170 



rxOETLING: PETROLEUM IN BURMA. 



The solution is very simple ; as the time of staying down in the well 

 is very limited on account of the fumes, the digger would not have time, 

 coming from the bright glare of the day, to get his eyes accustomed 

 to the darkness in the well before he was going to be hauled up 

 again. By having his eyes previously closed he is enabled to see 

 when down in the well. 1 



Before going down the digger puts a quaint cap made of 

 palm leaves on his head to protect it against stones, etc., falling down 

 from the walls. 



The following are observations of the time taken to lower 

 and haul up a man and his actual staying down. Of course 

 the first depends much on the depth of the well, the second on the 

 quantity of gas developed, the temperature, and last, not least, on the 

 physical strength of the digger. General rules can therefore not be 

 established and it is sufficient to give the observations taken at a 

 well of normal conditions. 



Well No. Ji. Depth 220 feet {146 cubits). Time in seconds. 



Observation. 



Descent. 



Period below. 



Ascent. 



Total. 



Useful time 

 in per cent. 



ISt 



43" 



27" 



80" 



150' 



18 



2nd . 



35* 



22" 



105" 



162" 



i3'S 



3rd . 



39* 



18" 



124" 



181" 



10 



4th . 



39" 



27" 



127 



193" 



H 



5th . 



27" 



23" 



148" 



198" 



116 



6th . 



36" 



23" 



134" 



193" 



11 8 



7th . 



31" 



22" 



150" 



203" 



io-8 



8th . 



30" 



36" 



176" 



242" 



14-8 



This table is instructive in several ways — firstly it shows that 

 the total time required for lowering a digger and hauling him up 



1 Within the last two years, the Burmans have hit upon an ingenious method of 

 throwing reflected sun light by means of a small mirror into the well, in order to 

 facilitate the work. I do not exactly know how the Burmans made this invention so to 

 speak, nor when they first used it, but I know for a certain that in 1888 this reflector was 

 unknown to the diggers. 

 ( 216 ) 



