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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[DECEMBER, 1893.
the following information, from native sources, as to the caves in the Kyaikk'ami or Amherst District.
There are in the Jain-balwin (Gyne-Salween) Sub-division five caves, viz., the K'ayon-S'addân (Farm: see post, p. 329 ff.) in the K'ayôn Hill, and the Ngå up the At'arin River: the D'ammaba (see post, p. 331 ff.) and the S'addan up the Jain River. The first four are situated in the Tayânâ Circle, and the last in the Danpadaing Circle. The K'ayon Hill is a mile and a half from the K'ayôn Village, and two and a half miles from the Zababyin Village (on the Ataran ?). The usual routes are, by road to Nyaungbinzêk, four miles, thence across the Ferry over the Nyaungbinzék Creek (= At'aràn River), and thence by road to the Hill, fourmiles or by boat or launch up the At'aràn River to Zababyin Village (on the Ataran ?), 13 miles, and thence by cart to the Hill, 2 miles. The Nga Cave is two and a half miles distant in a separate hill. Only the K'ayôn Cave, of the above, has any remains in it. The D'ammaba Cave is reached by boat or launch up the Jain River, 19 miles, and contains about 1,000 images, of which 100 are in good order, and one chaitya. The S'addan Cave is two miles from Kòs'ên bàn Village, six miles from Naunglonji Village, and 18 miles north of Zababyin (on the Jain). The usual routes from Maulmain are by boat or launch up the Jain River to Zababyin, 13 miles, and thence by cart 18 miles: or by boat or launch to Donaing Village, 28 miles, and thence by cart, 15 miles. This cave is said to be a mile long, and to contain a chaitya and three images in bad order (two being broken) at the entrance. It is about 60 feet above ground level, and is reached by 100 masonry steps in practicable repair.
In the Kokarek Sub-division there are eight caves, viz., the SA, the three P'Abok Caves, the P'abàñun, the Taungbàlwè and the Yabe-Mont'. The first six are in the Myapadaing Circle and the last two in the Myawadi, and all are reached from Kyondôjf Village, which is 47 m. by boat or launch up the Jain River. The Sa Cave is in the little Pâbôk Hill, ten miles from Kyondôji. It contains five or six boxes of old MSS., but no images. These are said to be in good condition. The cave is 60 ft. above ground level, and is approached through old jungle paths. The three P'abok Caves are in the Great P'âbôk Hill and about 200 yards apart, nine miles from Kyôndôji. Two of the caves contain images and chaityas in bad repair. The caves are from 30 feet to 60 feet above ground level, and are approached by old jungle paths. The P'abañun Cave is eight miles from Kyôndôji. It has no contents and is about 60 feet from the ground level. The approach is bad by difficult jungle paths. The Taungbàlwè Cave is nine miles from Kyôndôji. It is 22 feet above the ground level, approached by bad jungle paths, and has no images in it. The Yabe and Monti Caves are in the Tinô Hill, about fifteen miles from Myawadi Village, which is 45 miles by road from Kyondôji. They are about 60 yards apart and 1,000 feet from the ground level. The Yabê Cave contains chaityas, images and old MSS. in bad condition. These caves are very difficult of access through thick jungle and are rarely visited, or as the Burmese informant puts it: "no one has ever been there!"
In the P'agàt Sub-division there are five caves, viz., the Kògun, the Yabêbyàn, the P'agat, the Wèbyàn, and the Taunggale. The first three are in the B'in'laing Circle and the last two in the Myaingji Circle. To reach the first three, the usual route is by boat or launch up the Salween to P'agit, 27 miles (sce post, p. 336), and thence by road. Each cave is close to a village of the same name, and the first two are each about three miles from Pagàt by different cart roads, and about three miles from each other. For detailed descriptions of the P'agàt and Kògun Caves, see post, p. 335 F. In the Yabêbyàn Cave are images and chaityas. The usual route to the Webyàn and Taunggale Caves is by launch to Shwêgun Village up the Salween, 76 miles, and thence by boa. Wèbyàn Village is about six miles beyond Shwêgun, and the cave is some two miles inland. It contains chaityas and images, and is about 50 feet above ground level, but is easily approached by steps lately made to the entrance. The Taunggale Cave is similarly about two miles inland from Myaingji village, which is three miles beyond Shwêgun. This cave is about 700 feet up the hill, approached by a bad road over hill and throngh jungle. It contains chaityas and images.
This local statement is guesswork (see post, p. 338).
