LITERATURE OF THE BURMAS. 169 



jbose almanacs, of which I brought several from 

 Amarapura. Before an audience is given on so- 

 lemn occasions, they perform incantations under 

 the throne of the king, or of great men : they are 

 consulted on all matters of importance, to deter- 

 mine the fortunate hour or season in which these 

 ought to be undertaken : they bestow on their pro- 

 tectors, amulets, charms, and the like. By such 

 means the Bralimctis have rendered them.selves of 

 great importance in the Burma empire, and have 

 procured many privileges, confirmed even by the 

 written law of the kino'dom. Their beino- mention- 

 ed in the Damathat, or code of laws commonly at- 

 tributed to Menu, by no means however appears to 

 me a clear proof that the Bra lime ns wTre introduced 

 into the Burma kingdom as early as that code : for 

 we are told in the preface, that although all the 

 laws are commonly attributed to Menu, yet that 

 many alterations and additions have been made by 

 diiferent princes according to the exigencies of the 

 times. For this and other reasons I am inclined to 

 think that the introduction of the BraJuncns into 

 the Burma kingdom is a very recent event. I spoke 

 with none of them ^^ ho had not himself come from 

 Cussay or Arakan, or who was not the first m de- 

 scent from such as liad come from those countries: 

 and they all either were, or affected to be, very ig- 

 norant of the country. Besides, these laws of jMkn w 

 were introduced from Ceylon, a counti-y of which 

 the indigenous inhabitants never have adopted the 

 ):eligion of the Brahmtns. 



The Burmas, in wliatever manner they may have 

 obtained it, have the knowledge of a solar year, 

 consisting of 365 days, and commencing on the 

 loth of April. Like most nations they also use a 

 week of seven days, named after the planets, 

 Sunday Ta-nayn-ga-nue, Alonday I'a-nayn-la, Tues- 

 day Ayn-ga, Wednesday Boud-dha-ha, Thursday 

 liia-sa-ba-day Friday Thouh-kla, Saturday Tha-na. 



The 



