Capabilities.—The greater part of the valley is well adapted for the cultivation of rice, and as the soil is generally rich, approaching in external characters to that of some parts of Upper Assam, particularly Muttack, it is capable of supporting a large population.
Products.—Of the mineral productions, the most remarkable is Amber, for which the valley of Hookhoong has been long famous, and from the existence of which it derives its Burmese name. The mines are situated in low, wooded hills, from which they are distant between five and six miles; of this distance the first three miles traverse the plain on which Meinkhoong is situated. The pits now worked give occupation to about a dozen people; they occur on the brow of a hill: they are square, and of various depth, the deepest being about 40 feet, the diameter not exceeding three feet; the workmen ascending and descending by placing their feet in holes made in two faces of the square. No props are used to prevent the sides of the pits from falling in, the tenacity of the soil rendering this precaution unnecessary. The instruments used, are small wooden shovels, a wooden crow-bar tipped with iron for displacing the soil or breaking the rocks, baskets for removing the substances so displaced, buckets made of the bark of trees [{128}] for removing the water which is met with in the deepest pits, and rude levers similar to those used in Madras for the purposes of irrigation, for carrying the soil, etc. from the pits to the surface; these however are only used in the deeper pits, a hooked bamboo answering the purpose in the shallower ones.
The soil throughout the upper portion, and indeed for a depth of from 15 to 20 feet, is clayey and red: the remainder consists of a greyish-black carbonaceous earth, increasing in density with the depth, and being very hard at a depth of 40 feet. The amber occurs in both these, the clue to its existence being the presence of small masses of lignite. The searching occupies but very little time, as the presence of the lignite is readily ascertained; all I saw dug out occurred as small irregular deposits; it did not appear to be abundant. The people appear to have no guide for the selections of favourable spots on which to commence their operations; but having once met with a good pit, they dig other pits all around, and often within a distance of two feet from the first one sunk.
I could not succeed in procuring a single fine specimen; indeed the workmen denied having found any of value during the last six years! It is an article in great request among the Chinese and Singphos; at the pits, however, it is not high priced, and a first rate pair of ear-rings are procurable at Meinkhoong for 5 tickals; in Assam 10 rupees are occasionally given. Meinkhoong is annually visited by parties of Shan-Chinese, for the purpose of procuring this mineral; the caravan at the time I passed this village had returned, and I believe was met by Mr. Bayfield. There was a small party of Lupai Singphos from the East of the Irrawaddi, consisting of a Tsonba and six or seven followers still waiting for a supply.
The spot occupied by pits is considerable, but three-fourths of these are no longer worked. Compared with the Serpentine mines, they are but of small value.
Both Coal and Salt exist in the valley; the only indication of the existence of the former I saw, was a mass of lignite in the bed of a nullah between Tsilone and Meinkhoong.
Vegetable products.—Fine timber trees, [{129}] which belong to the same genus as the Saul, occur between Nhempean and Namtusseek, and elsewhere towards the foot of the hills surrounding the valley.
The Mulberry of Upper Assam occurs likewise, and the leaves supply with food a species of silkworm. From the silk a coarse species of cloth is manufactured, but the use of this appears to be very limited.
Tea appears to be of uncommon occurrence. The only specimens I saw were given me by Mr. Bayfield, they were procured from low hills some distance from Shellingket. On this subject Mr. Bayfield made very frequent and minute enquiries, and the result appears to be that the plant is of rare occurrence; none exists towards or about the amber mines.
The Room of Upper Assam (Ruellia Indigofera Mihi) is in use for dyeing cloths, but not so much so as in Assam.