The inhabitants are of sturdy build, but the women and are somewhat snub-nosed. Both sexes are practically naked, and cover their private parts only. They wear blue caps trimmed with pig's teeth. Their bracelets, which display a certain amount of taste, are made of coral, yellow amber, and sometimes of tortoise shell or sea shells. Poverty, tyranny and oppression are unknown. Every man is master of his own property and has several wives, each of whom has her appointed household duties. Although four-footed animals are plentiful, dog's flesh is the favourite dish. They grow many varieties of vines and the grape is used for the preparation of brandy only. They extract salt from the green scum of stagnant pools and they obtain it also from the leaves of a tree known as Adam's fig tree. The leaves are burnt and an intensely saline residue is obtained from the ashes. They have a secret process of extraction by boiling and straining the mother liquor through a linen fabric. They manufacture gun-powder of the finest quality and Eastern peoples ascribe the glory of the invention of this agent of destruction to them, but what is more extraordinary this country has been engaged in no war for 500 years. The secret has passed to the Peguans, who in turn handed on to the Chinese, who pose as the inventors, as doubtless they were the first nation to employ it in warfare. The kingdom of Tipra produces nothing that excites the curiosity of the traveller or the greed of the merchant. A gold mine is situated in the country, but the metal is of rather poor quality, and is exchanged for silver in China. There is also plenty of silk, but of very coarse quality and is used for common purposes only. The inhabitants are addicted to intoxicating liquors. Instead of figures, they calculate with pebbles that have the appearance of small agates. They rarely journey from their own country and have no commercial relations with other nations who know them by name only. The kingdom of Aracan has so extended a coast line that it seems to invite all commercial nations to trade. The climate is good, plague and other infectious diseases are unknown. The rich and fertile plains produce all the necessaries of life. Many tribes live in the pleasant valleys which afford pasturage to all sorts of wild and domestic animals. Horses are rarely seen. Horned buffaloes are employed for agricultural operations. Their anger is aroused at the sight of red. They let those whom they wish to attack pass quietly by and then gore them from behind with their murderous horns. These animals, intractable, by nature are obedient only to the native in charge of them, and gather around him at the sound of the horn by which he calls them.