800 
VIEW OF THE TIN MINES ON BANKA. 
has lately been made to open again the neglected mine of Hohin, 
and a party of workmen has been engaged for this purpose. The 
aggregate of what may be expected from all these mines, after a li¬ 
beral calculation, is 1500 Ingots annually, which supposes however, 
that the attempt of working again the mine of Hohin does not en¬ 
tirely fail, as the two small mines are nearly exhausted. 
In the district of Mampang a commencement has lately been made 
to work several mines. The Kongsy or chief of Belinyu obtained 
the permission of the Sultan for opening the ground shortly before 
Banka became a British possession. One of these is a large mine 
and employs 8 workmen, the other is a small one and is worked 
by 4. The situation of both, as far as experience has hitherto shewn, 
is favourable, in regard to the store of ore, and they both command 
a supply of water; the works have been laid out with judgment, hut 
the settlement labours under the usual disadvantages of new estab¬ 
lishments on Banka ; the climate in many situations, especially near 
the sea, is unwholesome, and the settlement is exposed to the visits 
of smugglers and pirates. The productiveness of this district will 
depend in a great degree on the number of miners that can be in¬ 
duced to settle here from other parts of the Island ; with those ne¬ 
cessary improvements which may soon he expected, this district 
will yield annually at least 600 Ingots, and a considerable increase 
will probably follow if the mines are well administered. 
In the Eastern peninsula of the northern portion of Bankd, the 
mines are distributed through the districts of Belinyu , Lumut, Su- 
gie-Udt and Mdrdwdng. 
The mines of Belinyu were opened soon after those of Belo by a 
Chinese subject of Plembang named Demang Ko; and some exten¬ 
sive works were commenced about the same time at Pandjie by a 
Chinese of the name of Bing ; both were afterwards united and ad¬ 
ministered by one chief. The only productive mine which is now 
worked in this district is that of Towallam, it employs II mi¬ 
ners. 
Several small mines have been worked until lately. The mines 
of this district have for many years been in a declining state. In the 
year 1805 the average annual produce was 1200 Ingots; this has 
gradually decreased to about one half of that number. In the mine 
of Pandjie the labours have heen entirely discontinued. In a con¬ 
siderable village established here 16 miners are remaininng, most 
of whom are married and have directed their attention to other pur- 
