l68 NOETLING: PETROLEUM IN BURMA. 



Dr. Romanis ; everyone who gives a description of the machinery 

 invariably states that the cross beam rests on "two " forked stan- 

 chions : the woodcuts in Captain Yule's Mission to Ava, page 20, and 

 Dr. Romanis's sketch, both represent two forked uprights. Now 

 there were never two forked uprights, only one of this shape 

 the second one was a simple post into which the cross beam 

 was pegged. The reason for this arrangement is quite intelligible ; 

 if there were two forked uprights the axle laid across them was 

 liable to revolve. The friction between axle and supports not being 

 sufficient to withstand the heavy strain of pulling up a man, 

 the cross beam had therefore to be made immovable, and this was 

 easily done by pegging it on one of the uprights. 



It is hardly necessary to describe here the machinery in detail, 

 but for the sake of completeness it may be done. Two posts, one of 

 which is naturally forked, are placed at either side of the well ; a 

 rude cross beam is laid across these stanchions in such a way that 

 one end of it rests in the fork, while the other end is pegged on the 

 second one. By this arrangement the necessary rigidity is obtained. 

 Two smaller forked branches, serving as supports of a revolving 

 cylinder, are pegged in the middle of the cross beam. The revolving 

 cylinder is made of hard wood, axle and cylinder being made out of 

 one piece ; a score for guiding the rope is cut in its centre. When 

 hauling up the oil a leather rope is used to which an ordinary earthen 

 pot is fastened ; this is lowered down and is hauled up, when filled 

 by two coolies running down an incline. It seems that formerly 

 " lackered wicker baskets " were used, but they seem to have been 

 superseded for a long time by earthen pots. These pots are of pecu- 

 liar make, they are ball shaped, with rather a narrow opening at the 

 top, the edge of which forms a kind of neck round which the sling of 

 the rope is fastened. The pots vary in size, containing from 10 to 

 14 viss, even 16 viss. The same pots are used for carting the oil 

 down to the river. 1 



The lowering of diggers is rather ingenious. For this purpose 



a strong rope, which ends in two slings, is used, the digger sits on 



1 Lately these timehonoured pots began to be replaced by the prosaic but less fragile 

 kerosine oil tin. 



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