1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Moulmein

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search

MOULMEIN (or Maulmein), the port and headquarters of Amherst district and Tenasserim division of Lower Burma. The population in 1901 was 58,346, and the increase in the last quarter of a century has been very slight. Ship-building, which formerly was an important industry, has now been given up, but there is still a considerable export of teak and rice, and there are several steam rice- and saw-mills. The total exports average more than a million sterling. Three steamers run weekly to Rangoon. Germany and Siam are represented by consuls; Persia, Denmark, and Norway and Sweden by vice-consuls; and Italy and the United States of America by consular agents. The garrison of Madras native infantry, formerly stationed in the town, was withdrawn in 1898. The town, which has the appearance of being on a river, the Salween, is really on the sea, with the island of Bilugyun in front. It is one of the most picturesque ports in the East. There is a branch of the Bank of Bengal, and two newspapers are published—one in English and one in Burmese.