m 
JOURNAL OF AN EMBASSY 
CHAPTER V. 
Orders of Society. *— Nobility. — Priesthood. — Privileged Mer¬ 
chants.—Free Labourers.—Bond Creditors and Slaves.—Out¬ 
casts.—Form of Government.—Councils of State.—Municipal 
Administration.—Administration of Justice.—Character of.— 
Expenses attending. — Written J^aws. — Military Forces.— 
System of Taxation.—Condition of Landed Tenures.—House 
Tax.—Family or Poll-tax on the Karyens and other wild races. 
—Tax on Fisheries.—Eggs of the Green Turtle and esculent 
Swallows’ Nests.—-Duty on Petroleum, or Earth-oil.—Gold, 
Silver, and Sapphire Mines.—Teak Forests.—Duties of Cus¬ 
toms.—Tax on the Currency.—Tax on the Wages of Labour. 
—Tax on the Administration of Justice, Fines, and Forfei¬ 
tures.—Offerings of Tributary Princes and Public Officers.— 
General Observations.—Estimate of the Amount of the Royal 
Revenue. 
In this chapter I shall endeavour to give a 
sketch of the state of society amongst the Bur¬ 
mese, of their political institutions, of their laws, 
fiscal system, and revenue. 
Among the Burmese, and the same observa¬ 
tion nearly applies to the Talains, there may be 
described to exist seven classes of society, distin¬ 
guished by their privileges or employments; name¬ 
ly, the royal family, the public officers, the priest- 
