200 JOURNAL OF AN EMBASSY 
amber, coal, petroleum, nitre, natron, and salt. 
In a mineralogical view, the Burmese territory 
may be described as consisting* of four divisions: 
—the great alluvial plain, formed by the debou- 
chemens of the Irawadi, the Setang, and the 
Saluen rivers; the country of secondary, or 
tertiary formation, extending from between the 
18th and 19th degrees of north latitude to near 
the 22nd; the extensive mountainous tract of 
primary formation lying to the north, the north¬ 
east, and east of Ava, consisting for the most part 
of Lao, or the country of the Shans; and the 
hilly regions which form the western boundary 
of the valleys of the Irawadi and Kyen-dwen. 
The first, as might be expected, is remarkably 
destitute of mineral products, and it is the third 
which, from all accounts, is most distinguished 
for its mineral wealth. Limestone exists in great 
abundance in the province of Martaban, and in 
the mountains about the capital; and the lime 
afforded by both is remarkable for its whiteness 
and purity. Statuary marble, as I have already 
described in the Journal, exists about forty miles 
above Ava, at a place called Sakyin, on the eastern 
bank of the Irawadi. It is, from all I could learn, 
abundant and accessible; and as to its quality, I 
have the high authority of Mr. Chantrey for say¬ 
ing, that he considers it, judging from the speci¬ 
mens he has seen in England, as equal to that 
of Carrara. The Burmese have some scruples 
