The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), Saturday 29 January 1887, page 11

THE
Reoent

RUBY'

MINES

OF

BURMAH.
affairs,
moro

cablegrams have

brought Burmese
undor

particularly the ruby mines tion. It is bolievod that

in that country, under attenBritish rulo tho mines,

which have been leased to Mr. Streeter for 30,000, will yield a large revenue. The following account of their hisat Mandalay, will tory and character, from a correspondent bo road with
"

interest:

European jexvollcr to visit India of xvhoso have mi account was Gaspero Balbi, a Venetian, xvho, after visiting the diamond mines of Golcondu, xvent tu Pegu. Ho tolls us ho reached the enpitnl of that kingdom m November, lfi8!i, nad bad an interview with the king, to whom Ho gives no ho presented emorald. an in obtained to of tho bo precious account stones it in is romatnod but ho that ovidont Pegu, for mentions that he for some countrytime, first that whilst he xvas there the King xvaa at xvar with Ava and atterxvards with Siam. Early in the same year in which Gaspero Balbi visited Pegu, two English merchants, John Ncxvborry and Ralph Fitch, acrompanied by a io\'oller nauied William Leeds, set, ouf for the Etist. They travelled by xray of Aleppo and Bagdad, intending to proceed from For tho latter place, via Omits!, to the Court of Malabnr. the first five days after their arrival at Omniz they wero permitted to carry on their business without molestation, but on tho cirth arrested and throxvn into day they were Michaol prison on a charge brought against them by ono Stropenc, an Italian, jealous of rivals in his trade, xx'hich ho had found lucrative. Soon afterwards they xvorc sent to Goa, but immediately after their arrival at that placo they xvcio imprisonod. The chief churgo againBt again them that was Sir Francis Drake, while Captain sailing fired had cannon two post Malacoa, shots galloon. After a at Portuguese having a been detained in prison for about month, thoy xvoro ro loased upon signing a bond not to quit Goa without permission. und After a residenco of five months, alarmed frightened at tho reply to an appeal thoy had thought necessary to moko to thp Governor, inasmuch us they had recoived a hint that thoy might be subjected to tho punishment of tho strapiulo, they.resolx'od on making their psenpo, and so fled from the town on April 6, 1585. Proceeding a into the interior, they reaohed Iielgarim, whore there was After visiting the royal city of great market tor diamonds. lleojaporo, thoy xvont to Golcondo, which is described as a fair and pleasant city, tho houses being xvoll built of brick and timber, in a country abounding with dolieious fruit, and mines. having in its vicinity rich diamond Ultimately Fitch and Leeds reached Agra, xvhero they reinuraed for somo time. Hero Leeds entered tho service of Akbar, who xvo are told nlloxx-cd him a house, a horse nnd fivo laves, From and even regular pay. Agra Fitch travelled whenco ho embarked to Seramporo, from for Ncgiais, in tho kingdom of Pegu. Of Pogu ho writes Tho merchandise of Pegu consists of gold, silver, rubies, spinels, musk, bonjninin or frankincense, long pepper, load, tin, whereof lacker ham thoy make copper, rioo, xvino xviix, BUgar.' and made of rico and" some These adventures were from time to time followed by others, and the lame of the rubies of Burmah spread soon far and wide. Captain Alexander Hamilton, who spent his time botween 1688 and 1723 in trading and travoliing by sen and land to most of tho countries and islands between tho Cupo of Good Hope and Japan, says they aro the best in the world. According to this travoller, the country also contained diamonds, but thoy aro small, and aro only found in tho craws of poultry and. phoasunts, and ono family only sell them, and has the indulgence to duro open nono in the ground them. search of his Continuing tho Armenians have ho writes :-' But account, a have of the rubies, whioh got tho monopoly good account in their trade. blue sapphires. somo I hax'o seen of their told, wero These, I was found on some mountains country.' Tho superiority of tho rubioB found in Burmah
Tho
first travels
wo
: 1
' ?

