gy6 _' .. INSCRIPTION ON THE 



lished creed. The teacher above alluded to, a short time previous to the 

 late war, with some of his disciples, was summoned to answer to a charge of 

 heresy. Their consciences, however, on the pressure of the occasion, met 

 with but little difficulty in conforming to the external modes of worship, as 

 those acts were exteriial merely, and could not affect the main point of faith 

 called in question, which was annihilation at death. 



(^) " Three states of being" — The state of Brahmas, of Nats, and of 

 Men. 



(^) *'Dhamma-K'h^nda" Sanscrit, Dharma Khanda — The collection of the 

 sacred writings of the Budd'hists is so called. These different writings or books 

 are said to amount to 84,000. The religion which they inculcate, or the dispensa- 

 tion of Gautama, is to continue 5000 years. Nearly half that period had elapsed. 



(^) " Men, Nats, and Brahmas" — The system of the universe, according 

 to the Budd'hists, consists of one high mountain in the centre, called in the Bur- 

 mese language Myenmu, or Mrenmu, and in tlie Pali, Maha Meru, surrounded 

 b}^ four islands, of which the southern, called Sampudiek, (Sanscrit, Jambitdrnpa) 

 is our world. The tliree other islands are also inhabited by human beings 

 differing in features both from us, and among themselves. The inhabitants of 

 the universe are said to consist of three classes of beings, viz. Men, Nats, 

 and Brahmas, the Nats being superior to Men, and the Brahmas to the Nats, ~ 



(^) " Engyeng trees" — I have not been able to ascertain any particu- 

 lars of this tree, excepting from report. It is described to be large, and its 

 substance very hard and durable. Its blossoms are numerous, small, flat, 

 turned upwards at the edges, indented, and highly odoriferous. The wood- 

 petrefactions, found in considerable quantities at Prome, and adjacent places, 

 are of this tree. 



('°) " Malla Kings"— The Kings and country here alluded to, are sup- 

 posed to be Indian. - 



CO " Era 1138, &c."— The bell, by this account, was cast forty years 

 ago, in the reign of Sengku, grandson of Alung-p'hura. Sunday is a literal 



