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tory, and commercial connexions with BritilTi Tndiai rendered 

 a liberal intercourfe with tliem hiirhly defirable.-- The trade 

 between Calcutta, Madras, and Rangoon, the principal Bir- 

 man port, had of late years io rapidly increafed, as to become 

 an objctl of national importance ; more particularly on ac- 

 count of the teak timber, tlie produce of Ava and Pegii» 

 whence t^rdcittta aiul Madras draw all tlieir fupplies of wood 

 for lliip b'ji! iiug arui for various other purpofes. A com- 

 merce in iviie article lo effential, and on a general fcale fo ex- 

 txiifive as to r«i}uire an annual return of Indian commodities 

 to the amount of 20Ci,oool„ was an objeCl well worth culti- 

 vating'. With this view fir John Shore (now lord Tcign- 

 mouth) thought proper, in 1 795, to fend a formal deputation 

 to the Birman court. The particulars of this e.mbaffy are 

 dcfcribcd by Col. Symes, with whom the conduft of it was 

 entruiled. " The Birmanj," favs this writer " under their 

 prclent monarch, are certair.ly riling fail in the fcale of 

 oriental nations ; and it ie to be hoped, that a long refpite 

 from foreign wars will give them leifjire to improve their 

 natural advantage;. Knowledge increafes with commerce ; 

 and as they are not (liackled by any prejudices of cafts, re- 

 ftricled to liercditary occupations, or forbidden from partici- 

 pating with llrangers in every fecial bond, their advancement 

 will, in ail probability, be rapid. At preftnt, fo far from 

 being in a Hate of intellectual darknefs, althovigli they have 

 not explored the deptlis of fcience, nor reached to excellence 

 in the finer arts, they yet have an undeniable claim to the 

 character of a civililtd and well indructed people. Their 

 laws are wife, and pregnant with found morality ; their po- 

 lice is better regulated than in moll European countries ; 

 their natural dllpolition is friendly and hofpitable to 

 llrangers ; and their manners ratiier exprcllive ot manly 

 candour, than courteous diffimulation : the gradations of 

 rank, and the relpedl due to ftation, are maintained with a 

 fcrupulofity which never relaxes. A knowledge of letters is 

 fo widely diffufed that there are no mechanics, few of tike 

 peafantry, or even the common watennen (ufually tlK' moil 

 illiterate clafs), who cannot read ar.d wilte in the vulgar 

 tongue. Few, however, are verfcd in the more erudite 

 volumes of fcience, which, containing many Shanfcrit terms, 

 and often- written in the Pali text, are (like the Hindoo 

 ShalVers) above the comprehenfion of the multitude ; but 

 the feudal lyilrm, which cherilhes ignorance, and renders 

 man the property of man, (liU operates as a check to civi- 

 ligation and improvement. This is a bar which gradually 

 weakens, as tluir acquaintance with the culloms and rean- 

 ners of other natio;is extends: and unlefe the rage of civil 

 difcord be again excited, or fome foreign power impofe an 

 alien yoke, the Birnians bid fair to be a profperous, wealthy, 

 and enlightened people," 



Theprefent capital of the Birmaniempire is Ummcrapoora, 

 and one of its chief ports is Rangoon ; wliich fee rdpec- 

 tively. Its other prmeipal towns will occur rn the courfe 

 of this work. See Arraean, Ava, Chagaing, Martaban, 

 Mcrghi, Monchaboo, Mimnipoora, Pagahm, Pegu, Per- 

 faim, Prome, Syriam, Tcnallerem, Tavoy, i:c. The chief 

 ravers of this country are Iriawaddy, or the river of Ava 

 (fee Ava), whofe numerous mouths and dreams very amply 

 provide the means of inland navigation, Ktenduem, Maygue, 

 Pitang, and Thaluan. Its lakes are numerous ; among 

 which one of the principal is Tounzamahn. The higheit 

 range of mountains is probably that which lies on the fron- 

 tiers of Thibet. The other ranges pafs north and fouth, 

 except a fmall range running eaft and Weil, which fup- 

 plies the fourccs of the river of Pegu ; but their names 

 :ire not known, except that of Anoupec, between Ava and 

 Arraean. The foreils are large and numerous : and fupply 

 almoft every defcription of timber that is known in liin- 



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doftan ; and about four diys' journey to the north of th« 

 capital firs grow in abundance ; but the principal tree qf 

 thefe forefts is t!ie teak, which llouriflics in many parts of 

 the empire, to the north as well as to the fouth of the ca- 

 pital. Tilt forefts, as well as the mountains, of the interior, 

 and, in general, of the whole northern frontier, remain un- 

 explored ; and the tigers that infeft lliem, prevent their being 

 particularly examined. 



