Untitled - Sabrizain.org

160 BtRMAH.
having their brains knocked out, or their bones broken :
the fall of the whole fabric would not crush a lady's
lap-dog.
"Meeaday is a place of no great magnitude, but
extremely neat. There are two principal streets, and
at the north end of the present town are to be seen
the ruins of a brick fort, which, like all other forts of
masonry in the Birman empire, is in a state of dilapidation.
At a short distance there is a pleasant river,
which flows through a fertile plain, affording some,
rich pasture-ground, and interspersed with plantations
of tobacco. On the south and south-east sides, the
town is inclosed by a deep ravine, the banks of which
are cut perpendicular ; and the remains of an old brick
wall were discoverable, which was probably a defence to
the former suburb. We observed many small temples
and convents apart from the town, situated in groves of
mango, tamarind, and pipal trees of uncommon stateliness
and beauty. The maywoon had a residence
also a pleasure-house and betel garden at some
here ;
distance. North of the town, there is a good deal of
land in cultivation, chiefly rice. The fields are well
laid down and fenced. This quarter is beautifully
wooded and diversified with rising grounds. We ob-
served many cart-roads and path-ways leading into
the country in various directions. The soil is com-
posed of clay and sand, and in some places is verystony,
particularly near the river."
The point to which we have now conducted our
readers, was the limit to which, in this direction, the
British army had driven back the Birman forces,
when, on the 17th of September last (1825), an armis-
tice was concluded, with a view to the restoration of
peace and amity between the contending powers. The
third article of the armistice provides, that " a line of