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for about half or a third of a mile, entered old Pagan by a pathway passing over a low ill-defined ridge, which the quantity of brickwork in the soil, as well as the assertions of the Thoogyee and followers, made evident as the north wall of old Pagan. To the west and east the same ridge could be seen to extend, but could not be followed for more than a few yards on account of the thick and prickly jungle. About sixty yards to the south, we came on a mass of brickwork, apparently an old pagoda, on which was a rude Budh protected by a modern though dilapidated shed, and with its back against the remains of the original Dzedi. There was nothing peculiar about it, but by the image were several of the brick casts above mentioned, but of a different stamp from those the Thoogyee had shown me at his house. The inscription was here more distinct, and, like the others, in the Nagari character. The Thoogyee permitted me to take the two most perfect. Continuing south for about 500 yards through dense jungle, the narrow path led us to a round pile of bricks overgrown with brushwood and grass, the ruin of a conical pagoda called by the people the "Mwy Zeegoon Phra." We climbed its almost perpendicular side by a path already worn, and from the top, could see how utterly the site of both cities was converted into forest and jungle. The walls could not be traced even in the faintest manner. The low ground to the east, however, was plainly outside the city. Several spots within had been used for "Toungya" cultivation: none had been otherwise made use of. Returning by the same path, for further progress southwards was barred, I got the best of the natives to accompany me to the eastwards, where he said the north-east corner of the city was apparent. We must have wandered through cartways and jungle paths about half a mile to the eastward before we came upon the supposed corner. To the westward I could not trace the wall, but straight to the south we traced distinctly the high brickwork for fully half a mile. To the right was impenetrable jungle the whole way, to the left low ground with occasional patches of forest, and much of the long feathery grass, which only grows in places well watered. This low land, the man said, is covered by water in the summer, and at that time there is a current all along by the wall.

The jungle defied further progress. The guide said that the wall continues straight on southwards for twice the distance that we had We now passed through an ordeal of many scratches, and

come.

struck upon a path within the walls, running south-west. Keeping this general course, we walked I think a mile and a half, and emerged over a line of brickwork on the same level with the top of the sandstone bank, and about a dozen yards within it. Now on the bank of the river I could not afford time to follow the wall line southwards, but from a good mark, (a large tree on the lower bank opposite the gap in the true bank,) I measured with a tape the distance to the apparent northwest corner of the city. This was 104 times 50 feet, or 5200 feet. From this it appears that the natives' account is probably correct, and that the city of Pagan was at least two miles in length from north to south, and probably a mile in breadth from east to west. A thousand feet from the supposed north-west corner of Pagan begins the west wall of Tagoung. This runs directly north for 24 times 50 = 1200 feet, then turns with the bank of the river to the north-east for 500 feet, from which the north wall is apparently continuous along the creek in a due eastward direction. The west wall of Tagoung is evidently a brickwork capping to the natural sandstone bulwark, and thus appears to be parallel with, but somewhat to the west of the west wall of Pagan, which lies behind the natural bank.

The whole was very probably an island in remote times, and it seems that insular or semi-insular positions have been favorite sites for Burmese capitals ; e. g. “ Poukkan" or Lower Pagan on "Yunhlot" Island, Ava, and this the most ancient of all.

The Thoogyee who had left me after showing the Mwy Zeegoon Phra, now came down to the beach, and seemed a little puzzled at my measuring the old walls. His face bore a queer expression of doubt whether he had not committed a sin in allowing this perhaps dangerous proceeding. He, however, spoke very civilly, and we parted the best of friends, he promising me all the information procurable, on my return. It was now 4 o'clock, and a very cold pull it was to reach the boat, which I found about 8 o'clock, moored beneath the bluff of

This Tongue is said to have

Tongue, about eight miles up the river. been a capital before Tagoung. Again near Myadoung is a place “Thigine" on the west bank, called the Beloo Myo or Monsters' city, where the walls are of stone, and other evidences of superhuman handiwork are talked of. This must be of interest.

I fancy that in former times there were several petty states in the upper Irrawaddi valley, and that the Burmese chroniclers have merely

selected one at a time, and stringing backwards the genealogy of their modern kings, manufactured the tale of a continuous monarchy with a shifting capital and dating from the first inroad of Hindoo princes into the valley up to the present time. I understand from Hindoos that they have in their books some accounts of an incursion of Hindoos into this country.

The ancient extent of Hindoo influence over Indo-China and the adjacent archipelago, I suppose to be a well-proved fact, and the prominence given in Burman chronicles to the advent of the Hindoo prince is very significant.

I should have mentioned above, that the great extent of pond and lake, with the creeks of still water, make Tagoung a remarkably good fishing-place. Great quantities of fish are dried, and much made into "ngapee" and great numbers also are taken alive to the capital. The small-fish are thrown into the boat and kept alive with frequent changes of the water. The larger fish are strung by the gills, or the nose, or the lip, and so towed down the river till the market is reached, At the time of my visit, the cul-de-sac creek to the north of the city was closed at its mouth by a bamboo netting, and the fish above were being narcotised with some bark, that I am as yet unacquainted with. The fish above the net being all taken, the net is removed, when after five or six days, fish enter the creek again and the process is repeated. At this creek and on the river in the neighbourhood of Tagoung, the fisheating birds are particularly numerous. A few specimens I have shot and had skinned; among them the Scissor-bill (Rhimops nigra) and another very handsome web-footed bird of the size of a duck, with a long neck and a sharp pointed beak. It swims with only its head and neck out of the water, but watches for its prey most generally on the low sand banks, or on some projecting piece of drift wood. Its food is small fish. The Darter.

Note on the Gibbon of Terasserim, Hylobates lar.-By Lieut.-Col. S. R. TICKELL; in a letter to A. GROTE, Esq.

I send a transcript from my Mammalian collection of what I had recorded of Hylobates lar, at least of its wild and tame habits. Notes on its osteology and soft anatomy and structure, you will not require, as you have a specimen by you, which I suppose from what you say of its paralysis will not live long. The one you have, must have been about 1 year old when I sent it you. Doubtless captivity has checked its growth. I give the dimensions taken of an adult one, but I think I have seen them larger, and the males are larger than the females, (as in all monkeys).

The Burmese and Talains never keep monkeys of any kind as pets. The Karens sometimes do. Of the Shans I cannot speak, but being Buahists they probably do not either.

HYLOBATES LAR (Ogilby.)

The Hylobates lar is found in great abundance in all the forests skirting the hills, which run from north to south through the province of Tenasserim. They ascend the hills themselves up to an elevation of 3,000 to 3,500 feet above sea level, but not higher, and are usually met with in parties of from 8 to 20, composed of individuals of all ages. It is rare to see a solitary one; occasionally, however, an old male will stay apart from the flock, perched on the summit of some vast tree, whence his howls are heard for miles around. The forests which these animals inhabit, resound with their cries from sunrise to about 9 A. M. Their usual call may be thus rendered.

adlib: cresc:

dimin.

-wow

00

woe!

Woo a -woo a -woo α The sounds varying from the deep notes of the adults to the sharp treble of the young ones. During these vocal efforts they appear to

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