the-empire, ï nevék fieardvthafc’the Rhahaans
had taken airy active skarëf:or pubhd^ifeteJfèfed'’'in politi^s^ or
engaged in war: by this prudent conduct they excited no resentment :
the Birmans and Peguers professing the same religion, who ever were conquerors,
equally respected the ministers of their faith.
• I had heard much of the veneration paid to the Seredaw, o r head of the
Rhahaans at Rangoon, and by chance had an opportunity of seeing him ;
he lived in a very handsome monastery, half a mile from town,' on .the
road leading to Shoedagon. - One evening, taking my. customarykwàlk,
I met him returning horn the pagoda ; there was nothing 'to distinguish
him from the common Rhahaans ; he wore the‘same yellow dress, and: his
head and feet were bare ; his years and abstracted appearance induced me
to ask who he was ; on being told, I turned and joined company with him,
for he would not have stopped or gone out of his way had a monarch accosted
him. He entered freely into conversation, but kept his eyes fixed invariably
on the ground before him t he was a little old man,' of seventy-
five, and still walked with firm step on even ground, but when he ascended
the stairs o f his dwelling, he required support. He goes every, day, at
the same hour, to the temple, to offer his devotions, and performs the
journey, which, going and returning, cannot be less than four miles, on
foot. Approaching his grove, he civilly asked me to come in and rest myself;
I followed him, and we ïö'ók our seats on mats spread on the Hoof, in
the centre of a large and lofty hall. Several younger Rhahaans who had
attended him in his walk, ranged themselves at. a small distance. I was,
however, disappointed in the expectations I had formed ; he betrayed a
worldly pride inconsistent with his years and sacred function ; he announced,
w ithmuch pomp, that he was the head of the church at Rangoon,
AdyatoBi umiis l a ^ n k.ved hutsmoulty ahtij^p. w p v ym on non phtes,
that h id b eeiu cW ’drtVfi LSUlt J3&8- He
to possess, hi ilc o fej^htnnihu u\jtuiJ^di^ j ; ig u i_ s ]i,c d ^ ^ g ^ ^ e ^ (i
la|e of Regutvuryd L fifo-fnn} nramssciLwith mq,di K'vcjuj.cc tjuu l
J5arfe0J^tenecflor: his < haijaKJcr^f^ovoufcdiiurYicu, ,,
u’llijki?11 formal) tin re i^ere numiencs ol . v i C a i a w }io
'fife'tvtllq^hafiaaiisifUorofellow ioABtnVut^ii-uatelfoilien ban. api|,^.e||oted
^hcmsel\es?^o d ia su iy antlnti^Igum buL th esi^ so j^ ^ s^w eie^ ngA igp
iMliblishcd, ui ]prious^ti* theij^jjiijaiiu^i* ot ,bluv>sijie. At p u ^ jjij
jSTTci/S&ie \ few olc^Spmj-n whoish Ju^lien^lieads^ft^it i,whit e^di»s^lo!^
low$*fiiMeralsf and voarry viatyrnfo .thi^q'^ents^ehbe^NXi^&iS^^'hOeSk
have spine, portion of respect \p'aid to them»