part 4.] Theobald: Metalliferous resources of British Burma/, 
91 
The only ores which need be noticed for practical purposes are those of iron, tin, lead, 
copper, antimony, none of which, save iron, are known to occur West of the Sittoung, 
but are confined to the belt of country running up from the British boundary on the 
Pakchan creek in Latitude 10' J North to the frontier in Latitude 19° 30'. This tract of 
country differs essentially from the ground West of the Sittoung, the former being composed 
of several groups of beds of Palaeozoic age, both altered and unaltered, together with meta- 
morphic rocks seemingly azoic, the whole being traversed by granite and elvan dykes and 
pierced by numerous hot springs, whilst the latter is wholly made up of Secondary and 
Tertiary rocks, the newer greatly predominating; and wherein intrusive rocks are next to 
unknown. Physically also, and as regards climate, the country East of the Sittoung differs 
no less from that West of the river, than it does geologically. Martaban is essentially a 
mountainous country with lofty chains stretching in a north-north-west direction, some of 
whose peaks rise to 6,000 or 8,000 feet, and would afford some of the most charming sanitaria 
in India were they only a little more accessible to those who might be benefited by a resort 
to them. As a result of the geological constitution of the ground, copious and perennial 
springs abound and give rise to a charming verdm'e and coolness even over the lower 
elevations to which I know of no parallel elsewhere; and though said to be unhealthy (how 
truly I know not), the pine forests of the Youzaliu are among the coolest and pleasantest dis¬ 
tricts, as far as temperature goes, which India can offer. It is this very district which, according 
to common report, teems with mineral wealth; but a most unfortunate drawback to its proper 
investigation is its wildness and want of population, which means also want of roads of 
any sort, and difficulty in the matter of supplies, not to allude to risk of sickness (a common 
concomitant, among camp-followers at least, on a greatly reduced temperature), and the attack 
of plundering bands, which find a sort of happy hunting ground along all this difficult wild 
country adjoining on the Karen-ni and Zimmay territories; traders and travellers being 
the special victims of theso freebooters. The regular dacoit, moreover, is not the only 
‘ conveyancer’ to be dreaded ; as it was but little moro than a year ago that the entire police 
guard escorting some treasure, belonging to a trader, appropriated the money and then 
humourously stepped across the frontier with their arms, accoutrements and all as they 
stood, heedless of tho feelings of disappointment, if not shame, which their dome so must 
have caused their comrades whom they left behind. 
Iron .—Excellent ores of this metal occur both in Pegu, Martaban and Tenasserim, 
and in former days were smelted by the Burmese, but the manufacture is no longer to my 
knowledge carried on in British Burmali, though iron is still made in Upper Buimah, 
near Puppadoung, from ores similar to that formerly used in the Promo district. In Pegu 
(Eastern Prome) the ore occurs in tho form of concretions of an earthy hydrated peroxide 
disseminated through the newer Tertiary beds which are there so extensively developed, and 
of which an account is given in the Records of the Geological Survey of India for 1869, page 
83. East of the Sittoung tho ore usually met with is the magnetic, a mixture of the 
protoxide and peroxide, often occurring in thick beds or lodes, and a valuable ore for smelting. 
Specular iron also occurs as an integral constituent mineral iu some of the crystalline schists, 
and has from its brilliancy been mistaken for galena. 
Mr. O'Riley remarks that “iron occurs abundantly in the lower ranges of the hills to the 
east of this station” (Shuay Ghyin), and the same valuable ore, the magnetic oxide, is known 
also to occur in Tavoy; but these deposits will probably not prove remunerative to work for 
many years, or till the difficulties which of late have threatened mining industry in England 
shall have become more weighty and confirmed. 
Tin. —This metal is unquestionably the most important commercially of any produced 
within our Eastern possessions. Though beyond some workings near Malee-wan on the 
Pakchan river, near Latitude 10° 10' North, the ore is nowhere systematically worked 
