Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1839-02-20

PIE hotel. The neighbors readily furnish
water, and fruits seem free. A little fire
kindied near, cooks the rice; an hour:
slamSer follows the unpretending meal
and all things are ready for start"
Mr.. Malcolm made several excursions
into the country. and his descriptions Of
me interior are very interesting:
:" The whole region Immediately above
Maulmeln is alluvial !; the rocks chiefly
blue limestone of excellent quality. The
country is fiat, fertile, and beautiful, but.
though once populous, is now thinIy in
haened. The scenery is rendered roman
tic and peculiar by small mountains, r;s.
ing abruptly from the level fields to the
height OF four, five, and six hundred feet :;
the base scarcely exceeding the size of the
summit. In most parts, trees and shrubs
cling to the sides; but here and there the
casJellated and perpendicular rocks pro-
Ject above the foliage. like the turrets of
some hugernined tower. On the sum-
nlts OF many of them, apparently inscces
slble to human feet, Boodhist zeal has
erected pagodas, whose white forms, con-
splcuous far and near, remind the travel
Ter every moment that he SURVEYS re-
glon covered with the shadows of spiritu-
al death. Some of the smaller of these
hills | ascended. My heart sickened as
| stood beside the dumb gods of this de-
luded people, looking down and around
on fine country, half peopIed by half
civilized tribes, enjoying but haIflhe bless
.Ings Of their delicious climate, borne by
whole generations to the chambers of
death. They eat, and drink, and die. No
inventions, no discoveries, no attainmenls,
no en]oyments, are theirs, but such as
nave descended to them age by age; and
nothing is left to prove they have been,
but their decayed pagodas, misshapen
gods, and unbiessed graves
The following is the form of the judi
cial oath among the Burmese, which is
indeed curiosity: ~-..
q will speak the truth. II l speak
not the truth, may it be through the in
tiuence OF the laws Of demerit, viz: pas
sion, anger, folly, pride, false opinion, i'm
nodesty, hard heartedness, and skepti-
-clsm; so that when l and my relations
are on land, land animals, as tigers, ele-
plants, bufaIoes, poisonous serpents, scor-
pions, Sc. shall seize. crush, and bite US.
SO that we shall certainly die. Let the
calamities occasioned by fire, water, ruI-
ers, thieves and enemies, Cypress and de-
stroy US. till we perish and come to utter
destruction. Let Us be subject 10 all the
calamities that are within the BODY. and
all that are without the body. Nav we
Dc seized with madness, dumbness, blind
ness, deafness, leprosy, and hydrophobia.
May we be struck with thunderbolts and
lightning, and come to sudden death. In
the midst of not speaking truth, NAV | be
taken with vomiting cloted black blood.
and suddenly die before the assembled neo.
pie. When | am going by water. NAV
the aquatic genii assault ne, the boat be
upset, and the property lost and may al
ligators, po:polses, sharks, or other sea.
monsters, seize and crush me to death -
and when>l change worlds, NAV | not ar
rive among men or mats, but suffer unmix-
ed punishment and regret, in the utmost
wretchedness, among the four states of
punishment, He'll, Prita, Beasts, and Ath-
urakai.
eff speak truth, may and my reIa-
tons, through the influence ofthe ten laws
OF merit, and on account of the efficacy of
truth, be freed from all calamties within
and without the body and may evils
which have not yet come, be warded
away. May the ten caIamities and the
five enemies also be kept far away. Nav
the thunderbols and lightning, the genii
of waters, and all sea animals, love me,
that may be safe from them. May my
prosperity increase like the rising sun and
the waxing moon; and may the seven
possessions, the seven laws, the seven mer-
its ofthe vlrtucus, be permanent in my
person and when change worlds, may
not GO to the four states of punishment,
but attain the happiness of men and mats,
and realize merit, reward, and annihlla-
ton"
Mr. Malcolm gives very full account
of the Boodhist religion, which has been
for centuries, the most prevalent form of
religion on earth, and is protested by hall
of the population OF China, Lao, Cochin
China, and Ceyon; all OF Cambt ia, ST.
am, Burmah Ihibet, Tartary and Loo
Choo, and great part ofJapan, and 9TH
er islands of the South seas. He SAYS
very correctly that "a system which thus
enchains the minds of half the human
race, deserves the attention of both chris
tians and philosophers, however fabulous
and absurd" After describing their reii
gion, the author goes on to say
mo false religion, ancient or modern
is comparable to this It's philosophy is
indeed, not exceeded in folly by any 9th,
err; but its doctrines and practical piet,
bear strong resemblance TO those Of ho
. lu scrininre There is scarcely a nrin