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JOURNAL OF AN EMBASSY 
particular districts. The name by which it is 
known to the Burmans, S’ha, implies, as in the 
Siamese language, “ medicine.” From this it 
may be inferred, that on its first introduction it 
was used medicinally, and held up, probably, as 
an infallible remedy.—Cotton, called Gwon in 
Burmese, is grown in every part of the kingdom, 
and in all its dependencies, but in greatest quan¬ 
tities in the dry lands and climate of the upper 
provinces. The texture is fine and silky, but the 
staple short. At the market of Dacca, it brings 
a higher price than the ordinary varieties of In¬ 
dian cotton. The species universally cultivated, 
is the Gossypium herbaceum , or annual herba¬ 
ceous kind, with a seed from which the wool is se¬ 
parated with difficulty.—Indigo, called, in the 
Bunn an language, Mai, is grown in every part of 
the kingdom, and is said to be an indigenous pro¬ 
duct. The culture is rude, and the manufacture 
still more so ; rendering the produce wholly unfit 
for exportation. The rich alluvial lands of the 
lower provinces are eminently well suited to the 
growth of this valuable plant, and, with a mode¬ 
rate share of protection, the manufacture might, no 
doubt, be carried on to a great extent. An intel¬ 
ligent Armenian merchant had commenced it in the 
district of Sarwa, when his enterprise was inter¬ 
rupted by the war. I am not aware of any other 
plant exclusively cultivated as a dyeing drug. 
The sapan-wood is the produce of the forests ; 
