On the Tin of the Province of Mergui, 53 



Specimen No. 12, were collected ; and the next day 23400 grains, 

 equal to 2 lb. 6 oz. and 200 grains of pure tin were found in the same 

 manner by one man's labour in excavating, one carrying down to the 

 water, and a third washing. 



18. This locality appears to be of very promising description, and 

 I have little doubt that if the work were aided by ordinary skill and 

 means, that a tin mine here would be productive. A vein of tin is, 

 in fact, exposed to the day, and would only require for a considerable 

 period of work the precaution of well supported galleries and shafts, 

 to allow of its contents being easily extracted. 



19. The'Kahan hill is I conceive an indication of a valuable re- 

 pository of tin. It is but quarter of a mile from the creek communi- 

 cating with the river, which is accessible to any boats. Its proximity 

 to Mergui offers also great facility for the procurement of labour and 

 supplies. 



20. The localities therefore which appear to hold out the best 

 prospects for tin are, 1st, for stream tin, the Thabawliek river and 

 the Thengdan river ; and 2d, for mine tin, the Kahan hill. They all 

 produce tin of the same nature and quality ; viz. crystals of the na- 

 tive peroxide, being a combination of oxygen and tin only. 



21. No difficulty would be found in procuring labour from Mergui, 

 or carrying on tin works at either of these places. 



22. Of the existence of tin in considerable quantities, there 

 cannot, from the facts above stated, be much question; and from 

 the trial of the produce of one man's labour in a given time, there 

 appears to be sufficient to justify every expectation of a profitable 

 employment of labour on an extensive scale. 



23. The results, however, which are given in detail, can only be con- 

 sidered rough approximations to the probable out-turn of tin, with an 

 establishment properly superintended. Much economy in labour 

 might be effected in collecting the sand and gravel for the washers, 

 but no better mode could, I think, be adopted in separating the tin 

 in the first instance, than by people accustomed to work with the 

 flat conical-shaped troughs before described. The quantity collected 

 would fully repay the employment of men in this operation. 



24. The tin as produced by the washers should be placed on sloping 

 boards, and water conducted over it from a trough pierced with holes 



