as he fuppofed the Sanpoo to be the Ava river: but fucceeding accounts have left no doubt remaining, that the Nou-Kian is the river of Ava. In the Modern Univerfal History (Vol. VI, p. 205) is an account of a voyage performed on this river, by four Chinese, about the middle of the last century. They went from Yunan to Yuntchian, and from thence to the frontiers of Ava; where they embarked, and went down the stream to Ava city. In my account of the conftruction of the fea coafts (page 39) my authorities for defcribing the delta of the Ava river from the fea to the parallel of 18°, are given. The Dutch MS. map there quoted, describes the whole course of the river, as high up as the city of Ava itself, which it places in latitude 21° 48′; and also says in a note << by obfervation:" and indeed, the whole fcale of the map feems to be formed from the difference of latitude. The difference of longitude, as inferred from this Dutch map, places Ava in 97°. But Capt. George Baker, of whose accuracy I entertain a high opinion, took the bearings, and estimated the diftances, the whole way from Negrais to Ava; and the result, corrected by the obfervation at Ava, 21° 48', gives the longitude 97° 45′ and this longitude I have adopted. Capt. Baker's estimation of the courses and distances between Negrais and Ava, placed the latter in lon. 97° 54′, lat. 22° 5′; or 17 to the north of the obfervation, recorded in the Dutch map. This error, on a distance of about 400 miles, is trifling; being less than a 20th part *. *. Ava Left the particulars from whence the river of Ava &c. is conftructed, fhould be loft,. I have recorded them here.. From Negrais to Perfaim Pryggee Head of Negrais river Lundfey Saladun Prone Camma NNE 4; G. miles. Camma to Meachagong N by E 20 G. miles. NE 18 N. by E 15 Mellone 言 NNE 35 N 25 NE by N 25 The whole traverse gives a course of N 27° 30′ E, distance 408 G. miles. The distance corrected, is 389. The Dutch map gives a bearing of N 35° 50′ W, distance 80,3 miles, between Syrian river Point (meaning the point of conflux of the Syrian and Dogon rivers) and the head of Negrais river; the upper point of the delta. ftands ftands in the old maps, in lat. 25° 20′, lon. 96° 36′. The particulars of the courfe of the river, I have taken from the Dutch map; as Capt. Baker defcribes only the general direction of it. Monchaboo, a city, and the refidence of the King of Burmah, or Ava, in 1755, is by Capt. Baker's account, 38 G. miles north from Ava and this was the extreme point of his travels that way. The Nou-Kian is named Irabatty by the people of Ava; and is faid by them, to be navigable from the city of Ava, into Yunan. Monchaboo being within 130 B. miles of the Chinese frontier, we want only fo much, to complete the course of the river in the map. This break is there described by dotted lines. Capt. Baker defcribcs the country bordering on the Ava river, from the fea to Lundfey, as being very flat, and the foil rich; and, I suppose, like that at the lower parts of the courses of the Ganges, Indus, and other capital rivers, formed out of the mud. depofited by the inundations of the river. This low tract is named Pegu, and formed an independent kingdom in 1754, when it was reduced by the King of Burmah, to the ftate of a dependent province. Burmah borders on Pegu to the north, and occupies both banks of the river, as far as the frontiers of China. On the north-weft is Meckley, which we have before taken notice of: and on the west Aracan (or Reccan) and Roshaan. On the east, it has the kingdom or country of Upper Siam; which, Capt. Baker informs us,, begins at a small distance eastward from the city of Ava: a ridge of mountains feparating it from Burmah and Pegu. The King of Burmah, whose reputed capital is Ava, and from whence the whole kingdom, though erroneously, is often denominated, is faid to poffefs not only the country of Meckley, in addition to those of Pegu and Burmah; but also the whole trac which lies on the north of it, between China, Thibet, and Affam.. Du Halde's map speaks pofitively, as to this point, but with what F f truth truth I know not, as I have never been able to gain any information on the fubject.. Capt. Baker informs us, that the country of Burmah, adjacent to the banks of the Irabattey, or Ava river, between Pegu and Monchaboo, is in fome places hilly, and in others flat; but not fo low as to fuffer inundations. Its produce is, in most respects, nearly the fame as that of the countries contiguous to the Ganges; and, it is remarkable, that the lands which produce the greatest quantity of faltpetre, are much about the fame distance from the sea, as those of the fame nature on the fide of the Ganges. Mr. Verelft, who meditated an expedition into Meckley from Bengal, and actually advanced as far as Cofpour on his way to it, in 1763; was informed by his Meckley guides, that after paffing the first ridge of mountains beyond Cachar, he would find a fertile and well inhabited country all the way to Ava. He, however, went no farther than Cofpour; but the particulars