1842.] Second Report on the Tin of Mergui. 847 



9. The mode of occurrence of the ore here more nearly resembles 

 that of Banca, than any of which I am informed. The matrix in which 

 tin is found at the latter, is said to be somewhat harder than that of 

 Kahan, and to require pounding or stamping before it can be separat- 

 ed effectually; but the situation of the ores are, I understand, very 

 similar. Mr. O'Reilly, a gentleman now residing at Amherst, was 

 permitted by the Dutch authorities a few years ago to visit the Banca 

 mines, and has described to me, that the matrix and ore are there 

 dug out of pits in the face of a hill not 300 feet high, and that after 

 being pounded, it is brought within the action of a stream of water, 

 which is led from wells and a small spring on the higher levels. No 

 machinery is used, but the Chinese miners penetrate after a time to a 

 bed of solid silex, where the tin is lost altogether. Mr. O'Reilly has 

 seen the specimens and samples of tin from Kahan, and pronounces 

 them fully equal to Banca tin, and that the grain has precisely the 

 grey glittering appearance, when held to the light, by which the 

 Chinese miners distinguish good ores. 



10. In addition to the sample of eight cwt. of clean ore collected at 

 Kahan, 176 viss, or more than five cwt. have peen received from near 

 Yahmon, a conical and isolated hill in the Nunklai district, on the oppo- 

 site or south side of the Tenasserim, and about a day's journey by 

 water from Kahan, bearing south-south-east from Mergui, distant about 

 twenty miles. The ore is found here as stream tin, in tidal creeks, 

 about three miles from the hill, its colour darker than that of Kahan, 

 being nearly black, which is caused by a mixture of Wolfram sand, or 

 Tungstate of iron. 



11. Of this locality, Mr. Corbin writes to Mr. Blundell on the 24th 

 of April : " The following morning we proceeded from Kahan to 

 " Yahmon in the Nonklai district, where we arrived at 5 p. m., it having 

 " taken four and half hours hard pulling to get there from the Kywai 

 " Kuran village, and examined one of the localities, (that which had 

 " been worked during the Burmese Government) ; here the soil was 

 " rich in ore. The next morning we visited another place in a difFer- 

 " ent Nullah, a short distance from the former, where also the tin ap- 

 " peared to abound ; but the Chinese objected to the two last spots, in 

 " consequence of the want of a command of running water, for they 

 " make a decided objection to wash out the soil by hand. Of the three 



