2lO ON THE RELIGION AND 



keeper of the tree informs the emperor, who is im- 

 mediately feized with a delire to fee it, and fays, if 

 an elephant would now appear, it would be both a- 

 greeable and convenient. No fooner has he fpokcn, 

 than the elephant appears: for here, as well as in all 

 the other habitations of the Nat^ there are no animals, 

 fuch as in our earth; but whenever any Nat has ufe 

 for an animal, a temporary one is immediately creat- 

 ed. This elephant has thirty-three heads, corref- 

 ponding to the thirty -three Nat princes.- Every head 

 has {twcn teeth, which are hhy juzana in length. In 

 every tooth are feven lakes, in every lake feven 

 flowering trees, on every tree feven flowers, in every 

 flower feven leaves, in every leaf feven thrones, in 

 every throne feven chambers, in every chamber feven 

 beds, in every bed feven Nat dancing girls. The 

 head, on which fits the fupreme emperor, is thirty 

 juzana in bulk ; and is ten times larger than the other 

 heads. On the large head is raifed a pavilion three 

 jiizana high, under which is fixed the ruby throne of 

 the emperor. This elephant, called Eravum, ap- 

 proaches the emperor, and after him the thirty-two 

 princes mount. After the elephant the other Nat 

 follow, each in his couch of ftate. Having come to 

 the facred tree to colleft the flowers, this vail mul- 

 titude difmount; and the emperor being fcated on 

 the ftone, the whole fit down, each in his proper place, 

 and begin to celebrate the feflival, which continues 

 for four months. They then gather the flowers, to 

 do which they have no need to afcend the tree: for 

 the Nat of the winds fhake it, and make the flowers 

 fall; and left the beauty of the flowers fhould be 

 fpoiled, the winds iupport them, nor permit them to 

 touch the ground. The whole bodies of the Nat arc 

 then covered with the odoi-ous duft coming from the 

 ftamens of the flowers. 



" 1'he ftature of theie Nat is three gaut : and the du- 

 ration of their lives four times that of the Nat Zadu- 

 maharUy or thirty-fix millions of cut years. The 



" Nat 



