2 78 E'M B ASSY TO'* ?AVA.:
Which hëTèquesfïèd I-wouItTsfop to partake: I 'complied with his desire,
and accompanied him to1 a bower formed in a-clump of bamboos, on the
bank of the river j and'shaded frèm the sun by an artificial' awning ó f grass :
hëfé wó found a profuSioh b f fruits,'-milk, butter, and preserves ;1 in dishes
laid out on caipets; -a company of dancing girls aiul musicians from a
hèighboiTring'killagë''entertained us with their- music- and graces. I re-
mained-as 'shbrLka- tiinh as. was consistent with civility, and then pursued
my voyare.1 ódh progress -sexifai populous villages pleasantly
situated,- and adomèd with well enclosed gardensihnd? 'orchards of
plantam; guava5, and* other fruit trees.- At night--we brought to at Kioup-■
taloum, -where"a'farge'temple, surrounded by- severahsmall. buildings, was
the only object1 'that? merited particular attention.
Next day we got under way at the customary hour, and made but slow
progress, the wind heading us so far, that the square sails of the.Birman
boats could nót'keep full; oars and poles were pfyed with vigour. The
river, which, though it had not yet risen to its utmost periodical height, had
overflowed its banks, filled all the water-courses, and' inundated the low
'grounds adjacent to its bed. As the force of the current lay in the middle
of the stream;, in order to avoid - its influence5 we frequently-navigated
through fields, in which the tall grass and reeds-appeared above the surface'of
the water, and the trees had their stems immersed beneath the flood.
The swelling of "the Irrawaddy is not influenced by the- quantity of rain
which falls in the vallies, but by the torrents that rush down from the mountains.
Notwithstanding the drought in the champaign country had been
greater this year than usual; the river Was swollen to its regular height,
which, I was informed, it rarely fell short of, or .exceeded: indeed this part
of the' country is seldom refreshed by copious rains, but, like Egypt,
E MHM SHR. y q ö jAjV-A^ 2 7 9
depends Thplr.rawiid,dyS’|
during
paiTOP. rb.jjd4 f.ijnfib, Msemhlaga.^iJj^ljsgest;,v,eq?bfl'A^ap .e r..,ha<h
itsinanie, -fgr ftthgj:mf ^ «partp
of people, j SSSW separate trade, or following some peculiar
oecupationv H g t$mh erppte(i t^'t|h^ ienior>y)J:
tughjdi&dj^tioh ho1 *,<^1
yea^h||>mk|it ■y^sf.^dtQbjbpfci(bi\<.^djitithn g am t^ ^ ^ h iaji
qe nine, dsdrs np.^msg j^cr^ir^s,
»irvnms would j hay.e^eriyaP'ed.j ^ f a ttend)C ^ || ^ | l%j^.q-‘inp!to^h^adife^^-?l sppjjf
'»nmiljoqs. anthbeaLaWiiycd that e l I p u dull;hi-slant,
uhuili^^JitqjLl^a^mijj^qj^mtiiriitw qLi l y d W;'i'khW'lW‘ill
- brought t(y.atemthe.eiy^ in g I^ t ^ l p s'« y^ A n g 3 p la p e )^fj^hgt^^tqjq^
the nitoi.nf Ava. and the,metropolis o£ah,thet?Birnia4i.,eqmMe..,, >
In t1je^orningItook,g^a^®sie}yt0fj^.uhgw^pijAyjg;git3^4ii^-id§dFig.tSi
amuppep^ndjjjg^er rigy wbitjh.ar^jprl^j^Ithc;j|xwoV w h mljw^ljjc
' most cxtc^sjvQjI judge^ohu^lamtlorn nidc>.^n.ch^miileionec\; riljis.’p ^
dented by/a vya.ll f hj^y/feef high, at tlm4foptfiiSf'>whi.'|h>-^^e^|spaglggp,l^r}(l
broad fosse. The communication betweeii thefort and the country is ovgr
a jnound qf earth Grossing the-, ditch, v that Mppp^ts; atvoapseway an .em-
■ bankment ofleajih in the i^i^^tainfc<A^yalhi(dieiiihbP«l<aMnallar
fprt, yifiipb may bqipalleji jjjg qj^adejn apdpdqp ua^Bafceedfa ,i^ehin»git-
pjiit, was much stronger, -an,^ mqrq,,qqgipact than/J^p le.yer,'^httl80hj'^^
||jfeMppef^Q|^$hgJpwer had,a., ditch on the g id ^ f the river. jjshe; Walls