II.  FROM BEESA LACOOM TO NAMTUSSEEK.

COUNTRY TRAVERSED FORMING PARTS OF THE NAGA RANGE OF HILLS, AND OF THE SOUTHERN BOUNDARY OF THE VALLEY OF ASSAM:  THE NORTHERN SIDE IS SUBJECT TO BRITISH, THE SOUTHERN TO BURMESE CONTROL.

1st.  STAGE.—­Halting place in the jungle, at an elevation of 770 feet above the sea.  Direction SSE.  Distance 12 miles, course over low hills covered with dense jungle.

2nd. Darap Panee.—­Altitude 1029 feet.  Direction SSE.  Distance 12 miles, passed over some difficult places; crossed the Darap twice before we reached the halting place, course through very heavy jungle, except on the summits of the higher hills, which are tolerably open.

3rd. Namtusseek, {118} or Tusseek Panee, altitude 1413 feet.  Direction SSE.  Distance 12 miles, country more open:  summit of the hills covered with grass and scattered trees.  The highest hill surmounted was certainly 1000 feet above our halting place.

4th.  Namtusseek, or Tusseek Panee, altitude (not observed).  Direction SSE.  Distance 10 miles, course almost entirely up the bed of the river over boulders, occasionally skirting the stream through heavy and wet jungle.

5th. Yoomsan nullah, near the foot of the Patkaye.  Alt. 3026 feet; direction SSE.  Distance 4 miles.  Course for a short time along the bed of the Namtusseek, until we crossed a small stream, the Tukkakha:  then ascended a mountain, about 3500 feet high; on reaching the summit we descended until we reached the halting place.

6th. Nam-maroan, or Maroan-kha. {119a} Alt. 2500 feet.  Direction ESE.  Distance 15 miles.  Ascended until we reached the summit of the Patkaye; the ascent was in some places very steep, and owing to the unsettled state of the weather, very difficult.  Reached the boundary nullah, along which we proceeded for some time; we then commenced the descent, which was steep, and continued so, until we reached the Nam-maroan.  The extreme elevation we reached was rather more than 5000 feet. {119b}

7th. Nam-maroan.—­Altitude estimated 2000 feet.  Direction ESE.  Distance 10 miles, course along the bed of the stream; ground difficult, and much impeded by boulders.

8th. Nam-maroan.—­Altitude not taken.  Direction ESE.  Distance 7 miles.  Course the same, but of a less difficult nature.

9th. Khathung khioung. {119c}—­Altitude 1622 feet.  Direction E. by S. Distance 7 miles, course continues along the Nam-maroan, the whole way:  ground much less difficult.  Passed close to a Singpho village of two houses; some Puthars which bore traces of having once been cultivated and inhabited occurred on this march.

10th. Khussee-khioung.—­Altitude 3516.  Direction E. by S. Distance 13 miles, left almost immediately the Khathung Kioung, and commenced ascending.  Ascent in some places very steep and difficult, and continued until we had reached an elevation of 5600 feet.  The descent then commenced, and continued until we reached the Khussee-khioung, passing along for some distance the Natkaw-khioung.  The descent was occasionally difficult, owing to broken ground; tree jungle occurred almost throughout the whole distance.