( 22 ) 



bank is not less, perhaps, than four to five miles, which feature it 

 preserves to the mouth of the Kyendwen, the whole being cut up 

 at this season into a series of little islands. To the east, the 

 country is more hilly and undulating, but the geological formation 

 still retains the character of red sandstone. The beds of the 

 ravines are at this season deep in sand, showing that they serve to 

 drain the interior, during the heavy rains, when the rush of water 

 must be considerable, though perhaps of no great depth, nor of 

 long duration. 



40. My introductory chapter having already become more 



lengthy than was originally intended, 



Nyoungoo, and its manufacture J mugt ta k e a giant's stride to NyOUng- 



oo, which is celebrated for the manu- 

 facture of its boxes, and thence to the capital, leaving a description 

 of the intermediate places of interest, for some future time, when 

 I shall not be limited for space, and can ventilate my ideas with 

 a seeming disregard, perhaps, of the conventional restraints of 

 ordinary official correspondence. 



There are few people, I imagine, who have not even visited Bur- 

 ma, but have heard of the little boxes for which it is so noted, 

 and which serve for a number of purposes, from a snuff-box to a 

 lady's bonnet-box ; but I question whether there are many familiar 

 with the process of their manufacture. I had seen in Yule's Ava 

 and other books these useful little articles described as lacquer- 

 ware — an idea still prevalent, I believe ; but such is a mistake, as 

 will presently be seen. Fortunately for me, a few miles north 

 of Pagan, something was discovered to have gone wrong with the 

 engines, and at 4 p.m. we were compelled to make fast for the 

 night abreast of Nyoungoo, which is now as celebrated for the 

 manufacture I am about to describe as Pagan originally was. One 

 of my escort, being related to a box-manufacturer was the means, 

 no doubt, of my getting such a capital insight into the whole pro- 

 cess ; for, until the relationship had been satisfactorily traced and 

 discussed, I found my enquiries accepted with suspicion, and met 

 by evasive replies. 



41. The shell of the box, or whatever the article may be, is of 

 ., , the finest bamboo-work, and on the 



Box manufacture described. flexibility f the article the value is 



regulated. This shell is first covered with a wash of cow-dung 

 sufficiently thick to fill up the crevices, and give the whole an even 

 surface ; when dry, a second coating of cow-dung mixed with sissel 

 oil is applied, and allowed to dry gradually in a vault below ground, 

 at a temperature of 130° F. When thoroughly dry, which takes 

 about four days, all irregularities or unevenness is removed by an 



