to camp, hoping for a
brighter morrow. The encamping ground on Moolayit is very picturesque ;
the spur here is broad and open; the gently undulating surface,
broken only here and there by masses of granite rock, is covered with
short grass and wild Rhododendrons ; the forest-clothed hills below
contain the head waters of the great Maygala, and the mighty space
beyond those of the lordly Thoung-yeng. Moolayit being 6,300 feet
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[ 20 ]

above the sea, would, perhaps, answer well as a sanitarium for Burmah :
the temperature is almost even throughout the 24 hours ; there is abun-
dance of space and material for building ; water is close and plentiful : the
route up would require but few alterations ; in the steeper parts the
gradients want easing. The distance from the end of the spur to the
summit is 13 miles, and four miles oflf the mouth of the Kyeat IChyoung,
on the east bank of the Houndraw River ; there would, therefore, be
only 17 miles of land travelling, as the Houndraw is navigable by small
boats as far as the Kyeat Khyoung at all seasons. The country, how-
ever, is so little populated, that the establishment of a sanitarium would
be attended with a great many difficulties at the outset. We were
anxious to get on, for we anticipated some difficulties in settling the
boundary from Moolayit northward, and the working season was already
far advanced; so on the 18th we left Moolayit and followed a branch
track along the ridge of the Maygala spur, which divides the waters
of the Thoung-yeng and Houndraw. Leaving the ridge we descended
into the valley of the Koo-khyoung, an affluent of the Maygala, and
encamped by the stream. On our ascent up to Moolayit we had left
some of our baggage behind, expecting that the elephants would return
for them ; but the Karen mahouts were tired out, and the elephants
too, so we were forced to halt in this little valley till a fresh set of
elephants brought on the baggage. It was a close, feverish spot, and
therefore anything but suited to a camp ; but we were simply helpless ;
we could not go back, and could not go on. Here I began to feel
the effect of our jungle life, and I got worse every day, for my old
enemy, the Arracan fever, made his appearance: further, as the days
were passing so quickly, and we had still so much to do, this halt
disheartened us. On the night of the 21st our things came up, and
the next morning we started off, leaving a great portion of the
baggage behind, as the elephants could not carry their usual loads.
We marched along the spur which divides the waters of the Koo-
khyoung and Maygala, ultimately descending into the valley at the
junction of those streams; it was a very pleasant march, for soon
after we left the Koo-khyoung valley we entered the pine forests of
the Maygala. Some of the trees were straight and tall, perhaps 40
feet to the lowest branch, but none exceeded four feet in girth,
while a great many were iU-tormed„ with Jpj^ branches. Travellins in

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■'a

[ 21 1

a pine forest is a great treat ; there is no stifling undergrowth ; the forest
is broad and open, and the pine-scented breeze sweeps up and over the
hill, refreshing every nerve. We met with fir trees at an elevation of
1,500 feet above the sea, and this appears to be one of the highest
parts of the forest j they grow in the valley of the Maygala and its
tributaries, and appear to be confined to that part of the country only :
the average height of the best forest above the sea is 1,100 feet.

The bed of the Maygala River, where the Koo-khyoung falls
into it, is well worth seeing ; gigantic boulders of granite and sand-
stone rock thrown up in confused heaps, with other debris, and
unbedded trunks of forest trees, almost blocked up 'the waterway
through which the torrent rushed headlong, tearing up the banks and
carrying with it everything that could not resist its violence. It
was a scene of mighty destruction, and we spent a long time examin-
ing the various rocks in the river bed ; in them we read the compo-
sition of the hills we had crossed ; their . hidden depths were at our
feet. We wished to encamp here, but as the Siamese had gone
further on Mr. O'Riley thought it best to proceed; we followed the
Maygala till we reached the mouth of the Ta-ok Khyoung, and as
the night was drawing near we encamped by the river bank. The
next morning we heard that the Siamese were making forced marches
into Myawaddee, as their provisions were running short. Following
them was out of the question, as our work lay in the opposite direction,
so Mr. O'Riley was determined upon carrying out the work without
them. He knew that going to Myawaddee to higgle and haggle
with them was the surest way to leave the most important part of
our work unfinished, and would entail unprofitable delay. Neverthe-
less, we could not go on at once, for a portion of our baggage was
two marches behind; but on the 25th it came up, and we recom-
menced our travels. We had left the firs, and were now in the i-egion
of teak. We kept along the bed of the Maygala till we reached its
mouth, near which there is a branch track to Myawaddee, and then
followed the Thoung-yeng, encamping on the left bank some two and
a half miles higher up. It had long been evident to us that our
camp was too large for rapid motion, but once started it was difficult
to correct the error, as there was ho line on the point of march to
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[ 22 ]

which we should return. But as our present duty was to survey and
explore the head waters of the Thoung-yengj and on its completion we
should have to return along that river, we chose the spot on which
we were encamped for our head-quarters. Here we left everything
but the bare necessaries of life, and started on the 27th March for the
purpose of examining the hitherto unknown sources of the Thoung.
yeng and defining the watershed connecting them with Moolayit.

We followed the most direct track, that along the Onkok Khy-
oung, as there was a prominent hill on the watershed at the source
of this stream called " Nyoung-beng Toung." At night we encamped
near the junction of the " Hoothair" with the Onkok. The surface of
the country we passed through was a succession of small rounded ele-
vations and depressions, covered with Engbeng, Htouk Kyan, and other
trees peculiar to laterite soil ; it was here and there broken by masses
of limestone rock, and this is the general character of the watershed
in this part of the boundary. The next day we marched on and
found ourselves almost on the watershed, without encountering any
actual ridge, as we had expected, for there was a break in the ridge that
had appeared to connect the source of the Thoung-yeng with Moolayit.
To the north and to the south it rose out of this table-land of laterite,
leaving a gap 10 miles \vide. Finding this we struck northwards for
the main feeder and acknowledged source of the Thoung-yeng, called
the Walee Khyoung, as there the hills being high would oflFer good
points of observation.

The night of the 28th we spent on the banks of the Kanairlay,
an affluent of the Walee : a very miserable night it was, too, for the
place swarmed with small bees ; they crept up our clothes, made attacks
on our ears and noses, and finally drove us hungry and ill-tempered
from our dinner to our musquito curtains. Observation, night or day,
was simply an impossibility in such a place, so the next morning we
were off before dawn, and reached the Walee by 8 o'clock, encamped in
a shady spot below on the right bank. From the high ground above
the camp you may see a sugar-loaf-shaped limestone rock about 300
feet high ; it is called " Walee Toung ;" it is not more than half mile
to the north of the bank, and is remarkable for its shape and position.
From its summit we derived much valuable information connected with
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t 23 1

the Siamese side of the Tboung-yeng and the maiu watershed from
the source of the Walee southwards. Mr. 0' Riley considered that we
had derived suflScient knowledge of the watershed to warrant our
returning to our head-quarter camp on the Thoung-yeng, and thence,
following up the Siamese Commissioner, who had separated from u^,
march into Myawaddee.

So we made all possihle haste, marching along the main track on
the Siamese side of the Thoung-yeng, and arrived at the Siamese en-
campment, about one mile above the old city of Myawaddee, by the
2nd of April.

Colonel Brown and Captain Hamilton had arrived, also "Pra
Sei Samadi," the Governor of the Shan Frontier District of Yaheing.
The Siamese Commissioners, who had left us when we started work in
the beginning of February, joined us on the 5th, and^ we laid the result
of our labours before them, together with an explanatory sketch map
of the boundary settled by us. They deferred concurrence in our pro-
posal till they had laid the whole matter before His Majesty the King
of Siam.

Mr. O'Riley was anxious to return to continue work from the
Three Pagodas southwards, but I was too unwell to be of apy further

service, and following the advice of
Colonel Brown and Mr. O'Riley, I
gave up work for the season, and went back to Moulmein with Colonel
Brown.

The result of our labours may be thus described.

From the " Phaya-thon-soo Toung," a high limestone rock, 800

feet above the level of the Three Pago-
Description of boundary line. ' j j • . . -i , ,

das, and distant one mile north-east,

being the point of junction with the Yoma of the long line of mural

limestone, varying from 500 to 1,000 feet above the plain which stretches

from the Three Pagodas in a north-west direction, flanking the Atta^

ran as far as the " Gongyee Khyoung," and admits the otherwise

intercepted drainage in the gorges of the Maygathat and Maytagyit

Rivers.

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[ 24 1

From this remarkable hill, " Phaya-thon-soo Toung," the boundary

line runs along the limestone ridge

^ ,,'*'„■ A >, which divides the waters of Siam and

Length = 6-32 miles.

Tenasserim in a north-east direction as

far as " Krondo Toung/' a hill easily recognized by its resemblance to

a dromedary's back when viewed from the east or west.

Thence preserving the same direction along the Yoma for B'Ti

miles as far as the bend, where the rivers
B.

" Htee-ko-tha ," " Htee-may-oung,"

and " Koo-yay" take their rise. Prom this point in a south-east direc-
tion, still along the watershed, six miles
as far as the common source of the

" Krata*' and " Phaleesa Rivers," which is about one mile south-east of

the spot where we crossed the Yoma.

Now the boundary line leaves the watershed to the east, for

the main range trends far away, 19^
miles south-east, into Siam and divides
the districts of Pra-thoo-wan and Ceesa-wot.

Yathay Toung, a high conical hill, is the limit to this peculiar
deviation from the general rule as applicable to Burmah. Both
in the Arracan and Pegu Mountains, particularly in the -former, the
Yoma, instead of being an unbroken line, has a zig-zag varying from
four to ten miles in length ; at each bend the main spurs are thrown out,
and, consequently, the bends are the sources of the main streams.

Further, the contained angle of the zig-zag varies from 140° to
170°.

Here, at " Yathay Toung," the contained angle is about 60°, and
in this acute angle an immense spur is tlirown out in a north-west
direction, forming the watershed between the Maygathat and Houndraw
Rivers.

The "Yoma" itself comes up again in a north-north-west direction,
and is familiarly knowu as the " Mobgadok Toung Dan," or Moogadok
range.

In its eastern flank the " Htakeing," and the " Maisor," confluents
of the " Meekaloung," take their rise.

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Let us return to the boundary line. We thought that a line

nearly north would preserve as much as
possible the existing state of things,
were such a line easily and clearly definable, and possess that stability
and permanency which was the aim of the respective Governments.
"With this view we cut across the spurs north-east into the Maygathat,
to that spot where the river passes through two high limestone rocks now

called the " Boundary Brothers :"
cairns of boulders also mark the boun-
dary, and the spot is further known by its proximity to " Hseng-doung,"
the hill nlentioned' in my narrative.

