of water rushes through a
passage, and it is the only one, certainly not exceeding 50 yards in
width. The passage of this was really fearful, for on clearing it we
were encountered by strong eddies, backwaters and whirlpools, which
rendered the boat nearly unmanageable. These scenes continued, varied
every now and then by an expanded and consequently more tranquil stream,
until a gorge is passed, well known by the name of the "Elephant and
Cow," two rocks which are fancifully supposed to resemble the above named
animals; the defile then becomes much wider, and the waters flow in a
tranquil and rather sluggish manner. The depth of the river in this
defile is, as may be supposed, immense; Mr. Bayfield ascertained during
his passage up, at a season when the waters were low, that in many places
no bottom was to be found at a depth of 45 fathoms. The necessity of
this enormous depth is at once evident, and is pointed out by the
configuration of the banks, which are in many places sheer precipices.
Two other defiles exist between Bamo and Ava, of these the middle or
second is the shortest, in both the stream flows sluggishly, and there is
no impediment whatever to navigation. In these the depth is great, but
owing to their greater width, much less so than in the upper.

The temperature of the waters of the Irrawaddi is as usually obtains,
except during the rises of the river caused by the melting of snow, when
it is higher than usual.

_Tributaries of the Irrawaddi between Mogoung river and_
_Ava_.

The number of tributaries even to Rangoon is unprecedentedly small: this
tends to increase the astonishment with which one regards this
magnificent river.

The rivers that fall into the Irrawaddi within the above distance are,

1st. The Mogoung river.

2nd. Tapien Khioung, above Bamo.

3rd. Shewe Lee Khioung.

These are about the same size, and only discharge a considerable quantity
of water during the rainy season. The Shewe Lee at its mouth, is between
5 and 600 yards wide, but only an inconsiderable portion of this is
occupied by water, and this to no depth.

The great branch from which the Irrawaddi derives its vast supply of
water still remains to be discovered, and will probably be found to be
the Shoomaee Kha. It is evident, at any rate, that the great body of
water comes from the eastward, for between the Mogoung river and
Borkhamtee, in which country Captain Wilcox visited the Irrawaddi, and
where it