Part II] 
F. A. Wright : Further Note on Thisti. 
9 
of the Oleo-resin exported to Burma from the (whole) Southern Shan 
States on which duty was collected during the past five Forest 
years :— 
1917-18 . 
1916-17 . 
1915-16 . 
1914-15 . 
1913-14 
89,034 viss. Duty Rs. 8,903 
68,800 „ 
54,300 „ 
57,400 „ 
79,162 „ 
„ 6,880 
„ 5,430 
„ 5,740 
„ 7,916 
Under the Rules "Of the Burma Forest Act it is not necessary for 
any person to take out a license to" collect Thitsi in unclassed forests 
in the Southern Shan States, and no duty is leviable on Thitsi whether 
collected for sale or for domestic or other purposes so long as it is not 
exported to Burma. On all Thitsi exported, or intended to be exported, 
to Burma by rail duty at the rate of Rs. 10 per 100 viss is collected before 
it is loaded on the train at the Forest Revenue Stations at Aungban, 
Kalaw and Myindaik on the Southern Shan States Railway. If exported 
by road or along the various caravan routes, duty at the same rate is 
supposed to be paid at the first revenue station it reaches in Burma. 
Of course, a good deal of leakage apparently occurs and appreciable 
quantities of Thitsi escape payment of duty. 
A good deal of the Oleo-resin collected is utilized in the Southern 
Shan States, and large quantities of the product, which also are not 
subject to payment of duty, are exported to the Northern Shan States 
and Siam from States lying east of Taunggyi. Having regard to these 
facts it would be safe to assume that the total average annual outturn 
of Thitsi in the Southern Shan States is not less than about 1,40,000 
viss. 
The black variety of the Oleo-resin commands the best price, and 
fetches from Rs. 90 to Rs. 120 per 100 viss at the tappers 5 village, while 
the red variety sells at from Rs. 65 to Rs. 85 per 100 viss. It some¬ 
times happens that the collectors themselves take the Thitsi for sale 
to brokers at Aungban or Kalaw on the Southern Shan States Railway 
or direct to Burma, when prices obtained are generally from about 10 
to 20 per cent, higher than those above quoted. As a rule, however, 
tappers prefer to sell the Thitsi to purchasers who come round periodi¬ 
cally to their villages. 
8. Some uses of the Oleo-resin. 
In the Southern Shan States, Thitsi is utilized in its liquid state as a 
natural varnish which is often applied to wood work, more especially 
in hpoongyi Kyaungs (monasteries) both in the internal and external 
parts of buildings. One or more thick coats of the Oleo-resin applied 
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