LITERATURE OF THE BURMAS. 225 



*' tionedas a part of the one hundred and one, except 

 *' the Chinefe, Siamefe, and the inhabitants of Tavay^ 

 *' Pegu^ Laos, CuJ/ay, and Arakan." 



Thus SangermaiNo prefaces his account of the 

 Burma geography : but I think fome farther expla- 

 nation nece{fary. The reader will foon perceive, that 

 the miffionary is entirely right with regard to the im- 

 perfect and abfurd nature of the Burma topography 

 of Zabudiba, of which the accounts feem evidently to 

 have been introduced from Hmdujlan, along with the 

 religion and laws ofBouDDHA, and of Menu: but 

 I doubt not, that fome parts of thefe accounts are 

 derived from an obfervation of nature. I am alfo in- 

 clined to think, that he is rather fevere on the know- 

 ledge which the Burmas poflefs of the geography of 

 at leaft their neighbourhood. I found many of the 

 Burmas who were very intelligent, and well informed, 

 concerning the fituation of the different parts of their 

 extenfive empire; who were not at all deficient in a 

 knowledge of the neighbouring fla:es; and who were 

 very curious to know the fituation of thofe at a greater 

 diftance. They at once comprehended the nature of 

 our maps; and fome of them could make delineations 

 of their own country, which, with a confiderable de- 

 gree of neatnefs, were fuificient to give a tolerable 

 idea of the courfe of rivers and mountains, and of the 

 fituation of towns, lakes, and provinces. I was in- 

 formed, that, in the hall of the grand council in the 

 palace of Amrapitra, the king keeps a general map of 

 his dominions, which has been corre6ted by com- 

 paring it with the various expeditions which the prc- 

 fent royal family have undertaken, and with the lifts 

 of cities and villages, which the governors of pro- 

 vinces are annually obliged to tranfmit to court: and 

 in thefe lifts is given an accurate account, or one pre- 

 tended to be fo, of all the houfes and male inhabitants; 

 in each diftrift. Merchants and travellers put down iu 

 their books the names of all the places on fuch route.^ 

 as they frequent, with their eftimated diftances : fome 

 fuch itineraries, and many of their delineations, I 

 VOL, VI. O bave 