From these cairns on the Maygathat River the boundary line is
carried nearly due north for 34| miles as far as Moogadok Toung, where
it again reaches the main watershed of the country. By adopting this
line for our boundary, instead of following the watershed which I have
described as trending south-south-east into Siam, the British Govern-
ment have given up an area which may be estimated at 296 square miles ;
but the reasons for so doing are in accordance with the instructions
received with reference to the demarcation of the boundary, inasmuch as
the Siamese have always considered it a portion of their territory.
Between the cairns on the Maygathat River and the " Moogadok Toung"
the intervening marks are —

F. No. 1. — Peing-tha-noo Toung in 7 th mile.

G. „ 2. — Hton-ban "Iteung in 8th „
H. „ 3.— Khon-dan Toung in 14th „
I. „ 4. — Hieing- wa-boo Toung in 17 th „
K, „ 5. — Hsa-lan-gyan Toung in 18th „
L. „ 6. — Cairns on the Houndraw

River near the mouth
of the Talay 21st „

M. „ 7.— Hteeman Toung 26th ,',

N. „ 8.— Phankalan Toung 29th „

The first of. these marks is a rounded eminence, rising out of
the high table-land of the " Pantoonan" range.

The four succeeding marks are isolated limestone rocks, about

200 feet higher than the valley of the Houndraw. Hton-ban, the
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[ 26 ]

highest of the four, is conspicuous on account of the extreme whiteness
of its southern face, which is a sheer precipice. The rock is bounded
from north to east by the Taylo River, and from north to west by the
Peing-tha-noo, its affluent.

Nos. 3, 4, 5 are nearly in a line and about two miles apart ', they
originally formed an uninterrupted range, but their lower levels have
long since disappeared in the depths of the alluvial valley.

The cairns on the Houndraw near the mouth of the Taylay are built
with the boulders out of the river bed, 100 yards above the mouth of
the " Taylay Khyoung." The remaining marks, the " Hteeman" and
" Phankalan," are hills near the extremities of spurs which emanate from
the main range, and are so called from the streams which drain those
spurs.

From " Moogadok Toung/' a point on the Yoma, 5,000 feet above

the sea, to the source of Thoung-yeng,
the natural boundary suffers no altera-
tion ; it runs in a northerly direction
9 '8 miles, and bends off in a curve, first north-east, north-north-east,
north, north-north-west, to the rise of the " Walee" or Ganlee River,
the true source of the Thoung-yeng.

At this bend the Meegvvee, an affluent of the Houndraw, and the
Maisor, a confluent of the Meekalong, take their rise, and a mnch-fre-
queuted track crosses the Yorifa, leading from the district of Maykalong
into that of Thoung-yeng down the Maygala River ; from this bend
emanate the ramifications around Moolayit and the long range of hills
called the " Dana," which divide the waters of the Thoung-yeng from
those of the Houndraw. A short way beyond the bend the Yoma rises

to a great height, and the highest point
is called Moolayit : the route from Siam
into British Territory passes along its southern face. There is a gap of
some 1 miles in the curve joining Moolayit with the rise of the Thoung-
yeng, where the cffain of hills merge into a high table-land covered
with teak forest, but the watershed is well known, and thd various streams

are laid down in the map ; the Siam-

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[ 27 3

itself into the Meekalong, and the British that which contains the head
waters of the Thoung-yeng.

(Sd.) Arthur H. Bagge., Lieut., r. e.,

H. B. M.'s Commr,, Tenasserim

and Siam Boundary SettU.

Boundary marks, with their intermediate distances.

A.

Phaya-thon-zoo Toung.

6-32

B.

Krondo Toung.

3-74

C.

Common source of the Htee-ko-tha, Htee-mayoung,
and Koo-yay.

6-00

D.

Common source of the Krata and Pha-lee-sa.

3-20

E.

Cairns on the Maygathat River.

6-40

P.

Peing-tha-noo Toung.

1-60

G.

Hton-ban Toung.

5-60

H.

Khon-dan Toung.

2-50

I.

Hleing-wa-boo Toung.

1-80

K.

Hsa-lan-gyan Toung.

3-12

L.

Cairns on the Houndraw River.

4-88

M.

Hteeman Toung.

3-10

N.

Phankalan Toung.

5-40

0.

Moogadok Toung.

9-80

P.

Bend in Yomas.

3-26

Q.

Moolayit Toung.

82-00

E.

Tot

Source of the Walee Khyoung or Thoung-yeng
River.

98-72

al miles.

That, is, from the Three Pagodas to the source of the Thoung-yeng River
is nearly 100 miles (along the boundary).

(Sd.) Arthur H. Bagge, Lieut., k. e.,
H. B, M.'s Commr., Tenasserim

and Siam Boundary SettU,
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[ 28 ]

From Lieutenant Akthue H. Bagge, e. e., Her Britannic Majesty's Com-
missioner, Siam and Tenasserim Boundary Settlement, to Lieutenant-
Colonel D. Brown, Commissioner of the Tenasserim Division, — No. 2,
dated Camp " Three Pagodas," the 8th January 1866.

I HAVE the honour to report my proceedings up to this date.

2. I arrived at " Kannee" on the 24th December last, and hoped
that I should be able to march at once for the Three Pagodas, but there
I found only (6) six elephants instead of (30) thirty. In the evening
of the same day, however, six more arrived from the Houndraw
side.

3. The instructions given by the Deputy Commissioner to the
Myookes were, I believe, to this eflFect : that 16 elephants were to be
supplied from the Gyeing Attaran Myo and 14 from the Houndraw
Myo.

4. The Houndraw Myooke's substitute informed me that he
couldn't get more than the six he had brought ; so I ordered the Gyeing
Attaran Myooke, " Moung Kyeat," to do his utmost to supply the 18
elephants that were wanting.

5. In this manner, by the 31st December, I had altogether 26
elephants. On the 1st January I left " Kannee,'' being forced to aban-
don the extra tents and nearly all my private supplies.

6. I arrived at this place (Three Pagodas) on the 3rd instant,
receiving en-route a letter from the Chief of the Siamese Boundary Com-
missioner, " Pinya-keng," in which he requested me to wait for him at
the " Three Pagodas," as he would be delayed a short time in collecting
elephants and supplies.

7. The Siamese Commissioners arrived on the 6th instant.

8. Yesterday (7 th) morning we met and consulted what our best
plan of operations would be, and finally agreed to march along the east-
ern side of the watershed in Siamese Territory till we reached the
" May-nan- way" River, in the latitudes of Tavoy, and then cross over
to " Myit-ta-myo." This route is the best, not only because it is a much-
used track, but also because it will enable me to fix all recognized boun-
dary marks on the watershed, and likewise give us a great deal of

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information on the drainage system of the Siamese Territory contiguous
with the boundar/'.

9. I will despatch a messenger to-morrow to Hseng-byoo Toung
informing Captain Street of the resolution we have formed. He can,
without any difficulty, come down the " Bee-lok" Khyoung and meet
us en-route.

I'O. Towards the close of my interview with the Siamese Commis-
sioners, " Pinya-keng" said that he had no instructions from His Majesty
the King of Siam to accompany me further than Myit-ta-myo, and
that his intention was to go by sea to Moulmein.

11. I told him that such a proceeding was out of the question,
and that, if he wanted orders from His Majesty, I would send a letter to
Her Britannic Majesty's Consul at " Bangkok," and request him to be
good enough to obtain the necessary orders and send them with all haste :
at this he appeared quite pleased, and agreed to accompany me the whole
way as fas as the " Pakchan."

. 13. We leave this place to-morrow morning, and shall probably
arrive at "Myit-ta" by the 1st February next.

Memorandum from the Officiating Commissioner, Tenasserim Division, to the
Officiating Secretary to the Chief Commissioner, British Barmah, —
No. 649, dated Moulmein, the 20th January 1866.

The undersigned has the honour to forward, for the Chief Commis-
sioner's information, a letter,* No. 2,
dated Camp Three Pagodas, 8th January
1866, from Lieutenant A. H. Bagge, Commissioner, Siam and Tenasse-
rim Boundary Settlement, to his address.

(Sd.) D. Brown, Lieut,~Col.,
Offff, Commr,, Tenasserim Division.

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SECOND SEASON'S OPERATIONS.

From CAPTiiN C. P. Hildebeand, Officiating Secretary to Chief Commissioner,
British Burmah, to the Secretary to the Government of India, Foreign
Department, with the Governor General, — No. 73, dated Rangoon, the
4th May 1866.

I HAVE the honour, in continuation of this Office No. 19, of 5th

February last, to forward, for the
Letter, No. I8t, of 9th April 1866, information of His Excellency the

from Lieutenant-Colonel D. Brown, i ^ ^ i •

Officiating Commissioner of Teuas- Viceroy and trovernor General in

'TeTter, No. 4, of 5th AprU 1866, Council, a Report of the second
from Lieutenant A. H. Bagge, B. E. season's Operations for the settlement

Letter dated 22nd February 1866, o ,i_ o- j m •„ t>

from Her Britanuio Majesty's Con- ot the Siamese and lenasserim Jioun-
|ulate, Bangkok, to Lieutenant ^^^.^^ ^j^j^ ^^^^^ ^^^^^^ j^^^

the 9th January to the 24th February
last, and is accompanied by letters as marginally noted.

The Chief Commissioner desires me to observe that he is quite
satisfied with the manner in which Lieutenant Bagge has conducted
the season's operations, and that he does not attribute any blame to
him for not having finished the settlement this year, the delay in
which is solely attributable to the dilatoriness of the Siamese Commis-
sioners and the obstacles thrown in Lieutenant Bagge's way by them.

Qt/t January 1866, — To the Thoungkalay River, 61 miles. Track
pretty clear through bamboo forest. Half the way the ground is
somewhat level; the remainder is difficult, being a quick series of
elevations and depressions separated by deep gullies ) soil reddish sand
and laterite.

The Thoungkalay, which is a tributary of the Teik-pa-kyit River
is here about 100 feet broad, with a pebbly bottom.

Average depth of water four feet, running swiftly down towards
the village of Wenka,

The water is snlBciently saturated with lime to produce numerous
beautiful travertin encrustations which line its banks.
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lOt/i January 1866. — To village of Wenka, 8§ miles. Through
tree forest, chiefly pyengzado ; here and there a few teak with a thick
undergrowth of bamboos ; ground hilly at first, but on approaching
Wenka it is almost level, and the forest thins while the bamboos give
place to long grass.

Wenka is on the western bank of the Teik-pa-kyit River ; it
contains 13 houses, six of which are inhabited by Shans and seven by
Talcing Karens. The river is very broad here, 500 feet from bank to
bank, but this is said to be local, and that lower down it is much
narrower. The stream is rapid, but shallow, not more than five feet in
the deepest part. As Pinya-keng, the Chief of the Siamese Com-
manders, could not leave the Three Pagodas on the morning of the 9th
with my party, for he had some arrangements to make about sending
on to Moulmein the Buddhist Priests that had come up with him, he
promised to stay and follow me on the 10th, and this evening he came
into camp, having made one march of it. The Siamese elephants are
lightly laden, whereas ours had as much as they could carry ; besides
which we have to survey the route.

