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and came oiigiiially from Ceylon about 600 yean ago. The 

 Birman fyfttm of jurifprudence is replete with found mora- 

 lity ; and is dirtinguilhcd above any other Hindoo commentary 

 forperfpicuity and good fcnfe. It provides fpecifically foraU 

 moil every kind of crime that can be committed, and adds 

 an ample chapter of precedents and decifions to guide the 

 inexperienced in cafes of doubt and difficulty. The trial by 

 ordea', however, is diigraceful to this code ; but it prevails 

 in all countries where the Hindoo religion is profeiTed, and 

 is as ancient as their records. An inilance of the exercife of 

 this mode of trial is mentioned by Col. Symes. Two wo- 

 men having litigated a fmati property in a court of juftice ; 

 and the judges finding it difficult to decide the quellion of 

 right, it was agreed to refer the matter to the iffuc of an or- 

 deal. Tlie parties, attended by the officers of the court, 

 the Rliahaans, and a multitude of people, repaired to a tank, 

 or pond. After certain prayers and ceremonials of a puri- 

 fying nature, the two litigants entered the pond and waded 

 in it, till the water reached as high as their brealls ; they 

 were accompanied by two or three men, one of whom placed 

 them clofe to each other, and put a board on their heads, 

 which he preiTed down till they were both immerfcd at the 

 fame inilant. After continuing out of fight for about one 

 minute and a half, one of them, being nearly futfocated, 

 raifed her head, whilit the- other contijiued to fit upon her 

 hams at the bottom, but was immediately lifted up by the 

 man ; after which an officer of the court pronounced judg- 

 ment in her favour, and of the ecfuity of the deciliou rone 

 of the bye-ftanders feemed to entertain the fniallell doubt. 

 This practice, however, and that of imprecation, are now 

 lofing ground, and have of late years been difcountenanced 

 by the judicial courts both of India and Ava. Laws dic- 

 tated by religion are in general confcientioully adminillered. 

 The criminal jurifprudence of the Birmans is lenient in parti- 

 cular cafes, but rigorous in others. "Whoever is found guilty 

 of an undue alTumption of pov.'ei", or of any crime that in- 

 dicates a treafonable i:itent, is puiiifhed by the fevereft tor- 

 tures. The firll comniifilon of theft does not incur the pe- 

 nalty of death, unlefs the amount ftjlen be above 800 kiat, 

 or tackal, i. e. about 100!., or attended with circumilances 

 of atrocity, fuch as murder or mutilation. In the former 

 cafe, the culprit has a round mark imprinted on each cheek 

 by gunpowder and punftuation, and 0.1 his breafl the word 

 thief, with the article llolen ; for the fecond offence he is 

 deprived of an arm ; but the third inevitably produces capi- 

 tal punlfhment. Decapitation is tlie mode by which crimi- 

 nals fuffer, and in the performance of it the Birman execu- 

 tioners are exceedingly fl<ilful. The official hall of juftice, 

 where the members of provincial governments, and all muni- 

 cipal officers, are accullomed to affemble for the tranfa&ion 

 of public bufinefs, in various parts of the Birman empire, is 

 denominated Rhoom. Every man of high rank in the em- 

 pire is a magiilrate, and has a place of this defcription and 

 name contiguous to his dwelling ; but it is always on the 

 outfide of the inclofure of his couit-yard, and not furrounded 

 by any fence or railing, in order to manifeft publicity, and 

 (hew that it is the feat of majefty and juftice, to which all 

 mankind may have free accefs. 



The population of the Birman dominions is not eafily af- 

 certained with accuracy ; but Col. Symes was informed, by 

 a perfon on whofe teftimony he could rely, that the number 

 of cities, towns, and villages in the empire amounts to Hooc, 

 without including the recent addition of Arracan. Suppof- 

 ing, therefore, each town, on an average, to contain 300 

 houfes, and each houfe 6 perfons, the refult will give a po- 

 pulation of 14,400,000. Few of the inhabitants, he fays, 

 live in folitary habitations, but moftly form themfclves into 



Vol. IV. 



