297 



l!ie hills of the Burmese. Siamese, Cochin-Chi- 

 nese, Sic. idolaters, or the more labored, but less 

 gaudy, shrines, at which the Buddhist rotary of 

 Continental India pays his unmeaning devotions. 



Thus, the principal pagodaof Siugora k perched 

 npon the very pinnacle of a rocky eminence, beet- 

 ling over the shore, slep^s being cot in the face 

 of the rngged fiiU for the convenience of ascent, 

 up and diiwu which the inhabitants are lobe seen 

 cnn^^lantly pai>^iillg. Mr. Medhursi infornis us ihat 

 fhere is another lemple of a species of architec- 

 ture very different from that usually employed 

 by the Siamfeie, and his description would induce 

 us to suppose that, while the structure cannot 

 be assigned to any per aha r nitional order, the 

 Chinese method of temple buifdin*^ is partially 

 blended with it. His account of it is as follows; 

 " It was situated in the midst of a large enclo- 

 sure, Siutnething: like a country church-yard, and 

 the temple itself hfiJ much the appearance of a 

 village church in England, with a portico before 

 and behind, and three arched windows ou each 

 side, surrounded by various erect stones, which, 

 at a distance, might be taken fur grave stones/' 

 Inside this temple, and at the upper end was an 

 iiijageof Buddha, from 16 to 2D feet high, and re- 

 sembling those so common in Burmah. 



We are also informed by him that the Siamese 

 are easily distinguished from the other classes 

 of inhabitants ** by their very black stiff hair, 

 which is stroked back in front, like a topknot. 

 The women wear the tnft of hair in front instead 

 of behind, and, as well as the men, have no 

 ciothiDg from the lolus upwards, except a piece 



o i 



