B I R 



534 



B I R 



Bitmau 



Empire, 



Birming- 

 ham. 



War boats. 



Kjvfcaues. 



to all the viceroys of provinces, and governors of dis- 

 tricts, requiring a certain number of men to be at a 

 general rendezvous on an appointed day ; the levy is 

 proportioned to the population of the province or 

 district, according to the number of the registered 

 houses that it contains ; the provincial court deter- 

 mines the burden which each house is to bear ; and a 

 certain number of houses furnish a recruit among 

 them, or pay 300 tackal, which is about W or j45. 

 The families of their conscripts are carefully retained 

 in their districts as hostages for the good conduct of 

 their relation. In case of desertion or treachery, the 

 innocent wife and parent of the guilty person are 

 dragged to execution without pity ; even cowardice 

 subjects the family of the delinquent to capital pu- 

 nishment, a law which, however barbarous, is rigo- 

 rously executed. 



But the most respectable part of the Birman mili- 

 tary force, is the establishment of war boats. These 

 carry from 50 to 60 rowers, who use short oars that 

 work on a spindle. The prow is solid, and is a flat 

 surface, on which, when they go to war, a piece 

 of ordnance is mounted ; a six, a nine, or even a 

 twelve pounder, and several are frequently fixed on 

 the stern. Each rower is provided with a sword 

 and lance, which are placed by his side while he 

 plies the oars. Besides the boatmen, there are usual- 

 ly 30 soldiers on board, who are armed with mus- 

 kets. Their attack is extremely impetuous ; they 

 advance with great rapidity, and sing a war song at 

 once to encourage their people, daunt their adversa- 

 ries, and regulate the strokes of their oars. They 

 generally endeavour to grapple, and when that is 

 effected, the action becomes very severe. The largest 

 of these war boats is from 80 to 100 feet long, and 

 they draw only about three feet of water. 



The revenue of the Birman empire arises from one- 

 tenth of all the native produce, and of all foreign 

 goods imported into the country. However, as grants 

 to princes of the blood and provincial governors are 

 made in provinces, cities, villages, and farms, the rent 

 of which they collect on their own account, and as in 

 consequence of this money, is seldom disbursed from 

 the royal treasuries, the Birman sovereign must pos- 

 sess immense riches. See Symes' Embassy to Ara, 

 3 vols. Asiatic Researches, vol. v. p. 111. 143 

 156, 210 240; vol. vi. 127136, 163308. 

 Baptist Periodical Accounts, vol. iii. p. 342, 343. 

 Pinkerton's Geography, vol. ii. ( w. is. ) 



BIRMINGHAM, a market town in the hundred 

 of Hemlingford, and in the county of Warwick, is 

 116 miles from London by Oxford, and 109 by Co- 

 ventry. It is about two miles in length, pleasantly 

 situated on the side of a hill by the river Rea ; and 

 the soil, on which it is founded, consists chiefly of a 

 dry reddish sand. It is remarkably free from damp ; 

 and even its cellars are described as comfortable habi- 

 tations. Its air is naturally exceedingly pure ; and, 

 notwithstanding its close population, continual smoke, 

 and noxious metallic cfHuvia, it is accounted by Dr 

 Price one of the healthiest towns in England. From 

 the register of burials, in an average of six years end- 

 ing in 1801, while the scale of mortality in London 

 was as 1 to 31, and in Manchester as 1 to 37, that of 

 Birmingham was only as I to 59. Instances of lon- 



gevity among its inhabitants are strikingly numerous; 

 and evu y mean is employed for the preservation of 

 health, particularly bathing, for which the most com- 

 plete and extensive accommodation in the kingdom 

 has been provided. 



The antiquity of Birmingham is argued from the 

 circumstance of its being contiguous to two Roman 

 roads, the Ilkcnild and Shirley streets ; and it is sup- 

 posed to have existed as a town in the reign of King 

 Alfred. It appears, at least, upon record, that, in 

 1251, William de Birmingham, lord of the manor, 

 procured an additional charter from Edward III. re- 

 viving and granting several privileges. It was be- 

 sieged by Prince Rupert in 1643 ; and, being taken 

 after a short resistance, was commanded to be burnt 

 to the ground ; but, by some favourable circumstance, 

 the conflagration was confined to a few houses in 

 Bull street. It suffered very severely from the plague 

 in 1665 ; and after the church-yard was filled with 

 the dead bodies, they were interred in an acre of land 

 at Lady Wood green, which, from this circumstance, 

 has received the name of Pest-ground. It had attain- 

 ed some degree of eminence previous to the reign of 

 Charles II. ; but it is from this period, that its rapid 

 increase must be dated. About the year 1700 it did 

 not contain above 30 streets, but now they amount 

 nearly to 250. Its amazing progress may be render- 

 ed more apparent by the following statements. In 

 1779, there were only three houses between the roads 

 to Wolverhampton and Dudley; in 1780, they in- 

 creased to 55; in 1781, to 14 4 ; and, in 1791 , there 

 was an addition of 833. In 16fS8, the sum disbursed 

 for the relief of the poor amounted to 308,17s. &|d. ; 

 but, in 1787, it was ; 12,429, 9s. lljd. 



The lower part of the town consists chiefly of old 

 buildings, is filled wi:h workshops and warehouses, 

 and is inhabited principally by manufacturers. Al- 

 most every artist has a separate house, so that the po- 

 pulation is spread over a great extent of surface, and 

 free from many of the evils, which prevail in those 

 great towns where the habitations are larger, and se- 

 veral families crowded into one floor. The upper 

 part of the town has a very superior appearance, 

 consisting of new and regular streets, and containing 

 a number of elegant buildings. There are two pa- 

 rish churches ; St Martin's, with a lofty spire, usual- 

 ly denominated the old church, and situated in the 

 lower part of the town, built originally of stone 

 about the year 1300, cased with brick in 1690, and 

 repaired, in 1786, at an expense of ^4000: and St 

 Philip's, or the new church, which is a very handsome 

 structure, founded in the year 1711, built in a light 

 elegant style, and capable of containing more thaa 

 2000 persons. It has a square tower adorned with a 

 cupola, a peal of ten bells, and a clock with musical 

 chimes. There are also four chapels in connection 

 with the church of England ; St Bartholomew's, 

 erected in 1749; St Mary's, in 1774 ; St Paul's, in 

 1779 ; and the house of Dr Ash, a celebrated physi- 

 cian in Birmingham, which was converted into an ele- 

 gant chapel by a private gentleman, at his own ex- 

 pense, in 1789. There is a number of dissenting 

 places of worship : two presbyterian meeting-houses, 

 and a third in contemplation ; three of independents ; 

 three of baptists, several of the methodists, one of 



Binning 



h.un. 



