GOLD. 



145 



The waste heaps must contain very large quantities of mineral, 

 which could be easily recovered by means of a simple concen- 

 trating plant. Most of the orpiment is exported to Burma by 

 mule caravan, though a little, with the realgar, is kept for local 

 sale. The following table shows the importation of orpiment into 

 Burma from Yunnan during the period 1895-96 to 1911-12 : — 



1911-12 



1910-11 



1909-10 



1908-09 



1907-08 



1906-07 



1905-06 



1904-05 



1903-04 



1902-03 



1901-02 



1900-01 



1899-00 



1898-99 



1897-98 



1896-97 



1895-96 



Year. 



Weight, 



( wis. 

 5,383 

 6,540 

 10,710 



8,095 



6,663 



5,285 



5,678 



10,831 



17,268 



12,075 



8,712 



5,253 



3,165 



3,779 



4,067 



Value. 



Bs. 



6(>,705 



7 1 ,340 



1, til, 925 



1,49,022 



1,20,024 



97,290 



99,160 



1,37,440 



3,17,925 



2,22,330 



1,73,730 



1,12,840 



68,005 



81,165 



87,366 



GOLD. 



Previous Observers. 



" Proceeding five days' journey in a westerly direction from 



Kaxayan," wrote Marco Polo in the thirteenth 

 century, " you enter the province of Kardan- 



JJareo Polo. 



