SKETCH OF ARACAN. 375 



be a petticoat, is an oblong piece of cloth, only sufficiently wide to meet and 

 fasten in one side of the waist, so that every step a fashionable female takes, 

 exposes one limb completely : they are, however, not backward in shewing 

 their shapes and well-formed persons to the best advantage, always taking care 

 to conceal as much as possible the appearance of the feet. 



Fufieral Ceremonies. — The Mugs have no prescribed form for disposing 

 of the dead : some burn the bodies, others bury them : the coffins of the 

 wealthy are richly gilt, and made in the shape of a sarcophagus. The chief 

 priests and men in power are generally embalmed, and their bodies preserved 

 for many years : the method of cleaning the intestines is by quick silver : mu- 

 sic and dancing take place at the funerals of those whose friends can afford to 

 pay for the entertainment, and although the people are, by their sastras, pro- 

 hibited from the use of liquor on any occasion, it often happens, that a fune- 

 ral is the scene of dissipation and riot. 



The musicians are all registered, and placed under a Sirdar, styled by the 

 Rajah, Sangido Saway, and no one can procure a set without an applica- 

 tion to him, who charges according to the number of instruments : the 

 SANGfDO Saway pays a considerable sum, annually, to the Raja, for this pri- 

 vilege. 



Import and Export Duties. — The Custom House was at Aracan, which 

 Iwd five detached chokis, established at the following places, one at Rala, 

 one at Pikheon, one at Oreatong, one at Miingbra, and another at Lanni 

 Kheon. When boats or vessels arrived at Oreatongy which was the chief 

 choki, and not farmed out, the Darogah, after taking an inventory of the 

 cargo, put a Peon on board to conduct the vessel to the Custom House, 

 where duties were levied, in kind, at the rate often per cent., unless a pecuni- 

 ary arrangement had been entered into, which was not an uncommon custom. 



3 Y 



