Bengal to the Malay.] ORIENTAL COMMERCE. 



813 



small craft. The Custom-house is built of brick and mortar, and covered 

 with tiles, having within a number of platforms for the reception of bale- 

 goods. Close to tfie principal wharf are two commodious wooden houses, 

 used by the merchants as an Exchange, where they usually meet in the cool 

 of the morning and evening, to converse, and transact business. The streets 

 of the town are narrow, but clean, and well paved ; there are numerous 

 channels to carry off the rain, over which strong planks are laid, to prevent 

 an interruption of intercourse. The houses are raised on posts from the 

 ground, the smaller supported by bamboos, the larger by strong timbers. 

 All the officers of Government, the most opulent merchants, and persons 

 of consideration, live within the fort ; shipwrights and people of inferior 

 rank, inhabit the suburbs. Rangoon was taken by the British in 1624. 



This town, having long been the asylum of insolvent debtors from the 

 diiicrent settlements in India, is crowded with foreigners of desperate for- 

 tunes, who, for the most part, support themselves by carrying on a petty 

 trade. Here are to be met fugitives from all countries in the east. The 

 Exchange exhibits a motley assemblage, such as few towns of much greater 

 magnitude can produce, MaJabars, Moguls. Pcrsees, Armenians, Portu- 

 guese, French, and English all mingle here, and are engaged in various 

 branches of commerce. The Persees, Armenians, and a few Mussulmen 

 engross the greater part of the trade ; and individuals from their number 

 are frequently selected by Government, to fill employments of trust that 

 relate to trade, and transactions with foreigners. 



Heavy complaints have been made of oppression at Rangoon. In 1819, 

 the commanders of two vessels were not only subjected to heavy fines, but 

 to confinement, upon pretended charges of maltreating their crews. 



The river of Rangoon is very commodious for building and repairing 

 ships. The forests produce inexhaustible quantities of teak timber, and the 

 banks of the river are so soft and flat, that there is little need of labour for 

 the formation of docks. Ships of considerable burthen, from 600 to 900 

 tons, have been built here, of excellent workmanship, and of the best ma- 

 terials. 



Traue. — The commerce carried on here is not to a considerable extent. 

 Piece-goods form the most material part of the imports from India, and are 

 generally of common kinds of British commodities. Broad cloth of two 

 colours, one side red, the other green or blue, is in great request, being 

 used for mantles in the cold season. 



The chief exports are teak timber in balks, called duggies and arties, 

 keel pieces, mast-fishes, planks, and sheathing boards. They have other 

 timber in great abundance, but it is seldom exported, particularly an infe- 



