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ting.pot and drinking cup are made, fpccify and dillingunh 

 the levcral gradations of focicty ; and a pcrfon who allumes 

 the infignia of a degree, which is not his legitimate right, is 

 fiibjcd to certain penalties. The court drefs of the Birman 

 nobility confiib of a long robe, of flowered i.itin or velvet, 

 reaching to the ancles, with an open collar ai.d loofe fleeves ; 

 over this hangs from the lliouldersa fcarf, or flowing mantle ; 

 and on the luad is worn a high cap of velvet, either plain, or 

 of filk embroidered with flowers of gold, according to the 

 rank of the wearer. Ear-rings are alfo a part of male drefs; 

 perfons of condition ufc tubes of gold about three inches 

 long, and of the thicknefs of a large quill, expanding at the 

 end Hkc the mouth of a fpeaking-trumpet ; otlierj wear a 

 heavy niafs of gold, beaten into a plate, iind rolled up, which 

 form's a large orifice in the lobe of the ear, and by its weij);ht 

 drags it down to the extent fometimes of two inclies. The 

 rank of the females is alfo diftinguifhed by their drcf-:. The 

 hair, which is tied in a bunch at the top of the head, and 

 bound round with a fillet, has its peculiar and dircininiatmg 

 embroidery and ornament?. Over a fhort fnift, which 

 reaches to the pit of the ilomach, and is drawn tight by 

 ftrings, fo as to fupport the breads is a loofe jacket with 

 clofe flecvcs ; and round the waift is rolled a long piece of 

 filk or cloth, reaching to the feet, and fometimes trailing to 

 the ground. Wien women of condition go abroad, they 

 put on a filk falli, refenibling a long drawl, which croiTcS 

 their bofom, and is thrown over the Ihoulders, gracefully 

 flowing on each fide. Won:.-., in full dref^ ftaiii the palms 

 of their hands and their nails o; a red colour, for wiiicli they 

 ufe a vegetable juice, and llrew on their bofoms powder of 

 fandal wood, or of a bark calkJ funneka, with which fome 

 rub their face?. Both men and women tinge the edi^es of 

 their eyelids and tlitir teeth with black. Men of rank wear, 

 in common drefs, a tight coat with long fleeves, made of 

 muflin or of very fine nankeen, which is manufachired in the 

 country-; alfo a filk wrapper that encircles the waiil ; but 

 the working clafs are naked to the middle, except that in 

 the cold feafon they life a mantle or veil of European broad 

 cloth, which is highly prized. 



With rer;aiJ to rdi^hm, the BiiTtians are Hindi^os, not as 

 votaries of Bi-alima, but fedtaries of Boodh ; which fee. The 

 latter contend with the former for the hononr of antiquity, 

 and are ur.doubtedlv far more numerouf. The Ciiigleze in 

 Ceylon are Boodhiiks of the purer cLifs ; and the Birmans 

 acknowledge that they oritjinally received their religion from 

 that iOand, which they call " Zthoo." It was brought, fay 

 the Rhahaans, firft from Zehoo to Arracan about 6co years 

 ajTo, and thence was introduced into Ava, and probably into 

 China ; for the Birmans confidently affirt, that the Chinefc are 

 lioodhirts. Howtver this be, it is allowed, that the bonzes 

 of China, like the Rhahaans of Ava, wear yellow as the 

 facerdotal colour, and tliat in many of their cuftoms and 

 ceremonies we may trace a very llriking fimilitude. What- 

 ever may be the antiquity of the worihip of Boodh, the ^^ide 

 extent of its reception is unqueilionablc. The Birmans be- 

 lieve in the metempfychofis, and that, after having under- 

 gone a certain number of tranfiiigrations, their fouls will at 

 laft be received into their paradife on tiie mountain of Meru, 

 which is the celelhal north pole of the Hindoo?, round 

 which they place the garden of Indra, and which they de- 

 fcribeas the feat of delights. The Birmans regard mercy 

 as the chief attribute of the deity ; and they worihip God by 

 extending mercy to all his creatures. Of the religious 

 buildings appropriate to the Birman worfliip, the temple of 

 Shoedagon, or Dagoung, near Rangoon, that of ,Shoc- 

 madoo at Pegu, and that of Syriam, are the mod confider- 

 able. (See Rakooon, Pegu, and SvRiAM.) Their pricds 

 are denominated Rhahaans ; and they have numerous kioums 



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or convents which differ in their (Impure from common 

 houfes, and much refcmble the architefture of the Chinefe. 

