﻿4S0 ON THE BURMUA 



XX. 



On the BuRMH.v "Game o/' Chess, compared 

 witJi the Indian, Chinese, and Persian 

 Game of the same denomination. 



By the late Captain HIRAM COX. 



Communicated in a Letter from him to J. H. Harington, Esq. 

 DEAR SIR, 



1 HAVE now the pleasure to send you a drawing 

 of the Bitrmha chess table, with the pieces arranged 

 according to the ordinary mode of playing the game ; 

 and subjoin an account of the Bur)nha-g-dmc, with a 

 comparative view of the Indian, Chinese, and Per- 

 sian games ; and_ should it appear to you worthy of 

 notice, I have to request you will do me the favor 

 to lay it before the society. 



It has been said that an accurate judgment rnay 

 be formed of any society from a view of the amuse- 

 ments of the people ; this is one of those sweeping 

 assertions which indolence too often induces us to 

 admit without sufficient eximii nation, and however 

 true in a general sense, is little applicable to the pur- 

 poses of life, for it often, indeed generally, happens, 

 as in Lavater's System of Physiognomy, one feature 

 counteracts the effects of another, so as to perplex 

 the whole, and defeat the end of enquiry. 



Are the gay airy Parisians, heretofore so celebrated 

 for polish, and so conversant in the cant of philan- 

 thropy, more humane than our rough countrymen, 



who 



