30O on" the religion and 



the palace. It was conftrufted of paper and bam^ 

 boos, and agreed very well with the account given by 

 the miflionary Sangermano. 



During the principal days and nights of thefe 

 fcHivals, there is an almoft conftant fucceflion of 

 wreftling, dancing, mufic, proceffions, fireworks, and 

 theatrical entertainments : but of thefe, it is not at 

 prefent my intention to give a defcription. 



To finifh what I have to fay on the religion of 

 GoDAMA, it would appear by all the accounts given 

 nie, that the Burmas received their laws, religion, and 

 government, from the people of Arakan, a people 

 fpeaking the fame language with themfelves, and from 

 thefe circumftances often called Myamma-gye, or great 

 Burmas. This happened about 600 years ago : but 

 the people of Pegue and Arakan, had received the 

 fame gifts from Ceylon a confiderable time ''earlier. 

 Previous to this, the Burma empire had probably 

 been occupied by tribes in a ftate of civilization 

 fiirtilar to that of the Karayn^ Kiay?i, Lowa, and 

 other fimple nations, who now inhabit the wilder 

 parts of India beyond the Ganges. Whether or not 

 this knowledge, derived from Ceylon, has been of 

 ufe to thefe eaftern nations, cannot eafily be de- 

 termined. Thefe fimple tribes have perhaps more 

 Ikill in agriculture, and more induftry than the Bur- 

 mas; they have art enough to manufa6lure comfort- 

 able, and even handfome cloathing: they are a peace- 

 able people, little inclined to war: among themfelves 

 they retain that civil liberty, which moft tribes in a 

 iimilar {late enjoy ; and it is univerfally agreed, that 

 their morals are extremely good: but then they have 

 no laws; are ignorant of even the art of reading; 

 and their religious notions are fo crude, that although 

 they believe in a future ftate, yet they are ignorant of 

 its being a ftate of reward or puniftiment. 



Tho«e of the Chinefe, who have adopted the re- 

 ligion of Shaka, have probably obtained it from 



Hmdujlan^ 