was

soon

acknowledged throughout Europe, although

none

allowed to bo sont out of the of tho best stones wero. ex-er country, tho King claiming .as his right all the flnost

country, tho King claiming .as his right all the flnost rubies that might be discovered. The Kings of Burmah occasionally sent rubies as presents to tho rulers of foreign countries. Thus, in February, 1711, tho King of Pegu sont two raby rings to tho Governor of Fort St. George, at the samo time asking for two clocks to bo sent him, one that would strike the hour distinctly, beginning in the morning by one, and so on till twelve, having two images to strike tho hour on tho boll or clock, whilo tho second ona ordered from Malta, xvith a woman or imago ho wished all the hour, and pouring oil in a vessel which runs whon it would empty tho said imago must be so constructed that fill it again, Renowned and so continue every hour. as the rubies of Burmah had bocomo, no authentic information could be obtained as to tho part of country whenco obtained. The thoy vero Kings of Burmah, in titlos othor of addition were to honour, many Silver, Gold, styled Lord and of Ambor, Ruby Mines. obtaining Jealousy prevented foreigners from information about the mines. Colonel Symes, who was deputed to the Court of Ava in 1791), failed to get any last, exact information tho subject. in 183, ColoAt on nel Burney, tho British Rosidont at Ava, taking advantagol of a deputation having boen ordered to proceed to tho frontier to inquire into various depredations committed by tho Sjngpho living on tho border land between Assnm' and Burmah, obtained permission for Cnptain H. S. Hannay, to his escort, tho deputation. commanding accomrjany left Ava Tho on the 23rd November, 1835, in a o'f ieot sites of 34 boats of various 8es._ Tho Mogout and Kyatpen, wliero somo of the finost rubios of tho kingdom aro obtained, wore pointed out to Captain Hannav as lying in tho direction of Tsagodoung, estimated by Han The Madam Rivor, as well nay te bo 3000 feet in hoight. as that of mineral disTsagadoung, flows from tho same trict, facilitate and must greatly communication with it. Tho inhabitants of tho country were unwilling and afraid to givo information regarding theso socluded spots. auy Tho minos aro described as boing in a vory swampy situation, and 8unoundod at a trifling distance by lofty hills. Tho throe places at which tho gems aro principally sought aro Mogout, Kyntpon, and Loungthe, and tho principal miners aro Kathays or Manipuris, with a few Chinese and is Shsns. The other most celebrated spot Moment, learnt tho site of whiohj Captain Hannay was not moro than three days journey, or two or between twonty and forty miles from Mogout and Kyatpen. This all the information was Captain Hannay was able to pro oure about the ruby mines. The extent of country in which rubies aro to bo found extends over seventy or eighty miles, and it is divided into numerous sections, each boeris ing a different namo. The principal mino said te bo at Kyatpon. Pits ara dug to a depth of from 20 to 30 feet to roach the gruvel which in tho aro gems is found. This gravel brought to the surface and washed, and yields rabies, sapphires, Oriental topazes, and Oriental emeralds. Transparent a corundum, is abo found, is sometimes colourless variety, which used to make falsodiamondri. Spinol occurs in some abundance, and zircon loss commonly. Large sapphires, without a moro common daw, of six to nino carats, are much than rubies of that sizo, although rubies aro much more stones abundant than sapphires. The are polished in Mandalay, and a largo quantity are carried away by tho Another locality in which thors ara Chinese merchants. many minos is in tho Sagaiu Hills, only 16 miles from Mandalay and two from the outlets of tho Irrawaddy Uiver. Tho rubios, sapphires, and spinels aro found in the dotritus of calcareous rocks. They aro said to be lighter coloured, and, therefore, not BO valuable as those from the village of tiio Burmese ralo tho ruby mines wera Kyatpen. Undor estimated to yiold a rovonuo of from 12,500 to 16,000 all a a aud above stones certain woight your, wore tho property of the king. supposed to becomo Tho system of mining is rude in the extreme. It is possible that under British rule, and with approvod appliances, tho revenue may bo enormously increased. It will DO necessary, with'a however, tor some timo, to occupy and keon Momeit out capabio strong forco, of Bending lightly-equipped columns to at onco put down any show of hostility to our rulo on the part of the mining population, and to punish
t

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the part of the mining population, and to punish of Kachins and Shans. The district ha3 novor been a peaceable ono. Wo havo seon in January, 188, tho AVoon when of Bhamo was sent to collect the district, of tho tho Shans and the Kochens rovonuos united to His troops were surrounded opposo him. by tho in and many of his soldiers Burgonts, aud the Woon ponshed in un It is aincoroiy hoped that tho attempt to retreat. oft'ort to authoi ties in Burmah will uso overy procuro tho best commissioners, and establish a strong civil administra on, backod by a woll-oquipped force. rulo
on

marauding bands