8 NOETLING : PETROLEUM IN BURMA. 



fields the number of wells was even smaller than 300. I shall, re- 

 turn to this subject in a following chapter. The statement about 

 the production must necessarily be equally exaggerated, even if we 

 suppose that the average yield per well was higher in those days 

 than it is now. 



The next report about the Yenangyoung oil-field was written 

 only two years later by Captain Cox, who visited the oil-fields in 

 1797. The account of his visit was published in the Asiatic Re- 

 searches (Volume VI, pages 127 to 136, 1799), and as it is highly 

 interesting in many ways, I give it here verbatim : — 



" An Account of the Petroleum Wells in the Burmese Dominions, ex~ 

 traded from the Journal of a voyage from Ranghong up the River Erai 

 Wuddey to Amarapoorah, the present Capital of the Burmha Empire by 

 Captain Hiram Cox, Resident at Ranghong. 



u Saturday, jth January 1797- 



"Wind easterly, sharp and cold, thick fog on the river u ntil after sunrise, 

 when it evaporated as usual, but soon after collected again, and continued so 

 dense till 8-30 a.m. that we could barely see the length of the boat. 



" Thermometer at sun rise 52 , at noon 74 , in the evening 6q°. General 

 course of the river north 20 west, main breadth from I to 1^ miles ; current about 

 2\ miles per hour. 



*« East bank, high rugged barren downs, with precipitous cliffs towards the 

 river, of free stone intermixed with strata of quartz, martial ore, and red ochre ; 

 beech moderately shelving covered with fragments of quartz, silex, petrifactions 

 and red ochre, with rocky points projecting from it into the river. 



" Western bank, a range of low sandy islands, covered with a luxuriant 

 growth of reeds. These at present narrow the stream to three quarters and in 

 some places to half a mile, but are overflowed in the rains ; the main bank rathe 1 * 

 low and sandy, subject to be overflowed, its whole breadth about 3 miles to the 

 foot of a range of low woody hills, which in point of vegetation form an agreeable 

 contrast to the eastern shore. These hills are bounded to the westward at the 

 distance of about 20 miles from the river by an extensive range of high moun- 

 tains, cloathed with wood to their summits. 



" At half past ten a.m. came to the lower town of Rainanghong, a temple in 

 it of the antique Hindoo style of building. At noon came to the centre town of 

 Rainanghong (literally the town through which flows a river of earth oil), situated 

 on the east bank of the river in latitude 20 26' north and longitude 94 45' 54" 

 east of Greenwich, halted to examine the wells of Petroleum. 



" The town has but a mean appearence, and several of its temples, of which 

 there are great numbers, falling to ruins : the inhabitants however are well 

 dressed, many of them with gold spiral ear ornaments, and are undoubtedly rich 

 from the great profit they derive from their oil wells, as will be seen below. 



( 54 ) 



