[ 1*7 ] 



VI. 



An Account of the Petroleum Wells in the 

 BuRMHA Dominions J extraBed from the Jour-- 

 nal of a Voyage from Ranghong up the River 

 Erai-Wuddey to Amarapoorah, the prefent 

 Capital of the Burmha Empire. — By Captain 

 Hiram Cox, Refident at Ranghong. 



SATURDAY, JANUARY 7, I797. 



WIND eafterly, fliarp and cold, thick fog on 

 the river until after fun rife, when it evaporat- 

 ed as ufual, but foon after collected again, and continu- 

 ed fo denfe till half paft eight A. M. that we could 

 barely fee the length of the boat. 



Thermometer at fun rife 52", at noon 74°, in 

 the evening 69°; general courfe of the river north 

 20"^ weft, main breadth from one to one and a half 

 miles, current about two and a half miles per hour. 



East bank, high, rugged, barren downs, with pre- 

 cipitous cliffs towards the river j of free ftone inter- 

 mixed with ftrata of quartz, martial ore and red 

 ochre ; beech moderately (helving, covered with frag- 

 ments of quartz, lilex, petrifactions and red ochre, 

 and with rocky points projediing from it into the 

 river. 



Western bank, a range of low fandy ifiands, co- 

 vered with a luxuriant growth of reeds. Thefe at 

 prefent narrow the ftream to three quarters, and in 

 fome places to halt a mile, but are overflowed in the 

 rains ; the main bank rather low and fandy, fubje6t to 

 be overflowed, its whole breadth about three miles to 

 the foot of a range of low woody hills, which in 

 I point 



