430 Report on the Island of Chedooba. [No. 114. 



meal of some delicious oysters all alive. When on board the * Childers? 

 he reconciled his conscience to the indulgence of eating salt pork with 

 the reflexion, that as it had been killed so long, and so far off, it was 

 impossible it could have been killed for him. 



The observance of this prohibition is the only one generally practised 

 in the Island, and that more through habit, than with a sense of 

 its religious necessity. In short, their religion sits but lightly on them, 

 maintaining its supremacy more because it is unopposed by any other, 

 than from any attachment of the people to its precepts or practice, and 

 when discussing, and ridiculing its absurdities, as brought forward by 

 our friend its advocate, the laugh and joke was fully participated in by 

 all the hearers, who appeared much to enjoy and even promote such a 

 scene. 



All the Pagodas are in a state of ruin or decay, or rapidly approaching to 

 it, and broken fragments of the image of Gaudma lie strewn about, with- 

 out any one attempting the restoration of him or his temple. The old 

 Christian before mentioned, had taken forth his god years ago, and both 

 broken, and deserted him on the high road side, where his remains were 

 pointed out to us without either mark or expression as to any impro- 

 priety in such conduct, but contrariwise, the forlorn state of the poor 

 idol excited laughter instead of commiseration. On a remarkable hill 

 in the centre of the Island stands the principal Pagoda in the common 

 ruinous state ; no pious hand, had for many a year attempted to anni- 

 hilate himself by its restoration ; but whether in waggery or not, its 

 chief ornament consisted of a cut glass decanter, turned bottom up, on 

 a bamboo stuck into its pinnacle, and excited the laughter of our native 

 party, as much as our own. 



The Mugs are superstitious, and though by no means more deficient 

 in personal courage than their Burmah neighbours, yet exhibit in some 

 points a weakness, which might cause a doubt on this point. No Mug 

 will travel alone in the dark, nor even on moonlight nights, for fear of 

 evil spirits or Naths ; but when together ' three Mugs will face the 

 devil.* Nothing but positive order and accompaniment by us would 

 induce them to trespass on many of the hill tops, which were inhabited, 

 they said, by these demons, but with us not only would they advance 

 fearlessly, but did not hesitate to fell the trees, though the blame of such 

 sacrilege was always laid on us, in direct apostrophe to the supposed 

 injured inhabitants. On felling any very large tree one of the party at 

 work on it, was always ready prepared with a green sprig, which he ran 

 and placed in the centre of the stump, the instant the tree fell, as a 



