between the Southern Part of Bengal and Ava. 205 



merous slaves of this kind, belonging to Kaungla Pru, are 

 chiefly employed in agriculture. 



The house of this chief is supported on posts, and thatch- 

 ed, its floor and walls being constructed of bamboos split, and 

 woven into mats ; but it had several large apartments, and was 

 furnished with chairs, carpets, beds, and mats. The yard is 

 surrounded by a fence made of posts and mats, and is digni- 

 fied with the name of Fort. In the adjoining village there 

 are forty or fifty houses, and a convent (Kiaung) of priests 

 (Poungris). For such a climate the houses seemed to be com- 

 fortable ; but, as the women avoided my company, I could 

 not be minute in examination without distressing the inhabi- 

 tants. Kaungla Pru was a stout little man, with strongly 

 marked Chinese features, and was about fifty years of age. 

 He came to visit me in a palanquin, with many attendants, 

 who appeared to be in easy circumstances, and both he and 

 his family and suit were very obliging. Every thing about 

 him had the appearance of considerable wealth, and he was 

 said to lend much money to the neighbouring Bengalese pro- 

 prietors, at the rate of 33 part monthly, or 37 g per cent, per 

 annum. 



The villages belonging to Kaungla Pru are managed by of- 

 ficers named Ruasah ; and I observed that, in one instance at 

 least, several of these were under the authority of an officer 

 styled Tamang. At any rate, this was the title of Aunghiose, 

 who seemed to manage all the affairs of Kaungla Pru on the 

 Mamuri river. I heard of another person named Pamang, 

 and of a similar officer named Poummakri ; but I did not 

 learn whether this was his proper name or a title. I went to 

 visit Aunghiose at his village, which consisted of a few houses 

 disposed in a street parallel to the river Mamuri, and having 

 at its east end a rivulet named Yaungsa, and at its western 

 extremity a small hill, on which is a convent or Kiaung. I 

 found this officer's house of considerable size, and raised high 

 on posts. The stair was very bad, being nothing more than 

 a notched stick. From the stair we landed on a bamboo plat- 

 form. To our right was a tolerably large hall, into which we 

 were conducted, and on our left were the apartments of the 

 women, who kept out of sight. In the hall there was no fur- 



