TO THE COURT OF AVA. 131 
have commonly funds of their own, or are main¬ 
tained at the expense of their relatives. 
The priests, as well as the nuns, are under the 
government of a secular officer of some rank, called 
the Wut-myo-wun, who settles such disputes and 
quarrels as may arise between them, for quarrels 
do occur now and then among these pious persons, 
notwithstanding their seclusion and abstraction 
from the common business of the world. 
When a merchant acquires considerable pro¬ 
perty, he is registered by a royal edict, under the 
name of a Thu the or “ rich man,” which is a kind 
of title that places him under the protection of the 
Court, and subject only to regular and periodical 
extortion. This title is frequently, or generally 
hereditary ; so that among those nominated Thu- 
the or “ rich men,” are often to be found some that 
are exceedingly poor. They are very convenient 
for the Court and public officers. They make pre¬ 
sents to the King at public festivals, in the same 
manner that the officers of Government do, as 
will be seen in the account of our presentation at 
Court; and the princes and chief officers of state, 
on the plea of peculiar protection, borrow money 
from them, which they never repay. It would 
appear that the favours of the Court are not al¬ 
ways considered such by this privileged order. 
Near our residence at Sagaing there resided an 
individual of this class, who frequently came to 
see us. Shortly before our visit, his daughter and 
k 2 
