turn to their homes. The corpfe is left to rot, and the bones fall to the ground.

"Among a people whofe manners are fo fimple, whofe wants are fo eafily fupplied, and whofe poffeffions are fo circumfcribed, we are not to look for any complex fyftem of jurisprudence: indeed their code of laws may be comprifed in a few lines.

"Their chiefs are but little diftinguished from the community, either by authority or by property, their preeminence being chiefly difplayed at public entertainments, of which they do the honours. They have no judicial powers; all difputes are fettled, and crimes adjudged, by a meeting of the whole village.

"Inheritance is by male defcent; the house or plantation, the weapons and tools of the father, pafs to his male children. Theft, when to a confiderable amount, and the criminal is incapable of making reftitution, is liable to be punished by death.

"Murder is punishable by retaliation; the murderer is delivered to the relations of the deceased, who may put him to death. I was however informed thefe crimes are very rare.

"In marriages, the matter is fettled between the parents of the young perfons; and when agreed upon, the young man goes to the houfe of the bride, and takes her home: on this occafion a hog is generally killed, and a feaft made. Polygamy is not allowed.

"In cafes of adultery, where the wife is the offender, the injured hufband has a right to feize the effects of the paramour, and fometimes punishes his wife by cutting off her hair. When the husband offends, the wife has a right to quit him, and to return to her parent's houfe; but in this state of feparation fhe is not allowed to marry another; however, in both thefe cafes, the matter is generally made up, and the parties reconciled; and we are informed that inftances of their occurrence were very unfrequent. Simple fornication between unmarried perfons' is neither a crime nor a difgrace; and a young woman is rather liked the better, and more defired in marriage, for having borne a child; fometimes they have two or three, when, upon a marriage taking place, the children are left with the parents of their mother.

The ftate of flavery is unknown to thefe people.

"The cuftom of tattooing is general throughout these islands. They call it in their language teetee. They begin to imprint thefe marks on boys of feven years of age, but they only trace at firft a few outlines. As they advance in years, and go to war, they fill up the marks, the right to which depends on having killed an enemy. Such is the account they gave us, and it is probable enough that this cuftom may originally have been intended as a mark of military distinction; but fuch original intention cannot at present have place, as the marks are common to every individual, and wars fcarce occur once in a generation. The fi gures imprinted are the fame through. out, or the variation, if any, is very trifling, excepting that, in fome of the young men, the outline only of the broad mark on the breaft is traced, but this is filled up as they grow older. The women have a ftar imprinted on each fhoulder, and generally fome fmall marks on the back of the hands. Thefe marks are imprinted with a pointed inftrument, confifting of a brafs wire fixed perpendicularly into a piece of ftick, about eight inches in length; this piece is ftruck with another fmall long ftick with repeated light ftrokes. The pigment ufed for this purpose is made of the fmoke collected from a species of refin, which is mixed with water; the operator takes a ftem of dried grafs, or a fine piece of ftick, and dipping the end in the pigment, traces on the fkin the outline of the figure, with great steadiness and dexterity; then, dipping the brass point in the fame compofition, he with very quick and light strokes drives it into the skin, tracing the outline before drawn, which leaves an indelible mark. Mr. Beft fubmitted to the operation on his leg, and found it attended with fome pain.

"Such are the customs and manners of the inhabitants of the Poggy Islands, which lie within fight of Sumatra.The many particulars in which they differ from any fet of inhabitants of the latter ifland, put it, in my opinion, beyond a doubt that they are of a different origin, but from whence they came it may not be eafy, and probably will not be thought of importance,

to

to trace. They have no clear tradition to affift in fuch an inquiry. When Mr. Beft was at their village, on asking from whence they originally came, they told him from the fun, which he understood as fignifying from the eaftward." P. 82.

ON THE MEDICINE, LITERATURE, &c.

OF THE BURMAS.

"THE Burmas have among them many hiftories, containing an account of the lives and actions performed by the different families of their princes. These hiftories are, I am told, very fabulous; every action being attended by omens and prodigies. Still how ever they may throw fome light on a part of the world hitherto fo little known; and I am hopeful foon to be able to lay before the learned, a tranflation of the Maha-rasa Wayn-gye, the most celebrated hiftorical work of the Burmas. These people have also tranflated hiftories of the Chinese and Siammese, and the kingdoms of Kathee, Ko-fhanpyee, Pagoo, Saymmay, and Laynzayn. Of all these I saw copies, and several of them I procured for Sir John Murray.

