SKETCH OF AKACAN. 



373 



The Musselman Sirdars generally speak good Hindustani, but the lower 

 orders of that class, who speak a broken sort of Hindustani, are quite 

 unintelligible to those who are not thoroughly acquainted with the jargon 

 of the southern parts of the Chittagong district. The universal language 

 of the provinces is the Mug, which, although differing in some respects 

 from the Burma, particularly in pronunciation, is written and spelt in the 

 same way, and with the same character. Almost every one is able to 

 write, and as females are not precluded from receiving instruction, they 

 are often shrewd and intelligent. The Mugs being particularly fond of 

 hunting and fishing, do not make such good farmers as the Musselmans ; how- 

 ever, as Banias and shop-keepers, they surpass the Bengalis in cunning, 

 and, on all occasions try, and very often successfully, to overreach their cus« 

 tomers : stealing is a predominant evil amongst them, yet they are not given 

 to lying : when detected after the commission of any felonious act, however 

 serious, they almost invariably, and with the utmost frankness, confess the 

 crime, and detail with the greatest minuteness the manner in which it was 

 perpetrated. 



Customs in Marriage. — The Burmese follow the example of European 

 nations, and court their wives : after the consent of the parents has been 

 obtained, a day is fixed for the wedding, and all the relations and friends of 

 the parties invited to a festival, in the bride's father's house. After the pre- 

 liminaries of the dowry have been settled, the whole sit down to the feast ; 

 the bridegroom and bride eat out of the same dish, which binds the contract, 

 and they are declared to be man and wife ; when the son-in-law becomes a 

 member of the family, till his wife's shyness has worn off, and she wishes to 

 have a house of her own. The Mugs go through the same ceremony, with 

 the exception of not having the pleasure of courting. The young folks are 

 not allowed to think of marriage, unless the match be arranged by the 

 parents. 



