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BASSEIN DISTRICT.

198

small embankments were formerly raised by the inhabitants, but these were too slight and too much localized to be of any permanent benefit. Since 1865, large embankments have been, and still are being, made by the State along the banks of the Irawadi, and one along the left bank of the Bassein from its northern mouth is complete beyond Ngathaing-

Chaung. Manufactures.,

etc.

— The

principal manufactures of the District are

—

and pottery the first two mainly on the seacoast in the Ngaputaw and Myaung-mya townships, and the last in the Several saline plains Bassein, Myaung-mya, and Yegyi townships. occur within a distance of 8 or 10 miles from the sea-coast, and in the alluvial delta; and wherever these are in the vicinity of creeks, The pots salt is prepared by means of solar evaporation and boiling. in which it is boiled contain about 4J gallons of brine each, and at salt,

ngap'i or salt-fish,

every evaporation yield about carried

on

for

during the season preparation of

is

^250

made,

1350

lbs.

and

salt fish

for a boiling place of salt

7

lbs.

of

salt.

The

salt

manufacture

is

about four months, and the average produce of one pot

200 pots

—net

The salt is sold on the spot for the The expenditure during a season is about ^188, and the value of the

ngapi.

Several

profit,

manufactured, of which daj?ieng

is

kinds of

the most important.

the sea-coast, and consists of a mixture of

all

kinds of

tigapi

It is

fish

are

made on

and prawns,

which, as they are caught in the traps, are thrown en masse on to a raised platform

made

for the water to drain

of bamboo, and off.

By

left

there for about eight hours

time decomposition has generally

this

the whole mass is then thickly sprinkled with salt, and crushed About and mixed together by hand, when it is ready for market. 4700 lbs. of salt are required for 100 baskets of ngapi. Large pots and other kinds of heavy glazed pottery are made at Thit-nyogun, near Bassein town. In a single season i.e. from January to April two men can turn out 1000 pots of sizes, generally sold to traders on the

set in



—

spot at prices varying from

Commerce

.

since

more

the

^12

to

^t3.

—The trade of Bassein

British

District has

occupation, as the

detail in the article

following

enormously increased figures (repeated in

—Total —

on Bassein Town) show



value of

exports from Bassein harbour in 1855-56, ^^52,54$ ; imports, ;^24,3oo tonnage of vessels cleared, 2847 tons. In 1865-66 value of exports, imports, ^32,876; tonnage, 42,163. In 1876-77 value In of exports, ^^503,468 ; imports, ;^44,764 ; tonnage, 81,297 tons. 1880-81, the exports amounted to ^1,010,574, and the imports to

^289,965;

1,635,

value, exclusive of treasure.

Communication

is

carried

on

almost entirely by water, and the country requires few roads. In the dry season cart tracks lead from village to village, and during the rains a boat can pass almost everywhere.

Total length of inland water com-