"On medicine the Burmas have feveral books. They divide difeafes into ninety-fix genera, and of these feveral are fubdivided into many fpecies. Their books contain defcriptions of all the ninety-fix difeafes, with various recipes for their cure. Of the animal kingdom, mummy is a favourite medicine. The Burmas are acquainted with the use of mercury in the cure of the venereal disease: but their manner of giving it is neither certain nor fafe. They make a candle of cinnabar and fome other materials, and fetting fire to it, the patient inhales the fumes with his noftrils. The patient is however rarely able to perfevere long in this courfe, as it always produces a want of appetite, and extreme languor. The greater part however of the Burma remedies are taken from the vegetable kingdom, especially of the aromatic kind, nutmegs being one of their moft favourite medicines. They are well acquainted with the plants of their country, and for a vaft number have appropriate names. On the whole, however, the practice of their phyficians is almost entirely empirical; and almost every one has, or pretends to have, a number of private recipes, on

I

which the fuccefs of his practice chiefly depends. I was often tempted by wonderful ftories concerning the effica cy of thefe noftrums, in order to induce me to purchase the secret, which fome of them pretended to have been handed down from their fathers for feveral generations. Indeed I found a great spirit of illiberality among my brethren of trade; nor were they exempt from impofing on the weakness of the fick, by a pretension to supernatural powers. In fpite however of all these indirect means of influence, I found them deservedly not in poffeffion of an honourable estimation among their countrymen. One curious cuftom relating to the Burma phyficians may be mentioned. If a young woman is dangerously ill, the doctor and her parents frequently enter into an agreement, the doctor undertaking to cure her. If the lives, the doctor takes her as his property; but if she dies, he pays her value to the parents: for in the Burma dominions, no parent parts with his daughter, whether to be a wife, or to be a concubine, without a valuable confideration. I do not know whether the doctor is entitled to fell the girl again, or if he must retain her in his family; but the number of fine young women, which I faw in the houfe of a doctor at Myeda, makes me think the practice to be very com

mon.

"In furgery, the skill of the Burmas, I believe, goes no farther than drefling wounds, and fetting bones. Of late indeed they have introduced from Arakan the art of inoculation for the small-pox. This practice has however not become general, as a very great proportion of the people's faces are pitted by that disease.

"On law, the Burmas have many treatifes; both containing the laws of Menu, and copious commentaries on thefe. Whether they ftill have any copies of the law, as originally imported from Ceylon, I know not: but I was told, that the Damathat-gye, or code in common ufe, has fuffered feveral alterations, and additions, made by the decrees of various princes.

Of

"I heard of no poetry, which the Burmas poffefs, except fongs. thefe they have a great number on a variety of fubjects, and are fond of quoting them on many occafions.Their mufic, both vocal and inftru

mental,

mental, appeared to me very bad. Some of their mufical inftruments are, indeed, not fo barbaroufly noily, as thofe of the Hindus and Chinese; but the airs, which the Burmas performed on them, I could not at all comprehend. On the contrary, many of the Hindu and Chinese airs feem to me not at all unpleasant: but I must confefs, that I am entirely unfkilled and rude in the fcience of mufic.

"The Burmas have dramatic entertainments, ufed at all feftivals, and well defcribed by M. de la Loubere, in his account of Siam. The performers, indeed, which we faw, were all Siammefe. Although thefe entertainments, like the Italian opera, confist of mufic, dancing, and action, with a dialogue in recitative; yet we understood, that no part but the fongs was previoufly compofed. The fubject is generally taken from fome of the legends of their heroes, efpecially of Rama; and the feveral parts, fongs, and actions, being affigned to the different performers, the recitative part or dialogue is left to each actor's ingenuity. If, from the effects on the audience, we might judge of the merit of the performance, it must be very confiderable; as fome of the performers had the art of keeping the multitude in a rear. I often, however, fufpected that the audience were not difficult to pleafe: for I frequently obferved the Mycowun of Haynthiwade (the man of high rank whom we moft frequently faw) thrown into immoderate laughter by the moft childith contrivances. Theie cafern nations are indeed a lively, micry people; and, like the former French, dance, laugh, and fing in the midst of oppreflion and misfortune.

"The original of most of the Burma books on law and religion is in the Fali or Pale language; which undoubtedly is radically the fame with the Sanferit. I was affured at Amarura, the the Pali of Siam and Pegu dified confiderably from that of ine Burines; and an intelligent native of Tavay, who had been at Cingala or Candy, the prefent capital of Ceylon, and at the ruins of Anuradapura, the former capital, affured me, that the li of that land was confiderably different from that of

Ava.

