CORNELL ■ tmm rbigiiize(J^MMi-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 Digitized by Microsoft® [ * ] 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 Digitized by Microsoft® ° [ 5 1 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 Digitized by Microsoft® [ 6 ] 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 Digitized by Microsoft® C 7 ] 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, Digitized by Microsoft® [ 8 ] 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 Digitized by Microsoft^ [ 9 ] 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 Digitized by Microsoft® g C 10 ] 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. Digitized by Microsoft® [ 11 ] 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. Digitized by Microsoft® [ 12 ] 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 Digitized by Microsoft® [ 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 Digitized by Microsoft® ° [ 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 Digitized by Microsoft® 3 [ 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 Digitized by Microsoft® [ 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 Digitized by Microsoft® [ 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 Digitized by IVIicrosoft® ■'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 Digitized by Microsoft® [ 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 Digitized by Microsoft® 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. Digitized by Microsoft® [ 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. Digitized by Microsoft® [ 25 ] 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 Digitized by Microsoft® 4 [ 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- Digitized bWrJ^'im ^^' ^''''^''y '-'^''^ d'-^i"« [ 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, Digitized by Microsoft® [ 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 Digitized by Microsoft® [ 29 ] 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. Digitized by Microsoft® [ 30 J 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. Digitized by Microsoft® [ 31 ] 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 Digitized by Microsoft® [ 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 Digitized by Microsoft® [ 33 ] 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. I4th 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 Digitized by Microsoft® [ 52 ] 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 Digitized by Microsoft® [•53 1 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 Digitized by Microsoft® [ 56 1 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. Digitized by Microsoft® [ 57 ] 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 Digitized by Microsoft® g [ 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. Digitized by Microsoft® [ 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. Digitized by Microsoft® [ CO ] 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. Digitized by Microsoft® [ 62 ] 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 Digitized by Microsoft® [ 63 ] 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 Digitized by Microsoft® [ 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. Digitized by Microsoft® [ 05 ] 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. Digitized by Microsoft® Digitized by Microsoft® Digitized by Microsoft® Digitized by Microsoft® Digitized by Microsoft® Digitized by Microsoft®