11^^ 3'anv,ary 1866. — At "Wenka" to take observations for posi-
tion J wrote to Captain Street informing him of our intended move-
ments, and to Mr. Enox, the British Consul at " Bangkok," requesting
him to be good enough to procure letters of authority to enable " Piuya-
keng" to continue the demarcation of the boundary below latitude
of "Tavoy," as well as to assist us, as we moVed southwards in
Siamese Territory. It appears that the people on this side of the border
pay no taxes of any kind whatever; that 16 years ago some of them
had crossed into our territory owing to the taxation which before that
time had prevailed. His Majesty the King exempted all his border
subjects from taxation, but imposed on them the duty of supplying
his officials with food, &c., and otherwise assisting them, when they
required it, during their visits to the border. This was done with a
view to prevent emigration, but the people say that after all it comes
to the same thing in the end, for these " Mengs" come rather often, and
they have to feed their retinue and provide elephants without receiving
any compensation. . In these out-of-the-way districts everybody who
receives a salary is called a "Shan-meng." These salaries are on a
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[ 32 ]

sliding scale, from Rupees 4 to Rupees 250 a year, or from the guide to
the "Myo-sa," or Governor of the District.

There is a main track to Bangkok a little north of Wenka. The
journey is generally performed in 13 days; boats going down the
Teik-pa-kyit River can't do it in less than 12 days, for they say it is
a succession of rapids and still water reaches.

\Uh January 1866. — To the " H tee-ton- than" Keng, 6^ miles.
From " Wenka" the track follows the Teik-pa-kyit River on the eastern
bank for three miles, and then crosses the stream. The forest is very
thickly wooded and almost choked with a dense undergrowth of small
shrubs and trees. The ground is level enough till you reach the neigh-
bourhood of the Htee-ton-than Keng, where you cross the Ten-ka-lat *
Toung and its accompanying ramifications. The soil, here is of a dark
muddy colour, evidently the detritus of the slaty shales which crop out
about " Ten-ka-lat."

In the evening we ascended one of the many peaks which rise out
of the highland about Ten-ka-lat and took some valuable bearings : from
this hill you have a beautiful view of " Manee-phon," a conspicuous
cone-shaped mountain in the great range which commencing from
"Yathay Keng" in the Yomas stretches far down into the plains of
Siamj dividing the drainage of the " Camboorie" and " Thee-that-wot"
Rivers.

The " Htee-ton-than" Keng is a wretched little stream, and any-
thing but a desirable spot for a camp ; but with elephants heavily laden
it was impossible to reach the next stream before nightfall, and in these
wilds it is wise to be thankful and try to be satisfied with what you get.
The atmosphere has been uncomfortably hot the last two days, the sky
being covered at times with "rain-clouds," whose "nimbus" shapes
seem to warn us that we shall get that most unwelcome visitor " rain"
before long. There is certainly a great change in the electrical condition
of the atmosphere.

\Zth January 1866. — To the " Kalon-grai" River, 8 miles. Through

thick bamboo forests : reached the village of " Sa-kie-lon-mok" after

an hour's march; ground generally level; track somewhat closed by

balf-cuUen bamboos, impeding progress. The numerous boulders scattered

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about oa either side of the path show that we are iu a wide valley,
subject to submergence during the rainy season.

The village of " Sa-kie-lon-mok" consists of but one house, inhabited
by half-a-dozen Taleing Karens, who cultivate a small rich plot close by.
The old man, who appeared to be almost a great-grandfather, assured
me that the soil was sufficiently fertile to yield 600 baskets (equal to 350
of our baskets) in the seven acres of paddy. This is equal to, the produce
from the best lands in " Beloo-gyun" I believe.

" Sa-kie-lon-mok" is close to a high well-known limestone rock
called " Toung-pra-that." I picked up some fragments of the rock in
the village, and asked the. old man if he made any use of it ; he said it
' made very good lime, and Karens were in the habit of coming to the
spot to take it away, and that it was much prized by the people in this
part of the country. It is a compact crystalline rock of a darkish blue
colour, containing webs of innumerable veins of pure white carbonate of
lime.

My followers attempted to ransack the place in search of vege-
tables, but I prevented this, which seemed to delight the old Kareri ; but
I fancy it wont be of much use, as the Siamese are coming up behind us,
and they are sure to make a clean sweep.

I4<tk January 1866.— To " Bo-oung," 7| miles. Very similar to
yesterday's route ; dense bamboo forest.

It began to rain, like " Moulmein only rains," at about 9 o'clock
last night, and kept on raining till daybreak. It was a miserable night
for us all. My tent was of little use after the first two hours, for it
leaked like a sieve. Our provisions were all soaking wet, and when
the day dawned the sight was both ridiculous and pitiful. However, we
could not stop to dry anything there, for the forest of bamboos and
trees thwarted all efforts of the now welcome sun to throw its genial
warmth on the ground below j so on we marched, but everybody looked
downcast, and there was a silence about the camp which strangely
contrasted with the bustle and jabbering of the previous days. Now
it so turns out that it exactly rained in the right place, for the exercise
in the morning did everybody good, and no place but " Bo-oung" could
have suited us as a '^ drying yard" so well.

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[ 34 ]

There was a large village here in former times, but, except some
small ruined Pagodas and jack-fruit trees, there are no signs of previous
habitation.

\5tA Jami,ary 1866. — Halted at "Bo-oung" to dry the provisions,
clothes, &c.

The Siamese Commissioners arrived last night. The track up to
Hserg-pyoo-tang is close by this place ; so I sent a letter off to Captain
Street telling him that I was already south of the Beelouk route, and
that, if he came down it, he would miss me ; and I suggested meeting
him at Myet-ta. " Bo-oung," or, as it should be called, " Ben-ong,"
being Taleing, is a curious-looking place. The traveller marching along
the forest .track suddenly finds bis road cut off by a large circular sheet
of water about 400 yards in diameter, in the centre of which a huge
limestone rock rising to a height of 300 feet bears on its summit a small
yet pretty well-preserved Pagoda. In this tank, at the base of the
" mother rock," there are three smaller rocks, each bearing its Pagoda.
The Takings, who have a great reverence for the spot, make out that
the tank is artificial, but it is clearly a natural drainage basin.

The numerous battles fought in former years between the Siamese
and Takings have provided ample food for local traditions, and there
are few places which have not some story of battles fought and battles
won where the village stands.

The Taleing lady " Ben-ong," who founded and gave her name
to this our encamping ground, was a complete Joan of Arc in the fight-
ing line : her husband, the Taleing Chief, died in battle, and his troops
fled back and told his wife, " Ben-ong," of his death and their defeat.
She abused them for their cowardice, and succeeded in making them
follow her to the " battle field :" and now comes the picture. Burning
with a sense of shame and disgrace, and desirous of wiping out for ever
the stain on their honour, the brave Takings, believing " Ben-ong" to
be something supernatural, " rushed on against their vainly resisting foe
and extinguished them."

The Siamese Commissioners went up to-day and did homage to

Budha, the summit of the rocky island : a bridge of floating bamboos

connects it with the bank. ... ,, ... „^

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IGtk January 1866. — To " Ka-sa-ma," nine miles. As we are
travelling in a broad valley the route hardly changes its character ;
nothing to be seen but an eternal forest of bamboos. About a mile and
a half from " Ben-ong" you reach the Beelouk Keng, and follow it for
three miles ; then you cross it, and one mile south-east brings you to
the Ka-sa-ma Keng, which you cross and follow till you reach the
village.

The " Beelouk " and the " Ka-sa-ma " Rivers are famous for their
gold washings : the gold is found in their numerous little -tributaries, but
it is said to be scarcer now than in former years.

The " Karens" themselves have nothing to do with the gold

■ washing. Numbers of people are sent up from Camboorie and Rajpoorie

with this sole object ; they are each expected to pay in Rupees 12 to

their Governor if they do not bring back | tickel weight of gold. This

occupies generally two months in the year.

Oh my arrival at " Ka-sa-ma" I was astonished at finding Captain
Street there ; he had arrived in the morning, having pressed the hills
at the " Nat-yay-doung" Pass. His arrival has been most opportune,
for his information has prevented me from making the fatal mistake of
going over to My-et-ta. The Tenasserim River, though affording a
capital " trunk line " for conveying heavy baggage, is so cut off from
the main range by impassable hills, that it could never afford us the
means of laying down the boundary with any accuracy.

We therefore sent for. the Siamese Commissioners and made them
understand the nature of our position.

Pinya-keng said there was no such difficulty in getting down south
on the Siamese side of the border, and that when he got his letter of
authority he would supply us with elephants and everything we required.
I wrote another letter this afternoon to Mr. Knox pressing him to
send out the document the Siamese Commissioners required : so far all is
bright and bids fair, but these people are not like Englishmen, and there
may be a screw loose in the end instead of the beginning.

17 iA January 1868.— Halted at "Ka-sa-ma;" we and the Siamese
Commissioners ascended a limestone rock in the neighbourhood with a
view of fixing certain known points on the Yoma, or main watershed.
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" PootOj" the name of this hill, is about 1,400 feet above sea level; it is
by no means the highest hill in the neighbourhood, but the summits of
the others are inaccessible.

Captain Street " pointed out Noa-lebo," the high mountain south
of Tavoy, supposed to be 7,000 feet above the sea. This was a valuable
azimuth, as it will serve to correct any errors in our route Traversi
when combined with accurate latitude observations at or near " Noa-lebo"
itself.

im January 1866.— To village of « Ka-yean," 11 miles. We
missed the tract and went off to the west, but came upon a small Karen
village, and getting guides we cut across the hills to " Ka-yean :" some
of our elephants had gone beyond " Ka-yean," as they had followed the
direct route, and the Mahouts fancied we had gone on : so we had to
sleep that night on elephants' pads, and be thankful it was not worse.

\^th January 1866. — To confluence of the Hteeman and May-nan-
way River, at foot of Nal-yaz Doung Pass; distance 13| miles.

This and, indeed, the whole of the route from " Sa-kie-lon-mok"
may be described as lying in a broad valley drained by the affluents of
the " Beelouk Keng." This valley is covered with one immense bamboo
forest. The soil is generally composed of boulders imbedded in a reddish
sand, here and there varied by nodules of laterite. The ascent along this
valley is very gradual, the surface being but little disturbed. Just before
you reach the May-nan- way River the valley is 1,100 feet above the sea,
but the descent into the May-nan-way is very sudden, and presents a
curious topographical feature.

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Out of this valley to the east rises a chain of limestone rocks, some
of which are as much as 1,200 feet higher than the valley itself and
almost perpendicular.

201A January 1866.— To the May-nan -way River, across the
Hteeman Doung, 64 miles. The ascent up the Hteeman Doung is
rather steep, and in one or two places rather difficult for elephants ; hut
on nearing the summit the pass is level, and continues so till you are
near the May-nan-way again, where the descent is very steep and gives
you an idea of future struggles, especially when you are bound to come
back again.

