- Author:
- Bird, George W
- Publication Info:
-
Bournemouth [England] : London:
F.J. Bright and Son ; Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent and Co., Ltd,
1897,
pg 3
Text on page 3
GEOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY.
3
two-thirds of its course through the upper province it is joined from the west by the Chindwin, the largest and the most important of its tributaries which flows into it a few miles above the town of Pakokku, and which may be said to divide Upper Burma wrest of the Irrawaddy into two halves. South of the fork the country, which is for the most part dry and sandy, stretches away from the western bank of the Irrawaddy to the eastern slopes of the Arakan Yomas and the Southern Chin Hills. This tract comprises the districts of Minbu and Pakokk. From the junction of the Irrawaddy and Chindwin northwards the nature of the country to the west of the latter river alters completely. From the right bank of the Chindwin the Chin Hills rise abruptly to merge themselves with the Lushai and the Naga Hills in the vast tract of mountainous country which forms the whole of the north-western frontier of the province. On the left bank of the Chindwin the land is comparatively level and stretches for the most part over low ranges of hills to the plains of the Irrawaddy valley, but further north these low ranges increase in height until the whole tract between the two rivers becomes a mass of hill country intersected by mountain streams and inhabited by semi-barbarious communities, whose country extends across the main stream of the Irrawaddy to the eastern border of the Bhamo district, and as far down on the eastern side of the river as the State of Mongmit (Momeik) where it joins the northern extremity of the Shan Hills. The country to the east of the Irrawaddy, immediately above the old Burmese frontier, is in its nature similar to that on the west of the river at the same latitude. It comprises the districts of the Eastern division, and the Myingyan and Magwe districts of the Southern division. It is comparatively dry and arid, is intersected by forest-clad ridges, and is bounded on the east by the rampart of the Shan Hills, which run almost parallel with the Irrawaddy till almost on a level with the town of Mandalay. Here the bend of the river brings it close to what is known as the Shan plateau, and from thence northward the space between the stream and the hills which form the north-b 2two-thirds of its course through the upper province it is joined from the west by the Chindwin, the largest and the most important of its tributaries which flows into it a few miles above the town of Pakokku, and which may be said to divide Upper Burma wrest of the Irrawaddy into two halves. South of the fork the country, which is for the most part dry and sandy, stretches away from the western bank of the Irrawaddy to the eastern slopes of the Arakan Yomas and the Southern Chin Hills. This tract comprises the districts of Minbu and PakokkA . From the junction of the Irrawaddy and Chindwin northwards the nature of the country to the west of the latter river alters completely. From the right bank of the Chindwin the Chin Hills rise abruptly to merge themselves with the Lushai and the Naga Hills in the vast tract of mountainous country which forms the whole of the north-western frontier of the province. On the left bank of the Chindwin the land is comparatively level and stretches for the most part over low ranges of hills to the plains of the Irrawaddy valley, but further north these low ranges increase in height until the whole tract between the two rivers becomes a mass of hill country intersected by mountain streams and inhabited by semi-barbarious communities, whose country extends across the main stream of the Irrawaddy to the eastern border of the Bhamo district, and as far down on the eastern side of the river as the State of Mongmit (Momeik) where it joins the northern extremity of the Shan Hills. The country to the east of the Irrawaddy, immediately above the old Burmese frontier, is in its nature similar to that on the west of the river at the same latitude. It comprises the districts of the Eastern division, and the Myingyan and Magwe districts of the Southern division. It is comparatively dry and arid, is intersected by forest-clad ridges, and is bounded on the east by the rampart of the Shan Hills, which run almost parallel with the Irrawaddy till almost on a level with the town of Mandalay. Here the bend of the river brings it close to what is known as the Shan plateau, and from thence northward the space between the stream and the hills which form the north-b 2
