1842.] Second Report on the Tin of Mergui. 843 



There has been more abrasion, and the slope is more gradual on the 

 eastern face of the hill than on the west ; the debris on the east slope 

 being evidently from the disintegration of the granite and adjoining 

 sandstone rock, from which tin may at this day be plentifully procur- 

 ed a few feet below the surface. Some very rich specimens of the 

 mineral were taken from a pit dug by the convicts about five feet deep 

 at the point C in the plan. This face of the hill, as well as the north- 

 east and south-west extremities near the base, have been dug into pits 

 by the Burmese in former periods, and washed for tin in several 

 places. Near the two last points, there are distinct traces of tanks 

 which have been used for washing and separating the ore ; the ground 

 is seen there, and along the eastern slope, strewed with glittering plates 

 of mica nearly an inch square, and covered with remains of the soft 

 granitic matrix from which the ore has been extracted. A few 

 persons now at Mergui were engaged here in tin works under the 

 Burmese Government, and Mr. Corbin has ascertained from them, that 

 those who understood the work, and laboured ten hours a day, collect- 

 ed one and a half viss of clean ore per man ; but a very rich vein was 

 not unfrequently met with, from which more than double that quantity 

 could be obtained in the same time. No machinery was used, and the 

 tin was procured by surface workings only. The produce, or clean 

 peroxide of tin, was sold on the spot at the rate of five, or five and a 

 half ticals of silver for ten viss of ore, which yielded on an average 

 seventy per cent, of metal. The metal was at that period selling in 

 the bazar at 100 ticals of silver for 100 viss of tin. There are 100 

 ticals in a viss, and 100 viss = 363 lbs. avoir. 



5. On arriving at Kahan, we found that the working party had re- 

 opened the bed of ore at the spot at which I found it last year, on the 

 east face of the hill, marked A in the plan. At this spot, which is 

 fifty- five feet above the level of the rice fields, and 600 feet horizontal 

 distance from the foot of the slope, a pit twelve feet deep had been dug, 

 the lower part of which was sufficiently roomy to allow a man to work 

 easily with a pick-axe. The pit was an irregular four- 

 sided figure of the following shape and dimensions : jy \# 

 the three short sides being innermost next the vein, ^ v 



and apparently comprising its total thickness at that 

 point, as far as could then be ascertained. All the three sides and the 



5 s 



