Burma image, WA0396. View over the pine clad mountains from Tiddim, looking in the direction of Kennedy peak. P.R. Pict.Photograph taken by James Henry Green in Burma (Myanmar). It was taken in the 1920s. 'The pine is not the species 'longifolia', but the 'Pinus khassia' and is the best resin-producing tree in the world; it is found throughout the length and breadth of the [Chin] hills, generally growing only to a moderate size. The natives use the tree for planks for building purposes and for torches. Their methods for procuring these are extremely wasteful, for a full grown tree furnishes two planks, and the wood for torches is prepared by cutting a gash in the trunk of a live tree and burning the wood, which has the effect of drawing the resin into the wound; the surrounding wood being thus highly impregnated with resin is chipped off in wedges, and the tree, thus weakened, is either blown down by the March winds or consumed by the jungle fires of the two preceding months. It is more than possible that a resin industry will be successfully worked in the future, as resin is scarce in India and commands a high price, and each year we put less money into the hands of the natives, who, having acquired a taste for articles of European manufacture, will, when they find that coolie work is not obtainable, procure resin and sell it either to the Forest Officers or to traders in the Upper Chindwin and Pakkoku Districts' ['The Chin Hills: Vol. II', B. S. Carey and H. N. Tuck, Rangoon, 1896, p.8]
Self and some of the party during a rest. Except in the hills rough roads exist throughout the Shan States and bullock cart transport is slow but sure.
Burma image, WA0711. Self and some of the party...
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