TO THE COURT OF AVA. 
261 
the dry season there prevail on the coast regular 
land and sea-breezes, and in the rains the strength 
of the south-west monsoon prevents the air from 
being close or oppressive. The report of the 
native inhabitants is in favour of the salubrity of 
these provinces, especially of Martaban and Mer- 
gui. Our own short experience seems to confirm 
this opinion. I have not, indeed, heard of any 
spot or place in our southern provinces remarkable 
for the existence of concentrated miasma—the 
source of those malignant remittent fevers and 
dysenteries, which are endemic in many parts of 
India. The only malignant complaint which has 
prevailed amongst our troops, has been ulcer of 
the lower limbs, confined to natives of India, and, 
in all likelihood, chiefly to be ascribed to tempo¬ 
rary hardships and privations. 
The only useful minerals, of which the exist¬ 
ence is ascertained in the territories now under 
description are, lime, iron, antimony, and tin. 
Blue mountain lime-stone, affording the whitest 
quick-lime I ever saw, is widely and generally dis¬ 
tributed over the plains of Martaban, forming 
those detached rocks to which I have already 
alluded. An ore of magnetic iron has been found 
in Tavoy ; stream tin is found in Tavoy and Mer- 
gui; and a rich ore of antimony in quartz rock 
in Martaban. 
The most valuable of the rude productions of 
the new territory is teak-timber. The teak is 
