called Mairidu* the'rfeSideriG'e'okthe governor of the province of Dalla, who
fiasr already1 been mentioned as having comedown to meet the deputation
on its first arrival. This .government. is. entirely distinct from (Rangoon’»
on the -east side: the ra n k S ^ th e 'governor is much inferior to. that
0f the Maywoon of Pegue, notwithstanding which, the latter cannot apprehend
a criminal within the jurisdiction of Dallasby hi%own Authority
iT h e c ity o fD a lla , from whence the province takes its name, is said
to be on the west side-of the China Buckier river, and was formerly a place
of considerable importance. The town.of Maindu is composed of one long
street, at the east end is a creek, which goes all the way to Bassien, and
has twelve feet depth of water ,~at high tid e ; on the west side is a smaller
creek, on the bank of which stands a village called Mima-Shun-Rua, or
the village of prostitutes, being inhabited wholly by women, of--that-, description.
Prostitution in this, as in all other countries, is the ultimate resort of
female wretchedness, but here it is often attended with circumstances of
- peculiar and unmerited misery. Many who follow this course of life are
not at their own disposal, or receive the earnings of their unhappy profession;
they are slaves sold by creditors to a licensed pander, for debts
more frequently contracted by others, than by themselves. According to
the laws of Pegue, he who incurs a debt which he cannot pay, becomes,
the property of his creditor, who may claim the insolvent debtor as
his slave, and oblige him to perform menial service until he liquidates the
debt; nor does the unhappy man always suffer in his own person alone,
his immediate relatives are often included in the bond, and when that is
the case, are liable to be attached and sold, to discharge the obligation.
The wretchedness into which this inhuman law plunges whole families is
not to be described. Innocent .womcii are^often.}’d ig g e d , from :dôin'cs^Ë
comfort and hapÿikessÿands fronrahe
bouse, in which they perhapsifeave' nojblamc, ^r^s/jjijyto thp^jtenscd superintendant
o f , therTackaliyiî"'yfio,; if tin y .possu^,} atpaeuons, p a js §
-high price-for’them, andnleimbhrsesshimself ^^^^e'ffagesyçf^heirj^rpstij
furièjn&rlf
’;;i?In their treatment of.thè>sdfEefj sex;.the- Bjçmans dÿ'thutè*!both- of
delicacy and humanity, hhey^con-iidei i-vi.orn'cnfias^iftlj- supmioj to.the
b ru te stoek ofitheir farms. The I o w ; ë r Birmans make no suupl'e
of selling thcii daughteis, andtcven-ïthUS wives, tp^rSgt^-sltsbo^cS^wjjiï
pass a temporary residence ambhgst<thcm. It reflects no disgrace on any
of the parties,iaind: the woman .is not dishonoured by the connection.
Respecting the, trade of Rangoon,lüicïeommodilics winch the,j:ylüjtiiy is
çtapable ot producing, the prescut stale of ils.commerce,;and* thclcilis^acIcJi
that check its growth, I shall have occasiop$to-ispeakjanp^'f^ilength in
another part of this work: it ns-.sufficientsllmro^qro'hse'TOesSaat j thak, the
most durable wood that is known,.and-best adaptedTôF. (^èàC-ojiàravGtioù}p|
ships, is produced in. the forests of the 'Birnthwirid Pegue ,ei^ji^jl^fripx,-i
haustible abundance. The.river-cffRangooni is equally commodious for
the construction of ships ; the springjtide»«i50<kweja^^ôti^|^e,ÇPfiffdiiGu-
iar height ; the banks are soft, and so flats^hai there ichtfclejriesdtpf^jbpur'
for the formation of'docks : vessels of: anÿhuçden may b® K p l|fI|M|ilure1
has liberally done her part to render Rangoon the most .flourishing seaport;
of the eastern world.
^ Jphere were at this time several ships from 600 ta lOOènohVbnXdèiteBhi
the stocks ; one belonging to the'Maywoon of.Re^ue;#aboiif§j 90$dtqhs,
was considêred by professional men as a specimen of excellent-^rooskit B ’