Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1837-05-17
Nj is SIONARY.
From the Bap. Missionary Magazine for May.
DeputatiOn to Eastern Missions.

DeputatiOn to Eastern Missions.
JOURNAL OF MR.. MAkCoM.-CoNTINUEp
Always in the morning, men and wo-
men are seen in every direction kneeliRg
behind their gift, and with uplifed hands
reciting their devotions, often with
string Of beads counting over each repeti-
ton aged persons are sweeping out every
place, or picking the grass from the crew
ices dogs and crows struggle around
the affairs, and devour the recent offer
ings the great bells utter their frequent
tones and the mutter Of praying voices,
makes hum like the buzzing of an ex-
change. The whole scene is so strange,
so distressing, that one is relieved to stroll
away among the huge trees, and gaze
from the parapet on the unlimited scene
around. 1t is one wide, flat Jungle, with
out single hill, but that ofSyriam in the
distance; but it is nature. 1t is the true
temple of the true God-the onl Y repres-
entation he has given of his natural per-
fections, as the Bible is of his moral ones.
All the rest is distortion, absurdity, and
crime. Of inferior pagodas, Enough
some surpass in size any have seen else
where,) there are, in Rangoon, more than
five hundred. occupying as much space as
the city itself, probably more. Most of
them stand a little out of the city inter-
spersed with groves, empowering costly
| kyoungs and commodious zavats. The
latter are peculiarly numerous, to accom-
modate the hosts of worshippers who
resort hither at certain seasons Of he
year.
In the vicinity of the hill are l5Q fsmi-
lies Of" slaves of the pagoda," containing
about two hundred men, and, as their chief
told me, "pIenty of women" They do
not appear to be poor or despsed, and
their quarter of the city is not Distinguish
ed by any peculiar feature. They be-
come so, not always because Of crime,
but often by merely mourning the dis
pleasure of great man, who spares his
life and gives him to the pagoda. Most of
them are so by birth, for the children of
such persons are forever in the same con-
dition. They are not allowed 10 marry,
except among themselves.
visited the pagoda frequently, about
sunrise, as it is the only direction IN which
one can ride. There was always twenty
five or thirty worshippers scattered up
and down. and on the regular worship
days, one or two hundred. They come
and 60 during the cool Of the morning,
remaining about fifteen minutes, and a.
mounting, was told, in the whole, to two
or three thousand. A few remain all day
in the cool zayats, often performing their
worship, and spending the intervals Of the
time in friendly chat. Some, as an act of
particular merit, stay all night. No
priests are 10 official attendance, nor, in
deed, did ever see any there performing
their own worship.
Every one brings present. often a
bunch of flowers, or only a few green
twigs, plucked on the way but generally
nice eatables, done op tastefufly IN fresh
leaves, or articles of raiment, &c. The
act of worship is called Mee-ko, though
the name isoften given to the mere act Of
prostration which accompanies it. The
amount of offerings here is very great
Stone vases, some of which will hold fifty
or sixty gallons, stand around the pagoda,
into which the devotees carefully lay
their leafy plates Of rice, plantains, cakes,
&c. AS these are successfully filled, ap-
pointed persons from among the pagoda
Slaves empty them into their vessels, as
sorting the various kinds. The beautiful
flowers remain ali night, ell are swept
out in the morning. No one ever object
ed however to my gathering them at
pleasure. A gift once deposited is no
more regarded.
The rainy monsoon has been consider
ed fairly set in, since the 10Th of May,
but it rains as yet generally only towards
night, and the weather is every way deli
cious-eveIy tree being evergreen, few
showers bring forth all the beauties OF
midsummer-though the sun is nearly
vertical, the clouds and showers so cool
the arr, that the thermometer seldom rises
above 8o deg. or 81 deg. at noon, and goes
down to 80 deg. before morning. have
now passed the ordeal Of the entire hot
season, and Of nothing am more con-
vinced, both from experience and obser-
walton, and especially from the testiG:ony
of very many intelligent foreign residents,
that the cline is as salubrious. and as
pleasant as any other in the world
have suffered from heat greatly more. in
Ialy. and even in Philadelphia, than
have ever done here, and have never
found moment, when Icould not be per-
fectly comfortable by sitting still. TO GO
abroad in midday, is, however, more in
tolerahle. and for any but natives, is emf
nentlY hazardous g. -~.~
The mission TO this city has had great
!, disadvantages. and the apparent results