TO THE COURT OF AVA. 
9 
culiar immunities in the way of taxation, which 
must necessarily have the effect of concentrating 
the population here, and withdrawing it from the 
provinces. 
With respect to the population of the town of 
Ava itself, I have never heard any estimate; and 
probably, considering the mode in which the in¬ 
habitants of “ the capital” are reckoned, the Bur¬ 
mese have never attempted to make any. It must 
however, as I conceive, be very inconsiderable. 
On a rough estimate, the area of the town and 
suburbs does not exceed two miles, and, as I have 
already said, considerable part of this is occupied 
by the Palace and public buildings ; a large por¬ 
tion is thinly inhabited, and much altogether un¬ 
occupied. We may compare it with other Indian 
towns, of which the area and population have been 
estimated. Calcutta is said to stand on an area of 
about twelve miles, and to contain 300,000. Were 
Ava as densely peopled, which I think very im¬ 
probable, it would contain 50,000 inhabitants. 
Perhaps half this number would be much nearer 
the truth. 
