OF PLATINA IN AVA. 281 



' I find that a good deal of the platina ore is brought from some 

 mountain torrents, or small streams, which fall into the Kyendween river 

 from the westward, near a town called Kannee ; and it is collected 

 in a very curious manner, as Mr. Lane is infovmed, although he hesitates 

 to believe the fact. The horns of a species of wild cow in this country- 

 called Tsain, perhaps the same as the Nylgao of India, have a velvet coat 

 before the animal reaches the age of two or three years : a number of these 

 horns are taken and fixed in the beds of the small streams, and at the 

 close of the rainy season, when the water subsides, a cloth is put down 

 over each horn separately ; and the horns, and cloth, as well as a portion 

 of the sand around them, are taken up together. The horns appear to 

 collect around them a good deal of gold dust, which the streams have 

 washed down, and with this dust grains of platina are found mixed. 



The Burmese look chiefly for the gold dust, separating and bringing 

 that alone generally to Ava ; and although Mr. Lane has often urged the 

 men who are engaged in this trade to bring at once the whole of what they 

 take up with the horns, he has not yet been able to persuade them to do 

 so. These horns sell sometimes for 12 or 13 ticals a piece : deer's horns 

 are sometimes used instead of them. 



The Burmese call platina, Shccti-thiui ; much of this ore is also found 

 with the gold dust collected among the small streams which fall into the 

 Irawddi, to the northward, in the direction oi Ihimnan." " 



ANALYSIS. 



One hundred urains were taken for the determination ol' llic spcc ilic 

 gravity. Thoy were immersed in \\at(M- in a small glass tube, for whieii a 

 counterpoise had been pre\iou>Iy ;ul j ii-led, and the air was taken out l)y 

 exhaustion under tlie receiver ol a puemnatir piiiuj). (i.-i <;raias reniaimJ 

 lloating on the surface of the water, which, on examination wiili a 



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