1835.] Island of Rambree on the Arracan Coast. 33 



silver leaf, and this is placed upon a lofty car that had been construct- 

 ed for the purpose. The inhabitants of the neighbouring villages flock 

 to the spot, and ropes having been fixed to the fore and hinder parts 

 of the car, a contention arises among tbe villagers for the remains of 

 the Phoongree. One party pulls against the other, and those that are 

 successful claim the honor of finishing the ceremonies. This is done 

 by a grand display of fireworks, the greater part of which are skilfully 

 directed at the car, which is at length set on fire and the body is con- 

 sumed*. Should the deceased Phoongree have maintained a character 

 for peculiar sanctity, a part of his remains is not unfrequently pre- 

 served from the flames and retained as valuable relics. The influence 

 of superstition has attached much value to such remains, and in ad- 

 dition to the worth they may be supposed to possess from the religious 

 character of the departed priest, they are held by the more ignorant to be 

 a common ingredient in those charms that are in use with the wizard. 



The Mughs hold the practice of burning the dead to be more ho- 

 nourable than that of committing the body to the earth or the sea, pro- 

 bably from its being attended with greater expense and publicity. 

 Funerals are, however, conducted in either way, according to the means 

 of the relations, or other circumstances favouring the adoption of one 

 particular practice. The spot on which a funeral pile had been 

 raised is not unfrequently marked by a cenotaph, a garden, a clump 

 of trees, or such other monument of affection as the condition 

 of the parties will enable them to place over the ashes of a departed 

 relative. In some cases, the funeral rites are followed with donations 

 of food and clothing to the priests, and a further evidence of piety is 

 evinced in the adoption of some young man who shall express his readi- 

 ness to embrace the profession of a Phoongree. 



January 14. — I had slept at the thannah on the night of the 13th, 

 and was up at an early hour on the following morning with the inten- 

 tion of moving on to Oogah. The distance from Khyouk Phyoo to 

 Kyouprath is at least sixteen miles ; from that to Ladong is said to be 

 as much as twenty ; so that I had travelled 36 miles in the two days. 

 Oogah was distant 12 miles from Ladong, and as the route lay over a 

 level country I was not detained very long upon the road. The villa- 

 ges in Ladong are remarkably large, and have a cheerful, comfortable 

 appearance. The whole face of the district, with the exception of the 

 narrow belts of Girjun trees and underwood before mentioned, is un- 

 der cultivation ; and but for the costume and features of the inhabitants 

 as well as the peculiar construction of the houses, I could have fancied 



* See a full account of the same ceremony by the late Rev. Dr. Carey, As. 

 Res. xii. 389.— Ed. 

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