LITERATURE OF THE BURMAS. iGj 



hardly any access to books : and I have to solicit 

 the indulgence of the learned for errors, which may 

 have happened in several of my ([notations, as 1 have 

 been sometimes obliged to rely on my memory. 



I BEGIN with a translation of the 



COSMOGRA PHI J BA RMA NA, 



" Of the measures of magnitude, and time, com^ 

 *' monly used in the writings of the Burmas. 



^' 1. The Burmas conceive, that there are five 

 " species of atoms. The first is a fluid invisible to 

 '' men ; but visible to those superior beings called 

 *' N^at : a fluid which pervades and penetrates all 

 *' bodies. The second species of atoms are those 

 '^ very minute particles, which are seen floating in 

 *' the air, when through any opening the sunbeams 

 " enter a chamber. The third species is that very 

 ^' subtile dust, which during the dry season, cspc- 

 " cially in the months of Ftbruarij and March, is 

 " raised aloft by the feet of man or (»f cattle, or by 

 " the wheels of waggons. The fourth species con- 

 " sists of the grosser particles of the same dust, 

 " M'hich on accouut of their weight donotfiy through 

 " the air, but remain near the earth. The last and 

 " fifth species of atoms are those particles which 

 " fall to the ground, when letters are written with 

 "an iron style on palmira leaves: the manner of 

 " writing in use among these people. Now thirty- 

 " six of the first species of atoms make one of the 

 " second, thirty-six of the second one of the third, 

 " and so forth. Seven of the fifth or last species are 

 " equal in size to a louse of the human head, seven 

 " lice are equal to one grain of rice, seven grains of 

 • " rice are equal to one inch, twelve inches to one 

 " palm, two palms to one cubit, seven cubits to 

 " one ta, twenty ta to one usaba^ eigiit usaha to 

 " owe gaunt, Your gaunt to onQJuzana. Thejuzana 

 " contains six Burma leagues, and fovir r a toe n. The 



L 4< " four 



