The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-04-03
The MengOOn Bell.

Burmah is a country in which the his
torical value or importance OF bellsls only
surpassed by their universal use n ap-
parently religious connections with the
rites and ceremonies of Buddhism. Al
most every temple, or rather pagoda, Is
provided with a bell, which is reveren-
TALLY struck by each Of the several yoSar'
es at the particular shrine, previous to
the Offering up of prayers, with a view to
it's being noised abroad generally In the
material and spiritual world that the
%suppliaut is willing to share the after re-
wards to be derived, as the merit OF his
prayer or offerings, with all the rest OF
mankind.
The Mengoon bell is situated on the
right bank of the Irrawaddy, almost OPP
posite the present royal city of Mandalay.
It's weight is a hundred and ninety.hVe
thousand pounds, calculated according
to the quantity of metal used in the cast
ING, and it's extreme height and breadth
that is to say, the height and breadth OF
the bell proper) are respectively twenty
one feet and eighteen feet; SO that, as
regards size and weight, franks amongst
the most remarkable bells IN the world:
1t is suspended on three massive round
logs of teak, placed horizontally and lon
qitudinally, the one over the other, their
ends resting on pillars of vast size, COM
posed alternately of masonry and large
upright teak posts.
These pillars are becoming dilapidat-
ed. The three teak logs, too. from whlcn
the bell is suspended, have, nautlcally
speaking, it will be seen, "taken a list,
not to port, but amidships. and sensi6ly
acknowledge the stupendous burden
under, or rather above, which they
labor.
This bell was cast about seventy-five
years ago, in the time and under the
superintendent of King Bo-Do-Plyah,
the great grandfather of the present rul-
ing sovereign of Burmah. Bo-Do-Piyah's
reign is famous in the history OF Bur:
NAH as having extended over q period OF
thirty. six years; and his memory is still
revered as the sovereign during whose
time the Burmese empire, far and wide.
fourished under the genial effects OF
plentiful and abundant harvests, and by
the virtue of whose almost supernatural
power it's limits were extended to dis
tances never before attained. ,.
Near the bell is a pagoda of prodigious
size, also erected by the same monarch,
at about the same time that he interested
himself in the casting OF the famous bell,
The pagoda is a square brick building Of
solid masonry, and measures in length
on each side one hundreda and fifty yards
It rises in this square form, and with al
most imperceptibly diminished proper:
tons, to q height of one hundred and
fifty feet, when the work seems sudden.
Fly to have arrested. It has not escaped
the effects of earthquakes, which, from
thine to time, have been so ruinous X
masonary buildings in Upper Burmah
Several large cavernous assures appear
in various parts in it's inside, from topic
bottom, and may be said to hold out *
sacrilegious explorers q rather tempting
road to wealth; that is to say, if credenct
is to be placed in the alleged fact tina
within the solid masonry of the building
lie entombed one hundred images o.
solid gold, of life size, each image re-
presenting one of the members of King
Bo-Do-Piyah's family. The story relates
that the members of the royal family
(most probably IONS and daughters only,
amounted to ninety-nine, and that the
king was obliged to adopt n child into
his household to make up the round
number of one hundred.