'and.negi^^eii^far^eijichiside. are"dwellmgs-of the JRliahaians, raised!6n t;im.“
S^ss&r»,&r,fiv.eifeet froin, the ground,; these hou.ses -consist only of a large
hall;' the,w.oodenpillars,that support thentare turned with-neatness ;,the
roofs' are, covered .wi th tiles, and the sides are made of hoards ; there are
a, number, tff^igjaenches-jut every house, on which the Rhahaans sleep;
we saw no other-furniture.
„Shoemadod is a pyramidical'building, composed «of brick and.mortar,
without excavation or aperture of any sort ; octagonal: at the base, and
spiral at to p ; each side of the base measures 162 feet; this: immense
breadth diminishes abruptly, and a similar building has not unaptly, been
compared in shape to a large speaking-trumpet.*
Six feet from the ground there is a wide projection that surrounds thebase,
on the plane of which are fifty^seven small spires of equal size, and equidistant;
one o f them measured twenty-seven feet in height,, and forty in
circumference, at the bottom. On a Ju g ^ e r ledge there is
consisting of fifty-three spires of similar shape and measurement. ,
A great variety of mouldings encircle the building, and ornaments
somewhat resembling the fleur-de-lys surround the lower part of-the
spire: circular mouldings likewise girt it to a considerable height, above
which there are ornaments in stucco not unlike the leaves of a Corinthian
capital, and the whole is crowned by a Tec, or umbrella, of open ironwork,
from which rises a rod with a gilded pennant.
The tee or umbrella is to be seen on every sacred building that is qf a
spiral form: the raising and consecration o f this last and indispensable
'appendage, is an act of high religious solemnity, and a season qf festivity
and relaxation. The present king bestowed the tee that covers Shoemadoo.
* S e e M r . H u n te r ’ s A c c o u n t o f P e g u e .
It was" midc^at tffiS#Wpitaf':»mJi7ivtof> the 'priiicipihS'unBilii^c.ime'do^n
from Urnrnuapoora^totbe pn<suit it the u ru n om ol its^l&yatidn.:<,
* ! -The ft€j;5 it ic s f s # g ’an iron,axis
fixed in-' t&8Mildi|i:gijf^)trd [is’isfa:rtiH'er??secuuedfby Lugei^t'Mns strongly
riv e tte d |# the’spirer -Round! th&ddwenfiufifoof the t e e u d e d u
nuiifbbttof bells, which','agitated by.tlie wind, m a k e '1
i'^The’ tee i’s 'gilt,-and! itvisrsaid1 to^fe^^d&nfention’of the King
vholefefltthdspine. »All the lessen pjgod is areVirniniuitcd with pi.op'qd?.
tionable umbrella^ ofrsimilar workmanship which'jTe^JSke'iviscrciictij.fijd'*
” by 'srha If
■jjatldici extreme .height' ol lhe'etltfiec-,;from thc'IcvcL.’qfft-lidtcouiih'y; is, f o i
^ ^ ^ s ^ ’talb'fw^h^i^teriQn.ttewa^la^'l'' fge.fr.
On the south-east angle ol the upper, termed thorc aie$t\vo -harulsome'.
saloons, orAioums, lately erected, the robft t oinposed' ol djlleiait sfra^cs,
^§*pported 4xy?piUarsf;r we judged the length,
and the breadth thirty : thefreeilhag-bf one is akead-vembeflished^^thtigold
leaf, and-'the pillars are lackered; the decorationPof the other-is*not yet
MffialfleteA ..'They are made tutirelv of wVirid1IiLj carving-,ori tli^fiutsidS»
isdaborious and minute: we saw geveral 'Unfinished' figure’sj»'of animals and'1
men in grotesque attitudes, which were designed as orriampnts for!different
paris ofbthe building., Some umagesfof Gaudma, .the „supreme,; pbject» of
Birman adoration, lay scattered around.
At each angle of the interior and higher terrace, there is a tcniple|sT^fgfc-
%fven feet high, resembling, in miniature, the gicat tcmgle.; in front of ■
thatj in the, south-west cqrner, are four gigantic representatio^ ^ d^MqDJiy;
of Palloo, or the evil genius, half beast, half human, seated om th.eir’Tjims,
each with alargeclubon the right shoulder. The Pundit, whoiaccu.rhpknied