WD540(13)

‘Mengoon, from the Steamer.’

No opportunity having been afforded of obtaining sketches of the large village of Laypadoh, — of the picturesque frontier town of Maloon, or of the village of Menhla, the residence of the Governor of Maloon, the next place of halting was Mengoon (or Myen-goon) — ‘The site of the rustic Palace’ — a village of 200 or 300 houses on the east bank, two miles above Menhla. ‘(Capt. Yule’s Report, page 9.)’

The numerous and crowded war boats at this place, the high and broken bank, thickly fringed with groups of gaily clad Burmese, looking like beds of huge marigolds, over-topped by the sombre and massive foliage of the low palm, every where of luxuriant growth in Burmah, enshrouding the old pagoda on the point, formed a combination of the pictorial, of which the drawing conveys but an imperfect idea.

The interior produces Cutch, and the Palmyra is said to be very abundant. The Mission remained here only a few hours, to enable the attendant Woongees to take their morning’s meal, and to arrange for their state barges being taken in tow by the Steamers, in place of being pulled by their war boats, which had hitherto been a source of delay to the progress of the Flotilla. The barge of the principal officer was made fast to the ‘Bentinck’, and that of the other, at his own particular request, to the ‘Nerbudda’, as he objected to be towed by the Flat. Relieved of their tug, the wondrous war boats, pulling in slack water, in shore, were now enabled to keep pace with the steamers, which hitherto had been compelled, every now and then, to slack their speed to half power.