BIRMAN EMPIRE. 



S29 



Birman dead, unless the person is a pauper ; in which case, 

 Empire, he is either buried, or cast into the river, as the cere- 



*"~v- ' mony of burning is very expensive.- The bier is pla- 

 ced on a funeral pile six or eight feet high, made of 

 billets of dried wood laid across each other, with in- 

 tervals to admit a due circulation of air, and to in- 

 crease the flame. The priests walk round the pile, 

 reciting prayers to Godama, until the lire reaches 

 the body, when the whole is quickly reduced to 

 ashes. The bones are afterwards collected and depo- 

 sited in a grave. Persons of high rank, such as the 

 chief ecclesiastic of a province, the prime minister, 

 or a member of the royal family, are embalmed, and 

 their remains are preserved for six weeks, or two 

 months, after which they are committed to the fune- 

 ral pile. During this period the body lies in state 

 in some mouastcry ; but at the capital it is placed in 

 a sacred saloon, beautifully ornamented with gilding, 

 and exclusively appropriated to this purpose. Honey 

 is said to be the principal ingredient which they em- 

 ploy to preserve the body from putrefaction. 



Owners. Besides the Birraans, Col. Symes mentions a sin- 

 gular description of people called Carayners, who in- 

 habit different parts of the country, particularly the 

 western provinces of Dalla and Bassieu, and of whom 

 there are several societies in the districts adjacent to 

 Raugoon. They were represented to him by a Ca- 

 tholic missionary as a simple, innocent race, mild in 

 their manners, exceedingly hospitable to strangers, 

 speaking a language distinct from that of the Bir- 

 mans, and entertaining rude notions of religion. They 

 are the most industrious subjects of the state, and 

 raise a great part of the provisions used in the coun- 

 try. Agriculture, gardening, and the care of cattle, 

 are almost their only occupations. Their villages 

 form a select community, from which they exclude 

 all other people ; and they never reside in cities, in- 

 termingle, or marry with strangers. They profess 

 and strictly observe the principle of universal peace, 

 not engaging in war, or taking part in contests for 

 dominion ; a system which necessarily places them in 

 subjection to the ruling power of the day. Of late 

 years, however, they have been much oppressed by 

 the great Birman landholders ; in consequence of 

 which, numbers of them have withdrawn into the 

 mountains of Arracan. 



literature. I" literature the Birmans have made considerable 

 progress ; for though they have not explored the 

 depths of science, or reached to superior excellence 

 in the fine arts, yet, in general, they are certainly 

 an intelligent people. The knowledge of letters is 

 so widely diffused among them, that there are no 

 mechanics, few of the peasantry, or even of the com- 

 mon watermen, who cannot read and write the vul- 

 gartongue. Few, however, are versant in their books 

 of science, which, containing many Sanscrit terms, 

 and being often written in the Pali text, are above the 



language, comprehension of themultitude. The Birman language 

 contains thirty-three simple sounds, to represent which, 

 the alphabet consists of an equal number of distinct 

 characters, exclusive of various marks and contrac- 

 tions, which supply the place of long and short 

 vowels, diphthongs, &c. The Birmans write like 

 Europeans, from the left to the right ; and, though 

 hey leave no distinguishing place between their 

 vol. m. tart Jir. 



words, they ma k the pauses of a full sentence, ':d Birman 

 the full stops. Their letters are distinct, and their Empire. 

 manuscripts are, in general, very beautiful. The " """v ' 

 common bookb ot the Birmans, like those of the Books. 

 Hindoos, are composed of the palmyra leaf, on 

 which the letters are engraved with a style ; but 

 they are much superior to those of the Western con- 

 tinent, in the neatness of the execution, and in the 

 ornaments which decorate them. Books, in the Pali 

 text, are sometimes composed of thin stripes of bam- 

 boo, delicately plaited and varnished over in such a 

 manner as to form a smooth and hard surface, on a 

 leaf of any dimensions. This surface is afterwards 

 gilded, and the sacred letters are traced upon it in 

 black and shining japan : the margin is illuminated 

 by wreaths and figures of gold, on a red, green, or 

 black ground. In every monastery there is a repo- 

 sitory of books, which are usually kept in lacquered 

 chests. When at the capital, Colonel Symes paid 

 a visit to the royal library, of which he gives us the 

 following interesting description. " It is," says he, Royal li- 

 " a large brick building, raised on a teri'ace, and brary. 

 covered by a roof of a very compound structure. It 

 consists of one square room, with an enclosed viran- 

 do, or gallery, surrounding it. The room was lock- 

 ed, and, as we had not a special order for seeing it, 

 the person who had the care of the library, said that 

 he was not at liberty to open the doors, but assured 

 us there was nothing in the inside different from 

 what we might see in the virando, where a number 

 of large chests, curiously ornamented with gilding 

 and japan, were ranged in regular order against the 

 wall. I counted fifty ; but there were many more, 

 probably not less than a hundred. The books were 

 regularly classed, and the contents of each chest were 

 written in gold letters on the lid. The librarian 

 opened two, and shewed me some very beautiful 

 writing, on thin leaves of ivory, the margins of 

 which were ornamented with flowers of gold, neatly 

 executed. I saw also some books written in the an- 

 cient Pali, the religious text. Every thing seemed 

 to be arranged with perfect regularity ; and I was in- 

 formed that there were books on divers subjects ; 

 more on divinity than any other : but history, music, 

 medicine, painting, and romance, had their separate 

 treatises. The volumes were disposed under distinct 

 heads, regularly numbered ; and if all the other 

 chests were as well filled as those that were submit- 

 ted to our inspection, it is not improbable, that his 

 Birman majesty may possess a more numerous li- 

 brary than any potentate from tho banks of the Da- 

 nube to the borders of China." 



To this general account of the literature of the Boolu in 

 Birmans, we may add a few particulars relative to history, 

 some of the arts and sciences. They are said to pos- 

 sess many historical works, containing an iccount of 

 the lives and actions of the different families of their 

 princes ; but they are very fabulous, and abound 

 with omens and prodigies. They have also transla- 

 tions of the history of China and Siam, and of the 

 kingdoms of Kathee, Ko-shampyee, Pagoo, Saym- 

 may, and Layuzayu. In medicine, the Birmans Medicine, 

 have several books. They divide diseases into nineiy- 

 six genera ; and of these several are subdivided into 

 many species. They arc acquainted with the use of 

 3x 



