1844.] On the History of Arakan. 27 



therefore it will be called Badda-kap-kam-bha* Those great Byahmas 

 having enlightened the four great islands, by the brightness of their bo- 

 dies, and having eaten of the crust of the earth, t returned to their own 

 celestial abodes. Some of these Byahmas having thereby mysterious- 

 ly passed to another state of existence, could not return ; they became 

 new beings, and nine were allotted to each of the four great islands. 

 Then eating of the fruits of the earth, they became subject to lust, 

 guilt, ignorance and passion ; from them five females were first formed, 

 and afterwards four males. Thus were the four classes of men J esta- 

 blished, and gradually spread abroad ; these (four pair) separating in- 

 to families, one woman remained ; she was intended to be concubine 

 to the king." 



The history next proceeds to relate, that men multiplied, and wicked- 

 ness increased in the world ; at length appeared the embryo of Kauk-ku- 

 than, the first Budh of the present period ; he reigned in Ba-ra-na- 

 thi under the name of Maha-tha-ma-da, the first of the many who 

 bore that title ; his descendants were in process of time called Brah- 

 man kings. In their time, many of the sacred books were revealed, and 

 all earthly objects received their names. The length of man's life was 

 ninety millions of years. 



A king of this race named Wa-ya-adz-dzyau-ya had sixteen sons ; 

 the world was divided amongst them, and the city of Ram-ma-wa-ti, 

 built by Nats, near the present town of Than-dwai (Sandoway,) fell to 

 the share of the eldest, named Tkamu-ti-de-wa. His descendants 

 reigned in Ram-ma-wa-ti. In their time, several sorts of grain were 

 given to man ; weights and measures were first used, and men were 

 taught various useful arts. Some kings of this race are represented 

 as being of Brahmanical, and some of Budhist, faith. Ra-ma-wa-ti 

 was subject to the kingdon of Ba-ra-na-thi. 



Many ages after, when the Budh Kau-ku-than had passed away, 

 a king named Tsek-kyarwa-de reigned in Bara-na-ti. He was the 



* Bad-da-kap-kam-bha, a grand period of time distinguished by five Budhs in 

 succession. (Judson.) 



t The former world had been destroyed by fire, which had finally been extinguish- 

 ed by water, the drying process had caused a clayey crust to form on the surface, des- 

 cribed as being of a delicious flavour. 



X These consist of, 1. Kings, in Pali Khat-ti-ya; 2. Brahma-na; 3. Merchants, 

 Wethi-ya ; 4. The people at large, Thud-da. This classification has never actually 

 existed in Arakan. 



