Book I AGRICULTURE IN ASIA. 



151 



936. The soil of the southern provinces of the Birman empire is remarkably fertile, 

 and produces as luxuriant crops of rice as are to be found in the finest parts of Bengal. 

 Towards the north, the face of the country is irregular and mountainous, with headlon-r 

 torrents and rivers in yawning chasms, crossed by astonishing bridges; but the plains 

 and valleys are exceedingly fruitful ; they yield good wheat and various kinds of small 

 grain which grow in Hindustan, together with most of the esculent legumes and 

 vegetables of India. Sugar-canes, tobacco of a superior quality, indigo, cotton, and 

 the different tropical fruits in perfection, are all indigenous products of this country. 

 Besides the teak tree {Tectona grandis), which grows in many parts of the Birman 

 empire, as well to the north of Ummerapoora, as in the southern country, there is 

 almost every description of timber that is known in India. 



937. The cattle used in some parts of the country for tillage and draught are remarkably 

 good ; they put only a pair of them to t-he plough, which is little different from the 

 plough of India, and turns up the soil very superficially. In their large carts they yoke 

 four stout oxen, which proceed with the speed of a hand gallop, and are driven by a 

 country girl, standing up in her vehicle, who manages the reins and a long whip 

 with ease and dexterity. Many of the rising grounds are planted with indigo ; but the 

 natives suffer the hills for the most part to remain uncultivated, and only plough the 

 rich levels. They every where burn the rank grass once a year to improve the pasture. 

 The Birmans will not take much pains ; they leave half the work to nature, which has 

 been very bountiful to them. In the neighbourhood of Loonghe many fields are planted 

 with cotton, which thmes well ; sesamum is also cultivated in this soil, and is found to 

 answer better than rice,, which is most productive in low and moist grounds. In the 

 suburbs of Pagahm, there are at least two hundred mills employed in expressing oil 

 from the sesamum seed. In this operation the grain is put into a deep wooden trough, 

 and pressed by an upright timber fixed in a frame ; the force is increased by a long 

 lever, on the extremity of which a man sits and guides a bullock that moves in a circle ; 

 thus turning and pressing the seed at the same time. The machine is simple, and yet 

 effectually answers the purpose. 



938. Among the vegetable productions of this country, we may enumerate the white 

 sandal-tree, and the Aloexylon verum, producing the true jet-black ebony wood ; the 

 sycamore fig, Indian fig, and banyan tree; the Bignonj'a indica, Nauclea orientalis; 

 Corvpha rotundifolia, one of the loftiest of the palm trees ; and Excrecaria cochinchinensis, 

 remarkable for the crimson under-surface of its leaves. To the class of plants used in 

 medicine and the arts, we may refer the ginger and cardamom, found wild on the sides 

 of rivers, and cultivated in great abundance ; the turmeric, used by the natives of the 

 coast to tinge and flavour their rice and other food ; the betel pepper, Fagara Piperita, 

 and three or four kinds of CApsicum ; the Justicw tinctoria, yielding a beautiful green 

 tinge; Morinda umbellata, gamboge, and Cdrthamus, furnishing yellow dyes ; the red 

 wood of the Lawsoma spinosa and Cassalpinin Sdppan ; and the indigo. The bark of the 

 iYerium antidysenterica called codagapala, and that of the Z.aurus Culiluban ,- the fruit 

 of the Strychnos nux vomica, the Cassia fistula, the tamarind, and the Croton Tiglium ; 

 the inspissated juice of the aloe, the resin of the camphor tree, and the oil of the lii- 

 cinus, are occasionally imported from this country for the European dispensaries. The 

 cinnamon laurel, sometimes accompanied by the nutmeg, sugar cane, bamboo, and 

 spikenard, is found throughout the whole country; the last on dry hills, and the 

 bamboo and sugar cane in rich swamps. The sweet potato, Ipomce'a tuberosa, mad 

 apple and love-apple Sblanum Melongena and Lycopersicon), Aympha/a, Xelumbium, 

 gourds, melons, water melons, and various other esculent plants, enrich this country by 

 cultivation ; and the plantain, cocoa-nut, and sago palm, are produced spontaneously. The 

 vine grows wild in the forests, but its fruit is inferior, from want of cultivation and through 

 excess of heat, to that of the south of Europe ; but this country is amply supplied with 

 the mango, pine-apple, Sapindus edulis, mangostan plum, Averrhd« Carambola, custard- 

 apple, papaw-fig, orange, lemon, lime, and many other exquisite fruits. 



939. The animals of the Birman empire correspond to those of Hindustan. The 

 wild elephants of Pegu are very numerous ; and, allured by the early crops of rice, 

 commit great devastation among the plantations that are exposed to their ravages. The 

 king is the proprietor of these animals ; and one of his Birman majesty's titles is " lord 

 of the white elephants and of all the elephants in the world." The forests abound with 

 tigers. The horses are small, but handsome and spirited, hardy and active ; and are 

 frequently exported in timber ships bound for Madras and other parts of the coast, where 

 they are disposed of to considerable advantage. Their cows are diminutive, resembling 

 the breed on the coast of Coromandel ; but their buffaloes are noble animals, much 

 superior to those of India, and are used for draught and agriculture : some of them are of 

 a light cream colour, and are almost as fierce as tigers, who dare not molest them. The 

 ichneumon, or rat of Pharaoh, called by the natives ounbaii, is found in this country : 

 but there is no such animal as the jackal in the Ava dominions, though they are very 



L 4 



