MINBU. 35 



Towards south the anticlinal has been traced to about ten miles 

 south of Minbu, beyond which I have not followed it. Along the 

 anticlinal petroleum oozes out from the surface at several localities, 

 but the principal place, where there are the most numerous indications, 

 is immediately west of the European quarters of Minbu, in a valley in 

 which are situated the famous mud volcanoes of Minbu, described 

 in the following section. 



4. — The Mud Volcanoes. 



Although the Nagabwet taung of Minbu have been a source of 

 great wonder to the natives for ages past, they are hardly mentioned 

 in the earlier descriptions of Burma. The reason for this is that 

 Minbu was seldom visited by travellers, being somewhat off the 

 general route taken by the boats which ply on the Irawadi. 



Dr. Oldham was the first to give an account of them, but 

 being pressed for time he could not go into details. Accord- 

 ing to his description the cones must have been much lower in 

 1855 than they are now, as their height is stated to be between 12 

 and 15 feet. Unfortunately Dr. Oldham has not stated how many 

 cones existed at the time of his visit ; it would have been of 

 great interest to know whether the number of those mud wells, which 

 rise on the top of cones, has changed during the last 40 years. It is 

 however quite evident that at the time of Dr. Oldham's visit there 

 existed the two groups, here described as the southern and 

 northern group, which differ as regards physical aspects. The most 

 remarkable fact of Dr. Oldham's observations is his statement of 

 the temperature which he gives at 87 F., this is decidedly higher 

 than has been observed by me in any of the mud wells except one. 

 I may mention here that Dr. Oldham visited Minbu at the end of 

 October, that is to say, just before the beginning of the cold season- 



/. — Situation of the mud volcanoes. 

 They are situated about 3,000 feet west of the civil station of 

 Minbu, in a narrow valley running north and south, which joins the 

 Sabwet-choung to the south ; the northern end forms a kind of 

 D 2 ( 81 ) 



