594 Excursions to the Eastward. [July, 



tons of tin yearly. It may however, be surmised that several of the best 

 mines have been pretty well exhausted. 



This quantity agreeably to a calculation made by me when visiting 

 the smelting-house, and which will be noticed presently, must have afford- 

 ed to the king and the contractor of Siam a clear annual profit of 

 76,224 Spanish dollars, prices being then from 60 to 65 dollars per 

 bahar. It is however supposed that the above quantity did not form 

 the maximum of productiveness, and that with the long island of Pulo 

 Panjang, containing, (even now) unwrought tin veins and beds of 

 ore, Solan g could have been made and perhaps might still be made to 

 yield a much larger supply. The tin of Junkceylon is now carried to 

 Phoonga where it is either sold to Penang traders or despatched across 

 the peninsula for the Siam market. 



The following remarks will be found equally applicable to the tin 

 mining and smelting operations of Salang and Phoonga. 



The Chinese are the only people employed by the Siamese in the 

 smelting of the ore at their various tin mines, and the former general- 

 ly enter into a contract for a period of a year, at a stipulated rate. 



The charges for mining, smelting, &c. stand thus for one bahar* * 



1. Price paid at the smelting house for ore, 19 20 



2. Charges for furnace and 6 men at ^ dr. per day, 1 50 



Prime cost,. . 20 70 



3. The king takes at first, 24 



4. Ditto ditto ditto on the sale, 2 



26 



Total cost to the smelterf , Drs 46 70 



The operation of mining is quite speculative, but on this account it 

 has greater charms for the natives who require excitation of mind to 

 disturb their indolent habits. 



They dig pits from the depth of 10 to 100 feet. The ore is found 

 either in a gritty form, or imbedded in a quartzose gangue. They 

 are contented with the produce which the single shaft yields them, and 

 rarely venture to mine laterally. This ore is then broken and washed. 

 Although there are few parts of the island which do not contain ore, 



* A baliar contains about 466 lbs. avoirdupois, so that 5 tons are equal 

 to 24 bahars and 16 lbs. 



f Now, 1837, the average price of tin in the Straits is about 48 dollars per 

 bahar. Consequently unless the duty should be greatly reduced the mines 

 must be abandoned. 



