He had asked many questions of his friend the officer, as they went up to the temple, as to the roads.

He was told that there was one running almost due south to Ramuthayn, by which he could travel down to Rangoon, by way of Tannoo.

This, however, would take him a long distance from the main river, and he decided that he would presently strike the road that ran about halfway between the hills and the Irrawaddy.

He would follow that for a time, and would try and strike the river somewhere between Meloun and Keow-Uan.
Below this point there was a network of rivers, and but few villages, and the country was swampy and unhealthy.

He infinitely preferred the risks of the descent by the river to those by road; and it seemed to him that, if he could but obtain possession of one of the small native fishing boats, he could drop down at night, unnoticed, as the width of the river at Ava was upwards of a thousand yards and, below that town, often considerably exceeded that breadth.
When it became too dark to proceed further, he sat down at the foot of a tree.