* 
MINERAL PRODUCTIONS OF THE TENASSERIM PROVINCES. 732 
Table number from their body have for sometime past found their 
way into the Mergui province, where, in their location on the banks 
of the Tenasserim river, they have commenced plantations of sugar 
cane. A twofold benefit' would accrue by employing this class of 
Chinese from the circumstance of their avocations being purely 
agricultural, which, combined with the aptitude of the Chinese in 
general to all kinds of labor, would ensure the useful application 
of the rich lands in the tin localities to the production of the neces¬ 
saries of life, and thus render a dependance upon other places for 
supplies unnecessary. 
Were any arrangement effected for the employment of a number 
of these refugees, it would in the first instance be necessary to pro¬ 
vide them with lodgement and supplies of food, as an advance up¬ 
on their contracts, as they would arrive in these provinces in a per¬ 
fectly destitute condition; and for the risk attending this outlay of 
capital without any tangible security for its return, I do not hesi¬ 
tate in stating, that besides most liberal terms, the government 
would afford every protection and assistance to the undertaking to 
secure the benefits which would result therefrom to the provinces 
generally. 
In the trifling operations which are now conducted at the tin 
mines on the Pakchan, the payment to the laborers is I believe, 
made by a certain portion of the pure metal, in other words a 
percentage upon the produce, and for the reasons already stated it 
may be supposed to be less in amount than the average rate of cost 
deduced from the trial experiments conducted by Captain Tremen- 
here viz, Rupees 13. 10 per cent. Such a system of an established 
percentage upon the produce is obviously the best, and should form 
the base of any arrangements effected:—taking however as a data 
the above rate as the cost of production per cent of pure tin, it is 
only necessary to compare it with the rate of value for tin which 
with little fluctuation, has existed in the Straits markets for the last 
20 years, to ascertain the probable amount of return, and in placing 
the rate at Drs 15 \ or R’s 33 per picul of 133 lbs. it will be if 
any thing somewhat below the average. The cost of production of 
the tin for the same quantity—R’s 16. 3,—would leave R’s 15. 13 
per picul to cover all charges until sold in Pinang, and leave an 
amount of clear profit to the undertaking which I may venture to 
state is not surpassed in any operations of the kind in India at the 
present day, the known large profits of the Dutch from their mines 
in Banka alone excepted. 
An objection might possibly be urged by capitalists at home to 
an undertaking having for its object the production of an article 
so largely produced in England, to an extent that besides meeting 
the full demand for home consumption has also a considerable 
surplus for exportation. Such an objection can at once be met by 
pointing to the steady demand for the article throughout the markets 
U 21 
