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monopoly, the latter selling here at Es. 50 per 100 viss. Much risk 

 attends the jade trade, which appears to me a mere speculation; 

 not only must you have a most accurate eye for colour, to judge the 

 exact tint of green that realizes the highest price, but it also 

 requires great experience in determining the precious from value- 

 less ophite. Rather a gross piece of injustice on the part of the 

 Governor had been brought to my notice to-day. A block of serpen- 

 tine, valued at Rs. 300, had been exposed for sale for some days, 

 and eventually a speculative chinaman closed with the owner for 

 Rs. 275 ; it turned out a prize, and he was offered Rs. 7,000 for it. 

 This reaching the Governor's ears, he demanded the block at the 

 price paid, and sent it down to Mandalay. There were all sorts 

 of rumours rife regarding the object of my visit ; among others, it 

 was supposed I was exploring with a view to ascertain the feasibility 

 of taking the country in revenge for various sleights that had been 

 shown us. In the evening, I visited the royal hpoongyee, who, 

 strange to say, is an Arakanese by descent ; his monastery was situat- 

 ed to the extreme west of the town. He told me that he visited 

 Calcutta with the embassy in 1865, and that all other members 

 of the mission had been promoted to Governors ; but as he 

 could not accept that honour, he was appointed to his present 

 office by the King, with instructions to report direct to the capital, 

 everything that went on here ; the dismissal of the last Governor 

 was, he boastingly added, on his report, xls a mark of distinction 

 he had been presented with a gilt bedstead — an honour alone con- 

 ferred on royal priests. He now produced some of his treasures, 

 among which were two fine large crystals presented by his 

 Kakhyen disciples living on the high mountains to the west, and 

 a pipe that had been given him by a Mr. Henri, who resided in 

 his monastery, for many months, when working the jade mines and 

 india-rubber for the King. He threw out hints that the Governor 

 would place every obstacle in my way, not wishing the wealth and 

 prosperity of his district to be known to foreigners, but that I was 

 not to be daunted, as I might depend on him for assistance. 

 It is strange that though a Buddhist, this hpoongyee believes in 

 the existence and influence of ndts, impressing on me that I could 

 alone hope for success by sending an offering in the form of cocoa- 

 nuts, rice, and plantains to the spirit of the forests, who resides 

 beneath a wide spreading Ficus on the slope of the high mountain 

 opposite. Superstition is another marked feature in this priest's 

 character, for he believed that the direction from which forthcom- 

 ing changes and events arise are predicted by the roaring of a tiger 

 throughout the night. The following interesting circumstances he 

 related regarding the origin of the india-rubber trade in Upper 



