JOURNAL

OF THE

ASIATIC SOCIETY.

No. IV. 1862.

Report on a Route from the mouth of the Pakchan to Krau and thence across the Isthmus of Krau to the Gulf of Siam.-By Captain ALEXANDER FRASER, Bengal Engineers, and Captain J. G. FORLONG, Ex. Engineer T. and M. Provinces.

From Captain A. FRASER, Bengal Engineers.

To Lieutenant-Colonel A. FYTCHE, Commissioner M. & T. Provinces, Tavoy, 26th April, 1861.

Sir, I have the honor to forward to you the enclosed Report, with plans, &c. as per margin, of a journey made by Captain Forlong and myself up the Pakchan river, and across the Isthmus of Krau to the gulf of Siam.

1. Sketch map and Survey of route from mouth of Pakchan via Krau to Tayong on the gulf of Siam, in two sheets.

2. Survey of the river Pakchan from its mouth, in the Mergui Archipelago to above Krau.

3. General Sketch map of steam routes in Bay of Bengal and China sea.

4. Tables I. to IV. of Comparative cost of do.

No one can be better aware than your self of the good which would accrue to the Provinces of Pegu and Tenasserim, by the free importation of Chinese labour, by the route recommended, and we therefore submit this Report to you. As, further, the matter involves other, and far more important than local interests, we recommend that the Report be forwarded to the Government of India, as one worthy of immediate and attentive consideration, with such remarks as your complete knowledge of the general and local bearings of the subject may deem expedient.

We would beg to bring to your notice the great civility and kindness with which we were received by the chief civil authority, Tacompa, in the Siamese territory.

I have, &c.,

(Signed) A. FRASER, Captain, Bengal Engineers.

1. The Steamer "Nemesis," with Lt.-Col. A. Fytche, Commissioner T. & M. Provinces on board, anchored about 15 miles up the river Pakchan in five or six fathoms of water. Banks, steep and densely wooded, with a stream running between them of (here) about a mile in breadth.

2. Opening into the Mergui archipelago, opposite the south end of St. Mathew's Island, there are some six fathoms of water at low water over the Bar at the mouth, though vessels coming from the north, inside the Island, have to run some little way southerly to avoid an extensive spit of sand, which runs partly across the entrance to the river.

3. On the north side, the right or British Bank, of the stream, are the tin mines of Malewoon, which are, we believe, workable to any extent to which money and labour are procurable. On the other side are the tin mines of Rahnong worked by the Siamese Government.

4. Collecting, on the evening of the 31st March, all the instruments necessary for a rough survey, a Perambulator, Compass, and Aneroid, we left the steamer in a native boat with a flood tide, and proceeded up this river which forms the boundary between the British possessions in these Provinces, and the Siamese territories. A fog came on, and we were obliged to anchor for some time. We arrived, however, at Krau by 4 P. M. of the 1st April.

5. Krau is a Shan village of some fifty houses with a few Chinese inhabitants. The civil authority was absent attending his superior at Tsoompeon the chief place of the district, and where a Woondouk, a functionary equal in authority to our Dy. Commissioner, resided.

6. At Krau we rested the night in a good zayat, which had been prepared for the aforesaid chief civil authority, who visits periodically his district on this, the Western side of his Majesty of Bankok's Southern dominions. We had some difficulty in procuring means of locomotion in consequence of there being no one to give

orders upon our wishes, but just as we were starting the next morning, (2nd April) with some four or five coolies we had managed to procure, an elephant made its appearance, and we were enabled to proceed a little more comfortably than we had anticipated.

7. We commenced on the 2nd April a route survey across a country which we believe is quite unknown to, and has never been traversed by Europeans. There is a good level cleared road for the first two miles, and to the third mile it rises and passes along the right bank of the Krau river. The forest on each side contained bamboos and trees, as mentioned in the plan. Up to a little short of the 8th mile, the road follows the course of the Krau river, and is difficult, we had to wade for a mile through the stream, which was not, however, more than ankle deep, but falling every now and then over rocks, with banks about twenty or thirty feet high, and forty feet apart; at this time, the rain commenced and fell with little intermission till we returned to Krau.

8. At the 8th mile, we arrived at the water-shed of the country, a small grassy plain. The Krau river runs hence west to join the Pakchan at Krau; and a quarter of a mile further on, a river called the Bankren, joining the Tsoompeon at Tasan (13 miles) flows to the gulf of Siam on the east.

9. At Tasan is another zayat similar to that at Krau, with a few houses and dry cultivation. We continued to cross and re-cross the Tsoompeon river to the 10th mile. At 15 miles, after crossing tributaries of small breadth, but with steep banks, we got again to the Tsoompeon, where it was some 200 feet wide, but of little depth. The jungle remained of the same character, and the nature of the country, as the path descended to the plains passing through low but steep hills, was very similar to that in the ascent from Krau to Tasan.

10. At 17 miles we got to Apay, another zayat, and were glad to rest for the night, for, in addition to the walking over very rough ground and for miles through the rivers, wet throughout, the rain had brought out the leeches, which attacked us most unmercifully. The first indication of their attacks was finding our trowsers covered with blood; our last resource was to tie the trowsers round the ankles so as to prevent them getting inside, but even then, unless some one was looking after us while engaged in taking angles or reading the

Perambulator, if we stood still for any time we found them lodge in our necks. The amount of blood these creatures take from one, before becoming aware of it, is really exhausting, and it is therefore desirable to warn others.

11. The night was fine, the rain was reserved till day light for our special benefit: crossed a tolerably sized (80 feet) river just beyond Apay, and another at the 20th mile, a tributary of the Tsoompeon. We came to the end of the Hills at the 22nd mile, and entered upon a fine open country, with patches of jungle and garden and paddy lands, capable of any amount of cultivation.

At the 22nd mile, the Hills stretched away to the southward, and seemed to run east, parallel with our course, about a mile and a half to the northward, and, as we fancied, along the left bank of the Tsoompeon river.

At the 23rd and 25th miles, crossed another river of 120 feet in breadth, the margin of which was much cultivated, and we con_ tinued along (about half a mile from) the left bank of this river, which seems to be the Pah-Klong joining the Tsoompeon near its mouth, to the 29th mile, after which, at a distance of thirty miles from Krau, we re-crossed the Tsoompeon where it is about 200 feet broad, and arrived at the residence of the chief civil authority of this district, who received us most kindly at about noon of the 3rd April.

12. Tsoompeon is a large place of some four or five hundred. houses, with a water communication of twenty miles with the gulf of Siam. We thought of continuing our journey down the stream the same day, but the heavy rain that fell was even more persuasive than the kind and polite old Governor who, as soon as we had made up our minds to remain till next morning, placed every thing that weary travellers could require at our disposal, and ordered boats to be in readiness for us at 2 A. M. (4th April) when the ebb made. There is a rise and fall of tide here of about 6 feet.

13. Started at 2 A. M. of the 4th April, and proceeded down a very winding stream to the mouth of the river opening in to the gulf of Siam, where we arrived at 5 A. M. or in about 3 hours having the tide with us. Here we landed and found a fine villa, in some disrepair; this was said to be the King's residence when he came to this part of his dominions. His steamers were said