ce in an opposite direction. On leaving the
proximity of the hills, the river resumes its natural and rather slow
character, and towards its mouth there is scarcely any stream at all. The
channels are much impeded by stumps of trees. The country through which
the Mogoung river passes is very uninteresting, and almost exclusively
jungle, either tree or high grass.

Only one village, Tapan, is met with; this is small, and is situated on
the right bank; with the exception of its river face it is stockaded. At
this place the Shan-Chinese leave the river, striking off in an E.
direction towards the Irrawaddi, which they reach in one day. We
observed a small Kukkeen village on some hills near Tapan; with these
exceptions no sign of inhabitants occurred until we reached the
Irrawaddi. On the hills above alluded to, the bitter Tea is reported to
exist. The Mogoung river at its mouth is about 70 yards across. The
Irrawaddi even at the mouth of the Mogoung river, and at a distance of
nearly 800 miles from the sea, keeps up its magnificent character. At
this point it is 900 or 1,000 yards across; when we reached it, it had
risen considerably, and the appearance of this vast sheet of water was
really grand. Its characters are very different from the Ganges and
Burrumpooter, its waters being much more confined to one bed, and
comparatively speaking becoming seldom spread out. Generally speaking it
is deep and the stream is not violent. It appears to me to afford every
facility for navigation; in one or two places troublesome shallows are
met with, and in several places the channel near the banks is impeded by
rocks. It is only in the upper defile, or Kioukdweng, that the
navigation is during the rises of the river dangerous, and at times
impracticable. On our reaching Tsenbo, which is about 12 miles below the
junction of the Mogoung river with the Irrawaddi, the river continued to
rise in a most rapid degree, Mr. Bayfield ascertaining by measurement
that it rose 16 inches an hour. We were consequently compelled to push
on, as we were informed that the next day the defile would be impassable.
The Kioukdweng alluded to commences about two miles below Tsenbo, the
river becoming constricted from 1000 to 150 yards. The rush of water was
great, and was rendered fierce by rocks which exist in the midst of the
river. Still further within the defile the difficulties were increased;
at one place the whole of the enormous body