"In many inferiptions, and in books

of ceremony, fuch as the Kammut, the Pali language is written in a fquare character, fomewhat refembling the Bengal Sanferit, and called Magata. Of this a specimen may be seen in the defcription of the Borgian museum, by Paulinus. But in general it is written in a round character, nearly resembling the Buima letters. Of this kind is the fpecimen given by the accurate M. de la Loubere, and which fome perfons have rafhly conceived to be the Burma. There is no doubt, however, that all the different characters of India, both on the weft and on the eaft of the Ganges, have been derived from a common fource: and the Burma writing, of the whole, appears to be the most diftin&t and beautiful.

"In their more elegant books, the Burmas write on fheets of ivory, on very fine white palmira leaves. The ivory is ftained black, ard the margins are ornamented with gilding, while the characters are enamelled or gilded. On the palmira leaves the characters are in general black enamel; and the ends of the leaves, and margins, are painted with flowers in various bright colours. In their more conimon books, the Burmas with an iron ftyle engrave their writing on palmira leaves. A hole, through both ends of each leaf, ferves to connect the whole into a volure by means of two ftrings, which alfo pes through the two wooden board, that ferve for binding. In the fir binding of these kind of books the boards are lacquered, the edges of the leaves cut fmooth and gilded, and the title is written on the upper board: the two cords are by a knot or jewel securedit a little diftance from the boarde, fo as to prevent the book from falling to picces, but fufficiently diftant to adniit of the upper leaves being turned back, while the lower ones are read. The more elegant books are in general wrapped up in fl cloth, and bound round by a garter, in which the Burmas hi ve the art to weave the title of the book.

"As there are but few of the Burmas who do not read and write, almo every man carries with him a parasak*, in which he keeps his accounts, copies forgs, till he can repeat them from meriory, and takes memorandums of any thing curious. It is on

thefe parawaiks that the zares or writers in all courts, and public offices, take down the proceedings and orders of the fuperior officers: from thence copying fuch parts as are neceffary, into books of a more durable and elegant nature. The parawaik is made of one theet of thick and ftrong paper blackened over. A good one may be made about eight feet long, and eighteen inches wide. It is folded up fomewhat like a fan, or thus a 5,

each fold or page being about fix inches, and in length the whole breadth of the fheet. Thence, wherever the book is opened, whichever fide is uppermoft, no part of it can be rubbed, but the two outer pages, a, b; and it only occupies a table one foot in width by eighteen inches long. The Burmas write on the parawaik with a pencil of fteatites. When in hafte, the zares ufe many contractions, and write with wonderful quickness. I have seen them keep up with an officer dictating, and not fpeaking very flow. But when they take pains, the characters written on the parawaik are remarkably neat. Indeed this nation, like the Chinese, pique themselves much on writing an elegant and diftinct character. When that which has been written on a parawaik, becomes no longer pfeful, the pages are rubbed over with charcoal, and the leaves of a species of dolichos: they are then clean, as if new, and equally fit for the pencil.

"Every convent has a collection of books; feveral of which are pretty confiderable. The moft common copiers are indeed the Rahans, who prepare books both for their convents, and for prefents to their lay benefactors. Thefe books are kept in chefts, much ornamented with gilding, and bits of looking-glafs, faftened on with lacquer, in the shape of flowers. At Amarapura we were shown a part of the royal library. This is This is a brick building, furrounded by enclofed courts, and temples, which occupy a delightful fituation, in the N. W. angle of the city. Near it is a fmall, but moft elegant Kiaung. To this, at times, the monarch retires; and we were fhown the gilded couch on which he repofes, while the Zarado reads to him, and inftructs him in the duties of religion. The library itfelf is neither a convenient nor handsome building. The gallery, into which we entered, VOL. V.-No. XLIV.

contained about a hundred chefts, gilded on the fides, and lacquered above, with the general title of their contents written in golden letters. The chefts were large, and, if full, must have contained many thoufand volumes. As we faw only a part, I prefume that the king's collection is very extenfive. He is, indeed, faid to be a very intelligent and learned prince. He was very defirous of obtaining fome Brahmens more learned than those he had, to inftruct him in aftronomy: and he had caufed the Inflitutes of Menu to be tranflated from the English of Sir William Jones. He muft, therefore, have heard of what is purfued among the Europeans, in at least Oriental literature: and it is to be hoped, that fome more useful books may attract his notice: books which might tend to improve the people, and give them more enlightened notions of politics, of the arts, and of fcience. Hitherto, I suspect, the laws, or religion, of the Burmas have contributed little to the happiness of the people; but fortunately they have not, like thofe of the Brahmens, placed any infurmountable obftacles in the way of national improvement." P. 302.

COLOSSAL STATUES ON MOUNT
CAUCASUS.

