Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1837-03-15
MISSIONARY.

JOURNAL OF MR., MALcoM.-coNT1NUE'
Singular festivals.

JOURNAL OF MR., MALcoM.-coNT1NUED
Singular festivals.
The festivals which usher in the new
year commencing at the April new moon, J
have, for several days past, kept the town
excited. Before every Burman house is
erected neat bamboo palisade, six or
eight feet long, decorated very tastefully
with young palm-trees at the posts, and
along the top, pots Of water, filled with
various beautiful blossoms The mois-
tened streets send up an cnlivening fresh
ness, which, with the odors Of the flowers
makes the streets like a charming avenue
in a garden. The ceremony 70 which
these are preparations is at once absurd
and amusing, and seems peculiar to Bur
mans. Il is a general war Of wafer
- Every one is at liberty to wet his neigh
Dor, but the compliment is chiefly paid by
women to men, and men to women; the
children taking the principal share of the
business into their hands. have just
been riding along the principal streets to
witness the scene, but no one offered 10
compliment me, or other foreigners, with
bowl Of water. They know that for
eigners do not relish the sport though
sometimes, out Of ill-timid complaisance,
they submit to it. Almost universally the
people take it pleasantly, but occasionally
tsaw little fellows chased and overthrow
in the dirt, who played off on men. 1t
certainly requires some command of tenn
per, TO show entire nonchalence when the
children, project forcible stream from
large bamboo syringes directly into the
eyes and ears, creeping up sill y for the
purpose, and running off with EMULATION.
Not native is to be seen with dry clothes !;
but "holliday clothes" on this occasion
are their poorest.
No one can assign any origin or sig
ni6catiou TO this custom. 1t seems as if
il must have originated in some notions Of
publication from the sins Of the old, and
entering cleanscd upon the new year
but Boodhists have no idea Of the remls-
sion Of sins, in any way. Their only
hope is to balance them with merit.
Besides this harmless and merry Gus.
tom, the religious celebrations Of several
classes offoreigners have kept the town
in confusion for n fortnight past The
Chinese have just had their annual cere
monies in memory Of deceased ancestors
Hearing, few mornings since, an un
common din Of great gongs and other dis
cordant instruments, went to the veran
dab. and saw the procession pass to the
cemetry. 1t was a meagre affair as tc
pomp, but doubtless quite as absurd as i
il had been in their own country. A sue
cession of the tables borne like biers OF
mems shoulders, were spread with hogs
goats, and poultry, roasted whole, togeth
er with other eatables; the horrid music
followed, and a procession with stream
crs, terminated by man or two with mus
kcts, firing at short intervals A priest
in proper costume, walked on each side 0
the tables.
Nothing can exceed the revolving exh
billions made by the Hindoo mussulman.
who also are now holding their annua
feast Of Mohurrum. BY nature almo:
black, they make themselves entirely $
with plint; many Of them adding bloch
es and hideous figures, not only on the
faces, but on every part Of their body, an
Of every colored earth they can find
Some 90 further, and put on masks {
truly .lhtIDdlupHueSSS Win lOIHS, SuOuE
aud indiscribable distortions. never b
held them but with fresh horror. Nov
ing about the streets in companies, the
wrlthe in every muscle, some THROWN
their arms about as If ready to attac
every one they meet, and others slappin
long fat sticks together, beating on drums
and pieces Of brass, yelling and film
the air with clamor: Man could n,
more brutify himself, even in the NADINE.
OF intoxication. ..~.-. ..
These three ceremonies are, perhap
pretty fair specimens Of the habits Of Il
three nations Of idolaters Surely the
furnish no ground for the boast of Il
inlidel, as to The purity and nobleness
human nature evinced by pagans who
morals have not been contaminated
Europeans. ....-a..s Co.,.
~ ar RipeT Excursions. .....
DESTROYS Of seeing the people, as mu
as possible, in their own retired villag,
where foreign infence IS unknown, a
ofuscertaining the numbers, locality, .
from personal observation, i occupied I
latter part, Of April in making two
curslons into the interior; one up the ID
Gyieng, and the other up the Salw
river ! In the FIRST, Mrs. Jaison aceo
panied me. and in the last and longest, n
80. - Fl 7 /.