COMMERCE AND TRANSPORTATION. The com merce of Burma has developed along with agri culture, and as the largest product is rice, it is also the chief article of export, usually consti tuting about SO per cent. of the total exports. The foreign trade is wholly controlled by for eigners, mostly English and Chinese, while the internal trade is in the hands of the natives. Usury prevails to a great extent, the rate of interest ranging from 1 to 6 per cent. per month. The sea trade of the province (excluding Govern ment imports and exports) steadily increased from $75,000,000 in 1891-92 to $101,200,000 in 1899-1900. In 1899-1900 the excess of exports over imports was Rs.6,00,00.000 ($19,440,000). Besides rice, the exports include teak, about 9 per cent.: catechu: raw hides, 2.4 per cent.: raw cotton; india-rubber, about :2 per cent. The im ports embrace cotton, wool, and silk goods, raw silk, metals and metal products, and fish. The foreign trade is with Great Britain and its colo nies, and to some extent with America. The in land trade, at the end of the century. was a little over Rs.3.00,00.000 ($9.720,000), of which about 60 per cent. was with Western China, and the rest with the Shan States and Siam. Rangoon is the chief commercial centre of the province. and receives about SO per cent. of the total trade. The merchant marine numbers over 6200 ves sels. with a total tonnage of over 4.000,000.
Under British rule new systems of roads and bridges have been introduced, three navigable canals dug. the Irrawaddy embanked and fur
nished with a large fleet of steamers, the chief cities fortified in modern style. and hospitals, court-houses, and churches built in many places. The chief railways extend from Rangoon to Man dalay and Myitzyina, with a branch from Ileik tila to Myingyan. and one from Rangoon to Tha yetmyo. From Mandalay the road extends into the region of the jade and amber mines. Another road is projected from Mandalay to Kun-lon, which is the Mandalay-Salwin line. It is on this line, between Mandalay and Kun-lon, that the famous Gokteik viaduct has been built over the gorge through which flows Chunzzoune Creek. Here. 500 feet above the water, rises a remarkable natural bridge of limestone. and upon the top of this freak of nature rests the 320 feet of steel trestle-work that forms the Gokteik via duct-2260 feet long and about as high as the towers of the new Brooklyn bridge. All the ma terial and skilled labor in connection with that structure value from the United States. In 1896 this Burma Railway Company, with it capital of $10.000,000, had 1000 miles opal to traffic, the Government guaranteeing interest at 2% per cent., and a participation in the surplus profits. The roadbed passes through jungles not long since occupied by elephants and tigers.