After we reached the May-nan-way we kept along it for three miles,
baiting early in the 4^y, for both men and elephants were somewhat tired
with our long march yesterday. We left all the heavy baggage behind,
taking only what we might require for five or six days. I was obliged
to leave a great many of my followers behind, for I found six men laid
up with fever this morning, and others had sore feet with other miseries
about them. I do not anticipate anything serious from the fever, for I
believe it to be the result of fatigue, and a few days' rest while we are
absent will put them right. I have left the Native Doctor at our head-
quarter camp in case anything should turn out serious. " May-nan-way"
should be spelt " Mai-nan-nway," for our interpreter informs us that
the name implies "small mother water," in other words "small
river."

lYst January 1866. — To foot of " Nal-yaz Doung," h\ miles. Along
the bed of the " May-nan-way" the greater part of the way j now and
then following the stream on the banks.

This pass is called the " Nat-yay Doung" Pass, but the hill at the
summit of the pass, which is the true watershed, and consequently the
boundary, is called " Tan-Doung." The people say that tiieir ancestors
crossed by another route close by over another hill which they called
" Nat-yay Doung :" hence the retention of the name. We intend leaving
the greater part of our baggage behind at this place and go up as light
as possible, for we shall tiave to take our water with us.

9,2nd January 1866. — To summit of "Tan" Doung, U miles. Kather
steep at the first start, but on the whole a far easier ascent than the
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generality of passes across the Pegu or the Arracan Yomas. We walked
up in an hour and a half.

A short distance from the summit on the western side a little water
is to be had from a spring in the hill side south of the pass, but I
doubt whether any could be got or not in the hot weather from the
impermeable nature of the rock, of which the hills in the neighbourhood
consist, causing the water to flow off as it reaches the surface, instead of
allowing it to sink and gradually filtrate through a more permeable
medium. We found a tree close to the summit with the Burmese fej
engraved upon it, and one of the Karens with Captain Street says that
my Surveyor, Moung Pho, cut it out ; so he has connected this spot with
Tavoy, which will be of great service, for it will give us the breadth of
Tenasserim at this latitude and furnish relative longitudes of Tavoy and
this place, besides giving a complete route survey of the " Tan" Doung
Pass.

The "Yoma" here is very narrow, the widest level surface being
under 50 feet; it is well marked therefore : but some of the hills on the
adjacent spurs are far higher than Tan-Doung. We have selected the
highest spot on the Yoma, about 100 yards from the pass to the south,
and have constructed a " look-out" on the top of one of the tallest trees
as a post of observation, for the mountains are covered with a dense
forest of trees and the tall bamboos, and it would take a long time to
clear away the trees so as to get a clear view of the surrounding
countries from the ground. The Siamese Commissioners are with us,
and their followers are already collecting fragments of rock wherevirith to
erect a " Phaya."

ZSrd January 1866. — This morning I ascended the "look-out"

and took bearings to all known and remarkable hills, and obtained a

very satisfactory knowledge of the general topography of the country.

At mid-day the Siamese and ourselves put up our respective boundary
marks. The Siamese nailed a plank to a post and stuck it in the
ground, and further supported it by a large heap of stones. On the
plank they wrote the following words in Siamese and Taleing :—

"The year Thek-ka-yit 1227, month of Tabodway, 7th day of
waxing moon, we, " Biamay-keng" and " Hluang-son Hton-poree-rap,"
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have set up this heap of stones, as also this post, and have made a
boundary mark like a Pagoda.

" The Siamese and English Nobles are present."

This is some 22 feet to the east of the pass. Our mark

was

V. B.

1866.

chisselled deep into a tree 45 feet west of the pass; the

letters V. R. are ten inches long, and the side of the square on which
these letters are chisselled is about two feet ; it is about nine feet from

the ground. The Karens call the tree 3^^ ; the Burmese, "^tj^^^

This illustrates the relative position of the Siamese and British marks
on the pass. During the day till late at night I was occupied in taking
observations, so that we might be able to get away in the morning. The
Yoma at the flat-gay-doung Pass is 2,500 feet above the sea.
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Z4il/t and Z5l/i January. — Back to head-quarter camp at the junction
of the " Hteeman" and " Mai-nan-nway."

From the summit of the pass to the base of

the hill Distance 1 i miles.

Along the bed of the Mai-nan-nway River. . . Do. 9 do.

Crossing the Hteeman Doung ... ... Do. 3 do.

Length of Pass, Siamese side, distance 13| miles.

From Moung Pho's survey on the Tavoy side it appears that the
foot of the hill is 3i miles from the summit, so that the length of the
pass from side to side is 16 J miles nearly. The pass is very much
steeper on the Tavoy side than on the^iam side of the watershed, but
I think it is much easier than the passes into Arracan from Pegu.

My elephant men have been grumbling latterly; they say that
their elephants are tired out, and some have got sore-backs, &c. ; so it
is quite time to get others. The Siamese Commissioners say they will
supply us with elephants when we reach " Weng-mok," a short distance
north of " Camboorie ;" so we intend marching straight for " Phoung-
seat," or " Da-Yeik" as it is sometimes called, an old village on the
Camboorie River. The Siamese Commissioner has sent orders to have
rafts constructed, and he says we can part with our elephants there ; in
fact, he says there is no road whatever from Da-Yeik southwards : but
Captain Street and myself have been thinking over the matter, and have
come to the conclusion that there must be a road of some kind, and that
to part with our elephants and place ourselves on rafts at the mercy
of these Siamese is the last thing we should think of. Further, the
Siamese Commissioner has more than once asked me to go down to
Bangkok, and see His Majesty and get letters of power and authority,
which seems to me to indicate a kind of doubt on his part about getting
the documents without my going to Bangkok with him : and that
certainly is the very last thing I should do. How going to Bangkok
in the very middle of the working season is to further the settlement
of the boundary is only known to " Pinya-keng."

26a and Zlth of January 1866.— To Da-Yeik, 18 miles, following

the Mai-nan-nway River, crossing and re-crossing it several times
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The ground is generally pretty level with a few ups and downs in the
middle distance ; the forest consists chiefly of bamboos. Two miles and
a half from " Hteeman Sakhana" you eome upon a small Karen village
and a good deal of cotton cultivation : we were surprised at the size of
the plants and the pods, as well as the pure beautifully .white appear-
ance of the cotton itself; it certainly surpassed anything I had ever
seen in Northern India or Pegu.

The Karens told us that merchants came up from Bangkok and
bought it every year.

We passed through many an old toungya en-route; but as the
Karens here adhere to the custom of changing their land every year,
it is likely that this one settlement has in course of time produced
them all.

Da-Yeik is inhabited by Taleings ; it is a small village of some
(8) eight houses on the eastern branch of the " Teik-pa-kyit" River,
Numerous eoeoanut trees on the forest close by indicate that it was
once a much larger place than it is now.

On our arrival at " Da-Yeik" we were received by the Governor
of the Paghlat Districts with great courtesy; he conducted us to a
large shed he had had built up for our reception, and offered us birds'
iiest soup, &c.

He told he had nothing to do with the Camboorie District ; that
fee had been up to " Bo-oung" to worship at the Pagoda on the Island.
He was on his way back to Paghlat, a district south of Camboorie, and
that he had waited at " Da-Yeik" to meet us as well as Prinza-key,
the Siamese Boundary Commissioner, who, he says, is his younger
brother.

A " pooay" is to be given to-night in our honour.

28^/4 January 1866. — Halt at Da-Yeik, preparing rafts, &c. This
place is either Da-Yeik, or " Ten-Yeik," or " Phoung-seat." The first
of the three names is the. most common.

Yesterday evening the elephant-drivers came up in a body and asked

leave to go back, as they bad brought us a long way, and the Siamese

would give us elephants when we reached ''Weng-mok." Captain

Street and myself had a long talk about the matter, and we came to

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the conclusion that our safest plan was to keep our elephants till we
actually got others, although they wanted to make out that there was
no road to " Weng-mok." We told the elephant-drivers that we
couldn't possibly let them go till we got to "Weng-mok" and saw
those which the Siamese said they would give us. I spoke very kindly
to my own men, and told them to be patient and wait a few days longer
and I would reward them. They left us apparently quite satisfied with
©ur reason for not letting them go away, and we fancied it would be
all right; but this morning before dawn 14 out of 30 went off as hard
as they could go : and this is partly due to the Siamese Commissioner,
" Prinza-key," because he allowed the three elephants I hired from him
to go away without asking me. Had he refused, I dare say the others
would not have gone off. It is more than likely that these elephant-
owners will come to me for payment some future day, but both Captain
Street and myself consider that it would only be a just punishment
for them not to pay them at all, because they asked to go away, and we
explained our unpleasant position to them. Such a punishment will,
perhaps, prevent their behaving like this in future. The " Paghlat
Myo-sa" left " Da-Yeik" this morning in his " royal barge," his band
playing him down the river.

Towards mid-day we managed to find out that there was a road,
but that it was not very clear for the first few miles. " Pinya-keng"
came up to our camp and wanted to know what we intended doing.
We said our heavy things would go down by rafts, but we intended
following the land route, however bad it might be. He appeared a good
deal " put out" at this, for he never dreamt that after all that had been
said we should think of such a thing. But what was his surprise and
astonishment at being told that Tie ought to accompany us, as it was his
territory, and without him we might get into difSculties. He had made
up his mind to go down easily and sleepingly in a boat, but he is a
very sensible man, and a few minutes' talking persuaded him to give
up his former idea and accompany us. The " Teik-pa-kyit" River here
is about 100 yards broad, with little or no current ; the " Mai-nan-nway"
enters it through a rocky gorge opposite the village of " Da-Yeik."

The " Teik-pa-kyit" River is a succession of still-water basins and

rapids from " Wenka" as far as its junction with the " Thee-tha-wot"
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near " Camboorle." These rapids are more dangerous as the water
supply sinks, for the obstructing rocks and ridges approach and rise
above the surface of the stream. This naturally obtains where the
water is saturated with " lime.'' The original small obstruction increases
by successive deposits, which harden under the influence of the atmosphere
when the water level has sunk, and year by year this continues till the
erosive action of the "pent-up stream" rushing through the gorge
prevents further encroachment, and maintains in some degree a balance
between "production and destruction." Da-Yeik" is a "keug" or
"outpost." A few men are posted here to apprehend criminals or others
who may be trying to get out of the country.

These men reside in the village, and the only advantage they have
over others is that they are exempt from capitation tax ; they pay other
taxes in common with the rest of the Takings : inland it amounts to six
annas for 1,600 square 'yards, which is roughly Rupees 1-2 per acre.
But their " capitation tax" is different to ours : every poor man has
his own peculiar lord and master, who requires three months' labour in
the year at his hands, or an equivalent sum in money. These bondmen
have the name of their Chief tattooed on the right or left wrist,
according to the position and rank of the " Meng." They are generally
marked early in life, about sixteen, but some manage to keep away at
the marking time, and so protract their freedom till nearly 30. As
each man is marked his name goes down into the general list, and
from that hour they must either work or pay up. There is, however, a
gradation in the working scale: though the majority have to work
one-fourth of the year, there are many who, from their somewhat
superior position, are only required to give up a month and a half in
the year.

