June i, 1889.] 
THF TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
845 
AN ENGLISH RUBY COMPANY FOE 
BURMA :— WHY NOT A LONDON GEM 
COMPANY FOR CEYLON ? 
NO. I. -INTRODUCTO RY : HOW THE RUBIES 
IN BURMA ARB TREATED AT PRESENT. 
( Communicated.') 
The world-famed ruby mine district in Upper 
Burma which has so recently come into prominence 
by the concession to Streeter and the formation 
of a powerful Company for its more effectual work- 
ing, lies about 100 miles to the north-west of 
Mandalay, The best route (in fact the only one 
at present available) by which to reach the mines 
is to embark at Mandalay on one of the Irrawaddy 
Flotilla Company's well-found steamers running be- 
tween Mandalay and Bbamo. About a day's run, or 
perhaps a little longer according to the state of 
the river, will bring you to the point from which 
you have to ride or walk. This place is called in 
Wyld's Map of Burma Thabeit Kyuz, but the name 
we print is but little guide to the actual pronunci- 
ation by the natives. From this point there is a 
road to the mines which lie forty to fifty miles 
further up on the borders of the Shan hills. This 
is the only spot where anything systematic has been 
done in the way of mining and washing the gems, 
but rubies have been found over a very large area, 
and there is every reason to suppose that now that 
the despotic sway of the native king has been de- 
stroyed a large trade will be developed in other parts 
of the country. As a matter of fact from time to 
time valuable stones find their way to market from 
native hands which cannot reasonably be supposed 
to have been found within hundreds of miles of 
the so-called ruby mines. The area set, down in 
the Government maps as containing rubies and 
sapphires is 60 miles square, of which Messrs. Streeter 
have obtained the concession of 30 miles. Until 
very lately this was one of the quietest districts 
in the newly-annexed country, but it has suddenly 
become one of the most disturbed, no European being 
allowed to visit it without an escort, and the British 
authorities just now are endeavouring to prevent 
visitors and prospectors from going there, and so 
being possibly the means of trouble. The present 
excitement amongst the natives does not appear 
to have any connection with the mines or their 
working, but took its rise more especially from 
some agreement our Government rashly made with 
one of the Chiefs relating to the road which forms 
the approach to the district, and which it now 
wishes to annul. 
Messrs. Streeter have sent up a large quantity of 
washing machinery, which is being erected in a suit- 
able spot, and the ground will now be thoroughly 
worked. It would seem that other than the 
Company's employees are allowed to work on the 
concession, but all rubies found are to be offered 
to Streeter's agents. If the finder of the gem accepts 
the agents' offer, it only remains for one-third of 
the purohase money to be handed over to Govern- 
ment as its share and the remaining two-thirds to 
the finder. Should, however, the finder feel dis- 
inclined to take the price which is offered him 
— the stone is handed over to the Government— 
which holds periodical sales at Mandalay. At the 
sale Streeter's agent has a right to bid, and gener- 
ally, as may well be understood, has it pretty 
nearly all his own way, bis position keeping other 
106 
wealthy experts and purchasers from taking the 
trouble to reside at Mandalay for the purpose of 
picking up what Streeter may reject. As regards 
the native population this arrangement is not 
likely to cause any discontent as it is a very con- 
siderable improvement upon the mode adopted in 
the time of the native kings. Under that regime 
all rubies above a certain size were absolutely the 
property of the king, and anyone found possessing 
such was promptly punished. As regards the 
smaller sized ones, the payments made to the Crown 
were very arbitrary and the finders were very much 
at the mercy of the local authorities. As far then 
as the monopoly of the ruby mines, the native 
population of Burma are not likely to trouble their 
minds, whatever may be the case with the gem 
merchants from India and other foregin countries. 
There is however in this connection another very 
prolifio source of irritation and excitement which 
affects not only the newly-annexed provinces, but 
the whole of Burma and especially Rangoon and 
Mandalay. This is the Ruby Act recently enacted. 
In this act it is provided that all holders of rubies 
shall, within a specified period, make declaration 
of them to the authorities therein named, by whom 
they were to be registered, weighed, described, 
marked and a stamped certificate granted. This was 
to enable the Government to watch the sale, and to 
facilitate the collection of the duty. As may easily 
be imagined a semi-civilised race, with many al- 
most savage tribes amongst them, were exceed- 
ingly suspicious of such an enactment, and instead 
of responding to the demand for registration they 
forthwith concealed their jewels and kept them 
carefully out of sight. It is supposed that the act 
was intended to refer only to rubies which were 
for sale, but no provision appears to have been 
made for this reading of the act, or for the possi- 
bility of people wishing to dispose of their gems at 
some future day. 
Now that the country has been in our possession 
some three years or more, and the people have 
begun to gain confidence in our rule and perceive 
that we purpose retaining possession of the country, 
they begin to bring forward the gem for sale, 
when down come the authorities and seize them as 
contraband. The period given for registration has 
long ago elapsed, and now the rubies are con- 
fiscated. In Mandalay the authorities have already 
so confiscated gems, to the attempted sale of which 
their attention had been drawn by persons who 
can claim a reward as informers. This of course 
is a very unpleasant state of affairs and naturally 
causes great discontent. The authorities at Manda- 
lay have been appealed to by influential dealers 
(some of them Europeans) to grant letters of in- 
demnity on condition that the provisions of the 
ordinance are now complied with as regards stones 
which are in the market ; or would be were such 
an arrangement made. But so recently as the mid- 
dle of March, whilst admitting that they would be 
unable to work the Act as they stood, they were 
equally unable to make any such concession. And 
so the matter stands — owners ready to sell and pay 
the duty, dealers ready to buy, anxiously waiting 
with the money in their hands, and nothing done. 
And yet more than this. It has been brought to 
the notice of Government that the chetties at 
Rangoon had been sending over to India a large 
value of rubies by means of the registered parcel 
post, and an attempt has now been made by the 
Government to recover the duty amounting to a 
lac of rupees or thereabouts. It is not supposed 
that the authorities will be successful in this en- 
deavour, but in the meantime it has caused con- 
siderable excitement, and put a stop to trading for 
the present. 