The prelent fovereign of the Birman empire affnmes the 

 title of '• Boa," or emperor; and though llie form of go- 

 vernmeit be defpotic, ytt he is accullomed to confult a 

 cou';cll of aiieient nobles. There is no country of the eaft 

 in whicli the rjyal ellablifhment is arranged with more mi- 

 nute attention than in the Krman court ; it is fplendid with- 

 out being v/alleful, and numerous wiihout confufion. The 

 qu:;en and princes have the title of " Praw," which is both a 

 fovereign and a facerdotal appellation ; and is frequently 

 tiled by an inferior when addrcffing his fuperior. In the 

 ajjpllcation of tills term, it has been fnggelled, that there is 

 an obvious analogy between the Birmaiis and the ancient 

 Egyptians. " Plira," It is faid, was the proper name under 

 which tlie Egyptians (irll adored the fun, before it received 

 the allegoriea! appellation of Oiiris, and they conferred this 

 title on their kings and on their prlelU-. It has been further 

 CvJiijtcliired, that the title of " Pharaoh," given to fuccef- 

 five kings ot E^ypt, is a corruption of the word " Phraw," or 

 " Praw," in its original fcnfe lignifying the Tin, and applied 

 to the fovereign a'id prleiUiood, as the reprcfentatives on 

 eartli of that fplendid luminary. However this be, '' Praw" 

 id a princely title in the Birman empire The elder fon of 

 the king is denominated " Engy Teekien," or " Engy 

 Pr.ivv," or prince royal ; and as the crown defcends to the 

 male heirs in a diiedl line, the fon takes precedence of his 

 uncles. Next in rank to the princes of the blood royal are 

 the " Woongees," i. e. bearers of the great burthen, who 

 are the chief miniilers of Hate. Their eilahlilhed number is 

 four, and they conftitute the great couiuil of the nation. 

 They lit in the " Lotoo," or imperial hall of confultation, 

 every day, except the Birman fabbath ; they IfTue mandates 

 to the " MaywoonSf" or viceroys of the different provinces ; 

 they control every department of the flate, and govern the 

 empire in fubordination to the king, whofe will is abfolute, 

 and> whole power is undefined. With thefe are afTociated, 

 for the purpofes of deliberation, and of the execution of 

 public bulinefs, four other officers, called " Woondocks," 

 whole authority is very inferior and limited. The views and 

 wiflies ot the Woongees are frequently counteracted by the 

 interference of the four " Attawoous/' or minillers of the 

 interior, who are leleiited bv tJie king to be his privy-coim- 

 fellors, from an opinion of th-.iir talents and uitcgrity, ard 

 who h%\c accefs Ui him at all times,, which is a privilege 

 which even the principal Woongee Joes not. enjoy. There 

 are fe-veral other- fiibordinate ofliccrs, by whom the affairs 

 of government, in its various departments, are tranfailed. 

 T^ncre ave alfo Woons of the queen's houfchold, and of that 

 of the prince-royal ; and each of the junior princes hai a 

 dl(ViHc\ eflablKhment. The Birman government has no 

 hereditary dignities or employments ; for on the dtmife of 

 the poffeffor, all honours and of&ces i-evcrt to the crown. 

 Tlie order of nobility has different degrees,. diilinguifhed by 

 the number of firings, or fmall chains, that compofc the 

 " tfaloe," or chain,, which is the b.^ge ot the order. No 

 ful/icet is ever honoured with a higher degree than 12 ; and 

 the king alone wears 24. Rank among tlie Birmans is indi- 

 cated by every article of uCe and of ornament ; the fliape of 

 the beetle-box, which is carried by an attendant after a ptr- 

 fon of ilillindlion wherever he goes, his ear-rings, cap of cere- 

 mony, liorfe -furniture, asd tvcu the metal of wl;ich his Ipit- 



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