dence. Within the g a t r a troop o f’tófoblers were'pêrforming their feats,
■While dancing girls wW^eMSiéiiitng theff^graees in the open air-,-and on the.
bare grotfnd, -to tBfe'Sound ofriao very hantrofiiqiua music. 'We were next
ushered up a flight of stairs‘into a very: noble saloon, or open hall#- called
the Lotoo/whërd t&e; court was assembled*' in a lt the pómp that Birman
ja4 fflfeiir 'could' diSphtj^A' On-entering'this hall;-a stranger cannot faiLto
be surprised at "the magnificence of its appearance; 'it-;-is'supported by
seventy-seven pillars, disposed in eleven-rows, .e'afch’ consisting.ofeseyen-.
The space between the pillars I judged to be about twelve;feet,^except
the central row, which was probably two feet w id e r^ h e tro ó f e o f# h è
building is composed of distinct stages, the-highest in the. centret«The row
o f pillars that supported the middle, or most loftyrtröf, we judged -torfoe
thiriy-fivé o r forty feet in-height; the others gradual!)» diminishes, they
approach the extremities of the building, and- those! which.' stikaiörthè foafe
cony are not more than twelve or fourteen- feet. A t%h# farther parfiuf
the hall there is a high gilded lattice, extending-quitc ag»osS thlriMldingi
and in the centre of the lattice is a gilded door, which, 'wheö?op'enécl,?dïS9
plays the throne; this door is elevated five or six-feet from tfrewflobr/so
that the throne must be ascended by means of-steps at the bac^wMcfoare
not visible, nor is the seat of the throne to beaeen,r'e^eptewhem the King
comes in person to the Lotoo. At the bottom of:the ■laftteelth'ere
balustrade, three or four feet high, in which the umbrellas- a t r d l s ^ a l
other insignia of state Were deposited. The royal colter as. white* and.the.
umbrellas were made of silk of that colour, ricfly bespangled with gold.
Within this magnificent saloon were seated, on their inverted legs, all the
princes and the principal nobility of the Birman empire, each person m
the place appropriated to his particular rank and station: proximity to the
Ifihrone, is; ofrcourse^jjio , i ad this station'was
^ c u p ie d -lav« the p t t h e Woonisq/yWJitJi.u Act iwoons< apd
ifc>jgrd.aK.oijiu- siatc‘. . ;LJie Jitigv^Ecel. icuy^uiJ'lfqiij^pparont) sat 'off
^sjpa^.stctpJ^akqufasi^ju^^.hig-livt'-tl^c-i.pBhm-ipHTiijgj gji^pj^mats. ,The
« p a c& te ^ g ^ th e - aeMsaj!pillars that .frtfaMWBjldM oneti-fei always left: vacant,
for this curious rcaspi^\lh:qj| 3! ^ r® :jl^ ^ s,^ )® l^ma'y»ia()t bc^jhliged to bo;,
hold thqse, whom Ik, dqcs ndt n)imtafej».foinom w \qpli jjTbp^pllMfe
allotted foi us was nest to tl)^mum?Hpj,<a(l p ui but ve-,\fiuw ltd-», d^isav
v u id that tbe <(Sjim£.sejdi put^osj liacl. 11 be n .p o^y^t it jam ’ll} 1,0 <^sc iqstin hi c IjS;-
according tc^tl^u^ffjii^Lie dial Vj)tJish,gi.utIemen
were so have occupied. So triv 1 il a circumstance would not h t&ten&
rited attention, had it not been followed by circumstanccs whie h left no
loom to suppose ^har any ait 1 elating to extern d forms w |s?cuhct accidental1
wi unpiemedrtated, on the part of lhorse whopcguhtufrthc<£Uim<rnuiIs ,,f
After we hacMa-ken.- poss'es^icfndqf.matSi that jnc^beLnVsnj ytd lor-us.i-it
.w-as civillytinlirnatcd (that we oughllmt.lo protrude,.! ho, soles, ofipuftfiel
towards th re a t;© / majesty, but should^hdcasoii^fo sn. in the posture th it
'W.as(observed l^ frh p se ^|(pkid|;u,s*.> y WitiNljis desire wc v^ojihl-'ic tdtly
have comp lied j-tifit ;h5d’ been iru-taur. power, butnvyc hadhiptit) ct luuntd
to sit upon- our- -@wn leg s: the fl6xiha!ifetQ^‘%ijfebleslwhinV®h^Bjpaan^
and indeed all thenatjyes of India, possess, is-'-suGh^as'^Astgbe" acquired
b y Europeans.- A <Birfoan^whenhql,sits, seldom; touches thesSeat with Mis
posteiiors, b u n s supported by his beds, lt.ts-scjbjcdy practicable foi'an
European, dressed in close garments, to placfed&trself in.'such'-an^a-ttitude;
and if he were able, it wouidi be out offes; power
inverted our legs as much as$$b®ible; -and the awkwardness withffv&ich
we did this excited a smile from, some jtete^JSPfd,'. however, was-uttered,