Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1885-11-22
BURMAH.

BURMAH,
The People, Their Religion and Means
of Education, heir Army, Their No
rel with England.
Upper Bnrmah, or Burmah proper, lies
compre 'sed in the upper valley Of the Ir-
rawaddy river, being divided from British
Burmah by purely arbitrary line. Pre-
vious to the yesr 1928 the Burmese EN-
pire was one OF great importance and ex-
tent, compared with the other Indo-C Chi
nese nations. But at the present day il
has shrunk to the dimensions cf a
petty principality, with foreign
civilized neighbor holding all its
seaboard provinces and the mouths of
it's. great waterway; while its power as a
af territory actually under the sway of the
King Of Burmah is somewhat loosely de-
fined, owing to the encroachments and
more than halfadmitted independence
OF scms so-called subject States on
the borders; but the gross area is
about 81 00e square miles. An es-
innate of the population can be formed
on little else than conjecture, for no CEN
sus has ever been taken. Col Symes
gave the population as 100000 souls,
which subse suent inquiries reduced to
3,OO0OO0. The population cannot possibly
be dense. Possibly there are twenty-five
persons to the square mile, or a totsl for
Burnah proper of 1,075,0O0, and 100000
for the Northern Shan States, or a gross
population Of 1875, 900 inhabitants. This
ON is the E istern Shan States, which are
more populous. The devastating wars
which have swept over Indo-China,
and OF which, owing to its posi-
ton, it has been the theater from
the most remote historical times,
have terribly thinned a population once
very dense. 1t is now over three centu-
ries since Europeans were first acquainted
with the nations of Indo-Chins, and
during the whole of that period, until En-
ylish occupation of British Burmab, those
oations have waged among themselves,
without foreign aid or Interference, a
course OF hostility and devastation, pur-
sued generally for conquest or revenge, as
terrible as any on record.
THE PEOPLE.
The indigenous inhabitants consist
chiefly of Burmese and Shans; but XIV
ems, Kakhyens, X athays, Karens, and
other tribes are met with, as we'll as
Chinese and natives of In lila who have
settled in the towns. There are yery few
countries in the world where a greater
diversity OF race is met with than in Bur-
nah, but the Mongoloid element predom-
mates, and it appears under very numer-
GUS forms. The natives are extremely
pleasant in manner, light-hearted, and
more Independent and courageous than
other races OF Indo- China. They
are not SO civilized as the Hindoos, but
hey have absolutely no caste pre- judices,
and in other respects they differ from the
| natives Of Hindostan so radically that
hey have scarcely any characteristics in
common. Probably the liberty Of women
reaches in Burmah hight not attained
in any other country of the East, not even
Japan. The choice OF manageable girls
IS perfectly free; a mans wife acts for her
husband in almost any business ca
pAciIyi women appear in public un-
veiled, and their intercourse with stran.
| gers is unrestricted. They are born petty
| traders, and in many cases conduct a
| thriving retail business, while their male
relatives are idliJg or gambling. Marriage
| with the Burmese is purely a civil rite
| and although divorce is very easily OBJ.
| tanned, there is little immortality among
| them-notwithstanding travellers tales to
| The contrary-and in some cases
| after divorce the parties to the
suit promptly remarry and live to.
gether as before. In spite OF great deal oi
| improvidence, paupt trism may be said to
be quite unknown. None are very rich OF
very poor. A days work is easily got, and
tle land is so bountiful that the earnings
of day suffice for three days living
There are no poor laws, the monssteries in
reality flrrning gigantic system of relisf
| always open to strar gers and natives
| alike. without any trouble about settle
ment"
SMOKING AND TATTooING.
| The Burmese are nation of smokers
| Every man, woman end child, from the
| King downward, may be said to smoke
| immense cberoots four or five inches long
| made of q coarse leaf rolled up and ii LED
| With wood chips, raw sugar and dash oi
| tobacco, according 20 taste. One Of these
cheroots, once lit, equently passes round
the entire family circle, not forgetting
even the smsllest meut ers of it, The
| practice of tastooipg the body from the
waist to the knees may almost be said tc
he universal among the male population
The operation is extremely painful, and il
most cases it is performed in installments
but some with stronger nerves, or by tbt
aid of opium, have it done at one time
rhe absence of tattoo marks is regarded
as not very creditable; and those without
them wear their dress in such way tha
the want shall not be too evident. Tn,
origin of tattooing has been much dis
| puted. The Burmese are fond to a sur
prising degree of gambling, anus menti
and sports, or anything that will excite
them. Boat-racing is a national sport
while boxing, foot-IaciDg and wrestling
afford an endless fund of amusement
The tug of war is g favorite amusement o
theirs, into which they throw themselves
ith great zest.
RELIGION AND EDUCATION.
The prevailing religion of the Burmes,
and Shans and Is Buddhism mixed witt
| Shamauism. \ comprehensive idea O
the nature of this religion, as praciicsC
in Burmah, is unattaiDahle within thr
limits of a short article, but few salien
points may be remarked. Contrary to tn
notion generally entertained in England
Burmese Buddhists are atheists of yer
pronounced type. They do not worship
Buddha, the images are not gods, and tn
priests" are not priests in the Western
sense OF the word. The sole end and air
of Bud ihism is annihilation; the image
are mere representations of a Bsing VIII
was perfect; and the priests, or monks 6
they ought more properly to be styled
are only men who for their own benef
have renouneed the world to devote thei
lives to working toward the Nirvana, tn
humiliation they covet. In Bul
nah religion is the business of lift
The country is covered by temples
and these swarm with priests. High an
} low enter a monastery once in their livei
/ sometimes merely as a formality, but
vast number remain permanently in th
/, Order of the yellow Robe. The only &c
ucationsl machinery existing is TO
found in the mouasteries. Lay schools d
not exist for any practical purposes. Tn
nearest rudiments of secular educatio
, are impaired in these institutions, tn
great object being the inculcstion of II
! ligious precepts. But from the fact ths
nearly every adult male has pssse
: through a monastery, it comes about tbs
! BuIman who cannot at least write b
I own name is very seldom met with an
, educatl n, such as it is, is fairly wild,
spread. The education of women, how
ever, is neglected, though they are free I
learn.
THE ARMY.
| The rabb.e composing the "army"
} the King, whatever it may once hay
been, is not now very formidable. III
men are levied from the districts, and
the local officials make considerable re-
5 enue out of selling exemption to tho
: who are rich enough to bny it, the me
: who ultimately appear in the ranks a
' the refuse Of the population. The nur
l | bsrs depend entirely upon the state
: the Kings treasury and his willingness
: disburse the pay of the men. Sever
: hundred so-called artillerymen and ca
{ airy, mounted on ponies, clad in fantsst
4 uniform, are unworthy Of criticism. II
2 Burmese are not devoid Of courage, an
If inspired by loyalty, and fighting again