eing damp. The course
continued in a direction varying from S. to W., or rather between these
points, through damp jungle. We then ascended another steep hill, but
not exceeding 5 or 600 feet in height; descending from this, and passing
through low tree and then bamboo jungle, we reached the mines.

The road was, up to the base of Kuwa Boom on the W. side, very good,
thence it was in general bad; wet, slippery, much impeded by blocks of
serpentine, and foliated limestone (Bayfield) crossing several streams,
mountain torrents, the principal one being Sapya Khioung. This takes its
name from a spring of water of alkaline properties, which bubbles up
sparingly from under its rocky bed, and which must be covered during the
rains. The water is clear, of a pure alkaline taste, and is used by the
natives as soap.

The mines occupy a valley of a somewhat semi-circular form, bounded on
all sides by hills clothed with trees, none being of very great height.
The valley passes off to the N. into a ravine, down which the small
stream that percolates the valley escapes, and in this at about a coss
distant other pits occur. The surface of the valley apparently at one
time consisted of low rounded hillocks; it is now much broken, and choked
up with the earth and stones that have been thrown up by excavating. The
stone is found in the form of more or less rounded boulders imbedded with
others, such as quartz, etc. in brickish-yellow or nearly orange clay.
The boulders vary much in size. There is no regularity in the pits,
which are dug indiscriminately; some have the form of ditches, none
exceed 20 feet in depth. They are dug all over the valley, as well as on
the base of the hill bounding it to the W. and N.W. We could not obtain
any good specimens, nor is there any thing in the spot that repays the
visit. No machinery is used, the larger blocks are broken by fire. But
that they are of importance in the light of increasing the revenue, is
evident, from the fact that B. counted, since we left Camein, 1,100
people on their return, of whom about 700 were Shan Chinese. The loads
carried away are in some cases very heavy; the larger pieces are carried
on bamboo frames by from two to five men, the lesser on a stout piece of
bamboo lashed to and supported on two cross or forked bamboos, the
stouter joint resting on the bearer's neck, the handles of the forks
being carried in his hands. The most obvious advantage of this is the
ea