29i^ January 1866,— 6i miles. To head water of the "Kron-
geng-yon" through dense tree jungle; the first three miles on level
ground, and then an ascent into a high table-land, which is apparently
the case of the limestone ridge which divides the waters of Teik-pa-kyit
and Thee-tha-wot Rivers.

Captain Street and myself were just starting off this morning when
the Siamese Commissioner's Interpreter came running up to us, exclaim-
in o- " You can't go on ; it's no use : there is no road ; the forest is so
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thick" — all this in quick breathless succession and in an excited,
manner. "We smiled and went on. For the first 200 yards there was no
track whatever, and we had to cut our way, and we began to think ifc
didn't look as nice as we could have wished, when suddenly at the end
of the 200 yards we came into a capital well-beaten path.

IS

/ /

It is true that we found a few obstructions in the shape of fallen
bamboos, but on the whole it was a very good path., We halted here
at half-past 12, as they told us that, if we went on, we couldn't reach
water till nightfall. These people had already begun their "Asiatic
tricks,'^ but so long as we are independent of them in " carriage" they
wont gain much by deceiving us.

In the forest we met with some Tavoy boxwood and cinnamon trees.

ZOth January 1866. — To the Don-ka-lay Keng', 9i miles. Through
the tree forest with undergrowth of batnboos : towards the end of the
march the trees thinned considerably, giving place to bamboos and
highish grass. The bamboos here were in flower ; some had seeded and
died. We have been gradually ascending into high table-land. The
reading of the Barometer shows this to be about 1,200 feet above the
sea; to the south-west towards the Teik-pa-kyit River a chaos of
ridges and rounded hills line the horizon. The grass round about is
trodden down here and there by wild animals, and we met with the
footprints of the bison and rhinoceros.

Yesterday the Siamese told us not to go on, as we couldn't reach
water till nightfall, and yet 3^ miles from camp we came upon a nice
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flowing streanij which is really the main " Kengyon" keng ; yesterday's
halting-place being at the rise of one of its feeders. About 1 i miles
from camp we came into an '' Eing," or drainage basin, much frequented
by wild cattle. This stream where we are encamped is anything but
the nicest spot for a camp, as the little water there is is held up by a
succession of natural bunds formed by the mineral saturated water ;
but they tell us we must halt, for there's no water further on.

Slst January 1866.— To the head waters of the " Kron-kra," 1\
miles. The first four miles through a forest of high trees and under-
growth of bamboos ; ground generally level. Two miles from camp we
came upon the Karen village of " Thee-moo," consisting of some six
houses : for a mile and half beyond it the track goes through a belt of
teak forest. Although the trees were of large girth, but few of them
could be called fine trees, for they were mostly crooked, and the main
trunks were shorter than those about the Thoungyoung River. Two
miles beyond the village you come into a valley, and then you imagine
you are leaving the high flat lands you have been travelling on and
descending into the valleys to the south-east ; but suddenly the route
turns to the north-west up what seemed to be a ridge of limestone
rock, but on reaching the summit you find yourself on a higher level
plain covered with Engboungs and Htonk-kyans without any shade
and a burning hot soil. This belt of forest continues till you first
come upon water ; it cannot be called a stream, even if it covers a lar^e
swampy area clothed with long " kaing" grass. The limestone ridge
has disappeared, and you find yourself in a high plateau, so level that
the water seems to hesitate which way it had better take. Here they
made us halt, for there was no water further on, they said.

This morning but two miles from yesterday's camp on the " Don-
ka-lay" we crossed the " Thee-moo" Keng, a nice, flowing stream. This
is a second time that the Siamese have deceived us about water. We
have pitched Qur camp in about the worst and most unhealthy place one
could find, and Captain Street and myself had a consultation about it, and
were fixed to accept what was told us as true, lest it should be the old
story of the wolf, and thirst came upon us at last ; we had lost sight of
the Siamese Commissioner, " Pinya-keng," the very first day, but we
found him to-day at the village of " Thee-moo :" the village was
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crowded with Pongyees and Karens from other parts of the district. The
tired-outj dirty look of the Karens and a rough-looking structure
bearing upon a third story a box containing the precious bones (dust) of
a departed Pongyee testified to what had taken place yesterday. No
sooner- did we get to the village than the Karens brought out the
remains of their repast, and all our Burmese ate every conceivable
trash that was put before them to their hearts' content. " Pinya-keng"
knew perfectly well the whereabouts of this village, for he seems to have
made for it to get in time for the " Pongyee-byan/' but we knew nothing
about it ; and although the '' Pongyee-byan" was nothing to us, we
should have enjoyed a halt by a nice, refreshing stream of water instead
of a series of stagnant pools. Since our arrival at Da-Yeik there has
been a great change in the behaviour of the Commissioners ; they tried
to prevent our taking this " land route," and it appears to us to spring
from a disinclination to permit us to survey in their territory. They
fancied that once we got into rafts and flowing water there would be
an end of surveying, as "who could possibly measure a distance on
water ?" They little know that by reason of the constancy of rate in
a chronometer at rest relative longitudes are easily found, and that
carefully-executed " time and compass" surveys of a river checked by
latitude observations afford far better data than the rough route survey
we are fixed to make. There is one thing certain : we have got our
own elephants, and we are determined upon sticking to them till we
actually see those the Siamese say they will give us when we get to
" Weng-mok."

Ui February 1866.— To the "Lon-thon" Keng, distant 16 miles.
For 74 miles through a nice, shady forest, as far as the village of " Ta-
ta-go," on the east branch of the " Teik-pa-kyit," after crossing the
river through one of those hot Engboung tracts up to the 15th mile.
Here we came upon a small Shan settlement ; the people were employed
in cutting down the "sappan trees" for the Bangkok market.

This is our first happy encampment since we left Da-Yeik.- Both
elephants and men were quite exhausted with the long march from
Ta-ta-go : even at this time of the year the heat was dreadful. The
burning sun above combined with the refracted heat from the rocky soil
reminded me of the days of the famine in the North- West in 1861
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when the bare sandy plains looked like a furnace as the heated afr in
converted rays sought the colder strata above. Three and a quartet
miles from our camp in the swamp yesterday we came upon a beautiful
stream of water, called the "Kron-tha;" but we were not astonished,
for the past had taught us what we might expect. But as we sat down
by the little riv^r, waiting for the elephants that were behind, we thought
about it, and tried to make out why the Siamese took us into the very
worst places they could pick out. Our camp was a large one, and every-
body knows that with such a camp and elephants a healthy, well-
drained spot with a flowing stream has a very beneficial effect upon the
health of all. At Da-Yeik we left two men sick to go on the rafts, one
of whom was nearly dying from fever, and that is a great deal more
than enough for us with our limited means of transports. But, irrespec-
tive of this, it is nothing more nor less than trifling with us, for we
have come to do our work like Englishmen, and not make a great deal
out of nothing.

This morning when we arrived at " Ta-ta-go^' we found "Pinya-
keng" there, and our rafts too. The Siamese Commissioner had not
given enough men to man the rafts, and the consequence was that in the
long still-water reaches they could hardly get on at all ,• so I sent four of
my tent lascars to help them on the rest of the way to " Weng-mok."
" Pinya-keng" was in great spirits ; he said that he had received a letter
from the Prime Minister giving him all the power that was necessary to
help us along in the southern districts ; that all our wishes were to be
attended to : so we hope that now we shall get on all right and finish the
work quickly. To-day for the first time by the "Kron-tha" River we
came across the " sappan tree," which the Burmese call " Tean-myet"
and the Siamese " Phuang ;" but when the tree is cut down the Siamese
call it " Ta-Phuang," or " Ta-fuang," which looks very like the origin of
" sappang."

2nd February 1866.— To the "May-ka-ban" Keng, distant five
miles. Along a " cast track" on level country through an open forest
of small trees and bamboos.

Oar long march yesterday forced us to halt here, though the stream,
if it can be called one, was still and almost stagnant. Between this and
'< Weno'-mok'," which is about 10 miles ofl", there is no water to be had.
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"Srd Februari/ 1866.— To village of " Wenguide/' 9^ miles. Cast
track all the way through a nieCj open forest and short grass. The trees
were principally Htonk-kyans and those common to a hard rocky kind
of soil.

Yesterday we had signs of stormy weather, and a few " heat-drops"
fell towards evening, but en-route to-day we found that, although we
had escaped, the country about " Weng-mok" had received some heavy
showers during the night. On our arrival here this afternoon we were
welcomed by the " Camboorie Governor" and conducted to a large open
shed, and requested to sit down on the " bamboo platform" that had
been made for us. After a few minutes' indifferent conversation we
asked the " Camboorie Myo-sa" when we should get the elephants, and
how long should we have to wait at " Weng-mok" till he could supply
us with what we required. He replied — " I can give you boats and carts,
but I can't give you elephants." Then Captain Street said to me—
" In the majority of cases of elephant-stealing before my Court the
owners said their elephants had been taken to Camboorie, for there were
numbers in that district." Then we asked the Camboorie " Myo-sa" why
he couldn't give us elephants, as there were so many in his district, and
we couldn't get up hills with boats or carts. The only reply we could
get out of him was, " cannot get elephants." " Pinya-keng," the
Boundary Commissioner, was absent, which was a pity, for this appears
to be quite contrary to the contents of his " letter of authority." We
could say nothing more till he chose to come ; so we rose up and left
for our tents, telling the " Camboorie Governor" to be good enough to
reflect upon the matter, and that we could consult with him again
to-morrow morning. The " Paghlat Myo-sa" is here too, and as he
possesses considerable influence, he may possibly put things right. We
have received an invitation to attend another " pooay." These people
seem to live a life of amusement. I wish we could see the elephants
instead of the pooay.