 Tiiey arc made entirely of wood ; the roof is compofed of 

 diflferciit ilages, fupported i)y ftroiig pillars ; the infide com- 

 preiiends one large hall ; tl'ie whole houfe is open at the 

 fides; fome of them are curioufiy carved with various fym- 

 bolic reprefentations of the divinity. They have no apart- 

 ments for the private recreation of the Rhahaans ; publicity 

 being the prevailing fyflem of the conduft of the Birmaiif, 

 who admit of no fccrets either in church or ftate. The 

 convents in the neig'.ibouriiood of P>^angoon are very nume- 

 rous ; and hence it appears that the number of Rhahaans, 

 and of Phonghis, prielU of an inferior order, vulgariy called 

 Tallapoinr, mutt be very confiderable, amounting to 1500. 

 I.ikc the Carmelites, they go barefooted, and have theu- 

 heads (haven, on which they never wear any covering. The 

 only colour of the garments worn by the prielUiood is 

 yellow ; the greatcft. part of their bodies is covered with 

 a long loofe cloke, that is wrapped round them ; they pro- 

 fefs celibacy, and abiUncncc from every fenfual gratification. 

 The prefcribed punilliment for a Rhahaan d^tecled in an aft 

 of incontinence, is expulfion and public difgrace. The de- 

 linquent is f'tated on an afs, and his face is daubed with 

 black paint interfperfed with fpots of white ; and he is thus 

 led through the fireets, with a drum beating before him, and 

 afterwards turned out of the city. But fuch inftances of 

 degradation rarely occur. The juniors are reftrifted from wan- 

 dering about licentioufly, either by day or night ; nor can any 

 TO abroad without permiffion from the prior of the convent. 

 The Rhahaans never perform any of the common funftions 

 of life, which would tend to divert them from the abllraft 

 contemplation of the divine effence. They perambulate the 

 town at the dawn of the morn iu order to colleft fupplics 

 for the day ; and thefe uiually confill of boiled rice mixed 

 with oil, dried and pickled fidi, fvveetmcats, fruit, &c. In 

 their walks they never raife their eyes from the ground, nor 

 do they even ftop to folicit donations, and feldom even look 

 at their benefactors, wlio are more detirous to beftow than 

 they are to receive. The Rhahaans eat only once a day, 

 at the hour of noon ; and their fuperfluous provifions they 

 dillribule among the indigent ilrangers, or the poor fcliolars, 

 who daily attend them to be inllrutted in letters, and taught 

 their religious and moral duties. The Rhahaans are never 

 known to take any public and aftive^part in politics or in war ; 

 and as the Birmans and Peguers profefs tlie fame religion, 

 the conquerors, whoever they were, equally refpedled the 

 minifters of tlieir faith. The head of the Rhahaans at Ran- 

 goon, or the " Seredaw," lives in a handfome monaflery 

 about half a mile from the town ; and values himfelf very 

 much on the faceidolal titles, conferred on Jiim by the pre- 

 fent and late king, and which he ofleutatioufly difplays 

 engraven on iron plates. There were formerly nunneries 

 of virgin priefteOTes, who, like the Rhahaans, wore yellow 

 garments, cut off their hair, and devoted themfelves to 

 chaftity and rehgion ; but thefe focieties have been long 

 fince abolifiied, as being injurious to the population of the ftate. 

 The laius of the Birmans are infeparable from their reh- 

 gion ; and, like the htter, of Hindoo extraftion. They 

 profels to have derived them from Menu, the grandfon of 

 Bramah, the tirll of created kings, who received the facred 

 principles on which they are founded by divine revelation, 

 and who promulgated the code. Numerous commentaries 

 on Menu were compofed by the Munis, or old philofophers, 

 whofe trearifes conditute the " Dherma Saftra," or body of 

 law. The code of Gentoo laws, tranflated by Mr. Halhed, 

 is faid to be a compilation from tiie different commentaries 

 on Mcuu. Thefe laws, as well as the religion of the Bir- 

 mans, found their v/ay into the Ava country from Arracan, 



and 



