cc 



212 ON THE RELIGION AND 



'• felf for them between the feet of Mienmo; arid this 

 " habitation is called AJfura bon^ which in every thing, 

 " except its facred tree, refembles that called Tavatein- 

 " za*. In AJfura hon there is alfo a tree, under which 

 " there are four immenfe ftones, each of them 300 /«- 

 *' zana fquare. On thefe rocks fit the four AJfura 

 *' princes, when they determine fuits, and adminifter 

 " juftice to their fubjefts. Among thefe princes, in 

 " the length of time, one has obtained fupreme domi- 

 " nion, and has become emperor of all the Nat dwell- 

 " ing in this habitation t. 



" Besides this injury, the AJfura have received an- 

 *' other from the new inhabitants of T<2z;^^em2;^: for 

 " the great emperor ravifhed a daughter of the AJfura 

 prince. Mindful of thefe injuries, the AJfura Nat 

 vowed perpetual war againft the inhabitants of Ta- 

 " vateinza. When they ufed to fee their facred tree 

 *' producing flowers different from thofe of their for- 

 " mer abode, breathing revenge, they were wont to af- 

 " cend Mienmo, and to take prifoners the giants, dra- 

 " gons, vultures, and other fimilar A^^^, retained by the 

 " Tavateinza emperor as a guard for his frontiers. On 

 *' the report of this, the emperor mounting his elephant 

 " 1^0 juzana high, ufed to call to hisaffiftance the Nat 

 " of the fun, moon, and ftars, and thofe of the winds 

 " and clouds. He then created new forms o^ Nat, and 

 '' of thefe raifed an army without the walls of the great 

 " city. But the AJfura prevailing, forced him to retire 

 " within the walls. The rage of the AJJura was then 

 " wont to abate; and the emperor having collected his 

 " forces, ufed to drive them from his walls, and to pur- 



fue 



* We have here the moll abominahle cunning of Godama related as a 

 laudable acuon : for, as I obftrved before, among his followers, cunning is 

 looked upon as a virtue. (Page 185). 



+ The Burma monarchs, in their cities, courts, and manners, imitate as 

 much as polTible, thofe defcrlbed as belonging to the Nat princes ; and of 

 courfe rn ill greatly refemblc the ancient princes of weflern Indiax from 

 v\hom uijdoubiedly thefe defcriptions have been bonov.ed ; and probably as 

 mnch refemble the originals, as the defcription in the Arabian Nights Knier- 

 tauimcnti do the courts of Mohamcdan kings. 