'isth February 1866. — '' Weng-mok." This morning we had a long

consultation in the shed; the Paghlat and Camboorie " Myo-sas" and

the two Boundary Commissioners were present, also the Deputy Governor

of Prahoowan. We did all we could to induce the Camboorie Governor

to be sensible and let us have a few elephants, just suflScient to get
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up into the hills from the rivers and cart tracks ; hut the old man
was immovahle, and he appeared quite pleased at our saying " If you
will not give us the means of laying down the boundary on your side,
we shall be forced to go into our own territory, and then there are no
roads of any kind southwards, and we shall have great diflSculty in laying
down the boundary at all." Captain Street and myself talked for some
time over the matter, and came to the conclusion that, as matters stood,
it would be far the best plan to go to " Amya" on the Tenasserim River,
and, keeping that as a " base line," make inroads into the hills and fix
the watershed at every pass, for there could be no doubt of the disincli-
nations on the part of the Siamese to let us go down any further. But
here adbther difficulty was in our way : how were we to get to " Amya"
across the mountain ranges? Our heavy baggage was on the rafts;
we hadn't the means of taking that away ; so we said to the " Cam-
boorie Myo-sa" — " We have made up ' our minds to go to Amya, but
our baggage is on the rafts coming down the river, and we can't carry
it at all ; will you kindly help us to get it over the mountains into
Amya ?" To this he actually replied — " I will give you carts up to the
foot of the hills, and leave your baggage there." We tried to con-
vince him of the necessity of helping us now at any rate, but he
displayed such a childish spirit that it was useless asking him to do
anything more. I turned to " Pinya-keng," the Boundary Commis-
sioner, and said — " Your letter appears to be of little use here ; how is
it that after you promised all along to get us elephants at " Weng-
mok" you are unable to fulfil that promise, especially when you have
in your possession a letter satisfying every request you have made ?"
He said " I can't help it } he (pointing to the Camboorie " Myo-sa")
won't do anything, and I have been much degraded." The Paghlat
" Myo-sa," from whom we expected to get so much assistance, appeared
to be equally powerless ; he spoke frequently to the Camboorie Gover-
nor during our interview, and more particularly when the latter said
that " he would leave our baggage at the foot of the hills." When we
saw it was useless remaining and prolonging such an unsatisfactory
interview we took our leave. This afternoon the Boundary Commis-
sioner and Camboorie Governor have been quarreUing, I imagine, for we
could hear them from our tents speaking angrily to ,one another. This
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refusal to help us in the work will provCj I feel sure, a great blow to the
success of the year's expedition. I had set my heart on completing
the demarcation of the boundary this season, and the watershed is close
to the plains on this side, whereas it is separated from the Tenasserim
Eiver by a multitude of interlacing spurs, clothed with a dense, impene-
trable forest J so that, instead of getting down as far as the "Pak-
chan," we shall most likely only reach Mergui by the time the rains
set in. To-day I was asked for the hundredth time when I intended
leaving off the work ; that the intention of the Siamese Government
had been to line out the boundary as far as Tavoy this year and no further.
I gave them the same answer I had always given — " When the rainy
season comes I shall leave off ■" and " Pinya-keng" said, " Wflenever
you go I will go and stay out as long as you do, but please be quick
and go to Mountanis, for I have got business there and want to see
Rangoon as well."

Last year the two chief Boundary Commissioners went to Rangaon
and left the work, and these want to do the same. Really, the boundary
business appears to be a kind of " half-way-house" to Moulmein and
Rangoon ; with them the clouds have been gathering up from the south-
east all day, obscuring the sunlight, and the atmosphere has been feeling
very uncomfortable.

'ath February 1866. — Weng-mok. It rained heavily all last night,
but fortunately we had houses in which we could put our provisions.
" Weng-mok" consists of eight houses on the west bank of the Teik-pa-
kyit (or Camboorie) River, inhabited by a mixed population of Shans,
Taleings, and Lawas. Here, as in " Da-Yeik," the houses are differently
shaped to what we had hitherto seen ; the roofs are built upon gables,
which are exact equilateral triangles, which, of course, gives a pitch of
60 degrees towards the ridge : this is increased with a slight upward
curve, which gives it a picturesque appearance. I thought at first that
this construction could only have arisen from excessive rainfall, but they
say that, although it rains frequently and out of season, the showers are
by no means so heavy as those to the west of the mountains, and that
the peculiarity, of forms in the roofs is adhered to as being more graceful
than the flatter " pent-roof" on our side. Captain Street says he intends
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leaving this place to-morrow, but T am forced to stay, for since we have
been here the sky has shown neither sun nor stars, and I cannot leave
till I have fixed its position.

GtA February 1866. — Captain Street left for Tavoy this morning ;
it was still raining when he went, and kept on all day.

1th February 1866. — Towards mid-day the "clouded sky" began
to break up, and I fortunately managed an alteration of the sun, which
enabled me to calculate the lines of transit of some principal stars
to-night, and if the clouds pass of, I shall get through my work to-night
and go off in the early morning. All the heavy baggage went off in
carts to-day ; it is to be taken as far as the foot of the hills.

" Pinya-keng" says that he has sent for some elephants, but only
one has come as yet, and even if one or two more come, they won't be
enough to carry his own things, so they won't assist me much. But
Captain Street has been kind enough to leave three of his elephants
with me, so that we get to the foot of the hill ; we shall get all the
baggage over to " Amya" in three trips.

?>th February 1866. — To the Kran-pa-du Keng, distant 11 miles.
For the first six miles through an open forest and short grass similarly
to our route on the 3rd, when we entered " Weng-mok.'' Then the
cart-track leads you into a thick forest of small trees, chiefly " sappan."
In the ninth mile we reached the village of Yaybyoo. A short way
beyond the ground begins to undulate, and you perceive that you are
leaving the plains.

The Karens at " Yaybyoo" occupy themselves in cutting " sappan"
wood ; the trees are all small, not exceeding six inches in diameter. At
" Weng-mok" we saw two Chinamen ,• they had come up from Bangkok
to buy the " sappan wood." The cutters strip off the bark and external
shell of the tree, which is white, leaving the red heart exposed to the
sun in stacks. They get Eupees 40 for the hundred trees ; middle girth
11 inches. In former years sappan wood was much cheaper : the forests
are being gradually worked out.

2th February 1866.— To the " Theng-gan Lakhan," 2| miles.
Along the " Koonpadee" Keng easy marching ; ascent very gradual.
The " Theng-gan Lakhan" is only 1 i miles from the " Yoma," or main

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watershed. I originally intended crossing over to the "Amya-keng"
and encamping there, but the guides say that it is three miles to
good drinking water, so I determined upon staying here and fixing
the boundary first. There is little or no water in the bed of the
stream at the surface, but we dug a deep tank, and in two or three
hours the tank was filled by water percolating through the sand from
the higher levels. This "Lakhan"is 1,100 feet above the sea. The
Siamese Commissioners have stayed behind to look after the heavy
baggage that was so politely deposited at the foot of the hills. On
leaving " Weng-mok" I asked the Camboorie Myo-sa to be good enough
to give me some men to carry a sick lasear, who had been on the
point of death ever since he arrived, and whose body was so wasted away
with fever, that he could hardly speak. The "Camboorie Myo-sa"
said he couldn't get any men to carry him j I was then obliged to put
nearly all my surveying instruments on the elephants and make my own
men carry him. They brought him as far as this place, and when he
got here I put him on an elephant with the Native Doctor to look after
him, and sent them off to " Amya." The lasear would have died some
time back had he not been well attended ; for the last week he had been
fed on " port wine and arrow-root*' and Crosse and Blackwell's chicken
soup. He is getting stronger now, and can talk a little. I hope he
won't die, though I must say I think he has tried very hard to do
so. Death in camp is a veiy disagreeable thing ; the natives get
downhearted and dispirited, and fancy they are going to die too. Sent
the elephants back to the last camp to bring in as much of our baggage
as they can.

lOi!^ February 1866.— Theng-gan. The Siamese Commissioners
came into camp to-day ; we agreed to go up and fix the boundary
to-morrow morning. I sent my Surveyor and Chinamen to select a
good high hill near the pass, and build a small " look-out" on the top
of a tree, so as to get a clear view of the country and the principal
well-known peaks and hills.

Wth February 1866. — Yesterday evening my Surveyor, Moung Nan,
came back and said that the whole day had been taken up, first one
hill, then another ; that he had at last selected one, but it was so

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late, that they had not time to make the " look-out," so I sent them
up again to-day, deferring the settlement of the boundary till to-
morrow.

12^/S February 1866.^ — Across the Yoma, 5^ miles. Up the side of
the hill in two rather steep ascents, broken by a nearly level path ;
distance to the top \\ miles. Then you descend very gradually along
the bed of the Amya-keng, but the journey as far as "Lakhan Gyee,"
2i miles from the Yoma, is very disagreeable : you must follow
the bed of the stream, which is filled with rocks and boulders, and
leeches too.

This morning Pinya-keng and myself ascended the post of observa-
tion selected by Moung Nan, but not without some hesitation, for he
seemed to dislike the look of the platform 50 feet above him. He
said he knew nothing of the hills about this part of the country, and
called out to his men below, who, he said, knew something about
them, to come up ; but they said they were frightened, and had never
been up to such a place in their lives. I confess I was rather amused
at the frightened manner in which the Siamese Commissioner clutched
the branches when a gust of wind came. But as I could get nothing
out of the Siamese, I called up Moung Nan and the Akhwon-non of
Tavoy, whom Captain Street had kindly left with me, as he seemed to
know more about the country than anybody else, and we got a few
important bearings, but the mist, which comes over the country at
this time of the year and day by day increases till the rains, pre-
vented us seeing all we wanted. This hill is 2,300 feet above the sea
and 2,500 feet south of the pass, and is on the "main watershed."
There are wild elephants in these hills ; one of their paths leads up to
the point of observation from the pass.

Towards mid-day we descended to the pass to mark the boundary.

I chose a fine large tree 37 feet north of the pass, and cut
out a tablet about two feet square and engraved therein the

letters

V. E.

I860.
A. M. E.

The Siamese Commissioner chose a smaller tree in

the same line with ourTnarK and ine ridge on the same side of the

pass seven feet from it, and wrote on it in Taking

Boundary mark.

1227.
" Pinyarkeng."

Our

tree is a " Myouk Ngobeng" and theirs a " Pyeng-ma-byoo.-
SKETCH OF BOUNDARY.

A. The British mark. B. The Siamese do.

On my way down the " Amya" keng I met Mr. Burn, Captain
Burn's brother; he was marching as fast as possible with a view of
reaching Bangkok before Donald McLeod had left. He lost his guns
and provisions and almost everything he had in the Tenasserim Eiver
at one of the rapids.

\Zth February 1866. — To village of Amya, four miles, following
the Amya-keng for 2^ miles; easy marching along the banks.

The remaining distance on level ground through a bamboo forest.

The difference between the vegetation on the east and west sides
of the watersheds is quite remarkable.

On the east a belt of small Engboungs and Htonk-kyans growing
in a hard impervious soil lines the base of the mountains.

Everything seems hot, dry, and withered; the streams contain
little or no water, and that lies in the hollows of the rocks already

st the country is clothed
run bright and clear, and

[ 55 ]

the birds singing in the branches tell you that here at least there
is some life. This afternoon the Siamese Commissioner, " Piuya-
keng/' sent to say that he was taken ill ; so I went up immediately
with the Native Doctor to see what was the matter. We found he
had got fever, but it does not appear to be at all severe. I ordered
the Native Doctor to attend to him regularly and administer the
usual remedies. This evening the second Commissioner came to my
tent and said that " Pinya-keng" had told him to say that, if he was
not well in two days, he would return to " Weng-mok." This is
very like being determined to get ill and get away. He might have
waited till he really did get worse and then say he must go. It is difficult
to say what will happen. I think that " Pinya-keng'^ is really unwell,
but these people will do their utmost to get away. They consider
they have done quite enough for one year, and besides they have been
invariably at every interview asking me when I intend leaving off work.
I shall go and see " Pinya-keng" again to-night before I go to bed.

IMk Vebruary 1866. — Last night I found that Pinya-keng had
refused to take the medicine the Native Doctor had prepared for him j
but I persuaded him after some time to take it. He had no fever this
morning, but he says he can't eat anything and feels very ill.

