1841.] Account of Arakan. 691 



collections. The appointment is usually held by the son or some 

 relation of the rawa-goung. His duties are to prepare, under the 

 orders of the goung, the village sa-rang or register, containing the 

 name of each householder in the village, with the amount of tax de- 

 mandable from him upon each item. 



There are no agents of police in the villages ; the village officers 

 being held responsible for the preservation of order and the seizure 

 of criminals. 



Throughout the district there are six police stations, (thanahs,) 

 at which the police ordinarily remain, until information being given 

 by a village officer or other person, of any occurrence requiring their 

 presence, they proceed to the spot. Nearly all communication in 

 the district is carried on by water. 



The European functionary in charge of the district is styled a Senior 

 Assistant to the Commissioner of Arakan^ (by the people mi/o-woon.) 

 His duties are of the same nature as those of a Magistrate and 

 Collector in India ; he also tries civil suits, and hears appeals from the 

 native Judge's court. There is also a Junior Assistant to the Com- 

 missioner. To conduct all revenue affairs, there is an officer styled 

 myo-ihoo-gyee, whose office under the Arakan and Burman govern- 

 ments was considered the most important in the country ; he then 

 apportioned to each circle the amount of revenue demanded by the 

 government ; his duty now is under the orders of the Senior Assistant, 

 to superintend all the kywn-aops, and to inspect and report on the 

 annual registers of their circles ; the office still carries with it a great 

 deal of importance in the minds of the people. This officer is paid a 

 fixed salary, and resides at the chief town of the district. The revenue 

 business is conducted solely by natives of the country, and the 

 language of the records is Burmese. The judicial officers of the 

 Magistrate's court are Bengalees, chiefly natives of Chittagong, it not 

 having yet been found practicable to introduce the Arakanese into 

 this branch of the public service. They are however active and ener- 

 getic police darogahs. 



There is a native civil judge styled ta-ra-ma-thoo-gyee, who tries 

 all suits for sums not exceeding 500 rupees. Few cases in Arakan are 

 for a larger amount than this. The language of the Civil Judge's court 

 is Burmese. He holds his court at Akyab, 



