to the E.; very few plains were visible in this direction.  Nearly due east, and about thirty miles off, was visible Shewe Down Gyee, and this will make Camein nearly due east also, or E. by S. The descent passed through similar jungle, that at the foot being damp.  The course continued in a direction varying from S. to W., or rather between these points, through damp jungle.  We then ascended another steep hill, but not exceeding 5 or 600 feet in height; descending from this, and passing through low tree and then bamboo jungle, we reached the mines.

The road was, up to the base of Kuwa Boom on the W. side, very good, thence it was in general bad; wet, slippery, much impeded by blocks of serpentine, and foliated limestone (Bayfield) crossing several streams, mountain torrents, the principal one being Sapya Khioung.  This takes its name from a spring of water of alkaline properties, which bubbles up sparingly from under its rocky bed, and which must be covered during the rains.  The water is clear, of a pure alkaline taste, and is used by the natives as soap.

The mines occupy a valley of a somewhat semi-circular form, bounded on all sides by hills clothed with trees, none being of very great height.  The valley passes off to the N. into a ravine, down which the small stream that percolates the valley escapes, and in this at about a coss distant other pits occur.  The surface of the valley apparently at one time consisted of low rounded hillocks; it is now much broken, and choked up with the earth and stones that have been thrown up by excavating.  The stone is found in the form of more or less rounded boulders imbedded with others, such as quartz, etc. in brickish-yellow or nearly orange clay.  The boulders vary much in size.  There is no regularity in the pits, which are dug indiscriminately; some have the form of ditches, none exceed 20 feet in depth.  They are dug all over the valley, as well as on the base of the hill bounding it to the W. and N.W.  We could not obtain any good specimens, nor is there any thing in the spot that repays the visit.  No machinery is used, the larger blocks are broken by fire.  But that they are of importance in the light of increasing the revenue, is evident, from the fact that B. counted, since we left Camein, 1,100 people on their return, of whom about 700 were Shan Chinese.  The loads carried away are in some cases very heavy; the larger pieces are carried on bamboo frames by from two to five men, the lesser on a stout piece of bamboo lashed to and supported on two cross or forked bamboos, the stouter joint resting on the bearer’s neck, the handles of the forks being carried in his hands.  The most obvious advantage of this is the ease with which the load may be taken off, when the bearer is fatigued.  The revenue yielded last year, B. tells me, was 320 viss of silver, or about 40,000 rupees.  The length of the valley from E. to W. is about three quarters of a mile; its breadth varies from 460 to 800 yards.