80 
JOURNAL OF AN EMBASSY 
in the country, except those which are dedi¬ 
cated to religious purposes. The insecurity of 
property forbids that the matter should be 
otherwise. If a Burman becomes possessed of 
wealth, temple-building is the only luxury in 
which he can safely expend it. Hence the 
prosperity of a place, which is never more than 
temporary, is to be judged of in this country, 
not by the comforts or luxuries of the inhabit¬ 
ants, or the reputable appearance of their ha¬ 
bitations, but by the number, magnitude, 
splendour, and actual condition of its temples 
and monasteries. On these are wasted substan¬ 
tial materials, labour, and even ingenuity, equal 
to the construction of respectable towns and 
villages, calculated to last for generations. 
Tharet and its dependencies form, with the 
district of Sarawadi, the assignment for the 
maintenance of the King’s only full brother, 
who takes his title from the last-named place. 
At half-past eight o’clock we passed Meea- 
day, (Myede, land within,) on the east bank of 
the river. This place is considered by Bur- 
man travellers to be half-way between Ava and 
Rangoon. It is but a small village in compari¬ 
son with Tharet, but has also the rank of a 
Myo. This was the head-quarters of the Bur- 
man army for six months, and the place of 
