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



The freight of the metal from Mergui to London, via Penang, may 

 be taken at 2s. 6d. per cwt. 



14. The annual produce of the Banca mines was stated by Sir S. 

 Raffles in 1827, to be 30,000 piculs, but owing to the substitution 

 of late years of Chinese workmen throughout, to whom the mines are 

 farmed, for the less productive labour of the natives, the out-turn has 

 been since nearly doubled. Mr. O'Reilly informs me that in 1841, the 

 actual produce was 54,000 piculs, but a considerable reduction in the 

 amount obtained from the Malayan peninsula, south of Junk Ceylon, 

 has taken place within this period, chiefly owing to dissensions amongst 

 the petty chiefs on the East coast. In 1835, 34,600 piculs were 

 assigned by Ensign Newbold as the annual produce of these states, 

 but the total amount from thence may now, I understand, be estimated 

 at about 22,000 piculs, — and from Banca 



54,000 



76,000 piculs, or 4523 tons. 



In this most extensive tin region, comprising the whole of the 

 Malayan peninsula, the most extensive known repository of this 

 metal, there is sufficient evidence collected that many convenient 

 and valuable localities exist within the limits of our own ter- 

 ritory. The northernmost point at which it is known in the Te- 

 nasserim Provinces is amongst the high ranges near Tavoy, where, in 

 the Tounq-byouk valley, it has been seen by the Rev. Mr. Mason, and 

 traces of former works observed above Kaboung and on the Talinq- 

 guwa, twenty miles north of Tavoy. A specimen of very small grain- 

 ed tin from this locality has been recently brought from Tavoy by Mr. 

 Blundell. It was washed out of alluvial soil, and stated to occur more 

 plentifully, and sometimes in pieces at greater depths. The locality 

 is said to be near granite hills, and from the occurrence of tin with the 

 alluvial soils, it exists probably in great abundance in the hills them- 

 selves. To the northward of this I have not heard of it, but in Kar- 

 reenee, the country of the red Kareans, on the Burmese side of the 

 Sal ween river in 18 north latitude, the metal has been obtained by 

 Captain Warwick from the natives, at the rate of about twenty-five 

 rupees per 100 viss, who states, that a considerable quantity of tin is 

 obtainable there at that cost by indirect barter for beads, broad cloth, 



