FORESTERS’ LIFE IN BURMA 187 
mines that were situated in a somewhat unsettled 
locality. The system then in force was that the 
official entrusted with the receipt of Customs valued 
the jade that was brought down, and presented his 
demand for the payment of a royalty according to 
a fixed percentage on this value ; if the owner found 
this estimate too high, he was at liberty to claim in 
cash the amount of the estimate, when the jade 
became the property of Government. In this way 
a tolerably fair result to either side was arrived at ; 
but the estimate at the best was merely a specula- 
tion, for until the huge lumps were cut open no 
exact idea of the colour and translucency was 
possible. The greater part of this product goes to 
China, where it has a quite fictitious value, based 
on the properties believed to be inherent in the 
stone. We did not reach the jade-mines, however, 
for, owing to the indisposition of the Commandant, 
the escort set out to return to headquarters, and, 
disappointed, we determined at least to see the 
Indawgyi Lake before the return to civilization. 
The first sight of this large sheet of water was 
more mysterious than impressive. Tiny wavelets of 
clear water lapped a sandy beach that was crowded 
with myriads of minute shells; at a short distance 
the ripples were lost in a haze of mist blocking out 
the farther shore; to the left a cluster of houses 
topped a small promontory; to the right was a 
forest of huge trees, some of which lay felled and 
logged on the water’s edge ; and even when the sun 
asserted its sway and the landscape cleared, there 
was but little beauty in the scenery, and nothing 
of interest save the solitude of the waters between 