Vbth February 1866. — All last night I could hear "Pinya-keng"
groaning : the Native Doctor was constantly with him.

This morning I made him take an emetic, which did him some
good, but he was worse than ever towards evening. I went up and sat
by his bed and made the Native Doctor put a mustard plaster on the
abdomen, as he complained of heat and irritation in the stomach. I
left the Interpreter and the Akhon-won with him to see that he did not
take off his plaster immediately it got hot, but it was of no use, for I
had hardly left Kim before he took it off. He does nothing but lament
and groan, and won't do what he is told to do. But this morning early
the second Commissioner came to my tent and communicated a piece of
information which I was now well prepared for. He said Pinya-keng has
desired me to tell you that he is too sick to continue the work, and
intends leaving to-morrow. To this I replied, " that it was most unfor-
tunate, and I was very sorry to hear that he intended going away ; but
that he (the second Commissioner) was quite well, so that he could come
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with me and settle the boundary as far as we could before the rains."
He laughed at this idea of mine, saying, " Why, I nevet intended going
down any farther. Before we left " Weng-mok" the Chief Commis-
sioner, Pinya-keng, gave me leave to go back directly we reached Amy a.
I am a sick, weakly man, and directly I try to climb a hill the blood
rushes to my head and I get giddy." Then I replied — " But you have
been appointed by His Majesty the King to assist " Pinya-keng" in
laying down the boundary between the two countries : it is clearly your
duty in the absence of the Chief Commissioner to continue the work ; I
am confident His Majesty will not approve of your going oflP, because
Pinya-keng is ill and is forced to go." He thought for a little while
and then said curtly — " I can't go : I know nothing about the business,
and Pinya-keng knows all about it." All this was not very promising ;
but I tried again, saying, " the business is not a diflBcult one to under-
stand ; the watershed is the boundary : all you have to do is to come
with me, satisfy yourself that the marks that are put up are either on
the watershed or in such places as they will not interfere with existing
rights of territory, and should you dislike settling that boundary where
there is occasion for discussion, you can leave it an open question to be
settled hereafter by the two Governments." But this would not do
either. He replied — " I can't take the responsibility : I have no power
when Piuya-keng is away." After this I said no more, seeing the
futility of attempting to put a sense of duty into a brain that had
never known it. Before he left my tent he asked me to be good enough
to write a letter to Mr. Knox, the British Consul at Bangkok, explain-
ing the cause of " Piuya-keng's" departure. It is a mystery to me how
these Commissioners can behave as they do. Last year two out of three
went away and could hardly be persuaded to leave one of their number,
and this year after a short month's work they wanted to give up and go
to Bangkok by the round-about way of Moulmein and Rangoon.

The Siamese have asked for supplies and elephants to take them
across the frontier as far as " Weng-mok." Luckily all our elephants had
not left, and I managed to persuade six of the drivers with a promise of
Rupees 4 a day to take the Siamese over. I gave them all the supplies
they wanted, so that they can't say that we on our side didn't help
them to the utmost of our power.

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This morning I sent away the guard and all those men I didn't
actually require en-route through " Myet-ta" and " Yay" to Moulmein,
I expect to meet Mr. Shepherd, the Deputy Commissioner of Mergai,
at " Oung-tha-wa-sa" in a week's time, and we will lay down the
boundary together.

IQth February 1866. — The Siamese Commissioners left at 7-30 this
morning. Before their departure the second Commissioner came to my
tent, and gave me three letters, one to Colonel Phayre, the Chief Com-
missioner, another to Colonel Brown, Commissioner, Tenasserim Division,
the third to E. Fowle, Esq., Siamese Consul, Rangoon : these I shall
send into Tavoy before I leave " Amya"

nth February 1866. — We have been busy all day making rafts :
those made by the Karens were unsuited to our requirements, and were
so roughly put together that the first rapid would break them up. In
order that the working party might get down quickly to the passes and
let the rafts follow, the Myooke sent up to " Myet-ta" for six boats ;
they ought to be here the day after to-morrow, and then we can get
away. As it is, there has been so much time lost' by a change of places
from one side to another, to say. nothing of the' distance of the water-
shed from this river, the Tenasserim, that I feel it will be next to im-
possible to get down further south than Mergui this year. On the
Siamese side of the boundary we might have been 50 miles south of
this and finished the whole work this'season.

\Bth February 1866. — " To-day I sent off my Surveyor, Moung
Pho, to Wavene, as far as " Kyouk-tow" on the " Bean-keng j" thence
he will survey that river as far as " Myet-ta," from which place he will
come down the Tenasserim and survey the whole river as far as Mergui."

\9th February 1866. — The boats came in this morning from
" Myet-ta," and we are going off to-morrow morning. ■

'i^Qth February 1866. — Left the village of Amya at 9 a. m. and
encamped at night on a bank above the " Salan Falls ;" descended six
rapids.

2,1st February 1866. — Leaving before sunrise we reached the "Sa-
may Falls" in the evening ; came down several rapids.

ZZnd February 1866. — Descended the Sa-may Falls in the morning
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[ 58 ]

and the Thon-doung Falls at mid-day ; encamped at night on the west
hank of the river. Between the Sa-may and Thon-doung Falls there
are three rapids.

2'6fd February 1866. — Towards evening we came down the Thon-
pa-non Falls, and encamped on a sand bank about two miles above
" May-pia."

lUhfelruary 1866.— Reached "May-pia'^by 7-30 A. m. I sent
the Akhon-won off to Oong-tha-wara with a letter for Mr. Shepherd
telling him the plans I have formed.

By latitudinal measurement the distance between "Amya" and

" May-pia" is 30 miles ; the general
T6^fsserimliv°Jr!^'°"™'^^°'^'''' width of the river is 150 yards; the

direction of the stream regular, deviat-
ing in turn from west to east of south. The bends are long, more
especially in the still-water reaches ; between " Amya" and " May-pia"
there are (4) four large rapids, or falls, and (1 6) sixteen smaller ones.
The aggregate fall in the river is 130 feet, which equals 43 feet in
the mile. This with such a large body of water would naturally give
an enormous velocity, and lead to the conclusion that the river's journey
must be a quick one ; such is not, however, the case : the whole of this
fall of 130 feet is absorbed in the rapids. Below them the water is
apparently motionless, and these still-water basins form (^) four-fifths of
the whole length.

The four great rapids are dangerous owing to the velocity of
the stream and the numerous sunken rocks j we were obliged to remove
all the instruments and other valuables and carry them down by lapd.
At the Sa-may Falls the Myooke's boat sank and our raft came to
pieces.

At the smaller rapids the water is shallow, and the bed of the
river is covered with boulders of great size, so that there is no dano-er •
they are rather welcome inasmuch as they carry you down a long way
into the still- water.

On the 23rd I was obliged to send back the Tavoy Myooke, as he
was laid up with fever.

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[ 59 ]

I intend marching up this " May-pia" River to the watershed and
fixing it and marking the boundary.

(Sd.) Aethue H. Bagge, Lieut., n. b.,

H. B. M.'s Commr., §iam
and Tenasserim Boundary Commission.

From Lieutenant-Colonel D. Bkown, Officiating Commissioner, Tenasserim
Division, British Burmah, to Captain 0. P. Hildebhand, Officiating
Secretary to Chief Commissioner, British Burmah, Bangoon, — No. 181,
dated Moulmein, the 9th April 1866.

In forwarding to you a copy of Lieutenant Bagge's letter, No. 4,
of the 5th instant, announcing the close of his operations for the
settlement of the boundary during this season, I have the honour to
state, for the information of the Chief Commissioner, that I am of
opinion that, under the circumstances stated by Lieutenant Bagge, he
acted wisely in returning at the time he did.

2. It is very much to be regretted that the Camboorie Myo-sa
acted with such perversity and positively refused to give elephants, which
no doubt were at his command. For his conduct this man has been, by
order of the King of Siam, dismissed from office.

8. When with the Siamese Commissioners last year I remarked
their great apathy as to the boundary southwards ; their only concern
was regarding the boundary on the Thoungyeen. When they saw
that there was no intention of our claiming anything to the eastward
of that river, they appeared perfectly satisfied, and told the late
Mr. O'Riley to fix the boundary as he liked. Lieutenant Bagge has
evidently met with the same apathetic feeling this season. The Com-
missioners at first refused to go further than the latitude of Tavoy ; then
they agreed to go down to the Pakchan ; but ultimately gained their
object by throwing difficulties in the way of Lieutenant Bagge : they
left him to the eastward of Tavoy. From the refusal to give him
elephants. Lieutenant Bagge had to change his route, cross over to
the westward of the hills, and come down the Tenasserim River to

Mergui.

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4. I am satisfied that the work of fixing the boundary on our side
southwards from the Amya Pass, where Lieutenant Bagge left off this
year, would be one of the greatest difficulty. The country southwards
is covered with dense jungle ; there are few inhabitants near the hills ;
there ^'e no tracks running parallel to them : these would have to be
cut, and I doubt if elephants could be obtained for hire; they would
have to be purchased. After consulting with Lieutenant Bagge I came
to the conclusion that the boundary must be fixed from the Siamese
side : there the country is peopled, though thinly, and there are
tracks running parallel to the hills.

5. I propose that for next season's work Lieutenant Bagge's plans
should be as follows : — He should about the beginning of November next
send his heavy baggage and his followers by a native junk to the Pakchan
Eiver, our southern boundary. Lieutenant Bagge should himself proceed
by the Straits Steamer of the middle of November on to Singapore, thence
to Bangkok ; there with the British Consul he could arrange all pre-
liminaries and meet his establishment ou the Pakchan about the middle
of December ; he would then proceed northwards, fixing the boundary
as he came along from the Pakchan up to the Amya Pass, where he left
off this year. The distance is about 200 miles ; this he ought to get over
in about two months.

6. I anticipate no difficulty as regards the arrangements at Bang-
kok : the British Consul has assured me that he will give every assist-
ance as to carriage, &c. I will write to him and tell him of the plan I
have proposed for next season's operations. His reply shall be sent for
information of the Chief Commissioner as soon as it is received.

From Lieutenant A. H. Bagge, e. e., Her Britannic Majesty's Commissioner,
Siam and Tenasserim Boundary CommisBion, to Lieutenant-Colonel D.

Brown, Officiating Commissioner, Tenasserim Division, British Burmah,

No. 4, dated Moulmein, tlie 5th April 1866.

I HAVE the honour to report my arrival at Moulmein by the
Steamer Salween yesterday, the 4th instant.

My early arrival necessitates explanation, and in connection with
it a brief narrative of those events which have been the cause of the non-
completion of the Boui^aj^^Se^t^^^^J^jj^^son.

