armies, and led them to victory. To reward him the
king bestowed upon him land, two square miles ^ in
extent ; the revenue (petlet) of which he might enjoy
(eiksa), and he was left free to choose it where he
would. Accordingly he set out with a cock placed in
the prow of his canoe, and resolved to settle where the
cock should crow. At Sin-Kaung Seik, his cock crowed
while he was eating, and there he took his land of the
kins: and settled down, naming the place Petlet-sa-myo,
subsequently whittled down to Balet.
Above Balet, there appears one of those gateways
which are characteristic of the Chindwin. The river
narrows between hills, through which it has forced a
passage, and beyond, and transverse to the river s course,
a line of mountains runs like a great barrier across the
horizon. The river widens to a large circular lake
above the gates, enclosing an island, and the. two
streams rush together in tumult as they come through.
The western current is very swift, and flows right under
the lofty precipices which rise from its edge, and raftsmen
say their prayers when they reach this corner.
Steamers coming down in the high floods descend tail
first, ready to steam away from collision with the
rocks. Polesmen, with long poles thrust out, wait by
the ship’s side to break the impact. Above. Masem
the Government steamer Pagan came to an end.
Finding that there was not room enough for her to
turn in, she took her chance of cutting the corner, and
smashed into it.
Masein displays a grassy foreshore to the falling
420
THE FORESHORE OF KALEWA