200 Journal of a Tour through the Island of Rambree. [Aprii., 



rally admitted that the town has increased in size (though perhaps 

 not in wealth) since it fell into the hands of the British ; but this 

 augmentation has been slow, and by no means equal to the expectations 

 that might have been indulged on the change of rule. It would be 

 foreign to the purpose of this brief sketch of Rambree to enter into 

 a detail of those causes that seem to obstruct the accumulation of 

 capital ; but this much may be said, that the multiplication of taxes, 

 by the intricate division of trades, and the vexatious nature of many 

 of these taxes, is one grand check to the industry of the population ; 

 and from thence it is easy to deduce its consequences, as they may 

 affect the revenue, or the morals of the people. 



The whole of those improvements which have been made in the 

 town of late years, and contribute so much to the comfort and conve- 

 nience of the inhabitants, it owes to the taste and liberality of the 

 magistrate* (now residing there), who has devoted large sums of mo- 

 ney from his private purse towards the erection of bridges, market 

 stalls, and other public buildings. 



Noticing each class under a separate head, with the distinction of 

 sexes, the number of souls residing in Rambree town will be as much 

 as follows : 





Adult males. 



Adult females. 



Boys. 



Girls. 



Total of each. 





1549 

 554 



407 



1637 



473 

 383 



1393 

 359 

 324 



1224 

 375 

 323 



5803 





1761 

 1137 



Grand total of souls, 



9001 



In addition to the above there are a few Musalmans and Hindus ; 

 but their number is comparatively small, and their residence in the 

 town (especially of the latter), attended with so much uncertainty, that 

 I have not thought it necessary to include them in the census. The 

 Musalmans were either (originally) adventurers from Cathai and Ava, or 

 owe their extraction to the Musalmans of Bengal, who fell into the hands 

 of the Rukkhein marauders in earlier times, and were taken prisoners 

 during the wars of the Rukkhein preh\ Rajas with the Nawabs of 



* Captain Williams, 45th Regt. B. N. I. 



f Arracan, known in past times as Rekhd-pura ; and so called from its having 

 been the abode of the " Rakkhus ," a fabulous monster, said to devour the inha- 

 bitants. The scene of this monster's alleged depredations seems to have been in 

 the neighbourhood of what is now termed the " Fort of Arracan!" {Mrou- 

 u-mu, built by Raja Choumoeng, in the year of Gautama. 1150, and in 

 the common era 792, or A. D. 1430.) Ou the extirpation of this monster, Ar- 

 racan was termed " Rukkhein-preh" or ' " Rukkhein-tding ," the couutry of the 

 Rukkheins ; an appellation equally common to the natives of Arracan with that 

 of Mugh, or Mogh : the Burmuhs substituting the letter F, fori?, call them 

 " rukkhein." 



