LITERATURE OF THE BURMAS. 193" 



*' inclines to the fouth. The feafon is then hot, be- 

 " caufe of the prev^alence of the fun's rays, which are 

 " by nature hot. On the contrary, from the autum- 

 " nal equinox to the vernal, the fun inclining to the 

 " fouth, and the moon to the north, we experience' 

 " cold, from the predominancy of the moon's rays, 

 " which are by nature cold. 



" For the production of rain, feven caufes are 

 *' chiefly afligned; part of which are phyfical, and 

 " part moral, ift, The power iViZ^(2, or of ferpents, 

 " a kind of Nat*. 2d, The power Galoun, or of 

 " certain large birds, which alfo are a kind of Natf, 

 " 3d, The power Sijfa, or fidelity in contra6ls and 

 " promifes. 4th, The power Sila, or obedience to 

 " the law. 5th, The power of religious men t. 6th, 

 " The condenfation of the clouds. 7th, A certain 

 '• kind of Nat, who prefide over fhowers, and who 

 " occafion rain, whenever they go out from their 

 " houfes to fport in the air. In fome of the Burma 

 " writings it is faid, that when the fun is in the path 

 " of the goat, thefe Nat do not chufe to leave their 

 " houfes on account of the great heat, whence there 

 " is then no rain. For this reafon, the inhabitants of 

 " the Burma empire, in times of drought, are wont 

 " to aO'emble in great numbers, with drums and a 

 '• long cable. Dividing themfelves into two parties, 

 " with a vail fliouting and noife, they drag the cable 

 " contrary ways, the one party endeavouring to get 

 " the better of the other: and they think, by this 



VOL. VI. O means, 



* Page 1 88 of this Volume. + Ibid. J A certain Burma king, who 

 refidcd at Arammattana or Pougan, is faid to have been fo virtuous, that hie 

 could caufe rain whenever he plcafed : and that in fuch quantities, as to 

 enable him to tranfport his fleet wherever his occaRons required. This ftory 

 was gravely told us at that city, and was faid to be authenticated in the beft 

 hiflones of the Aramviattana race of princes. This fame king was fuch a 

 favourite with Godama, that twice during his reign gold fell from the 

 heavens, and covered all the fteriie plain of Pougaji. From the immenfe 

 number of temples and religious buildings on that plain, there is no doubt, 

 but that fome king of Arammattana mM^hd.^^ been very fuperftitious : and 

 we may fuppofe, that the hiilory of his rcvgn was written hy- t^le clftigy, . 

 who feldom fail to give a good report of theit benefactors, •■'• 



