236 
JOURNAL OF AN EMBASSY 
of this province, it would contain, in round num¬ 
bers, only 1 , 380,000 inhabitants. Arracan, how¬ 
ever, was a conquered and an ill-governed pro¬ 
vince, and considerable emigrations from it had 
taken place into the British territory, so that I 
have no doubt this estimate is much under the 
truth. The only portion of the restored provinces, 
of which an estimate of the area and population 
was made during our occupation, was Bassein.* 
The area of this district was reckoned at 9,000 
square miles, and the population, according to the 
Burmese records, at & 14 , 500 , which would give 
near twenty-four inhabitants to the square mile- 
This rate, applied to the whole kingdom, would 
give a population of 4 , 416 , 000 . About thirty 
years ago, a house-tax was levied on the dwellings 
of the two great classes of the population, the 
Burmese and Talains. The amount was thirty- 
three ticals and a half on each house, and the pro¬ 
duce 4 , 000,000 of ticals. This would make the 
number of houses 120,000. The houses of all 
persons in public employment, and the monaste¬ 
ries, however, are not taxed, and through the 
malversation of the chiefs, it is reckoned that about 
a tenth of the produce is withheld. This last cir¬ 
cumstance would raise the gross amount of the 
tax to 4 , 400 , 000 , and, consequently, the number 
* Made by Captain Alves, the able and intelligent officer 
whom I have before quoted. 
