arttrtfcwEst ^mrrqfAvstei, ■ that, acting with the ennrait;***»--.*» bade
nearly two miles <before>wh soMd reach _thej sbore. 'The river here was
ecffite than; a mile -wide, although ithada sst y e t attained its feHsnoasoon
fought. At fear wife -again /got under m * j r ? * a A saw, «ft *the east
TOop-rnkni,; or T o m ©wing awjdiasmey d n s d a y weffiabsly
disoefiiled She AnbupectaBmiou, ©r great western Mfc ’that divide (this
country from Anracan-; the .particular mountains in aSigbt^t&e boatmen
said, were named T atagaa. Thedisteict-s we-passed Jthrough this d a y were
exceedingly -populous, and in -most parts cultivated. W-e brought tolate
in ifae evening, under A •steep haak, »ear the h^nSsderatde village of
Txeezau.
We left, before daylight, a Very uncomfortable situation : the night was
sultry, and-the high bank th a t hung ever us prevented -a dree .circulation
o;f air; added to this, we'were annoyed with myriads of stinking insects
that issued-from the reeds and -coarse grass. T h e pleasantness of the day
compensated for the inconveniences of the night. As we advanced, the
western Tange of hills closed upon the ri-ver, -and i n ;some -places displayed
very beautiful scenery. Approaching the town -of iPeeing-ghee, mn the
west side, the .rocky banks rose abruptly to the height of ;or three
hundred -feet,-the -sides of which were.richly .clothed with hanging trees of
variegated foliage. The confinementmfithe water in this place increased its
rapidity,and f could, not but; admire th e exertions made by the-boatmen in
stemming ’Sbtviolent a stream: roars were -useless, and the 'perpendicular
banks- afforded mo footpath to tra c k ; it therefore became necessary to impel
the boatiforwardhy bamboofpoles,:ailabour at which !the-Birmans-are
uncommonly expert. When th e pole is hrm in the-ground, they place .the
top of it against the muscles-of -the ,shoulder, just /above the collafrjboiie,
then raising that shoulder, and bending forward, bring the whole
the body|tbiilfoat',;ispon the end-ef the pole; - imt^is manner they
ttaversethe platform .feqrmsteiri to
eqssioo pn;bctth sides, of the boat* haying amah thwart-, hamhoos fasiened
on the platfoym, a ya^d asunder, to.pi®vent their feet from -slipping.’, Owing
to thismode o f ixihg ithe end hiKthe pale agajKSkthe m u sb j^ ih a iiiti|h
from the back d f the neck, to the shoulder, y .callosity: is formed^ and a
Birman boatman always appears to be high shoulderedTecmld not disv
cover -why they preferred‘that--method to themore ah vfousbSTadifiasy o‘n |
/ r f p u c b i n g w i f h t h e t e 1. f l f j j j& g s s h o u ld e r t t h e y , h $ 3f f l e V p r , ; p q i f e m d i ;W i t% td '
am persuaded nonehtut Birmans could effect. We
fog. the extreme i a i ^ p e f n d h w s b did abhflKcead-foip.fatofbed
yards.
The townjoB .PmRg-ghes, ford that of SaWabdan, a little shsuse-it,., export
a great part .of the teak timber tW is carried Thetfeeifs
extend afongQn.the.w£sternmountains, andwere in,sigbf from the boats. The
trees a re fdled in the drysbasomand when the,monsoon isets.in; are borne by
thedhrrbntsfo these towns. Thenewas avsffipsnthe stocks dose to-Pem^-
ghee:, of 4O0 tonshurthen; a.Mussidman mere ban t from- $uifor; opt s®f .deo-
nomy, Chose this place for building a t,ia jhhfermcs to-Rangoon; he meant,
as soon as %& h u l s to d d ; be finished, to Beat ibcfowhjtha.&tream. -I was
toM that there was ag so d dealof hajmrdin)foemavigation,:d ie ’dist.a«ce.of
, WhkhfhKSiuding «the windings'of the river ,-jprabably exceeds d 50 miles- ;
but he -calculatted the difference ofexpence Jobe fedeqnaie to the.risk. This
adventurer furnished a proof o f the confidence'that might be planed in, the
Birman government, and the security that aystranger has, fori his ;piispeiity.
The teak tree, ialthough 4t will grow on the plains * is a naliveofsthe moan