We could not obtain any fine specimens; indeed at first the workmen denied having any at all, and told Mr. B. that they had been working for six years without success.  They appear to have no index to favourable spots, but having once found a good pit they of course dig as many as possible as near and close together as they can.  The most numerous occur at the highest part of the hill now worked.  The article is much prized for ornaments by the Chinese and Singphos, but is never of much value; five rupees being a good price for a first-rate pair of earrings.  Meinkhoon is visited by parties of Chinese for the purpose of procuring this article.  There are at present here a Lupai Sooba and a few men, from a place three or four days’ journey beyond the Irrawaddi, waiting for amber.  These men are much like the Chinese, whose dress they almost wear:  they squat like them, and wear their hair like them; shoes, stockings, pantaloons, jackets, tunic.  They are armed chiefly with firelocks, in the use of which at 50 yards two of the men were expert enough.  They talk the Singpho language.

The vegetation of the plains, proceeding to the mines, is unchanged.  Noticed Apluda, a Phyllanthus, Cacalia, Poa, etc.  That of the hills is the same as that of the low ranges before traversed.  The only new plants were a Celtis? a Krameria (the Celtis is the Boolla of Upper Assam,) Ventilago, Quercus or Castanea, Compositae, etc.  In the damp places a largish Loxotis, two or three Begoniae, ditto Urticeae occur.  I noticed among and around the pits a species of Bambusa, Celtis, Kydia calycina, Clerodendrum infortunatum, Calamus, Areca, Dicksonia, Ficus, Pentaptera, and Rottlera.  Pladera has ceased to appear.

Last night a sort of alarm occurred, and in consequence, this evening, the head cooly gave his orders to his men in the following terms:  “Watch to-night well.”  Nobody answering him, he continued, “Do you hear what I say?” Then addressed himself to them in the most obscene terms, which habit and uncivilized life seem to have adapted to common conversation amongst these people without any breach of modesty or decorum; and amongst the Assamese such expressions likewise form not an uncommon mode of familiar salutation.

March 27th.—­Left about 7, and proceeded over the Meinkhoon plain in an easterly direction, in which the highest hills visible from the village lay.  We continued east for some time, our course subsequently becoming more and more south.  On reaching the Nempyokha, we proceeded up its bed for about two miles, the course occasionally becoming west.  We reached Wollaboom at 12.5.  General direction S.E.; distance thirteen miles.  The greater part of the country traversed consisted of low plains, splendidly adapted for halee cultivation.  No villages were passed.  Saw two paths, one leading to the N., one to the S. not far from Meinkhoon; of these the N. one leads to the hills, the S. to a