and the letter, mcasilk wrapper, was formally presented to me on a tray,
■fey th‘& officer who £anveyed-'i&<acrhss'the lake»r
• Being now.cbmfcrtablylodged; we-.had leisure-to take a view of the, cire
cumjacent country, -and observe the objects that immediately surrounded
us. Behind the grove in . which w e lived was. assmaoth extensive .plain»,
intersected by the embankments of what, in theipast year*; hadibeen fields
u ia e g ,$ itit which promised, this seaseivitoibe'ran 'improducti-vd-waste-,
owing to the uncommon drought: notwithstanding the spot- we-v^ereion
was elevated very Kttle above the present levekef thedafcsj which had^nbw
nearly reached its utmost height,-yet the'ground- was parched up, and divided
into chasms from want-of moisture. Dark and rugged mountains,
about eight miles distant, bounded the prospect to the southwest: several
small villages were scattered over the plain, and on the skirts of the -grove,
inhabited, as we were informed, by native" Cassayers,. or = the ddsiOfi#
ants of'Cassayers, who had been carried into Scaptivity by Abe'Biari'in
invaders during their predatory expeditions across, the. Keenduem.,,
The Seree who accompanied me said, that these ^people, wfrerinhe
called Munniporeans, from Munnipore, the capital of Gassay, were in
general become reconciled to their state of servitude, owing to their having
been brought away very young from their own country: ^theesuperior
industry and skill which they possess over the Birmans in different branches
of handicraft, supplied them with a comfortable subsistence. Those in our
neighbourhood were farmers and gardeners, who cultivated pulse, greens,
onions, and such vegetables as Birmans use»; these articles they transport
at an early hour across the lake to the city, where they retail them in the
market, and bring home the produce at n ig h t; this business is mostly
performed bytfcm fks jhdni3tinaiy,,d&imoilIv^i$pcrso:h ini years', a'cl&fopa-
nio&Gaeh.’l oat,r<in winch, ^ id ih g iV K 1cf.^lfiSjawLs4*ajJ,stet.ismati, whilst th9 ’
Women,vu'sually from ten to fourteen inbkirtul*r:isittiiigViv\iMi' their IdgE
dblgss,yowishortf"SarsWm irse>tp1:f3dlcsrfaceoiding'tostbd^ize of the vessel:
Avhen they set out in i morning, they proceed intfsikhctybiij^ietunirng at
night, thev join in joi unokclioius.’ancl timcrihc,stioke ol then oars,fo.the bais
of their song. We were serenaded every evening from dusk till ten o’clock by
sliGcessis o pat lies ol- these joy ou,s lein des, w hose; sti ams< though unpolished#
wereialiv^^s^Ai^!||0i@^ujdspl|ksiS|tThe.^lb%|ah^both mem and" womens
aiic}ifo;id ofasiq^pjaMuhk it* walk , itpUghfriisHhei»hbou]y;^Psoi\*rs\uct$
enSj^toilj^lipw yiclc* s<ieicjiitiip'’yjutidi’’i l ; nfort uTratdy'tpliknusi cpi as natfeddlS
distil d to thusQ passim gjc l^aijtiiiessts jahere w ere otliL.1, pei lormeisMllss agi eeabley
bearer tgsus. I OurLneighhftUJ-s, 'th&idBputiesvfcomvCfeina|J,unlfrSkHy%for the’
impose <pfjlhosefroin Britain, hapjicnod tp®lirtamatcurs iiWhGfrswiiy? andt
'had amongst their dependants a .select band of musicians, •suefeas beefr’
tainly had nevei heard equalled ; it is impossible to Vlusciibo the horribh?
Sgises .that issuedkfiom ^^^fidr-umsjRC^'mbalsSjtan.ltoStirtiment^wifihi'two
? | ^ g s>£Which. may be fcailedga^fiddle|iF&dfSomethm'| Jike a llaSo'feihthat
sent forth a.soUnd iripre grating to-,‘the ear than atftheikest. ‘This was^tlicS»
cgnstant nocturnal amusement,' whicfrlnespyendcddbefore fttidnight, and"
was not opce remitted, till the principal personage.oiltli&omliasSy became
‘S^i|ndiSp.Qsad> that he could endure ifeikulOnger: Whilst heiHngeredtWe
enjoyed tranquillity, but after hisdeceas either eoncerfc recommenced,' and
continued,^'» opr gregt .annoyance, tsg.Il, they quitted the gt6ve to return id
thpir native country. : ...
..(JTheiQpposite habits of different nations were hefewsfrikingly evinced' in
the dissimilarity between the manners of the»? Ihiglisht, and those of the
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