B I R 



fmall focietles ; fo that their dwellings thus collefted com^ 

 pofe ttuir Ruas, or villages; and, therefore, he concludes 

 that if their number, including Arracan, be reckoned at 17 

 millions, it will not exceed the truth. 



With regard to the mililary and na-val force of the Bir- 

 mans, we may obf>;rve, that though every man in the king- 

 dom is liable to military fervice, and war is deemed the melt 

 honourable occupation, the regular military cftablifhment is 

 very inconfiderabie. When an army u to be raifed, a man- 

 date iffues from the golden palace to all viceroys of pro- 

 vinces, and miougees of diftridis. requiring a certain number 

 of men at an appointed day ; and the levy is proportioned to 

 the population of the province or diftricl, eftirr.ated by the 

 number of its regiftered houfes. Every two, three, or four 

 houfes are required to furuifli one recruit, or to pay 300 

 tackal, or about .(.ol. or 45I., in money. This rcci.ut is 

 fupphed by government with arms and ammunition, but has 

 no pay. The families of thefe confcripts are retained in the 

 diftricl which they inhabit, as hoftagos for the good con- 

 dud of the foldier ; and in cafe of dLfcrtion, or treachery, 

 his wife, children, or parents are dragged forth to execution; 

 nay, cowardice fubjefts the family of the delinquent to ca- 

 pital punilhm.ent. The infantry and cavalry compofe the 

 regular guards of the king ; the former arc armed with muf- 

 kets and fabres, -:id the latter with a fpear about feven or 

 eight feet long, which they manage on horfcback with great 

 dexterity. The royal magazines are faid to contain 2o,C0O 

 firelocks, which are of a very indifferent kind. The mod 

 refpedlable part of the Birman military force is their efta- 

 bhfhment of wai-boats. The king can command, at a very 

 fhort notice, 500 of thefe veiTels, which are formed out of 

 the folid trunli of the teak tree, excavated partly by tire, 

 and partly by cutting ; the largeil of them are from 80 to 

 100 feet long, and 8 feet broad, and tliey cairy from 50 to 

 60 rowers. The prow is folid, and has a flat furface, on 

 whieh is mounted a piece of ordnance. Each rower is pro- 

 vided with a fword and a lance ; and, befides the boatmen, 

 there are ufually 30 foldiers, wlio are armed with mufkets. 

 The attack of thefe gun-boats is very impetuous ; and thofe 

 who conducl them advance to aftion with a war-fong, by 

 which they regulate the llrokes of their oais, encourage one 

 another, and daunt their adverfaries ; and when they grap- 

 ple, the aftion becomes very fevere, as thefe people poffefs 

 fingular courage, ftrength, a:^d ailivity. As the veffels lie 

 low in the water, their principal danger is that of being run 

 down by a larger boat ftriking on their broadfide. The 

 largcft of thefe war-boats, which are managed with furprif- 

 ing dexterity, both in advancing and retreating, as wtll as 

 in the time of aClion, do not draw m.ore than three feet of 

 water. The proper weapons of the country are the fpear, 

 the javelin which is thrown from the hand, the crofs-bow, 

 and the fabre ; the latter of which is ufed by the Birmans, 

 not only as an implement of war, but for various purpofct 

 of manual labour. 



The revenue of the Birman empire arifes from one-fourth 

 of all produce, and of all foreign goods imported into the 

 country. However, as grants to princes of the blood, great 

 o.'5cers of ftate, and provincial governors, are made in pro- 

 vinces, cities, villages, and farms, the rent of which they 

 colleft for their ov.'u benefit, and money is feldom difburfed 

 from the royal coffers, the Birman fovereign pofTefles im- 

 raenft treafures. 



The climnlc of every part of the Birman empire appears to 

 be dillinguiflred by its falubrity ; and the natives are healthy 

 and vigorous. In this refpeft they poffefs a decided pre- 

 eminence over the enervated natives of the Eafl ; nor are the 

 inhabitants of any country capable of greater bodily exer- 

 3 N tioni 



