ssam Deputation for the Ex

his morning we reached the "Beera," into which the Pubna Karee enters, and which at the mouth presents a vast expanse of water. Among the jheels which occur on every side, we noticed in abundance the Tamarix dioica. About noon we entered a narrow river, and in the evening a very narrow creek in

we proceeded after leaving Shiraz-gunge is nothing but a net-work of rivers, several of vast size, and low islands, occupied almost exclusively by Saccharum

ear nearly due north. The country through which we passed yesterday presented no change whatever. Andropogon muricatus has now nearly left us; but the Sac

d. During our route here, we were employed in examining a new species of Crotalaria, and one of Mitrasacme! In pools close to u

of which the officers' houses are situated; indeed this is the only dry line about the place, as immediately inland there are nothing but jheels and

island opposite the cantonment out of the question, is much more. During the dry weather this part of the river is passable, and indeed is in some places nothing but a dry bed of sand, so that people walk across it. During our stay at the above place we met with many interesting and ne

and, covered with Saccharum spontaneum. And

but a succession of sandy banks covered with Saccharum spontaneum. The stream is not very rapid, and the river, owing to the numerou

, the Barak. The water of this river or portion of the Megna? is remarkably c

ep out the grass. We have since entering these jheels passed through and between immense beds of vegetation, formed principally of Oplismenus (Panicum) stagninus, Leersia? aristata, which by-the-bye is a distinct genus. Villarsia cristata, Nymph?alotus, Potamogeton, Azolla Salvinii, etc. etc. The only novel things we have met with are Isch?mum cuspidatum, Roxb. (sui generis,) and a small

ly visible for about 2 hours in the morning. The ground to the Eastward is losing the "Jheel" character, and appears densely wooded, and to the S.E. rather high hills are visible. Altogether this land of jheels is very remarkable, particularly on account of the great depth of the water, which except i

ed down it to Chattuc, which is situated on the left bank of the river, and which we reached in the afternoon. During our passage down the river we had beautiful view

d gives the best view of the cantonment. The coal mines are to the Westward, and close to Churra. These I have not yet seen; the coal is of the very best description, it does not splinter, gives remarkably few ashes, affords an admirable fire and the best coke. Water-courses are plenty about Churra, but the body of water is at this season small, although it becomes considerable after a few hours rain; it is then that the great fall at Moosmai becomes really beautiful, the water shooting over the precipice and falling into a bason about 150 feet below. By a succession of these falls, although of more limited height, it at length reaches the bottom of the valley. It is only on the precipices about the fall that the Cham?rops appears to grow; at the foot of a precipice a little to the right (going from Churra,) a tree fern grows, which I have Wallich's authority for stating to be Polypod giganteum, a fern which occurred at Mahadeb, and which I have seen in somewhat similar situations at Mergui. All my excursions have been confined to this valley and to the water-courses immediately around Churra; once only have I quitted the table-land and proceeded to Maamloo, and yet in this very limited space the profusion of objects has been such as to enable me only to embrace a very limited proportion. The above excursion proved very rich. About half way to Maamloo I discovered a solitary tree fern (Alsophila Brunoniana,) and to the left, and up the broken sides of the calcareous cliffs that occur here and between Maamloo and Moosmai, a group of several magnificent specimens, of which on the succeeding day we brought home three. We saw none above 30 feet, although the specimen in the British Museum from these hills measures 45. Their axis is of small diameter, and is nearly cylindrical, the vascular fascicles being disposed in covered bundles, often assuming the form of a UU near the circumference of the very dense cellular tissue of which the axis is chiefly composed. Towards the base it is enveloped in an oblique dense mass of i

e no written character; every thing being transmitted by tradition, and performed by the interchange of tokens. They drink like fish, and manufacture a bad kind of arrack, the pernicious effects of which were experienced by the European invalids when the Sanatarium was in existence. They pay respect to their dead by the erection of a sort of kairns and large erect slabs of sandstone rounded off at the upper end: of these, I believe, they put up three or five to each frie

r ten inches have been known to fall in twenty-four hours. Since we have been here, inclusive of this, we have had four days of wet weather, of which three were continued rain. Both were ushered in by the sudden irruption of heavy mists from below, which soon spread over the country, obscuring every thing. These sudden irruptions occur during t

e thermometer at 8 P.M. being at 52°. This is remarkable, as Maamloo is rat

and ferns abound in the same places. The vegetation of the valleys is very rich and very varied; and, an affinity is indicated with the botany of China by the existence of a species of Illicum, I. khascanam, and several Ternstr?miace?. The great orders are grasses, ferns, composit?. During a trip to Maamloo, a beautifully situ

