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DECEMBER, 1893.]
NOTES ON ANTIQUITIES IN RAMANNADESA.
327
NOTES ON ANTIQUITIES IN RAMANNADESA
(The Talaing Country of Burma).
BY MAJOR R, C, TEMPLE.
I. The Caves about Maulmain. TN company with Mr. F.0. Oertel, I made, in April 1892, & short inspection of the caves
1 referred to by Mr. Taw Sein Ko in his "Notes on an Archeological Tour in Ramaññadésa," ante, Vol. XXI, pp. 377ff.
Attention was chiefly paid to the cave remains in the neighbourhood of Maulmain and Thatôn (Daton). Those that were visited, and it may be said, that are so far known, were :
(1) the Farm Caves, about 10 miles from Maalmain on the At'aran River; (2) the D'ammaba Caves, 18 miles from Maulmain on the Jain (Gyaing) River; (3) the Pagàt Caves, on the Salween River, 26 miles from Maulmain; (4) the Kògun Caves, on the Kògan Creek, near Pagat, 28 miles from Maulmain;
(5) the B'inji Caves, on the Dôndami River, 51 miles from Maulmain and 15 miles from Thatôn.
Maalmain being a great meeting point of navigable rivers, all these plaoes can be visited from it by launches, and, except B'inji, are within an easy day's journey, there and back. But they are all, except the Farm Caves, out of the regular routes, and are, consequently, but little visited, -indeed as regards the travelling public they are quite anknown, owing to the fact that it is necessary to engage a launch especially for the journey, a very expensive form of travelling, and not always available even on payment, except by special agreement.
In addition to those to the Caves, short visits were paid to Thaton and Martaban, the weather being at the former very unfavourable and fully bearing out the statement in the Kalyûņi Inscriptions at Pegu concerning "this very rainy country of Ramañña."
. It is extraordinarily difficult to obtain any information in Maulmain concerning the antiquities of the surrounding country. From statements made to me it would appear that many caves exist along the At'aràn River and along the upper reaches of the Dončami River ; but antil each story is verified it is most unsafe to rely apon anything stated locally.
The British Burma Gazetteer states, Vol. II., page 37, that there are no less than 88 groups of caves in the Amherst Distriot, each distinguished by its proper name. Among these may be the following, of which tolerably certain information was given me, locally, along the banks of the Atfaràn. All are said to be filled with images and M88. (1) In a hill opposite the "Nidon Quarries, 26 miles from Manlmain: (2) in a hill & mile and a half inland from the Quarries; here there is a climb over rough boulders and ladders for 400 ft., & narrow and low entrance, & large hall and deep cavity in the main cave, and several smaller caves in the neighbourhood : (3) at P'Abaung, 36 miles up the river ; here is a cave with a hole in the ceiling leading to a chamber filled with books and old ivory, which was visited by Crawford (Embassy to Ava, page 355), and runs right through the rooks, like that at D'ammabâ : (4) at the Hot Springs (At'aràn Yeba), 41 miles ap the River; where there are said to be more caves.
Col. Spearman, now Commissioner of the Tenasgerim Division and formerly editor of the British Burma Gazetteer, has kindly collected for me, in addition to the information above given,
1 Called Maulmain or Moulmein by the English, Molamyaing by the Barmans, Mutmwelem by the Talainge, And B Amapura in historical and epigraphis documents. It seems to have been called Molamyning and Maulaymyaing by the English at first-vide Crawfurd, Embassy to Ava, published 1829, pp. 982, 863, et passim. In Wileon's Burmese War, 1827, the word appears as Moolmein, in a Gasette notification of 1886, quoted at p. lit. Low calls it Malamein in his papers, 1893, As. Res. Vol. xviii. p. 128 ff.: Miscell. Papers on Indo-China, Vol. i. p. 179 f. Mr. Oertel in his Note on a Tour in Burma in March and April 1899, PP. 1811, also mentions the journey herein decorihed.
? See ante, p. 86. Punham the mos thone mentioned below as being of KyOndot Villaro. Low in 1883 W ap the At'orån and gives a good account of the Atarin Yeba (Miscelt. Papers on Indo-CMina, Vol. i. p. 196) and also Dóticos. (p. 197) the P'Abaung Cave, which he onlls Phabaptaung.
