CHAPTER VIL
P o p u l a t i o n o f R a n g o o n — a n A s y l u m f o r i n s o l v e n t P e b t o r ^ ^ - R e l i g i o u s
T o l e r a t i o n g r a n t e d , t o F o r e i g n e r s .— P r o v i n c e o f B a l i a , a n d : T m n o f
M a i n d u .—M i m a - S h u n - R u a , o r . t h e J S f l t l & i
r o u s L a w r e s p e c t i n g t h e f e m a l e R e l a t i o n s o f i n s o l v e n t D e b t o r s . ^
T r e a t m e n t o f t h e W o m e n .— R i v e r o f R a n g o o n c o m m o d i o u s f a p . S t j i p ;
b u d d i n g — s e v e r a l S h i p s o f b u r t h e n o n t h e S t o c k s .— B i r m a n S h i p w r i g h t s ^ , .
W & - I m p e r i a l M a n d a t e a r r i v e s f o r t h e E n g l i s h D e p u t a t i o n t o p r o c e e d t o t h e
C a p i t a l— t h e M a y w o o n o f P e g u e o r d e r e d t o a c c o m p a n y S f ^ S u n t s m m
e m p l o y e d t o c a t c h A l l i g a t o r s m i d R h i n o c e r o s e s .— Reverenc^of the B i r m
a n s f o r t h e i r braminical A s t r o l o g e r s — t h e y d e c l a r e a p r o p i t i o u s D a y
f o r t h e M a y w o o n t o d e p a r t— h e l e a v e s R a n g o o n — E n g l i s h D e p u t a t i o n
p r e p a r e s t o f o l l o w .— D e s c r i p t i o n o f t h e B o a t s , é r e .
T he population of Rangoon is considerable; there are 5000 registered-
taxable houses in the city and the suburbs ; if each house be supposed to
contain six people, the estimate will amount to 30,000. ’ Rangoon,'having
long been the asylum of insolvent debtors from the different settlements
of India, is crowded with foreigners of desperate fortunes, who find from
the Birmans a friendly reception, and, for the most part, support themselves
by carrying on a petty trade, which affords a decent subsistence to
ffretee who a'ct prudently. Here are to be met fugitives front; «U noun-
t-rfes,‘>d>f''tb!e East, and o f .ad complexions a »the exchange,, '£§■ I may so call
tMf^mificfgi pla^-i®fdheif meedng, ie»hib'iits a motley aSsetoblag^^f^er,-
CfeafatS,' SUteh’ asi few towns ■fflfrnmoh'gEeatter magnitude Qgp:iprpdg$i,e; Ma-
lafSarS-,* Mugfrts, ^Persians, Parsees, Araraaians, P®i1ugaiet»,r;fe:|ithj;vaad
English, affifringtelhei^^d are engaged fo«fei»'S^-ferlnhh®||!aoteijerce,
Th6 feefiSbfelh'of this -discordanrmultitude are mot id d y p q w ’tf re*
9i9mandiTthc piotcttiwn of gm eminent, but likewise uq&y die inost -libeM
ral Wlcfiflbn^Yn matters <d rcligidn; tht4\ odlebmc thorn rue's.UMil bites and
fcVfivtfk, tot ill^ fftfegurdi'd ‘b\ tthc ©moans, who lia.\e*pTO inchn itioiiirr»
p ro se ly te .1 ^ In flh&sS&i'e dteteet siajlfe'eihbaitdlfihe -snlemn vwce<dfttiife
Mud&in, calling pious Islamites t'o ^ arly ptayOrsy'arid tfoadd||4i^^ie JP®r*
ffrgueze chkp®f®ilcling ra summons to Romish'Chriktoairs. i.jRnaQessi&iiS-
fmdet atid pass ear h^othu* without i-giMii’g or J-TetciMiig' cause oi loffence.
The ©irmams ®e%rtSbtf»le-ACTtsdves afe(Hiit the religious opinions*)! any
'feitj -or disturb tte ir rftual oeremotties, provided they do .thdt;i)reak'.rthe
peade, dr meddle with their sown divinity ’tSaudMa; -feet i f any person
tmaimt a n w h i c h the Md&i#lmen, in'itHeai*«salfnrthe' JtelkeMfalth,
will; sdaaefcitaes do, ’the 'offender-is'su»e W-he'^putiint® die stocks',rsshdstS^
that i&es -i^t cahn his itU rb a l^ iehthusiasm, «hey bastinado him istto
tranqudhty. ■
The v>i©lenGe ®f the ta in y monsoon peventediorarMlaiTig distant excur-
sions, which, in the present stage of .the mission, I should perhaps have
Chided, ttad the weather been favourable. Qur manning; rides and evening
walks seldom extended beyond (the tgmat tempte.'ifihai; hokig >itbe ibest
road. Dr. Buchanan one morning went across to jtM west side mf the
river,*on -the bank of winch, .opposite to Jlangosn, i« a ^nsiderafaiett^ii;