Page:Madras Journal of Literature and Science, series 1, volume 6 (1837).djvu/422

394 to the danger of the passage. In this part of their course, the mission frequently met large rafts of bambus descending from the Shueli river, and upon them, small baskets of pickled tea, brought from the hills to the south-east of that river. This tea was said to be manufactured by a race called Palong Paon, who are under Momeit. At Tsingu, Captain saw three native Chinese from Thengyíchu or Mounyen, and several others in the service of the noblemen of the court, had accompanied the expedition from Ava with the view of proceeding to the Kyouk Tsein, or Serpentine mines near the sources of the U'ru river, west of the Irawadi. On the 30th of November the party left the village of Yedan Yua, where a perceptible change takes place in the character of the country and river. "The latter," says Captain, "from covering an extent of miles is sometimes confined within a limit of 150 yards, without rapids or torrents, as I had expected, but almost as still as a lake. In some places its depth is very great being upwards of ten fathoms. It winds through beautiful jungle, in which the pipal, simal trees, and bambus, are conspicuous, and it has, generally speaking, a rocky bed and banks, which last rise to a considerable height, and composed of sandstone, which varies from dark to a white and yellow colour." At the next stage, or Thihadophya, Captain mentions a very remarkable instance of the tameness of the fish, which are not allowed to be killed, and are found from about a mile below the village to an equal distance above.

"If rice is thrown into the water from the boat, a dozen fish, some of them as much as three and four feet long, come to the surface, and not only eat the rice, but open their mouths for you to put it in, and they will allow you to pat them on the head, which I and some of my followers actually did. Some of these fish are apparently of the same species as those called in India guru and ruta: indeed the Hindus who are with me called them by these names. The breadth of head is remarkable, and the mouth very large; they have no teeth,—at least so the people told me, whom I saw feeling their mouths." This spectacle, strange as it must have appeared, was hardly more so than the adventure of the following morning, when Captain "was awoke by the boatmen calling to the fish to participate in their meal."

On the 1st of December the expedition arrived at Tsampaynago, which has been before mentioned as the limit, beyond which, even natives of the country are not permitted to proceed without an express order from the Government. The custom-house or thana is on the