LITERATl'RE OF THE BURMAS. 297 



to BouDDHA, as it is fuppofed to have fpriing from 

 his blood, Avhen once on a time he had cut his foot, 

 by ftriking it againll a (tone. • I believe they have 

 fixed forms of prayer in the Pali language; at leaft I 

 never could underftand one word of their prayers, 

 farther than that they contained many repetitions of 

 the different appellations of the divinity; but that 

 might have been owing to the manner in which they 

 were chaunted. The priefts have no regular dailv 

 fervice like the mafs: but they have certain forms of 

 praver, which they ufe on the dedication of a temple 

 or Kiaung^ or on certain feftivals, on which prefents 

 are offered to them. The Vv^omen alfo, in all their 

 little diftreffes and fears, fuch as in thunder, or in a 

 fquall of wind on the water, invoke the Nat: and 

 they feldom get fruit, but they put it on their heads, 

 turn to the four quarters of the earth, and call on the 

 Nat^ either wifhing for their proteftion, or to fhow, 

 that with thefe amiable beings thev would willingly 

 participate the good things of this life. 



Besides thefe private devotions, it is cuftomary to 

 make offerings at the temple. The king daily fends 

 his offering to a fmall temple, which is Avithin the 

 palace; and many people make occafional offerings, 

 efpecialiy when they, or any of their familv, are in 

 diftrefs. But the common times for making offerings 

 at the temples are the four phafes of the moon, efpe- 

 cialiy the days of full and change, which may be 

 called the Burma, fabbaths. They reckon Friday very 

 unfortunate, and confequently undertake no bufmefs 

 on that day: but they keep holy no day of the week, 

 which with molt nations is probably an rJhonomical 

 divifion of time. While we were at Amarapura, I 

 obferved, that the Burvias, on their fabbaths, fa{ted 

 from fun rife to fun fet; and J was told, that very 

 ft rid people never (lept in their houfcs on the night 

 following thefe holy days: but I have now reafon to 

 believe, that fuch ftrictnefs and fafting are only re-, 

 quired for three months of the year, which are there- 

 ibre a kind of lent. 



Ths 



