Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1837-01-25
From the Christian Waterman.



LETTER FROM BURMAH.
The following letter from the Rev. Mr..
Malcolm, to the Rev Mr.. Warne, of
BrookIine, has been obIigingly furnished
for our columns.
MAuLMEIN, APRIL 5, 1886.
1t has pleased God to permit me to live
TO reach this heather land, and enter upon
my agency. o that my ways may please
my divine Master, and that, commit
ting my ways to him, he may direct my
steps
am greatly disappointed in the char
acter and condition Of the Burmans, so
far as the things ofthis world are concer-
ned. Religious Y, they are as | expected
to find them. But as to comforts OF life.
civilization, and social happiness, they are
far superior to any conceptions had for
med. In this city slx-sevenlhs of both
men and women, that one meets in the
street are dressed in silk, and that not a
mere strip long enough 10 go round the
waist, but five or six wards, in a mans
garment. passed round the waist and over
the shoulder end covering the entire per-
son nearly to the ankles. In mailer pIa-
ces, as with us, The people dress less ex-
pensiveIy. | have now visited Tavoy
and Mergui, and neither in those pIace s
or here, have seen beggar, or any indi-
vidual who seemed very poor, or any
house which was remarkably inferior to
the great bulk and average Of dwellings.
They seem to the cursory G Iance OF a
stranger to possess in this fine country
and climate every thing requisite 10 hu-
man comfort, and TO have these comforts
distributed with very even hand. No.
thing but the horrid government under
which they have lived for ages, could,
Speaking after our Inanner) have kept
them from being a numerous and happy
people Under the equal administration of
justice they enjoy now, in these provinces,
the people. have 40 doubt, will multiply
and greatly improve. The population,
at present, Of all British Burmah south of
: Rangoon is but one hundred thousand
The population Of Arracan is 200, 900,
making only 100000 in the whole. The
whole population Of Burmah proper is
reckoned by the best inforlnedEne llshmen
| have seen, at from to millions. One
author rec kons Oh y three millions.
But l am fully persuaded, fom minute
conversation with English officers and
others who have travelled 10 the interior,
in different spots, that little dependence
can be placed on any of the general esti-
mates, and am pretty confident that the
entire population is much underrated.
But, allowing the inhabitants to be no
more numerous than late estimates, this
country presents vast field. 1t contains
nations or tribes who extend into Tibet
China, and Siam and who. if evangeI-
lied, would at once carry the gospel far
and wide, over this whole region, from
the Bay of Bengal 10 the China sea, inclu-
ding the two peninsulas. We have made
but a mere beginning. We have labor
ers among Burmans and Kerens. In the
latter language scarcely any books.
There are in the country, in addition to
these, not few other nations or tribes for
whom no one is laboring, whose language
no missionary has acquired, and who have
no Christian books. have learned this
touching fact from one and another, rspe-
ciaily British officers. Some could tell
Iue VI. ohe people, anu SOME OF dnotHe'
where they had travelled, with various
particulars of the people. No one per-
son that have seen, had even heard Of
all these. My list already includes
Shans (several different tribes aud differ
emf languages) Kalhees. Kanthees, Yaws,
See-longs, Kahs, Toungthoos, Wahs'
Moys. Cayens, or Boo-as, Eccabat ku-
bas,. Nagahs, Tswahs, Karen-nees, Ton
Cos and Lenzens. All these need mis-
sionaries. All of them have languages OF
their own, and want Christian books.
Some are Boodhists and some are not !;
but all are, cropping their way down to
ruin. What scope for Christian enter
prizeI How jealous should Baptists be
to cultivate field assigned them by Prov
idence. and left to them, by their fellow
saintsl
/ expect in a few days to 60 into the
Jungle, among the Kerens; and in six OF
eight weeks, to proceed to Rangoon.
remain yours, &c.
= HoWARp MALcoM.