TO THE COURT OF AY A. 
193 
honey, raw silk, velvets and other wrought silks, 
spirits, musk, verdigris, dry fruits, paper, fans, 
umbrellas, shoes, wearing apparel, and a few live 
animals. The copper is chiefly imported wrought, 
even when intended to be smelted down again, 
because the exportation of the unwrought metals 
is by the Chinese laws contraband. The orpi- 
ment, or yellow arsenic, is said to be the pro¬ 
duce of mines in Yunan, and is of very fine qua¬ 
lity. A portion of it, exported from Rangoon, 
finds its way to the markets of western Asia and 
Europe through Calcutta. The metals were 
stated to me to be in like manner the produce 
of Yunan, which, although a poor province, other¬ 
wise is rich in minerals. The tea, I presume also 
to be the produce of this or some neighbouring 
province in China. It is generally a coarse black 
tea, not inferior in quality to what is called Bohea 
in this country, made up into the form of thick 
cakes. It is used by all the Chinese settlers, and 
by such of the Burmese as can afford it. The 
price by retail, as I was informed by some Eng¬ 
lish merchants who resided in Ava, seldom ex¬ 
ceeds a tical per viss, or sixpence halfpenny per 
pound ; and it is probable that its wholesale price 
in the fair of Mide, on the arrival of the cara¬ 
van, does not exceed half this amount. The 
largest article of import is raw silk. From this, 
principally, is manufactured the cloth which is in 
such general use with all classes of the Burmese. 
VOL. II. O 
