1925 JOURNAL OF AN EMBASSY 
divided between those residing in the Borman 
dominions, and their correspondents in China. 
This traffic,, although probably subjected to less 
restraint, resembles, in a great measure, the com¬ 
merce which is carried on, on their mutual fron¬ 
tier, between the Russians and Chinese. It is 
not a continued trade, conducted throughout the 
year, as between two friendly and confiding na¬ 
tions, but one carried on at annual fares. The ca¬ 
ravan from China, composed entirely of Chinese, 
commonly arrives at Ava in the beginning of 
December, and is said to take about six weeks 
in travelling from Yunan. It is probable, in¬ 
deed, that it cannot quit China until the cessation 
of the periodical rains in the middle of October, 
which would limit the journey to the period 
mentioned. No part of the journey is by water, 
nor are the goods conveyed by wheel carriage, 
but by small horses, mules, and asses. These 
facts seem to prove, that the Irawadi is not 
navigable as far as the Chinese frontier, and that 
the roads, generally, are bad and difficult, which, 
indeed, the traders themselves expressly assert to 
be the case. The principal fair appears to be 
held at B’hamd, and a few of the traders only 
find their way to Ava. The articles imported 
from China may be enumerated as follow : cop¬ 
per, orpiment, quicksilver, vermilion, iron pans, 
brass-wire, tin, lead, alum, silver, gold and gold- 
leaf, earthen-ware, paints, carpets, rhubarb, tea, 
