BASSEIN DISTRICT. The Pyamalaw leaves the Kyunpat some distance north-west and west before
mouth. for
Rwe
at it
193 Shwe-laung, and flows
turns to the sea.
The
formed by the junction of several creeks. All these are almost entirely dependent upon the Irawadi and on the tide for their water supply. The Bassein river, though it leaves the Irawadi some miles above Henzada and is connected with it farther south by many streamlets, receives much of its water from the eastern slopes of the Arakan Hills, and is the only mouth used by large sea-going vessels ascending as far as Bassein town. The whole country south of 1 7° n. lat., except to the west of the Arakan Yoma hills, and in their immediate neighbourhood on the east, consists of groups of islands formed by innumerable creeks and bifurcations, some of which are navigable by river
steamers,
is
some only by canoes.
mountains, across which
are
The
principal hills are the
passes
several
Arakan
only practicable in dry
The most northern pass, which is entirely in this District, is Bhawml, from the junction of the Tsalu and Bhawmi streams to Thit-nan-ku on the Thien. The highest point is only 70 feet above the sea. Farther south there are two passes by the Chaung-tha and Sienma rivers; the crest of the first is 381, and of the second 284 feet weather. the
above sea
The
level.
character and resources of the forests are not well known.
are large tracts of
mangrove and evergreen
forest.
The
There
chief timber
trees are pyin-gado (Xylia dolabriformis), sha (Acacia catechu), tautig
pin (Artocarpus sp.), thitka (Quercus semiserrata). The quantity of teak found is small. A considerable area east of Ngaputaw on the Bassein river, and a tract of country stretching northward from Bassein town, consist of laterite beds, covered to some depth by sandy deposits. A remarkable patch of calcareous sandstone occurs on the west coast of the District ; the nummulitic or eocene group of rocks is well developed. In some In the south these have been termed the ‘Negrais’ beds. places, flaggy and massive sandstone abounds, in others, sections are exposed of highly altered shales and sandstones, and occasionally the All these beds are sandstone is seen converted into a flinty rock.
These rocks have a peculiar greenish hue, Subordinate which towards the north changes into a bluish tinge. to the sandstone stratum an irregular bed of conglomerate occurs, It but it forms a marked bed in one place only, viz. near Ywut-pa. mud volcano of the charts is situated ; but it has no is here that the internally silicified.
‘
’
connection with volcanic action properly so called, and neither lava, In appearance it is a low ashes, nor volcanic rocks are seen about it.
mound, and
is
now
considered as the
‘
vent for a very feeble discharge
In the southern portion of the Arakan range, limestone In some parts above this, there is an occurs in extensive masses. intensely hard ferruginous bed of conglomerate, characterized by
of marsh gas.’
VOL.
II.
N
