VIEW OF THE TIN MINES ON BANKA. 
807 
as the only support of the numerous miners occupied on Bfitikfi, de¬ 
pended on a ready disposal of the manufactured Tin: and it is ad¬ 
duced at present to afford a testimony of the productiveness of Ban¬ 
ka at this time. 
Two causes have principally contributed to produce the egregious 
defection in the annual proceeds of the island. 
1. An actual diminution of the store of ore, or the gradual ex¬ 
haustion of the mines in the neighbourhood of the antient settle¬ 
ment ; and 
2. The concurrence of the various disasters-which have harrass- 
ed Bdi)ka since the year 1784. The latter will, with more proprie¬ 
ty be detailed in another place, on the former I shall add a few re¬ 
marks. 
The period of the discovery of the Tin-mines on Banka is not ve¬ 
ry remote ; it falls within the first 20 years of the last century, and 
this (as has already been noticed) shortly preceded the settlement 
of Minto, during the first year of the reign of Sultan Mahmud Ba- 
dur-Udin I. Attracted by the prospect of gain, numerous Chinese 
miners and adventurers resorted to Banka (as above related,) about 
this time, and as the stores of ore near the first establishment failed, 
gradually attempted and removed to other districts, spreading suc¬ 
cessively through Belo, Kl&bbet, Sungie-liat, Anten or Jehus, Pang- 
k&l-pinang, Marawang and Sungie-bulu, selecting the most favour¬ 
able spots where a rich store of ore combined with a supply of wa¬ 
ter to facilitate the labours of the miners. 
After a lapse of about 3 0 to 40 years a gradual diminution was 
observed in many parts of these districts, while others were entire¬ 
ly exhausted and new situations attempted : but still the aggregate 
annual produce of the Island amounted nearly to the quantity above 
stated. Since the year 1780 a decrease has become more evident, and 
after the commencement of the disasters of the island 30,000 piculs 
were rarely produced in one year. During the last 15 years the an¬ 
nual quantity has gradually lessened. The constitution of the mines 
elucidates this diminution in a great degree, the ore is uniformly 
deposited in horizontal beds at no great distance below the surface: 
These beds have in some instances been immensely productive ; by 
which the abundant supplies of former times are accounted for, 
when the number of miners was proportionate to the opportunities 
afforded of collecting ore. The inquisitive shrewdness of the Chinese 
directed them to the most profitable spots, and in travelling through 
