848 Second Report on the Tin of Mergui. [No 129. 



" places, they gave the preference to Kahan ; one of their reasons in 

 " favor of this was, its propinquity to the town and the main river, for 

 " procuring their supplies. The tide flows to both of the Yahmon sites 

 " where the Nullahs appear to terminate, and during the spring tides 

 " the water recedes to a considerable distance from where I landed, 

 " leaving the Nullahs dry at this season ; their sides are muddy, but in 

 " the middle is a small clear gravelly space in which tin ore is found. 

 " The Chinamen say, this ore is precisely of the same description as 

 " that of Kahan ; but from the accounts of the natives, it always sold at 

 " ten per cent, less." 



This inferiority, which is marked by its selling price, is owing to the 

 mixture of Wolfram sand, before mentioned, which, from being very 

 nearly of the same specific gravity as tin, it is difficult to separate. It 

 has likewise a strong sulphureous smell, and would require to be roasted 

 before it is put in the smelting furnace. The presence of tungstate 

 of iron with stream tin in the Mergui Province is very common ; it has 

 apparently an extensive distribution in some of the minor ranges near 

 the sea, and becomes mixed with the tin in the beds of streams, after 

 both are detached from their original sites. Nearly all the specimens 

 of ore brought by Mr. Corbin last year from Malewan, on the Pakchan 

 river, contain it in such abundance as would most likely interfere materi- 

 ally with the profitable working of tin in many of those localities. It was 

 not present with the stream tin procured last year from the Thabaw- 

 lick, the Thengdon, and other rivers east of the town of Tenasserim. 



12. Two hundred viss of the Yahmon tin ore, in addition to what 

 has been already mentioned, is expected by the next opportunity from 

 Mergui ; as well as a sample from the Thabawlick river, which I 

 visited and reported on last year. Some Malays have been there col- 

 lecting the ore, and have agreed to supply it at half the selling price of 

 smelted tin, or about forty-five rupees per 100 viss. 



An analysis of the Yahmon ore gave per cent. 



Of Metallic Iron, 4.69 



" Tungstic Acid, 29.46 



" Sulphur, 1.37 



Earthy residue and tin not examined.... 64.48 



100.00 