[ 61 ]

In letter. No. 2, of the 8th January 1866, to your address, I re-
ported the fact that the Siamese Commissioner, " Pinya-keng," had
received instructions from his Government to go with me as far as the
latitude of Tavoy j that his power was limited to the district between
the Three Pagodas and Tavoy ; and that, in the absence of a letter of
authority, he had no influence whatever beyond that line. He went
on to say that he intended returning to Moulmein when he had done
the work allotted to him. I explained the puerility of such a proceed-
ing to him, inasmuch as we should reach Tavoy by the 1st February
with the working season still before us. Further, I offered to write to
Mr. f^nox, the British Consul at Bangkok, and request him to get
the requisite letter of authority. The Siamese Commissioner appeared
pleased at this, and consented to accompany me as far as the Pakchan
River, our southern boundary. At Wenka on the 10 th 1 sent a despatch
to the British Consul.

Being ignorant of the country south of Tavoy, I could not come to
any conclusion as to the route that would answer best as a base of
operations, but it being evident that the first 100 miles south of the
Three Pagodas was impassable on the western flank of the watershed,
we were forced to march down in Siamese Territory.

On the 17th January I met Captain Street, the Deputy Commis-
sioner of Tavoy, and we marched on together. To be brief, I will only
say that for the first 80 miles everything appeared most satisfactory. The
Siamese Commissioner gave us every assistance, told us the names of all
the remarkable hills both on and beyond the main watershed, pointed out
the sources of the main streams, and willingly and eagerly gave all the
information we required. Under these circumstances, we naturally got
op quickly with the work, and from the professions of the Siamese
dommissioners we were led to suppose and hope that by the middle
of March we should reach " Kia" and thus complete the demarcation
of the boundary. It is true that he frequently alluded to his limited
local power, and expressed a desire to leave off when we reached the
latitude of Tavoy ; but we did not pay much attention to this, inasmuch
as two despatches had been sent to Bangkok with a view of preventing
his leaving the work.

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On the S7th January we reached " Da-yeik," a largish village on
the " Teik-pa-kyit," or Camhoorie, River, in latitude 14° 25' 37." Here
we were met by the Governor of the Paghlat District, &c. (the district
south of Camboorie), and brother of the Siamese Boundary Commis-
sioner, " Pinya-keng." Though we were treated with the greatest of
cordiality and respect by the Paghlat Myo-sa, inasmuch as to make us
more certain of doing our work rapidly and eflBciently, yet when I look
back to the day we met him and know that from that day our difficul-
ties began, I cannot but think he was, perhaps, the first to object to our
further progress on the Siamese Territory. This objection consisted of
this : persistent denial of the existence of any route beyond " Da-^eik •"
false information along the route found out and taken ; pretended
ignorance of the country ; and, worse than all, a shameful desertion of
our camp. I am justified in using this expression, for the Siamese
Commissioner was acquainted with the diiferent spots suitable for camp-
ing grounds ; but he left us to the care of two or three Siamese, who
day after day made us shorten our marches and pitch in places where
the water'was, when not stagnant, hardly adequate to our wants, and
only an hour's march from nice, flowing streams. Had we parted with
all our elephants and taken to rafts on the Paghlat Myo-sa, and the
Siamese Commissioner advised and pressed, we should not have had
any difficulty in reaching " Weng-mok," but we should have left
ourselves completely in their power; and as they both on their part
opened again the subject of giving up work, we should have been
without the means of moving without their consent and co-operation.
Captain Street and myself had a long consultation on this subject,
when we found they had begun to deceive us. Though the Siamese
Commissioner told us frequently that we could get elephants at "Weng-
mok," still we clung to independence. The Siamese Commissioner sent
away some of his elephants at " Ua-yeik," and the consequence was
half of mine followed. We were crippled, but not powerless, for the
heavy baggage was sent down to " Weng-mok" in rafts, and we with
the few things we could carry took the land route. Future events
show how right we were in adopting this course, for on our arrival
at "Weng-mok," a village some 12 miles from Camboorie, we were
received by the Governor of that district, and he refused to give us

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elephants— refused, inasmuch as he stated that there were no elephants
m his district, whereas it was generally known that there were a great
many. He offered us hoats and carts, not coolies, as well ; and what could
we do with hoats and carts without coolies when we had to ascend the
main range? For three days we attempted to persuade him to help us
laying the whole matter before him ; that owing to the absence of all
communication with the watershed on the west we could not lay down
the boundary without almost insurmountable difficulties from that side ;
and that by his refusal to assist us he was in reality stopping the
work. All our arguments had no effect on him ; on the contrary, he
appeared so determined not to help us through the difficulty, that he
actually said, when we begged him to convey our baggage across the
hills to A my a on the Tenasserim River, " I will take all your baggage
up to the foot of the hills and leave it there."

The Siamese Commissioner has already received his letter of autho-
rity from the Prime Minister, but, strange to say, there was no mention
whatever in it of helping us with elephants ; and, further, the letter was
very cautiously written, giving a great deal, yet taking away what it
gave. In these difficulties there were two courses to pursue : the first
to go to Bangkok and represent the impossibility of continuing work
without elephants ; the second, to go into our own territory and meet the
hardships, whatever they might be, settling the boundary from the west.
Against the first, it was clear that they did not wish us to survey
any longer in their territory, and also that they considered enough work
had been done for that year. That these were no sudden conjectures
or ideas without reasonable foundation the fact will show, for at the
Three Pagodas, when I met the Siamese Commissioners, they were averse
to my going into Siam at all, one of the party arguing that, if we
surveyed in their country, its honour or its prestige would be gone.
Hearing this speech I said that the two Governments were great friends,
and that, if His Majesty the King of Siam were to hear such a thing
he would be - very angry. It was owing to this that Pinya-keng, the
Siamese Commissioner, did so much for us till he met his brother at Da-
Yeik. Again, with reference to their wishing to discontinue work, at
every interview the Siamese Commissioners expressed a desire to leave off
in the latitude of Tavoy and go to, Moulmein ; also, had not the Court
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[ 64 ]

of Siam intended the demarcation to extend this year as far as Tavoy
and no further, they would, I imagine, have not restricted their Com-
missioners' powers in the way they did. Captain Street and myself had a
long consultation on the question, and we came to the conclusion that
going away to Bangkok was simply doing no more work this year; and
what would that entail on me ? This : the responsibility of having spent
a large sum of Government money in maintaining the establishment and
without anything to show for it. .That we were perfectly ri^it in
thinking that the Government of Siam had no idea of continuing the
work may be seen in the annexed copy of the British Consul's letter,
which reached me on the 10th March on the Tenasserim River. In it
may be seen that the authorities wished me to go to Bangkok to
consult about the next year's operations, not to see if they could not
manage to help me on this year.

I was quite alive to the fact that marching over to the west side
of the watershed and keeping the Tenasserim River as my base of opera-
tions would entail such difficulties as to render it next to impossible
to reach " Kra" and complete the work as I wished ; .but I considered it
right to do my best and give an equivalent amount of work for the
money spent : and this was not to be expected by going to Bangkok to
talk about what we were to do next year. Again, a survey of the
Tenasserim River was almost necessary to a complete illustration of the
boundary ; it would give me the mouths of all streams and their probable
sources, which might be more accurately determined by marchino- north-
wards from Kra next season on the Siamese side, where the hills are so
accessible ; it would enable me to make a map of the Tenasserim side of
the boundary, while the next season would give me the Siamese side •
and lastly, it would enable me to carry out the idea I have always enter-
tained of not only furnishing a bare map of the boundary line, but of
preparing maps both of Siam and Tenasserim and adding to the o-eneral
knowledge of those countries. I do not mean by this that in order to
carry out this year I did ever, or would, delay the demarcation of the
boundary line. I mean that I wished to give the Government a greater
knowledge of the physical geography of the two countries, which no
man but one in my position could hope to obtain.
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Being influenced by these considerations and convinced of the futility
of going to Bangkok, we crossed the hills by the Amya Pass into our
own territory not without difficulty ; for I was obliged to send the few
elephants I had backwards and forwards and get on step by step just
before my departure from Weng-mok (Captain Street had gone on two
days before). The Camboorie Myo-sa offered to get a few elephants; I
waited for them, but I found that they were only sufficient to take the
Siamese Commissioner's things, and therefore of no use to me.

Pinya-keug and myself fixed and marked the boundary in the Amya
Pass, and this was the last march made with joint consent, for Pinya-
keng fell sick at " Amya," and he and all the Siamese went back into
their own territory, though I did all I could to persuade the second
Commissioner to remain with me.

I waited at Amya a few days for boats, but when they came they
were of no use, being very small and crank, so I had rafts iriade and
went down the Tenasserim River surveying it and determining the halting-
places by astronomical observations. The watershed is only accessible
in three places on the west side, viz., the " May-pia," " Sarawa," and
" Thean-kon" Bivers j they have all been surveyed and the boundary
marked. The Karens on the Tenasserim River dreaded the very idea
of giving up these passes. The " May-pia" and the " Sarawa" do not
deserve the name, as there are no real tracts. I walked for seven days
in water when ascending the May-pia River, and was laid up with fever
the sixth day.

On the 7th March we reached " Oung-tha-wara," or what is now
called " Theng-gan-ngok," the boundary of the Tavoy District, and there
I met Mr. Shepherd, the Deputy Commissioner of Mergui.

On the 22nd March we reached Tenasserim, and here came to a
dead-stop, for after my head Surveyor had finished the survey of the
"Thean-kon" River there was nothing more to be done. There was no
possibility of getting any farther south, except by going to Mergui,
Chateing, Katoos, and making for " Kra," But even this, though
feasible, was not advisable, for by the time we had got the Katoos and
reached " Kra" the monsoon would have caught us, and we could not
have returned without great risk, and even without that not much could
be gained by giving to^»c|)z|(f j^JJ'JlJ^t^Sso/?^^ ^° the -watershed, where

[ CO ]

there was no connection witli the work we had ah'eady done. Sucli a
proceeding would have cost a large sum of money without producing any
good.

I was deliberating vrhat my next st^p ought to be when I heard
that the monthly steamer had not come in, so I thought it the wisest and
cheapest plan to go at once to Mergui and take my establishment up
to Moulmein, thus saving two months' pay.

The length of boundary line determined this season is about 230
miles.

Srom Thomas Geokge Knox, Esq., Her Britannic Majesty's Council, to Lietjie-
NANT Bagge, &o., &c., &c., Eoyal Engineers, Boundary Commissioner, — dated
Bangkok, the 22nd February 1866. !

I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatches
relative to the difficulties you have experienced in endeavouring to obtain
elephants and the means of transit to enable you to proceed on your
journey for the purpose of settling the boundary question.

I have spoken to His Excellency the Prime Minister on the subject,
and he states that he did not receive sufficient notice of the route you
intended to take and the elephants you would require on the journey.

In any ease, he informs me it would be very difficult to obtain a large
number of elephants in that particular part of the country'; but, this
might have been done if early warning had been given.

Under the present circumstances, it appears to me that your best plan
would be to come to Bangkok at once, when you can make further
arrangements for next year. The sickly season is about to set in, and
you will be unable to continue your operations without danger to health.

By coming to Bangkok every arrangement can be made to enable
you to complete your business next year without inconvenience.

The Siamese Authorities are also anxious to see you.

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