Mineral Resources of Upper BurmaJi. 357 



In the Mogoung district there would seem to be a gold-fiekl that, 

 if properly worked, would prove very productive. Some years ago, 

 a Mr. Golding, of Australian experience, contracted with the King 

 to work one square mile of this field for a sum of Es. 25,000 an- 

 nually, for ten years, but unfortunately the district proved to be 

 malarious and Mr. Golding .succumbed to fever ; he, however, pro- 

 nounced the fields to be equal to any in Australia, if not better. I 

 am not aware that he succeeded in procuring much gold. Since then 

 no attempt has been made on the part of the Burmese Government 

 to work the mines. 



To the north-east of Mandalay, in the Shan States, there is another 

 . field of gold. My information tends to show that here again, with 

 energy and enterprise, considerable quantities of gold could be 

 extracted, and the mines prove very productive ; but the locality at 

 present is malarious, and but little gold is procured. 



At Thayet-pein-yua, near the Myit-Nyay, on the road to Pyoung- 

 shoo, to the south-east of Mandalay, the gold quartz is found in 

 abundance, the reefs cropping up from the ground, and there is 

 reason to believe that very valuable gold-mines are in existence, and 

 could be worked and developed with little trouble. A Shan lately 

 procured from here a piece of quartz 3|- lbs. in weight that produced 

 exactly 2| ticals of gold. 



In the Yaw district, to the south-west of Mandalay, gold is obtained 

 in fair quantities in the alluvial deposits ; it exists at Sagaing, Kannee, 

 Sein-joo, and is also obtained from the Kyeend-ween river, and, in- 

 deed, it is procurable from the sands of most of the streams between 

 Mandalay and Mogoung. The natural conclusion from this profusion 

 of gold in the rivers and streams of Upper Burmah is that it exists 

 in large quantities in situ somewhere, and, as I have explained, this 

 is the case, and doubtless there are more deposits that have not been 

 discovered. 



Silver is found in many localities in the Shan States to the east 

 of the Irrawaddy river, but the most prolific mines are those situated 

 at Bawyine, Kyouktch and Toung-byne, near Theebaw, to the north- 

 east of Mandalay. It is mixed with lead, and is in fact a rich 

 argentiferous galena. One mine, the Kampanee, will yield as much 

 as 40 ticals of silver and 25 viss of lead from one basket of the ore, 

 while the poorest mine gives 4 ticals of silver and 30 viss of lead. 

 Other mines exist, such as the Baudween, Baudweengyee and 

 Sagaing. The metal is also found in other towns unmixed with 

 lead. The supply of silver obtained hitherto has been sufficient for 

 the requirements of the country in conjunction with the imports 

 from Yunan. 



Copper. — This metal is found in the Shan States, but is not worked. 

 It is also found at Kolen-myo and Sagaing ; at Bawyine and Kolen- 

 myo the malachite appears to be of a rich description. The copper 

 resources of the Shan States do not appear to have been ever utilized 

 to any extent, and the deposits, which seem to be abundant, remain 

 as nature placed them. The Sagaing mines were worked in former 

 times by Chinese, but many years have elapsed now since they were 



