The native American. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1840, 1839-10-19

: The money is often tahen up Without the lntca.
Of payment.
The progeny Of servants are iree.--A female
e, who bears child Of which the master is
father, is herself free. II she choose to re-
in with him; he is obliged to support her as
wife.
Though remarkably united in their religious
Mons, Burmans are not entirely accordant.
lis have arisen, the chief Of which is that OF
Koan-, who are said TO be numerous and
eading. Kolan was reformer, who lived
ut 30 wears ago, and taught ascm!-atheism, or
worship OF Wisdom. Many Of the mobiles
said 10 lie Of his sentiment. Most Of the
Is arc n"ar Ava, they ARC called Paramats.
,ey discard the worship Of Images, and have
ther priests nor sacred books. There is also III
racan a considerable sect, who maintain that
re is one eternal God, who has manifested
nself III thc diaeren, books.-Ihcy deny the
nsmigraiion Of souls, and affirm that At death
future state Of every human being i crrnalIy
I'd. They worship image OF GnadAma tnrTe,
as image to remind them Of the deity. They
ve, however, ayoungs and priests and conform
all the Barman usagcs though rejected as her
cs by tbelr co,lntrymen.
Foreigners are allowed in Bnlmah, the full cx-
else Of their religion. They may build church
, have public professions &C. without moiesta~
II. Bat no nation can be more lntoerant 10
.ir own people, for no Burman may join any OF
sc relIgions under the scverest penalties. They
under the strcle,t surveillance, and to become
Christian openly is TO hazard every thing, even
itself.
The sacred books Of the Barmans are all writ
/, in what is now called dead language there
III Al, bo r,,l ,ho laarnat TbpX
, comprised i'll three divisions, or books, viz.
,ihoke. N'innee, and Ahcadamah. Each Of
Sc is liYi,lel into distinct books, or sections.
We whole is called The Bedugu. Entire cop
are rare, bat parts Of those works arc not
rec. some are truly elegant, the leaf being
vcrch vii, black varnish as fine and glossy as
amel, ad over this The words written ia gold
ers. The leaves which are narrow, are moi.
und rp like our books, but are strung on a cord
would b. a valuable contribution to European
erature, ii some Of our missionaries, who have
, died the Pail language, in wEr!cA the Bedngat
written, W 1ull undertake 4 translation Of the
;enal OF more important parts. \ very con-
cradle portion Of these sacred books consists
stories of the life and acts Of Guadama, in his
.ious traasmigra.ions, and might be omitted. or
sc narratives there are five hundred and fifty.
translation Of half dozen Of them, as sam
), would be sufficient for the present. The
cal parts are far superior to the Koran.
The priests called iii the languacgc of Burmah
IN gyees, are not a caste or hereditary race, but
man may become one. The proportion is
out one to thirty Of the laity. By the sacred
oks they are bound to celibacy and chastity,
d they must not so mach as touch a woman, or
en- any female animal, or any thing woman
worn. AS marriage is unholy, they have
thing to do in uniting man and wife. 1t was
,g difficult TO reconcile converts to the practice
the missionaries in this respect, it seemed TO-
M absolutely abscene. Seclusion, poverty,
interpolation and indifference to all worldly good
evil, arc required in the priesthood. In eating,
priest must nwardly say, : ! eat this rice not to
ease my palate, but to support life In dress.
himself he must say, i put on these robes,
It to be vain Of them, but to conceal my naked
S. And in taking medicine he must say, 4
sire recovery from this indisposition, only that
may be more diligent IN devotion and viruous
rsuis.' Few Of them preach and that but sell
m. In public worship they have no services
perform. When present on religious occa-
ms, they set cross legged in row, and each
Id up before him his large circular fan, to pre-
ut distraction, and to avoid seeing the women.
~ priest may return TO secular life if he pleas
In most cases, young men become priests
the purpose Of education. Sometimes men
it because they thereby become divorced from
:r wives: il which case they soon return again
secular business. The priesthood is a regular
lrarchy, having one great chief or archbishop,
! other subordinate grades, in power and dig
y. Ava, with 4 population Of 100000 souls,
10000 priests.