94 
JOURNAL OF AN EMBASSY 
Hindoos, and approach more nearly to the Malays, 
although from these also they differ so consider¬ 
ably, that even a stranger may distinguish them 
without difficulty. Taking the Burmans for this 
character, they may be described as of a short, 
stout, and active, but still well-proportioned form. 
Their complexion is never of an intense black, but 
commonly brown. The hair of the head, like that 
of other tropical nations, is black, coarse, lank, and 
abundant. There is a little more beard, and ge¬ 
nerally more hair on other parts of the body, than 
among the tribes of the same race lying to the 
south of them,—such as the Siamese and people 
of Lao. The climate and physical aspect of the 
countries occupied by the different tribes consti¬ 
tuting the subjects of the Burman empire, do 
not seem to produce any material difference in 
their physical form. One might expect to find 
the inhabitants of the dry and elevated country 
principally occupied by the true Burmans, larger 
and more athletic than those of the marshy cham¬ 
paign principally occupied by the Talains. This, 
however, is by no means the case; and if there be 
any difference, it is in favour of the latter, who 
are alleged to be a more robust and active race 
than the true Burmans. 
The Burmans are greatly inferior to the Hin¬ 
doos in civilization, and still more so to the Chi¬ 
nese. They are, as far as a stranger can judge, 
nearly upon an equality with the Siamese ; and 
