80 
APPENDIX. 
Lepek, is consumed by all classes of Burmans, and is a 
great article of Native trade. It is eaten in small quanti¬ 
ties, after meals, with garlic and sesamum oil; and it is 
customary to offer it to guests and strangers, as a token of 
welcome. 
Q. Do you know how, and where, saltpetre is obtained 
in the Burman country?— A. Yes; I have seen it manu¬ 
factured at a place called Aong-ben-le, about ten or twelve 
miles from Ava. The saltpetre appears as an efflorescence 
on the soil, which is washed and filtrated. The lye is 
boiled in Chinese iron-pans, and the crystals form about a 
piece of wood inserted in the pots. The same lye affords 
common salt, which is separated by a process which I do 
not understand. 
Q. Were the saltpetre grounds extensive in the vicinity 
of Aong-ben-le ?— A. The whole country appeared to me 
to be impregnated with saltpetre. It was very barren, 
and produced nothing but a few tamarind-trees and thorns. 
A few of the lowlands, watered by a large tank several 
miles long, and about two broad, afforded rice. There is 
another place, to the southward of Ava, where saltpetre is 
manufactured in larger quantity than at Aong-ben-le. 
Q. How do the Chinese convey their goods ?— A. On 
small horses and mules, which they do not dispose of, but 
take back to China. 
Q, What time do the Chinese take in travelling from 
their own country to Ava?— A. I cannot precisely say, 
but I have heard two months. 
Q. What returns do the Chinese chiefly carry back 
with them ?— A. The principal article is cotton, and then 
ivory and bees’ wax, with a small quantity of British 
woollens, chiefly broad-cloths and carpets. 
Q. Have you heard what quantity of cotton is export¬ 
ed from Ava to China annually ?— A. I have made in- 
