BIRMAN EMPIRE. 



533 



Biraua 



Empire. 



Laws. 





which compose the chain which is the badge of the 

 order. No subject is ever honoured with a higher 

 degree than 12 md the king alone wears 8#. 



The Birman system of jurisprudence is replete with 

 sound morality, and is distinguished above the Hindoo 

 code by its perspicuity and good sense. It provides 

 especially for atmost every kind of crime that can be 

 committed, and adds an ample chapter of precedents 

 and decisions to guide the inexperienced in cases of 

 doubt and difficulty. The trial by ordeal, however, 

 is disgraceful to this code ; but it prevails in all coun- 

 tries where the Hindoo religion is professed, and is as 

 ancient as their records. An instance of the exercke 

 of this mode of trial is mentioned by Colonel Symes. 

 Two women having litigated a small property in a 

 court of justice, and the judges finding it difficult to 

 decide the question- of right, it was agreed to refer 

 the matter to the issue of an ordeal. The parties, 

 attended by the officers of the court, the Rahaans, 

 and a multitude of people, repaired to apond. After 

 certain prayers and ceremonies, the two women enter- 

 ed the pond accompanied by two or three men, one 

 of whom placed them close to each other, and put a 

 board on their heads, which he pressed down till they 

 were both immersed at the same instant. After con- 

 tinuing out of sight for about a minute and a half, 

 ne of them being nearly suffocated, raised her head, 

 whilst the other continued to sit on her hams at the 

 bottom, but was immediately lifted up by the man ; 

 after which, an officer of the court pronounced judg- 

 ment in her favour ; and of the equity of the decision, 

 none present seemed to entertain the smallest doubt. 

 This practice, however, and that of imprecation, are 

 now losing ground, and have of late years been dis- 

 countenanced by the judicial courts both of India and 

 of Ava. The criminal jurisprudence of the Dirmans 

 is lenient in particular cases, but rigorous in others. 

 The first commission of theft does not incur the pe- 

 nalty of death unless the amount stolen is above 800 

 tackals, or about j6100 sterling, or is attended with 

 some circumstances of atrocity, as murder or mutila- 

 tion. In the former case, the culprit has a round 

 mark imprinted on each cheek by gunpowder and 

 puncturation, and on his breast the word thief, with 

 the article stolen ; for the second offence he is de- 

 prived of an arm ; but the third inevitably produces 

 capital punishment. Decapitation is the mode by 

 which criminals suffer, and in the performance of it 

 the Birman executioners are exceedingly skilful; In 

 the administration of public affairs, the Birman go- 

 vernment does not allow of privacy or concealment; 

 It is worthy of remark, that when the British ambas- 

 sador had obtained from the emperor the establish- 

 ment of certain regulations with regard to our com- 

 merce, and had returned to the port of Raugoon, the 

 viceroy of that district informed him that the order 

 would be publicly read and regulated on the follow- 

 ing day, adding, that the records were also open to 

 the public inspection, and that whosoever chose might 

 at any time procure a copy, by paying a trifling fee 

 to the officers of the court. 



The punishments which thieves, and those who 

 drink spirits, &c. meet with in this country, are very 

 frequent and severe. Within a few days, the Baptist 

 missionaries saw the punishment of beheading, of cut* 



ting off the legs, of crucifying, and of pouring boil- BirmAii 

 ing lead down the throat. ' In the Oriental Star, a Empire. 

 Calcutta newspaper for Jan. 23, 1808, there is thefol< 

 lowing account by an English gentleman recently ar- 

 rived from Raugoon. The viceroy of that city, whose 

 son's head had been cut off at Ava for chewing opium, 

 had upon his arrival at the latter place, just before 

 he landed, drawn his sword on board a boat, and 

 thrown the scabbard into the river. His attendants 

 remarking this extraordinary act, asked him the cause 

 of it. His reply was, " my sword shall never be 

 sheathed till it has revenged the death of my son." 

 A man for chewing opium was put to death by cru- 

 cifixion, in which red hot nails were used. In this 

 position his belly was ript up, and in that horrid si- 

 tuation he was left to expire. His entrails lying at his 

 feet, were immediately devoured by crows and vul- 

 tures, several hours before the unhappy man ceased to 

 breathe, and of which he seemed to be sensible. An- 

 other unhappy wretch for getting drunk, had hot 

 lead poured down his throat in small quantities of 

 about half a glassful : the two first caused a strong 

 smoke to issue from his mouth, of which he was ap- 

 parently sensible, but the third dose put an instant 

 period to his existence. Another culprit for a simi- 

 lar crime was sentenced to be roasted alive, and the 

 execution was to take place a few days after the wri- 

 ter's departure from Raugoon. Two others, one who 

 had run away from the Birman army, and one whose 

 father had also deserted, but who had not been taken, 

 had their legs cut off above the knees, were also nail- 

 ed up by their hands with red hot nails, and the hair 

 of their heads tied fast up to a pole, and in this situa- 

 tion they were left to bleed to death. These misera- 

 ble wretches remained alive for some hours, during 

 which their piercing cries were distressing beyond 

 expression, so that not an inhabitant in the place had 

 any rest the whole night. The wives and children of 

 the latter unhappy sufferers were to be blown up 

 three days after. It seems that the viceroy, who or- 

 dered these dreadful punishments, had, during a long 

 administration, executed the duties of his office with 

 the greatest mildness and benevolence, screening many 

 offenders from the rigour of the barbarous law of the 

 country ; but the execution of his son by the court 

 of Ava had driven him to the highest pitch of des- 

 peration, and caused him to vow, that the bloody cri- 

 minal code of his country should be enforced to the 

 utmost extremity. 



The Birmans are a nation of soldiers ; every man Forcrv 

 in the kingdom being liable to be called upon military 

 service, and war is deemed the most honourable occu- 

 pation. The regular military establishment of the 

 nation, however, as among our ancestors in feudal 

 times, is very inconsiderable, consisting only of the 

 royal guards, and as many troops as are necessary to 

 preserve the police of the capital. They are supposed 

 to amount in all to about 2000 infantry and 300 ca- 

 valry ; though it is said that the cavalry, scattered in 

 small detachments through the districts adjoining to 

 the capital, amount to 2000. The infantry are armed 

 with muskets and sabres, and are not uniformly 

 clothed; the cavalry seldom use any other weapon 

 than a spear, about seven or eight feet lbng. When 

 an army is to be raised, government i6sues a mandate 



