Journals of Travels in Assam, Burma, Bhootan, Afghanistan and the eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 725 pages of information about Journals of Travels in Assam, Burma, Bhootan, Afghanistan and the.

Journals of Travels in Assam, Burma, Bhootan, Afghanistan and the eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 725 pages of information about Journals of Travels in Assam, Burma, Bhootan, Afghanistan and the.

The village of Tsebainago is opposite to Male, and appears nearly of the same size.  Both are situated close to the mouth of the third Kioukdweng.  Male contains 150 houses, all small; it is a place of no trade.  To the north is a hill forming the river bank, and covered with pagodas; it is the prettiest place we observed after Katha.  The soil has now put on the dry sterile appearance of the Coromandel coast, all the trees of which, except the figs, are common; and often render the banks very pretty.  Tectona of Hamilton is very common; it is a tree not exceeding in height 40 feet, much resembling in habit the more valuable species; the flowers are blueish, particularly the villi; the leaves have the same excessive rough feel.  Two other Verbenaceae, a curious Capparidea, caule laxo, foliis lineari-oblongis, basi hastato-cordatis, and a Ximenia are common.  On the banks Stravadium, and an arboreous Butea, a Combretum, are common.  Low stunted bamboos likewise prevail; and all the bushes are prickly.  Nyctanthes is cultivated.  The rocks as well as those forming the Kioukdweng, are of coarse sandstone, here and there affording nourishment to abortive Compositae, stunted grasses, Mollugo, etc.

Left Male, and entered immediately the last Kioukdweng on descending, or the first defile on ascending against the stream.  This is a pretty passage, and moreover has no dangerous places; the hills are low, lower than those of the two former passes, consisting of sandstone partially clothed with the same scanty vegetation, presenting the same barren appearance.  Olax, Fici, Leguminosa, stunted bamboos, Hippocrateacea, Mimosa, and Stravadium, occur.  Celsia on sandy spots, together with Campanula, but this last is becoming rare.  Adelia nereifolia continues.  An arundo occurs on the naked rocks; Cassia fistula, Tectona Hamiltoniana are also present.

We are much impeded by south-west winds; and owing to this and the slowness of the stream, we were compelled to remain some time at Thee-ha-dau.  We there had excellent opportunities of seeing the fish, which are so very tame as to come up to the sides of the boat, and even to allow themselves to be handled.  The faqueers of the place call them together; but I think they are not much disposed to come from mere calling, for they seem to require more substantial proofs of being wanted, in the shape of food:  they are found in still water in a small bay, which is closed up still more from the influence of the stream by a round island, constructed superficially on a rocky base, and on which pagodas are built.  They resemble a good deal the Gooroa Mas of Assam, but have no large teeth as this has.  They are very greedy, of a blueish grey colour, occasionally inclining to red; the feelers are in some forked:  they have no scales.

We continued our course when the wind lulled; halted to dine on a sandbank, and proceeded on afterwards, until we reached Kabuct about 8.5 P.M.  On the sandbank where we dined I gathered a Crotalaria, Campanula, Cleome, a Graminea, Polygonum, Cyperaceae, and a Dentelloidea.  The villages seen were all small.

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