"BUT what never fails to attract the notice of travellers, are two coloffal ftatues, which are feen at a great diftance. They are erect, and adhere to the mountain, from which they were cut out. They are in a fort of niches, the depth of which is equal to the thicknefs of the ftatues. It is faid, in the Ayeen-Akberry, that the largest is eighty ells high, and the other only fifty. Thefe dimenfions are greatly exaggerated, according to the opinion of all the travellers I have feen, and the difproportion is not fo great between the two. According to the author of the Pharangh-Jehanghiri, cited by Th. Hyde (p. 132), they are faid to be only fifty cubits high; which appears to be the true dimenfions. At fome distance from these two flatues, is another of a fmaller fize, being about fifteen cubits high. Natives and Perfian authors, who have mentioned them, agree neither about the fex nor their names. The few Hindus, who live in these countries, fay, that they

P

reprefent

reprefent Bhim and his confort: the followers of Buddha, that they are the ftatues of Sháhámá, and his difciple Sálfálá. The Muffulmans infift, that they are the statues of Key-Umurth and his confort, that is to say, Adam and Eve; and that the third is intended for Seifh or Seth their fon; whofe tomb, or at least the place where it ftood formerly, is fhown near Báhlac. This is in fome measure confirmed by the author of the Pharangh-Jehanghiri, who fays, that thefe ftatues exifted in the time of Noah; though he gives them different names, and fuppofes the third to represent an old woman, called Nefr, more generally reprefented with the countenance of a vulture., Thefe statues are so much defaced, through the injury of all-devouring time, and the intolerant zeal of the Mufulmans, that I believe it is difficult to afcertain their fex. Travellers do, however, agree that one of them at leaft is a beardless youth; fome more particularly infift that the fwelling of the breafts is remarkably obvious, and that both look towards the eaft, fo that, when the fun rifes, they feem to fmile, but look gloomy in the evening. Their drefs, as defcribed to me, is much the fame with that of the two figures, half buried at Tuct-Ruftum near Iftacar in Perfia; with this difference, that the female figure has no head-drefs; but the male has fuch a tiara as is worn by the fuppofed female figure at TuetRuftum.

"Thefe ftatues were visited, at leaft ten or twelve different times, by a famous traveller, called Méyan-AfodShah, who is a man highly refpected, both on account of his descent from Mohammed, and his perfonal character. He is well-informed, in affluent circumftances, through the piety of the faithful, and keeps company with the princes of the country and perfons of the first rank. He informed me lately, that these two statues are in two different niches, and about forty races diftant from each other. That the drapery is covered with embroidery and figured work; which formerly was painted of different colours; traces of which are still visible. The one feems to have been painted of a red colour; and the other, either retains the original colour of the ftone, or was painted gray. That one certainly reprefents á female, from the beauty and finooth

nefs of her features, and the fwelling of her breafts; the head, being fo much elevated, is fecure from infult below, and is alfo protected from the weather by the projection above. The ftatue of their supposed son is nearly half a mile diftant, and about twenty feet high. One of the legs of the male figure is much broken: for the Mufulmáns never march that way with cannon without firing two or three fhots at them: but from their want of skill, they feldom do much mifchief. Aurangzebe, it is faid, in his expedition to Báhlac, in the year 1646, paffed that way, and ordered, as ufual, a few fhots to be fired; one of them took place, and almoft broke its leg, which bled copiously. This, and some frightful dreams, made him defift; and the clotted blood, it is faid, adheres to the wound, to this day. The miracle is equally believed by the Hindus and Mufulmans: the former attribute it to the fuperior power of the Deity; and the latter to witchcraft. According to Dr. Hyde, one of these statues is called Surkh-But, or the red idol; the other Khink-But, or the gray idol. As to their being hollow, I believe it is an idle tale: at least the travellers I have confulted, knew nothing of it. Between the legs of the male figure is a door leading into a moft fpacious temple, the dimenfions of which they could not defcribe otherwife than by faying, that it could eafily hold the camp equipage and baggage of ZemanShah, and of his whole army. It is remarkable only for its extraordinary dimenfions: it is dark and gloomy; and there are a few niches, with the remains of some figures in alto-relievo. At the entrance are ftationed a few wretched Banyans, who fell provifion to travellers. The greateft part of the Samajes in Tágávi Bámíyan are still inhabited by Mufulmans, who live promifcuoufly with their cattle. I have been informed, that there are no other ftatues than these three; but, from the numerous fragments, which are feen through the Tágávis, there must have been feveral hundreds of them. They fhow to this day the Samach h, in which the famous Vyáfa compofed the Védas; and others, where divers holy men gave themfelves up to meditation, and the contemplation of the Supreme Being." P. 464.

MUSULMANS'