mypjrai J^oaj;,» which was ^inucji more- pqnvepdgpt,. though ;M>| dignified
.conveyance., >
After leaving Neoundaft, the eastern bank of the river rises to a perpendicular
height, eighty or one hundred feet above the river. In the side of
the cliff, rather more than half way up, we saw some apertures reseiiihling
doorways, and were -told that they Were nrstraaices-into caves whichlhad&i'-
merly been inhabited b y hermits, who, desirous of withdrawing from .the
world, had^esccavated'these abedeswkh-tfadEr-own hands, auddwelt inifehem
for the remainder 'of theft lives,preserving no farther intercourse wi& f e i r
felow creatures, 'than what was BScessaty'to 'receive their food, '«hieh was
lowered dowii’tothemhy a »rope. T h e ^ im a n s donot inltetiionitheinselsves'
disgustful tof-tures, after the manner of the Hindoos, h u t they, deem It »meritorious
to mortify 'the Besh h y i the ^voluntary penance ;df absteanor®fiess
and self-denial. Solitary seclusion has, at some period or other,been
accounted praiseworthy in most countries : during the weigh ‘of-monkish
superstition, h prevailed very »commonly! throughout 'Europe : our legendary
tales-are not wholly unfounded: the Hermit of Warkworth is said to
have had its origin from a fact, Birmans, however,' though h i go t ted, safe
not gloomy, and are in general blessed with a disposition too cheerful to
'retire from the world in hopeless despondency,- or sullen discontent.
Our journey this day was slow, and we perceived little that differed
from what has- already been described: the islands formed by the river
were long, and succeeded each- other with such small intervals, that the
full breadth-of the river, from bank to bank, seldom could be seen; we
judged it to1 be in most, places three miles wide : our boats kept near the
eastern shore, and passed, on that side, the towns of Sirraykioum and
Gnerroutoh. -During the latter part of the day, the country seemed fertile,
and the soil richer than in tfe"'iiti^KB()urbi«“«&of',Pag.llun: fl lmmllor-bP
nhabitants uid ( aftlt'u<lcimicdta i tOnsi’ri'Ji ab‘le*popul u io n » Inrilie esunugf
we Brought totnchwSliSia^lcfrTgf^Wall'hut^iirat'toYh', C(3iitauung''dboiifr'
30d*hotises,'¥anged in a regular sli ctTr ¥ -itac ITclw dims* li.r® ai «ifall gardchy
fenced with atbdinboo'Ta'fflmg^Two lawflfstef it s*arul* P* lew »small temples,'
did’hbfi claim tele' spr^idm^tt^cs ttfit*
d f eriftiSdbwe'd them. wercroljjL^tv'ol ■ {■>le-.Vsjh’^M ^ n p l 'd i 1 o i l .' f» o
» fS'On the licxf d ,y July
,fai'ft at others slow, and \vi.emfW^iS^IJ^ilfe’w)irVrgftlf('i65re‘(JnifsIftff l ( ^ ^ l j ^
»of the fiveriwlmlih'^stjarmcliyfliat'wellfaTl
the* castei n side, w as thiSprarobi* m o s t ? n nn muuuW
with several neafpemples. Ai half pasthb\"e»'in oilf
slfoic. and1 found I'hd'aifjAcSit'Countiy dis idemdito'lieTcl^wlhclt’
per season;,»"ate culfivated ; the remains o‘f» ^ttoh.VuldpJhiVtltion'i'tFi'tl had'
In d u c e d ;$fcrdp in-* the-loimer ycau wcic ye't Iyuig o f ^ j e r e io u u tl^ S ^
ta’ched 'hills>‘appeSred‘'fth^Tl^i^asiwyra$ We® brbiiglif Te^anTPs'puot4\ l j e
night ne'a'r a small vdltgc < tiled TouS h&P^o thcmlirtlrof Yc^jftf^VHeieJ
theghhabitarit-s get* their-E^Ijhboff'hysilling EaejlacY or prcHefi rialleal, of
which iliefrhmafis arc extremely foiid. The plan? I wHVirnmnital^ffm-s"r®
a place called l’along-miou, a district to tfie'noiilr easPo/^TLTnm^i^cua, iff
isx'very-ihf£Mdr-'to the tea produced iiF(§ffp$f and is seldom* used JhiFas a
pickle.
• ©ft trfrd following day we kept close1 to the eastern shore, and' tlaer la^&faftfft
of the river being in most places from three tcVftvd'miLs’t It, was nottensy a
minutely to distinguish objects on the westerif tifflS 1 The,'cgiAtry,!aGve*
advanced north, increased in population andjtnjprosod-ih agricuftp^jythd'
land everywhere indicated a deficiency ofraiif.h'^grparcHepf afrWSroked1
m m m