of the road between that place and Ava, are described from the intelligence furnished by the guides who attended him. The country of Burmah produces fome of the best Teek timber in India. The forefts which produce this most useful and valuable article, are fituated between the western bank of the Ava river, and the country of Aracan; and are only 250 miles from the sea, by the courfe of the river. The Sanpoo, or Thibet river, was fuppofed by M. D'Anville to be the fame with that which is called, in the lower part of its course, the river of Ava: but we have not the leaft doubt at prefent, of its being the fame with the Burrampooter, which enters Bengal on the north-eaft, and joins the Ganges near the fea. I traced it in 1765, to about 400 miles above the conflux; that is, as high as the latitude of 26°, longitude 91°; where the Bengal districts end, and thefe of Affam begin: but I was not permitted to go any higher. However, fome few Europeans, engaged in the Goalparah trade, and among others, M. Chevalier, the late Governor of of Chandernagore, by permiffion of the King, went as high up as the capital of Affam, about the year 1762: but was under a confiderable degree of restraint, with refpect to making remarks, either on the course of the river, or on the country. As M. Chevalier, however, went on a very large embarkation, we are convinced that the river is navigable for large boats, through a space about equal to the distance of Buxar from the fea; that is, between 600 and 700 miles. It It may probably be navigable much higher up; though its navigable courfe cannot be equal to that of the Ganges; this flowing chiefly through a level country, and the Burrampooter through a mountainous one. I have placed the capital of Affam, Ghergong, (or Kirganu) 160 G. miles nearly E by N from Goalparah, according to the report of the Aflamers. They also informed me, that the Burrampooter has a very long courfe previous to its entering Affam; and that it comes from the N W through the Thibet mountains. Now the Lama's map of Thibet in Du Halde, describes the course of the Sanpoo, to within 120 G. miles of the affumed fituation of the capital of Affam: and still nearer to fome parts of the Burrampooter that are known, and have been described by the Affamers. These facts, together with thofe refpecting the Ava river and Nou-Kian, establish (I think) the strongest prefumptive proof poffible, of the Sanpoo and Burrampooter being one and the fame river, under different names and pofitive proof can never be obtained, but by actually tracing them; a circumftance unlikely ever to happen to any Europeans, or their dependants. The interval between the known part of the Sanpoo, and that of the Burrampooter, is defcribed in the map by dotted lines. The Ayin Acbaree fays that the Burrampooter comes from Khatai: meaning China.. We must not forget that the fame book fays, that the fource of the Ganges had never been traced, at that time. Some difficulty arifes in fixing the pofition of Laffa, the capital of Great Thibet. We have the hiftory of the Lamas' map in Du Halde, which is not altogether favourable to its character especially in the parts towards the source of the Sanpoo and Ganges. A close examination of its particulars, turns out ftill more unfavourable to it. For inftance, the place where the Ganges enters the plains of Hindooftan, is placed under the 28th degree of latitude; though it is known by our late observations, to be in about 30°. With respect to the longitude, we have no grounds, on which to form an exact comparison; but we may conclude generally, that the distance between Laffa and Hurdwar is near 2 degrees of longitude less than it ought to be: I mean, provided that Lassa be near its true pofition with respect to Pekin, in the Lamas' map. The difference of longitude between them is 24° 17'; Laffa being placed 91° 40′ eaft from Greenwich. With refpect to Hurdwar, the proof is pofitive of its being 2 degrees farther to the fouth than it ought to be; and this furnishes a ftrong prefumptive one, that all the western parts of the map, are faulty in the fame proportion: and that the fources of the Ganges and Sanpoo, instead of being between the 29th and 30th degrees of latitude; are feveral degrees further to the north; and probably between the 32nd and 34th of which more will be faid in the fequel. Nor am I fingular in this opinion; for M. D'Anville found it neceffary to make an alteration of 2 degrees in latitude; and to adopt the very longitude, which I have suggested. And I fhould be wanting in candour, and in respect to his memory, should I forbear to do juftice to his nice difcernment, in placing the entry of the Ganges into Hindooftan, by inference from Delhi, almost in the very fpot where I have now placed it, by actual furvey. But M. D'Anville, ignorant of the respective pofitions of Bengal and Laffa, adopted the latitude of the latter place, given in the Lamas' chart: that is to say, about 29° 35'. Father Giorgi (Vide Alphabetum Thibetanum) fays, the latitude of Laffa is "about 30 |