ng our march thither, or rather mine, I had a fine view of the Himalayas, but not upon the regular road to Moflong. The European forms certainly increased in number between Surureem and the above place. Two great acquisitions occurred on the road; a new Crawfurdia, and a Podostemon which W. has named after me. This I fo

and, as the place is bleak, we were miserable enough. We left for Myrung on the 9th, and the greater and all the first part of the long march was very uninteresting. At Mumbree, however, there is a decided improvement, and the scenery is very good. One here notices the occurrence of woods-of oaks, etc., and their form reminded me somewhat of the woods of Buckinghamshire. No w

cts of very high land, probably Bootan. The coldest weather we have experienced here was when the thermometer sank to 46°; even in the middle of the day the sun is not oppressive. It is singular enough, that the first attempts, so to speak, at a Fauna occur here. The woods abound with small birds. I shot one squirrel, with a very short tail and rounded head. Red deer (the Gyee of the Burmese) occur, though rarely. Two or three solitary snipes may be found during a day's excursion, and perhaps a brace of quail, which are nearly as large as English partridges. Pheasants are reported to occur in the woods. I should add, that both here and

particular description,

feet deep. It is in this valley or on its walls that the finest pines we have seen occur, but even here they do not attain a greater height than 60 feet, and perhaps a diameter of a foot or a foot and a half. As Mr. Brown of the Sillet Light Infantry informed me most correctly, many would make fine spars; but Mr. Cracroft's language in one of the Journals of the Asiatic Society when describing these firs, seems rather overwrought. During our march I picked up a pretty species of Sonerila. A small stream runs at the foot of the descent, by what name it goes I know not. Near the Bustapanee, flowing along a valley about two hours' walk from the last mentioned water. Wallich discovered abundance of his favourite and really splendid Polypodium Wallichianum, which I may accuse with justice of being an additional reason for our benightment. The stream is really the only respectable river we have seen, or rather the second one that can be called a torrent, the other being the Bogapanee. It boils along, and the body of water is great, even at the season of the year at which we passed it. It has forced enormous holes, frequently round, in the large masses of rock that form its bed, and the

ered a solitary specimen of Butomus pygm?us. Beyond Nowgong, saul first comes into view, and many trees attain a considerable size. Some fine ferns and two beautiful Acanthace?, I may mention, as collected about that place. We reached Jyrung by an easy march the next day; every step adding only to a greater renewal of acquaintance with old faces, or at least old plain plants. Between Jyrung and the foot of the hills, we fell in with Henslowia glabra in fine flower: Wallich took many fine specimens, all of which were males. This species is, as well as the former, liable to deceive one as to the sex of the plant; but all the seeming ovar

officers among the best. Of its botanical riches I can only say, that in a short afternoon's excursion we found Cardiopterus harnulosa, or rather saw it, and a species of Apocynea in fruit, probably the same with one I have from Tenasserim,

ated appearance. The examination of this specimen only strengthens me in my opinion derived chiefly from examination of those in the Botanic Gardens, that these rings which certainly afford the age of each

t thirty-eight days, of which seven and a

is about 120 miles distant, that is, following the river. It is situated on the banks of what was once a portion of the Burrampooter, but which is now nothing but a nullah, nearly dry at the present season. It is a completely new place, {12} Captain Matthie having arrived here about a year since, at which time it was a complete jungle. Some small hills run along the side of the nullah, on one of which Captain Matthie's house is situated. The cle

y do not appear very distant, and are distinctly seen at this season at all times of the day. They are more soft and picturesque towards evening, at which time the different shades are better developed. The degr

try presenting nothing whatever but high grass, with an occasional peep of the r

the principal grain cultivated, and this is carried on in low places, which appear on a casual examination to have been originally beds of rivers. Captain Matthie however tell

p, and more healthy than the above-mentioned place. In fact, as a residence I would infinitely prefer Tezpoor to Gowahatty. With regard to the shikar, (shooting) both large and small game abound. Tigers are freque

h trees are interspersed. The houses are not numerous, but they are of large size, and are raised in the Burman fashion on piles from the ground. Within one, many families are accommodated. The people themselves are fair, much like the Burmese, but still quite distinct. The male dress resembles the Burmese much; the female is more disti

sted chiefly of trees, here and there large patches of bamboo or tobacco occurring: there was but little underwood. Among the trees the most gigantic was a species of Dipterocarpus, probably the same with that I have gathered on Pator hi

