4GS 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1800. 



tion of soldiers, but the regular 

 military establishment only consists 

 of the royal guard, and such as are 

 necessary to preserve the police. — 

 When an army is to be raised, the 

 provincial courts determine the 

 number which each place must 

 furnish, with a reference to the 

 relative population. The most re- 

 spectable part of their military force 

 is their establishment of war boats. 

 The appearance and vigour of the 

 natives bore testimony to the salu- 

 brity of the climate ; the seasons 

 are regular ; and the extremes of 

 heat and cold are seldom experi- 

 enced. 



' The soil of the southern pro- 

 vinces of the Birman empire is re- 

 markably fertile, and produces as 

 luxuriant crops of rice as are to be 

 found in the finest parts of Bengal. 

 Farther northward, the country be- 

 comes irregular and mountainous ; 

 but the plains and vallies particu- 

 larly near the river, are exceedingly 

 fruitful ; they yield good wheat, 

 and the various kinds of small grain 

 which grow in Hindustan ; as 

 likewise legumes, and most of the 

 esculent vegetables of India. Su- 

 gar-canes, tobacco of a superior 

 quality, indigo, cotton, and the 

 different tropical fruits,in perfection, 

 are all indigenous products of this 

 favoured land. 



' The kingdom of Ava abounds 

 in minerals ; six days journey from 

 Barau, near the frontiers of China, 

 there are mines of gold and silver ; 

 there are also mines of gold, silver, 

 rubies and sapphires at present open 

 on a mountain near the Keenduem ; 

 but the most valuable and those 

 which produce the finest jewels are 

 in the vicinity of the capital. Pre- 

 cious stones are found in several 

 other parts of the empire. The in- 



ferior minerals, such as contain 

 iron, tin, lead, antimony, arsenic, 

 sulphur, &c. are met vpith in great 

 abundance; amber, of a consistence 

 unusually pure and pellucid, is dug 

 up in large quantities near the river. 

 Diamonds and emeralds are not pro- 

 duced in any part of the Ava em- 

 pire ; but it affords amethysts, gar- 

 nets, very beautiful chrysolites, jas- 

 per, loadstone, and marble. 



The marble is equal to the finest 

 which Italy produces, but it is ap- 

 propriated solely to compose the 

 images of Buddha. The Birmans, 

 like the Chinese, have no coin ; 

 silver in bullion, and lead, are the 

 current monies of the country. In 

 the following passage, the author 

 contrasts the national character of 

 this people with that of their west- 

 ern neighbours : 



' Notwithstanding the small ex- 

 tent of the barrier which divides 

 them, the physical difference could 

 scarcely be greater, had they been 

 situated at the opposite extremities 

 of the globe. The Birmans are a 

 lively, inquisitive race, active, ira- 

 scible, and impatient ; the character 

 of their Bengal neighbours is too 

 well known, as the reverse, to 

 need any delineation ; the unwor- 

 thy passion of jealousy, which 

 prompts most nations of the east to 

 immure their women within the 

 walls of a haram, and surround 

 them with guards, seems to have 

 scarcely any influence over the 

 minds of this extraordinary and 

 more liberal people. Birman wives 

 and daughters are not concealed 

 from the sight of men, and are suf- 

 fered to have as free intercourse 

 with each other as the rules of Eu- 

 ropean society admit; but in other 

 respects women have just reason to 

 complain of their treatment among 



