A JOURNEY ON FOOT TO THE PATANI FRONTIER. 59 
The Mengkong of Betong receives the tin at the mines and con- 
veys it on elephants to Baling in Kedah, where the market price is 
usually $22 less than the price ruling in Penang. This is account- 
ed for by the fact that the Raja of Kedah imposes a tax of $20 per 
bhara on all tin brought down the Muda river. Six slabs, or one 
bhara, more or less, form an elephant’s load. When I was at 
Intan the price of tin in Penang was $62 a bhara, and at Baling 
40, so the Patani Government made a profit of $16 a bhara upon 
their sales at the latter place. 
The water used for washing the ore obtained at Intan is the 
stream called Ayer Kwah, which runs into the Rui near Bukit 
Berapit already mentioned. I had no opportunity of examining the 
workings in the valley, but it is clear that the ore must be obtained 
with great facility to enable men to produce tin, at a point so 
remote from supples, at the price of $24 per bhara. The mines 
at Kroh mentioned by ANDERSON are now abandoned, probably 
the result of the illiberal Malay policy of driving the hardest pos- 
sible bargain with the Chinese.* 
There can be little doubt that, under proper management, and a 
government which would give some security for life and property, 
these mines might be rendered very productive and remunerative. 
Whether the Patani Malays will ever see the wisdom of encour- 
aging Chinese miners by the offer of better terms, it is impossible 
to say; the Perak claim, which has been dormant since the war 
between that State and Kedah in 1818, may perhaps some day 
receive consideration, and its recognition would probably be the 
best security for the future prosperity of the Intan tin industry. 
April 13th.—This morning, while preparations were being made 
for quitting our temporary lodging, a friendly Chinese presented 
himself for an interview. He gave his name as Fone Kwi, and 
had many questions to ask as to the object of our visit. His 
curiosity having been satisfied on this head, he volunteered much 
interesting information about Intan and its neighbourhood. Two 
Siamese, he informed me, passed yesterday on their way to Betong, 
commissioned by Tuan Prang to inform the Mrenexone that I had 
insisted upon passing through Patani territory and was even now 
* I heard in 1881 that they were again being worked. 
