1836.] lying north of the Tenasserim Provinces. 603 



of Buddh, and consequently their ceremonies and festivals differ in 

 no material manner from ihose of the Burmese, which are now well 

 known : indeed there is little other difference between the two races 

 than that of dress and language ; which latter is a dialect of the 

 Siamese with a distinct alphabet, bearing in the formation of the 

 letters a great resemblance to the Burmese character. Of the 

 resources of a country so thinly populated and so constantly subju- 

 gated to the devastating inroads of both Siamese and Burmese, 

 according as one or the other of these powers held the sovereignty, 

 it is not practicable to form an estimate. Speaking of the soil and 

 cultivation, Dr. Richardson says — " The soil in the low paddy and 

 garden lands is a rich black loam apparently inexhaustible, in which 

 the crops follow each other in uninterrupted succession. Cultiva- 

 tion is conducted with a good deal of care by irrigation and trans- 

 planting, and the return on good lands is about 120 and on inferior 

 about 75 fold. The general seed-time is in July and August, and the 

 harvest in December and January, though some descriptions of paddy 

 are perfected in three months. Their plough closely resembles those 

 used in the south of Scotland without the culture or ploughshare, 

 and is often drawn by one buffalo. The principal articles of cultiva- 

 tion are the cauth-brier, or glutinous rice, cotton, maize, sugar-cane, 

 tobacco, ground nut, chillies, several kinds of pulse, radishes, and 

 turnips. Of grain, wheat, and other corn they have none. Pepper, 

 cloves, and all the finer species of spices are unknown." Both the 

 soil and climate seem well suited to the cultivation of Pernambuco 

 cotton, which is now being introduced into the Tenasserim provinces ; 

 and it is much to be regretted that the seed with which Dr. Richard- 

 son was furnished on his last visit proved bad, as the people evinced 

 great desire to cultivate so valuable an article. If the cultivation of 

 South American cotton is found to answer in the Tenasserim pro- 

 vinces, of which great hopes are entertained, every exertion will be 

 made to introduce it into the neighbouring countries. 



Tin, iron, and lead ores appear to be abundant in the country, and 

 some of them very rich, though it does not appear that the extraction 

 of the metal is engaged in to any extent. Dr. R. was informed that 

 the tin ore yields 80 per cent., and some iron ore that was shown 

 him seemed equally rich. There are extensive teak forests in that 

 part of the country immediately adjoining our provinces, but owing to 

 the difficulty of bringing the timber down the Salween river in con- 

 sequence of rocks and rapids, it is doubtful whether we shall be 

 enabled to avail ourselves of that supply to any extent. The country 

 abounds in cattle, to procure which originally, and subsequently to 

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