1840.] on the Tenasserim Provinces, fyc. 185 



To these productions of the sea, which enter into the article 

 of commerce, must be added tortoise shells, mother o^pearl 

 shells, sea-slugs, and amber, which are found among the 

 islands of the Mergui archipelago, and which are entirely 

 neglected, or triflingly collected by the wandering Seelongs. 



Commerce. — For commercial men (Europeans) the Tenasse- 

 rim provinces are a poor resort. In a new country it requires a 

 long time before a regular commercial intercouse can be esta- 

 blished, whereas in Tenasserim reciprocity is wanted. 



The Burmese have been too long separated from India, 

 and much more from Europe ; they know little of the commo- 

 dities of either country, and they know not how to use them. 

 What they want for their own comforts, and do not produce 

 themselves, is all found within the sphere of their own country; 

 what Tenasserim does not produce of their luxuries, superfluities, 

 or commodities, Pegu and Ava do. Very few articles of European 

 or Indian produce have found their way to Burmah. These 

 few articles are limited to cotton piece goods of an inferior 

 quality, some broad cloth, iron, tobacco, and opium ; and the 

 majority still use their own home-spun cloths, and content 

 themselves with inferior tobacco, while only a small portion of 

 the community (chiefly the richer class) indulge in smoking 

 opium. All the rest of the commodities imported is for the use 

 of foreigners in the provinces, and these being comparatively 

 few, their wants are soon satisfied. 



The generality of the Burmese people have no inducement 

 to become acquainted with foreign commodities, they are too 

 widely different in their habits, customs, and wants, from Eu- 

 ropeans, and they possess as yet no ambition to procure the new 

 luxuries ; they have besides no reason to exchange their surplus 

 for new articles. Yet Burmah in general, and Tenasserim con- 

 sidered as a part of it, might be a country of commercial impor- 

 tance, possessing many articles intrinsically of value, which 

 would be appreciated in European markets, and which require 

 only to be collected, being partly the spontaneous productions of 

 nature, which are now entirely unused, and will remain so as 

 long as there exists no mutual commerce. Even supposing that 

 the natives could be induced to collect these articles at a reason- 



2 b 



