Revenues.
Political Importance
and
Relations.
of fecuring allegiance. The infantry are not regularly „clothed, but arè-
armed with mufkets- and fabfes ; ksyhilë théï{^àvalry ■ carry fpéars, about
feven or eight- feet in length. The royal paga JTi fai'd to1 Contain
about 20,oogt miferable firelocks.!' But the war m£p form the chief
military' eftablifhment, confiftirig of about 500, formed out of the folid
trunk of the teak trceC* the length Bémig f&W itK) Ÿeet^ but the
breadth feldohi exceeding eight. They" carry from 5ó to 60 ró'wèrs, the
prow being folid, with a flat furface, on. which a piece of ordnance is
mounted. Each rower' ia provided with a fwörd and lancef- and thëré
are 30 foldiefs armed with mufkets. The attack is impetu6u||^hd
chiefly conduced- by grappling ; but the vefiels being low in the water,
the greatell danger is that of being run down by a ! largerbfiat ftriki-ng
thi broadfidei Their naVal" adtions thus Tecaîi'totïehfeiHHi&i€ë;tWéïe5ôï
clàffical antiquity. '
’ The revenue arifes from .one t,epth of all prdd|py and pfi&reign
goods imported ; but the-Amount is,uncertain.'^ Ÿet as^ratïjBmewm-
mpnly made,in land or'offices', 'and no monêy levy's We ‘rh^j'tr'édïu'fy
except ip cafes of great' emergency, it is fuppofed thât the ’monarch
poflefles immenfe treafures. .. .."i, , f r ' ’ .
The political importance and relations of the'Birman eriipire may
confiderably influence the commerce of the eaft, an’d'th^fBe'öoffifïd'efê'd
as a barrier agairift the ambition of the Gbinefe, who might perhaps^ be
induced to, extend their pofleflions in'this quarter, and might, in co-operation
with the native princes, endanger our pofleflions in Hindoftan.'
Such is, however, the fuperiority; of European arms, that, this èverif'is.
little to be'apprehended. But ■ if. the Birmans, as is not improbable,
were to extend their.authority oyer the whole 'of that part called India
beyond the Ganges, they might, as being, a moft brave and determined
nation, prove dangerous neighbours to our pofleflions in Bengal, ;efpe-
cially i f fo far advanced, in policy as to co-operate with the weft-
ern princes of Hindoftan. The temporary difgufts' therefore; between
the Britiih and Chine'fefougbt not to induce us to forget
* The teak tree .abounds in this, empire' though rare in Hindoftan, and works as eafily as : the
oak, but is laid to he more lading. It muft not be confounded with iron wood, which will turn
the edge of an axe,
the
the ;g££,a|^r ^danger , frqm .the .Birmap^ whyf^ empire*,it spatinot be our
intereffjtp enlarge, though-' pjcfficv will prevent ,pux qffeting any open
*pbftru<ftipn* ...
I CH A P T E R III.
GlVI.U" * RA P^H Y.
hitefafare. —r dfies. — Edifeqs*,r-~Manitfaftures. - - "
Commerce.
T" ' HE general ^ifpbfition of e’,Birmans ’fllrlkih $1^ cofitfafted with
"‘ that ‘ of’ the Hmdpo|f from whomaf'e^fepa^a.ted only by
\ hlif rbW jShge-qf MountaiflC-'id many pjac'es admitting'of an eafy in-
’tei’coutfe.1 Notwithstanding the friiall extefit of this bafria-jyhe' pHyfical'
•dSierehce * between .th^4^iqns‘couldrf(A*eefly gfiefatferv, had; they been
, fit hated at the oppofiCd- extremities of ?thS‘'.gklbe: - The BirmartS are
ardtvgly inquifitive- mee,ii,a€tiye'/ irafcthfe’, and^iiftjlatient 5 -the' character
oftHeir-Bengal neighbours isstcfe/ well knowmasjthe revei'le^a nfe'd any
delineatiqn; thy^uilwofthy * paffion of -jealohfy' which prompts mpft
nations^ the eaft to immure theif 'syomen wijtfiiu^.he walk*, oj aq hpam,
and furround them with guards, feems to have Scarcely any^nfl,ugnqe
over the minds of this extraordinary and more liberal people. Birman
wives and daughters, are not, concealedTrom the fight; of men, and are
fullered, to have as free intereourfc .with each other, as the rules of
European fociety admit; but in other refpefrs women have juft reafon
to complain o'f their treatment; they are confulered as not belonging to
the fame fcale o f the nation as men, and even the law flfamps a degrading
diftin£tion between the fexes; the evidenpe of a woman is . not
received as of equal weight with that of a man; and a woman is riot
* B B 2
P o l it ic a l
I mporta
n ce, &c.
Manners and
Cssitoms..
fuffered