J 839.] Coat Field at Ta-thay-yna. 389 



stimulated the Careans, the only inhabitants of that part of the coun- 

 try, to be assiduous in finding coal. I gave them samples of that mine- 

 ral, which scarcely any one of them had seen before, and taught them 

 to look for it in the beds of mountain torrents, on steep banks of 

 rapid rivers, on parts of mountains or hills detached by the violence of 

 the monsoon, &c, for they had generally imbibed the erroneous opinion 

 that coal is only found on the summits of high mountains which for- 

 merly were in a state of combustion, and that coal is a species of cooled 

 lava. 



Fearing however that their natural apathy might prevent them 

 from any exertion, I promised a reward of 50 Rs. to be given to any 

 body who found coal of good quality not far from a river. 



By a rather extraordinary coincidence, the present coal was found 

 but a thousand yards distant from the place where I made the pro- 

 mise of the reward, and in the same village, the inhabitants of which 

 accompanied me for three days in search after coal in the surrounding 

 jungles. 



A Carean of that village of the name of Ka-pho, penetrating two 

 months and a half ago the thick forests in search of good ground for a 

 plantation, came upon a small rivulet, and found coal partly at its 

 bottom, partly protruding from its banks. 



My lesson, but much more, undoubtedly, the prospect of the Fifty 

 Rupees' reward, seemed not to have been forgotten. He took some 

 pieces home, and kept them hidden for several weeks, not knowing 

 if they were really coal, for the pieces which I distributed among the 

 Careans were Burdwan coal of a different aspect. He consulted a 

 friend afterwards, who advised him to go to Mergui and show 

 the coal to me, but being apprized that I was absent (examining the 

 Mergui Archipelago) the visit to Mergui was postponed. About 

 a month afterwards a Burmese, of the name of Kho-baik, saw the 

 specimens of coal by accident in a basket; he possessed himself 

 of a piece, and hastened with it to Mergui to claim the reward for 

 himself; he shewed it to the Assistant of the Commissioner in Mergui, 

 and in this way the coal was brought to public notice. 



(Signed) J. W. HELFER, M. D. 



Mergui, 9th May, 1839. 