h of the village, and at a distance of about three miles from it. Our route thither lay through first a rather extensive

e fortunate enough to find it both in flower and fruit, owing to its site; its growth is tall and slender, and its crown at least that of the smaller, very small and ill developed. Large trees are rare; in fact, they have been all cut down by the Singfos, who are like all other natives excessively improvident. The largest we saw, and which Wallich felled, was, including the crown, 43 feet in length. Small plants are very common, although Bruce had already removed 30,000. Mac. thinks they grow chiefly on the margins of the ravinules or hollows. Their leaves were all large, of a very dark green, and varying from four to eight inches in length. The pith of the tree felled was excentric, the greater development taking place as usual on the southern side; it was two and a half inches N., three and a half S.; but about 10 feet above the base this excentricity was nearly doubled. The wood is very compact, and the tree apparently one of slow growth. The largest that Bruce has seen, and which he felled last year, was 29 cubits in length. The jungle was so thick that all general views as to its real extent, and the circumstances limiting it, must be very superficial. To the East the cessation of the lightness of the soil and of the hollows

may be supposed, from the size of the larger recipient river, are excessively insignificant. The soil throughout, a good part seemed to be of clay. The only plants of interest we found were two Bambus? in flower, and two species of Menisc

, the road running partly on the side of an old bund: part of our road was through very wet ground, part through rather dry elevated woods, bamboos of two species occurred abundantly. We saw several vast specimens of Dipterocarpus, one

ble, the first of which were close enough to admit of one's distinguishing them to be wooded to the top. The inner ranges were lofty. We had some difficulty in ascertaining where the tea was located, the accounts being rather contradictory. At length we proceeded up the bed of a small river, Maumoo, which runs into the Booree Dihing close to the village: after wading along in the waters for two hours we

while attached to the parent shrub. No large trees were found, the generality being six or seven feet high; all above this height being straggling, slender, unhandsome shrubs: the leaves upon the whole were, I think, smaller than those of the Kujoo plants. With respect to the plants with which it is here associated, I may observe that they were nearly the same with

be said to be an elbow of the land, nearly surrounded by the Manmoo river, on the opposite side of which, where we were encamped, it is reported not to grow. Within this space the greater part consists of a gentle elevation or rather large mound. On this it is very abundant, as likewise along its sides, where the soil is looser, less sandy, and yel

plant that I saw in this place, might b

er over high ground covered with the usual grasses, with here and there a low strip; all was excessively wet. We next traversed a considerable tract of tree jungle, perhaps for nearly

oked well, better I think than those of Kujoo. The soil was very much like that of the Kujoo and Negrigam jungles, and was remarkable for its great dryness and looseness, in spite of the long continued and heavy rains. That near the surface was dark brown, below yellow brown, and the deeper it was examined the more yellow it seemed to become. We satisfied ourselves that its depth

route thither occupied us, inclusive of the day spent in examining the tea at Noadwar, five days. During the three first, we passed through

ve and civil, and as he is an independent man he pleased me much. On the -- Feb. we reached Tingrei, a poor village about ten miles to the S.E. of Rangagurrah, situated on the west bank of the rivulet of the same name, another tributary of the Deboroo. On the same morning as the march was very short, we proceeded to examine the tea, and the following day was likewise given up to another examination. The tea here may be characterised as dwarf, no stems that I saw exceeding fifteen feet in height; it had just passed flowering. It occurs in great abundance, and to much greater extent than in any of the places at which we had previously examined it. But here it is neither limited by peculiarity of soil or such sl

om the entrance into the jungle in a south easterly directio

but shews itself again sparingly about 100

ts direction being totally change

rom the place at which it ceased towards the sout

se for abou

interrupted for the sp

ecommence

terminated by cultivated ground to the

with numerous shoots, occupy almost the whole of a small clearing bounded on the N.E. by the rivule

he less denseness of the jungle. The fact of the shoots appearing from the bases of the stems which had been cut down in the small clearing above mentioned, gave us good opportunities of seeing the effects of exposure to the sun. This they seemed to bear well, but the shoots were rathe

ellowish brown, the yellow tints as well as the stiffness increasing

excessively low, and very prob

.W. of the village, I am induced to suppose that it had at some period extended

One, a Stauntonia, was found, which may be supposed from analogy to indicate a certain coldness of climate. But on the

aniers (drivers) were dismissed. On the 26th we commenced returning

ourse in many instances such must be the case, but where it is avoidable, marching, and especially returning by a different route, should be adopted. Rangagurrah