1839.] on the Tenasserim Provinces, 8$c. 999 



Love of children. — One of the chief virtues of the Burmese is 

 the love of their children, so long as they are young and helpless. 

 This characteristic they have in common with all nations who live in 

 a state of nature, the social connection between child and parent being 

 the first and strongest. Burmese parents are in a state of distraction 

 when any accident happens to their progeny ; and the death of the 

 child is often considered an irreparable calamity. Great numbers of 

 children cannot be a burden in a country which is highly productive, 

 thinly peopled, and enjoying security of life and property. A childless 

 age is considered one of the greatest punishments imaginable. It will 

 easily be perceived, that under such circumstances infanticides are en- 

 tirely unknown. It does not seem here to be the case, that the love 

 of the child holds equal pace with that of the parents. 



Love of parents. — The facility of gaining independence, and the state 

 of almost unbounded liberty in which the children roam about from 

 their first infancy, loosen very much the ties of filial duty ; there are 

 however, but few instances of direct ingratitude on record ; numerous 

 cases however are known, where a son has taken voluntarily a debt of 

 his father upon himself, and become a debtor servant for 7 to 10 years, 

 to deliver his father from ignominy and prison. 



Marriage. — Marriage is entirely a civil act amongst the Burmese, 

 and considered as binding only so long as both parties find it con- 

 venient. Separation is of daily occurrence, and no public blame is 

 attached to it. Such union cannot be supposed to possess moralities. Na- 

 tural fidelity is therefore not absolutely required, and adultery is the 

 more frequent, as there is no public ignominy attached. So an adult- 

 ress ; a women lives in illicit intercourse with the consent of her hus- 

 band, and when separated can form again a new union without preju- 

 dice to her, and without her new husband troubling himself about her 

 past conduct. The seduction of unmarried girls is rather a rare case, 

 almost impossible ; because a girl attaining the age of puberty is as soon 

 as possible disposed of by her parents. The infidelity of the wife here 

 forms a striking contrast to the rigorous jealousy with which females 

 are guarded in all Mussulman and Hindoo countries; it is not only met 

 with in Burmah, but equally in Siam, Cambogia, and Cochin-China. 

 The natives of these countries all professing Buddhism, it seems to 

 have its source in religion, much more as the Kareans, who have no 

 positive mode of worship, are in this respect much more strict than their 

 Buddhist brethren. 



Polygamy. — Polygamy is allowed in Buddhistic countries, and the 

 number of wives is (as wherever polygamy is introduced) in propor- 



