The Davenport daily gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1869, 1856-06-09
IHE DAILY GAZETTE.
BURNING A PRIEST,

ASNiLiS ShAE 1ll!Io, " liCA N-5NtLg AZ
Moulmeyne. in Burmah, | witnessed
anextraordinary, ceremony--the burn
ing OF deceased Poughy or priest Of
the highest rank. These priests, with
their aunken eye, high cheek bones,
and low foreheads, are perfectly hide
Gus. Although supported chiefly by
charity, their habitations ars always
the bandsomest, and arc built on the
most favorable site in the whole village
They never beg, but certain number
OF them 20 out two or three times q
week with a large eartlien vase, held
under the arm IN a singular manner;
walking slowly through the village,
one after another, never raising their
eyes, and silently stopping q few mo
uients before each house as they pass.
Every villager contributes portion
OF food; and on their return to the
Poughy- y-house, the Poughies put part
Of what they have received in an open
box or trough, placed in front OF the
Poughy- house. for their poorer breth-
ren.
The Poughies wear yellow robe,
exactly resembling the Roman toga,
made OF cotton, silk, satin. or velvet.
according to their rank. They are
forbidden to hold any communication
with women, who arc not even allow
ed to enter any place Of worship, bat
are obliged to transmit their offerings
through their husbands, or any male
relative. to the Poughy, to present to
their guadinah or god. This deity is
a hideous earth.rn figure paintec
white, AMI represented in a sitting 20
sition. Sometimes the iare is palnt-d
black; ani not un requcntly half .
the iace is gilt, as toAeu ofgratitu ic
rom some rich Brlnan, who has r.
covered from an illness or some other
misfortune. On one occasion, til,
Commissioner OF Moulin .yns assisted
me to mount on q sort OF raised lam
boo terrace, On which number oil
Poughies were squatted, in order to
witness boat race. In passing by, Is
part OF my dress accidentally touched
one OF them. The priest Immediately
rose n a violent rage, muttering M
heard of anathemas against me; and
he and all his 5rcrhr, retired in great
llsgust. hearl afterwards that TIL
DOR priest | had innocently victimzed
was obliged to un Iergo severe penane,
to purify himself from the eontanliaa
ton OF my un ue Ky self.
When t'uughy ot the highest ordel
lies, they place the 30 lyin honey, am
proceed to make funeral car, whicb
AS tley beg Il great part OF the mate
rial fak.s rome months 10 finish. The
Englirh blue AM green finger glasses
and pieces OF broke IL glass and lSrce,
ain, are much prizsd ly them ion
this purpose. watched ior man,
weeks the construction OF a nlagniti
cent car they were building ior the
ceremony OF burning the body OF
Poughy OF the highest lank. and was
astonished BY the taste aud elegance
displayed by these halt savage Blr
mans. The pieces of colored glass
had been cut into leaves, and were
inlaid in graceful wreath round the
body OF the car; while the canopy or
bladequin which was supported y
four columns to each corner. On til,
day appointed for the ceremony, h,
body, which was carefully envelopad n
a common yellow robe, was place on
the car. 10 which number of sour
ropes had been attached before and
| behind, and the ceremony OF drawing
il to the open space where the tunerai
pile had been erected commenced. -
The women seized the ropes in front.
and the men those behind. At every
attempt OF the women to draw the car
onward, the men responded by draw
ing it back again, amidst shrieks and
shouts OF laughter. This extraordi-
nary scene is supposed TO typify the
struggle between the good and bad
spirits who bad influenced the Poughv
while living. for the possession of his
body after death. After some hours
the fair sex came off victorious and
the car proceeded quietly on its jour-
ney. While this scene was going on.
the chiefs or head men ofthe neigh
boring villages, accompanied by their
respective tollowers-who were dis.
tinguished by the peculiar color Of a
kind OF tartan silk, which is made il
Blrnah, and which the men wear
around their loins-conducted the
immense rockets destined to blow up
the funeral pile to the open space
The rockets are formed OF the trunk Of |
tree, which is followed out and
nlled with gunpowder OF the coarsest
kind, and which is laid on a rude car
riage with four wheels. On the top
of the rocket is placed, in stariiing
position, large figure OF a horss, an
elephant or warrior also filled with
gunpowder. On this occasion the
White elelihaut-supl osed to be fac.
silnile of the lar famed and sacred one
at Ava--was destined to be the cause
Of tlagical event and oss OF life.
The car having reached i's destina
rion, the loly was take n flcm It and
placed on the pile, which had ie,n
p. vi,,usly PREF AIRED. The rockets in.
tended TO ignite the pill, were ranged
at a distance Of about eight hundrtd
yards, and either side OF thes ace WIS
crowded with spectators. The day !
was leautitul, and ,heposition selected |
for the ceremony most picturesque -
The glitering spires OF snow white pa
godas that crowned the neighboring
hills cleaned brightly through the
tme.; the gay colored silk dresses oi
the Brman women, in which red an
yellow always predominant, and the
scarlet coats OF the British sol liers;
added to the brilliancy of tha scene,
and gave it an appearance OF gayety
little in accordance with the presence
Of death. Alta given signal. q match
uraa annliad 70 the tnnch hole e,f the