<?ibeg,o^,-w}yqh were;^he^ solid; trpnksYoftrees, b o r^ jifte r the. manner of a
§onje,-the cavity; of,the cylinder, WAS;riioe or ten inches, in diaine?
tqr, andjthe wq®jdfa | ^ t two inched thick,; theJength of«these.tubes varied
from twelve to twenty IfStAfhey werfe filled with a composition of charcoal,
saltpetre, ^ d ^ gW R S ^ e rï 'rainmpdiiPY^^.ltóïdb Thcf enormous size
of; Birman .rockets,, has;already, been Policed,:in;theia«couht .given of.the
fireworksjof ljfegus, ipït'seyej^l.that. we :sajv; here,;ïar>exceedéd those; in
magnitude; The. Jarge.oneisjire fired/from ,.a high scaffold;erected for;the
purpose ; baid>oost faStefied, together, of a length adapted to.presefve ithe
poise,form the tail of the rocjcfet ;\in th is f ranch ofpyrotddbhy.the.Birmans
take particular delight^and arerexftremély skilful. - 1
The day’was now far advanced, and the.s un béc omepowerfuL Havingjsai
tisfied our curiosity-, ryégallqpëd back.to our boats, a distance of about seven
miles. I took notice in my way, of frequent sheds, built at . the side of the
road, in which pots of water were, placed, for the refreshmen t of travellers.
Chagaing is the principal emporium, to which cotton is brought from; all
parts of the country, and where.* after being' cleaned, it. is embarked for
the China market: females .perform the labour' of clearing .ikfrbmthe seedsr;
this is effbcted.by double cylinders turned by a lathe, whlchthewoman-works
with her foot, whilst she suppUes. the cotton with;hér.hands. I was told,
that the most opulept merchant in the, empire, resides - at Chagaing,gwho
deals solely in this article. In the; afternoon we loosed our boats and
dropped down to Ava on the opposite, side.
Early -on1 the following morning, I walked .out to examine the ruins of
this deserted-capi tal.• The disposition of its streets and buildings nearly
resembled that of Ummerapoora at the present day. We could .'trace, the
separate divisions of the palace, amidst;,heaps of niibbish .'overgrown by
weeds and thortiS : on the spot where 'but a few years Sidle? the Lotoo
Stood, hndij'u^tméSwas administered to a mighty empire; pulse and Indian
coin were now growing*.''* Passing td^tfee westward, among ruinous walls
arid lallen temples, wé came upon" a go'od road, arid?a miserable old woman,;
u the sad historian” and living .emblem* of4 the- ffla'ce,rip>otnted out-the way
to Logafherpoo Praw, formerly dhe 'fesidfePeetofrthe Seredaw, or high
priest Sf Hh'è4 étripire, where the colossal image of'Ggudma was still td he
viewed'.-“*
•VTfe area on whiëhthe temple stands,'is a square isurroubdedbyan arcade'
dfimaSoöty; 'on eacfeside, nirie cubical towers are ereeteily^M several binld-
ings are cóihprehended within the <spSce*ih closedbytbê ardade.' ‘TKe.templei
in which the stupendous idol is placed-, diifcis from themlher'.pjramidit .d
iMildings,, h.f havirig* excavation that contrikfe-ithe* image. On
entering^ thiS-dome, bur surprise was greatlj^excdfed' a t beholding such a
rhonStrous representation of the divinity. It was ia‘;-&aiudma of marblfct
seated on a pedestal, in its custom ary position. The height of théqdolyfbom
the top o f the head to the pedestal on whidhut sat, was'UeaiSy twerity-fout.
feèt; the head was e i^ ït feet in diameter,-and”across-the breast it-measured)
ten ; the hands were^from five to six feet long; the petteslal, which.was also?
of mairble, was raised eight feet from the ground. The riepjb.aïM' tkèfefe
side of the image were gilded, but the right arm and shoulder remained
uncovered; The Birmans asserted, th a t this, tike every other Gaodma
vehidh I had seen of the same material, wasedmposed of one entire block
öf tSaftWef nor could we on thé closest inspeblioriytobslsr.Ve any junction of
parts. If what th e y said was true, it remains a matter of'muchccuribsity,
to discover how* srich a ponderous mass could be tlraiispOTteltfSfrom its
native bed, and raised in this’-'ptóeë; The building had evidently vbeeri
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