RAN 



316 



RAN 



Jlamsgate for the trustees, a house for the harbour mastery and 

 II a watch-house. A large dock-house has also been built, 

 Rangoon. anc j ver y recen tly a wet dock has been erected near 

 the basin. A battery near Albion Place, and an- 

 other on the opposite cliff, defend the entrance of the 

 harbour. The east channel is formed by the passage 

 between the east pier and a large sand bank, which 

 nearly crosses the harbour as far as the basin. In hea- 

 vy gales ships bring up upon it when driven into the 

 harbour without anchors or cables. Near the north 

 end of the west pier is a massive frame-work of tim- 

 ber, and a staircase called Jacob's ladder, which forms 

 a communication between the top and bottom of the 

 cliff. 



In the year 1780 only twenty-nine vessels entered 

 this port ; but the number has since varied between 

 500 and 800 annually, and ships of 500 tons can easily 

 enter it. 



Ramsgate is now much frequented by invalids for sea 

 bathing. The bathing place is a fine shore of soft and 

 reddish sand, beneath the cliffs to the south of the pier. 

 The machines, like those of Margate, consist of a short 

 caravan, with a door and small flight of steps behind, 

 by which the bathers descend into the sea, and are con- 

 cealed from view by a pendent covering of canvass. 

 Four hot baths of salt water have been erected, and 

 likewise a plunge and shower bath, with convenient 

 waiting and dressing rooms. The east pier is a favour- 

 ite promenade in summer, and commands many fine 

 sea views. 



Ramsgate carries on a considerable trade with the 

 ports of the Baltic. Boat-building and the repairing of 

 ships occupy some attention. 



Ramsgate is a member of the Cinque Ports of Sand- 

 wich, and is in subjection to the justices of that place. 

 The mayor of Sandwich appoints a deputy or consta- 

 ble. Population 1811, 4221, and in 182 1/6031. 



An account of the apparatus of a diving bell used at 

 Ramsgate, by Mr. Smeaton and Mr. Rennie, is given 

 in our article DIVING BELL, Vol. VIII. p. 19 21. 

 East long. 1 25'. North lat. 51 20'. See the Beau- 

 ties of England and Wales, vol. viii. Hasted's His- 

 tory of Kent, and Lewis's History of the Isle of Thanet. 



RANA. See HERKETOLOGY, Vol. IX. p. 36. 



RANGOON, formerly DAGOON, a seaport town of 

 the Birman empire, and province of Pegu, is situated 

 in a healthy and fertile country, on the north bank of 

 the east branch of theErawadi or Rangoon river. Ran- 

 goon extends about a mile along the banks of the river, 

 and is between one-third and one-half a mile-in breadth. 

 The city is a square, surrounded by a stockade fourteen 

 feet high. On the north side it has an indifferent fosse 

 crossed by-a wooden bridge. On this side there are 

 two gates, but on all the other sides only one. In se- 

 veral places there are wooden stages within the stock- 

 ade, to hold musqueteers in case of an attack. The 

 river is about twenty or thirty yards from the pallisade, 

 and between it and the south side there are several 

 ports, and three wharfs with cranes for landing goods. 

 The river is commanded by a battery of twelve ill- 

 mounted six and nine pounders. A sort of exchange 

 uhere the merchants assemble, consisting of two wooden 

 houses, stands close to the wharf. 



The streets are narrow though straight. They are 

 clean and well paved with brick, with numerous chan- 

 nels to carry off the rain, and crossed with strdng 

 wooden planks for bridges. The houses, which are 

 generally of timber, are raised several feet from the 



ground on posts, the smaller ones being supported by Kangoon. 

 bamboos, and the larger ones by strong timbers. The s """ v^' 

 principal inhabitants reside within the fort, the ship- 

 wrights and inferior population inhabit the suburbs ; 

 and there is an entire street called Tackally, assigned 

 to common prostitutes. Swine, which are public pro- 

 perty, are permitted to roam at large about the to\vn, 

 for the purpose of destroying the filth below the 

 houses. 



The customhouse, which is a spacious building, is 

 composed of brick and mortar, and roofed in with tile?. 

 There are a number of wooden stages within it, for the 

 reception of bales of goods. 



At the former town of Tagoun, (the Dogon or Da- 

 gon of the universal history } ) situated on an eminence 

 about two miles from Rangoon, stands the celebrated 

 temple of Gautama, sometimes called the temple of 

 Shoe Dagoon. It stands on a hill which is of a conical 

 form, having steps all round it, on which are set nume- 

 rous images of Guatama. The road which leads from 

 the city to the temple is formed with care, the rain be- 

 ing thrown to the sides by a wide causeway in the cen- 

 tre. In the vicinity of the town there are several 

 kioums or monasteries, which are generally placed un- 

 der the shade of pipal or tamarind trees, at a short dis- 

 tance from the public road. 



According to Major Symes, the river of Rangoon is 

 very convenient for the construction of ships. The 

 spring tides rise twenty feet perpendicular, and as the 

 banks are flat and soft, very little labour is necessary 

 for the formation of docks. Nature, observes Major 

 Symes, has done her part to render Rangoon the most 

 flourishing seaport of the eastern world. The entrance 

 of the river about twelve miles below Rangoon, and the 

 banks on each side, bear a near resemblance to those 

 of the Ganges, but the navigation is much more com- 

 modious. The channel is bold and deep, from six and 

 a half to eight fathoms, uninterrupted by shoals or ine- 

 qualities of soundings. At this place the breadth of the 

 river is estimated to be from three-fourths to one mile. 



The teak wood, the most durable that is known, 

 from its containing great quantities of crystallized si- 

 lex, is produced in inexhaustible abundance in the 

 Birman empire. It grows some hundred miles up the 

 country, and after being split into thick planks by 

 wedges in the dry season, it is floated down the rivers 

 in the rainy season. As ships can be built cheaper 

 at Rangoon than at Calcutta or Bombay, European 

 speculators resort to this place to have their ships 

 built ; but they procure their iron, masts, and cap- 

 stans from other quarters. The Arabs, however, have 

 had vessels of 600 tons burden entirely built at Ran- 

 goon. 



In 1800, when the coppering and equipment was in 

 the European style, ship-building was executed for 

 13 per ton. 



The imports into this country are chiefly European 

 goods, such as coarse piece goods, glass, hardware, and 

 broadcloth, various cloths from India, tea and porce- 

 lain from China. The imports from the British settle- 

 ments in 1794. and 1795 amounted to about 135,000 

 sterling. The principal exports are wax,ivory and timber. 



There are fitted out annually at Rangoon ten or 

 twelve boats, with about thirty more from different 

 towns on the Erawadi, which proceed by way of the 

 Bassien river, along the coast of Aracan to Lucknow, 

 Calcutta, and even to Patna. They generally carry 

 from 1000 to 1500 maunds, (80 Ibs. each,) with from 



