NATURE 
317 
’ THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1873 
WESTERN YUNAN 
_A Report on the Expedition to Western Yuna, via 
Bhamé. ByJohn Anderson, M.D, (Calcutta: Office 
of the Superintendent of Government Printing, 1871.) 
i Ses interesting volume consists of the first section 
of a report on the expedition from Burmah over the 
Chinese frontier into Yunan, sent out under the auspices 
of the British Government, in the year 1868. It was 
under the charge of Major Sladen and Captain Williams, 
with the author, Dr. Anderson, as naturalist to the Expe- 
dition. They were accompanied by Messrs. Bowers, 
Stewart, and Burn, as representatives of the commercial 
community at Rangoon ; the main object in view being 
to ascertain how far it was possible for the great highway 
to China by the valley of the Tapeng, could be made open 
to British commerce. The desirability of this access to 
the western frontiers of China has long been felt, and 
many attempts have been made during the last two 
centuries to establish an emporium either at Bhamé or 
in its neighbourhood, and one of the results of the 
recent expedition has been the sanction on the part of 
the Burmese Government of the residence of a British 
representative at Bhamé for the protection of our com- 
mercial interests. : 
The first part of the volume before us is chiefly his- 
torical, and deals with the relations of the ancient Shan 
kingdom of Pong, with the neighbouring States of Burmah 
and China, and the wars which resulted in Pong becoming 
a Burmese province. The wars between China ‘and 
Burmah are also described, but during the last hundred 
years or more the intercourse between the two nations 
has been one of peace. 
The European intercourse with Bhamé is next traced 
from the days of Marco Polo downwards ; for from some 
of the details given by that traveller asto the customs of 
the inhabitants of the province of Kardandan, there can 
be but little doubt that his route must in part at least 
have almost coincided with that of the expedition. 
The description of the physical features and geology of 
the Bham6 district and of Western Yunan forms an 
interesting and important chapter. At Bham6é itself the 
Irawady, though 600 miles from the sea, is one and a half 
miles in breadth during the heavy rains, and about a 
mile during the dry season. Its great valley is, however, 
in places broken up by low isolated ranges which confine 
its waters to comparatively narrow but deep channels. 
These hill ranges are usually of metamorphic and crystal- 
line rocks on which Eocene and Miocene strata, consisting 
of limestone, sandstone, clay, coal, and ferruginous con- 
glomerates, have been deposited together with interbedded 
traps. The Tapeng, along the valley of which the course 
of the expedition lay, has a course of about 150 miles 
from its rise in the Kananzan hills to its confluence with 
the Irawady above Bham6. Fora considerable portion 
of this distance there isa continued succession of water- 
falls and rapids, though it is navigable for about twenty 
miles when it reaches the Burmese plain. The Kakhyen 
hillsthrough which it passes attain a height of 5,000 or 
No. 174—Vot. vu, , 
6,000 ft., and appear to be mainly composed of meta- 
morphic and crystalline rocks. Their surface, even to 
the highest peaks, is strewn with water-worn boulders, 
to which Dr. Anderson assigns a marine origin, be- 
lieving that since their deposit this tract of country has 
been raised from beneath the sea, and that the immense 
valley of the Irawady was subsequently excavated. The 
Kananzan range appears to attain an elevation of about 
g,000 ft., and to consist of rocks of the same character. 
The Nantin valley leading to Momien seems to belong 
to another geological age, as in that district there has 
been a comparatively recent outflow of trappean rocks, 
while the country to the west is exclusively granitic and 
metamorphic. There, as well as in the Sanda Valley, 
are hot springs which issue at almost the boiling-point, 
andat the head of the Nantin valley is the large extinct 
volcano of Hawshuenshan. An extremely interesting 
feature in this valley and lower down the stream in the 
Mawphoo gorge, consists in the well-marked river terraces. 
Two of these seem to extend the whole length of the 
valley of Nantin—about sixteen miles—and there are 
indications of a third at:a still higher level. 
Of the mineral products, the coal seems to hold out the 
promise of good fuel and in fair quantity. It crops out 
on the surface in several places on the right bank of the 
Irawady, but as yet has been but little worked. Its geo- 
logical age has yet to be determined. 
Galena, rich in silver, is found in the valley of the 
Tapeng, and gold also occurs, sometimes in grains as 
large as small peas. The most interesting products of 
this part of Burmah are, however, amber and jade. The 
amber mines are at an elevation of about 1,o5oft.,ina 
low range of hills to the S.W. of the Meinkhoom plain, 
in the Hukong valley. It is procured in a primitive 
manner by digging holes about 3 ft. in diameter, and 
sometimes as much as 4oft.indepth. “Fifteen to twenty 
feet of the superficial soil is clayey and red, but the 
remainder consists of a greyish black carbonaceous 
earth. Foliated limestone, serpentine, and coal, are 
among the other strata) The amber is found in both of 
the former, and its presence is indicated by small pieces 
of lignite which are easily detected.” It is made into 
Buddhist rosaries, finger-rings, pipe mouth-pieces, &c. 
The dark sherry-coloured amber is most highly valued. 
Jade is found in more or less rounded boulders em- 
bedded in a reddish yellow clay, Pits are sunk in search 
of it on no defined plan, and at certain seasons of the 
year there are as many as 1,000 men engaged in digging 
for jade in the Mogoung districts. Blocks are occasionally 
found so large that they require three men to turn them. 
Everything in connection with the trade is taxed—diggers, 
purchasers, jade, and even the ponies used for its trans- 
port—and the revenue from the mines was, in 1836, about 
4,000/, The jade used to be largely worked at Momien, 
and the manufacture is still carried on there to some 
extent. It is cut by means of thin copper discs about 
eighteen inches in diameter, used in conjunction with 
fine siliceous grit, composed of quartz and little particles 
resembling ruby dust. The boring of earrings and 
bracelets is effected by a revolving cylinder tipped at the 
free end with the same siliceous mixture. The most 
valuable jade is of an intense bright green colour, but 
the red and pale pink varieties are also prized. A pair 
s 
