TO THE COURT OF AVA. 
251 
may, therefore, be suspected that it is the barrier 
of mountains behind Arracan, which, impeding a 
free circulation of air, causes the poisonous mias¬ 
mata, that are the sources of the bad remittent 
fever, which is the prevailing epidemic. 
No mines of the precious or useful metals are 
wrought in this country, nor am I aware that any 
considerable deposits of them are even ascertain¬ 
ed to exist; neither are there any other valuable 
minerals. Teak, although existing on the Pegu 
side of the great range of mountains, is not found 
in any part of Arracan. From the nature of the 
country, rice is the commodity for the production 
of which it is most suitable ; and during the Bur- 
man administration, the upper parts of Ava ap¬ 
pear to have drawn considerable supplies from it. 
Salt, obtained by boiling sea-water, after concen¬ 
tration by solar evaporation, is manufactured on 
the coast; but from the shortness of the dry and 
hot season, not exceeding two months, under very 
unfavourable circumstances, so that the commo¬ 
dity is both high-priced and impure. The escu¬ 
lent swallow’s nest is found in Arracan in consi¬ 
derable quantity; a matter not to be looked for 
so far north. Some of them were shown to me at 
Calcutta, and they appeared white, and well suit¬ 
ed to the Chinese market. 
Under the Burmese government, the net reve¬ 
nue remitted yearly to Ava in specie, after dis¬ 
charging the expenses of administration, was one 
