290 Literary Intelligence, Sfc. [No. 3> 



Gallic friends are. I think it highly important that the Shan States 

 be made interested in the British policy before they are permitted to 

 be played on by French influence. 



In the midst of this excitement here, I await with confidence the 

 opening up of the country. The Woongyee has indeed appeared to 

 be convinced that my going over the country can do nothing but 

 good, and has even hinted a day or two since, that he will do his 

 best to get the sanction of the king to my examining whatever 

 mountains I wish to visit, and looking at what I want with all the 

 assistance they can give me. This Iron has had an effect on them. 

 The king has been told of it, more than once, and discussions have 

 taken place how to best reap the benefit- of what I have shown to 

 them. I shall hint that they might reward me by giving me the 

 opportunity to throw open to them other sources of wealth. The 

 Woong3 r ee has hinted that I might perhaps go over mountains, &c, 

 with this view. 



I give you a short account of my visit to the Iron Stone mountain. 

 On Sunday evening, 29th June, I sent to the Prince, to say that 

 I thought rain would fall heavily after a few days, and would like to 

 go to the Iron mountain " to-morrow" or next day. The reply was 

 an elephant at my disposal at 9 o'clock that evening and ten 

 musketeers would be ready to accompany me in the morning, when 

 before starting His royal Highness wished to see me. 



On Monday morning then, the Prince ordered the men in com- 

 mand of the militia to take care no dacoits or thieves came near me, 

 and requested me to take care of fever and particularly not to stay 

 many nights at the dangerous place. 



Turning the Mandaley (" Mandive" in Yule's Map) hill on the 

 west and north sides, we skirted the immense artificial reservoir of 

 the " Mandaugan," cutting through the south-east part in a north 

 easterly course, till we n eared the little villages that lie between it 

 and the foot of the precipitate Shan mountains, like oases in a green 

 desert, for the plain was all green paddy, and the village sites were 

 clumps of bamboo, palm, mangoe and tamarind trees with little 

 gardens and patches of Plantain trees. After about (5) miles, we 

 came upon ground evidently formerly cultivated for paddy, but now 

 left to the white dhatura, the euphorbias, and scanty herbage, for 

 want of rain. My Mahout, a native of this district, said for the last 



