yield of gold in that year was 274 oz., which increased to 893 oz. in
1896-1897. This, however, proved to be merely a pocket, and the mine is now
shut down. Dredging for gold, however, seems likely to prove very
profitable and gold dust is found in practically every river in the hills.

The principal seats of the petroleum industry are Yenangyaung in the Magwe,
and Yenangyat in the Pakokku districts. The wells have been worked for a
little over a century by the natives of the country. The Burma Oil Company
since 1889 has worked by drilled wells on the American or cable system, and
the amount produced is yearly becoming more and more important.

Amber is extracted by Kachins in the Hukawng valley beyond the
administrative border, but the quality of the fossil resin is not very
good. The amount exported varies considerably. Tourmaline or rubellite is
found on the borders of the Ruby Mines district and in the Shan State of
Moeng Loeng. Steatite is extracted from the Arakan hill quarries. Salt is
manufactured at various places in Upper Burma, notably in the lower
Chindwin, Sagaing, Shwebo, Myingyan and Yamethin districts, as well as at
Mawhkio in the Shan State of Thibaw. Iron is found in many parts of the
hills, and is worked by inhabitants of the country. A good deal is
extracted and manufactured into native implements at Pang Long in the
L[=e]gya (Laihka) Shan State. Lead is extracted by a Chinese lessee from
the mines at Bawzaing (Maw-s[=o]n) in the Myelat, southern Shan States. The
ore is rich in silver as well as in lead.

_Agriculture._--The cultivation of the land is by far the most important
industry in Burma. Only 9.4% of the people were classed as urban in the
census of 1901, and a considerable proportion of this number were natives
of India and not Burmese. Nearly two-thirds of the total population are
directly or indirectly engaged in agriculture and kindred occupations.
Throughout most of the villages in the rural tracts men, women and children
all take part in the agricultural operations, although in riverine villages
whole families often support themselves from the sale of petty commodities
and eatables. The food of the people consists as a rule of boiled rice with
salted fresh or dried fish, salt, sessamum-oil, chillies, onions, turmeric,
boiled vegetables, and occasionally meat of some sort from elephant flesh
down to smaller animals, fowls and almost everything except snakes, by way
of condiment.

The s