The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1888-08-23
TATTooINo IN BURMAH.
How 1t Is PerfOrmed-Opium as an An
esthetic-Designs.

estnetlC-DeStSubs
OF all Burmese customs, one of the
most singular is that of tattooing the
person, from the waist to below the
knees, with figures in Black ink. Every
man in the country is thus adorned, and
unless his skin be unusually dark, he
looks at little distance as though he
were clothed in tight fitting pair of
knee breeches The custom is said to be
falling into disuse, but / have seen very
few Burmans without this mark of
manhood" which is conferred upon him
when he is about I2 to IA years old. The
operation is painful one, and l was glad
of the opportunity that now offered to
see it, though aware that it takes at least
two or three days to complete.
Pho Myin, the subject, is lying on
mat quite nude, with dazed look in his
half closed eyes, and breathing heavily.
Moung Daw mods at him meaningly.
'.He has taken much opium, he says,
grinning to me.
Tam not surprised at it. If the Htok-
winsayahgyee was going to exercise his
art upon me for four or five hours,
should follow the Burman's plan and
take opium by way of an anasthetic.
The tattooing will show well upon the
plump, fair skinned lad before us, and
the professor evidently thinks he is q
subject to take pains with, as he sits
carefully mixing his ink in joint of
bamboo and preparing his weapon. This
is brass rod nearly two feet long and
about half an inch thick; it is weighted
at the top with little ornamental figure,
oy,A Of fl,a ~ and hoe hrll.>v, NJ
divided by two cross slits into four fine
pricks. The professor examines the
business end' critically, and, having
sasisfied himself that it is sharp enough,
| .ucks up his putsoe and squats at Pho
Myin's side. Selecting a spot on the
thigh, he places both feet ON it few
inches apart, and stretching the skin
| tight, draws the outline of the first
| fgure-a tiger rampant-with an inky
splinter of bamboo; this is soon
done, and relieving himself of large
mouthful of betelnut, the professor set
ties down to work in earnest. Leaning
forward through his widely parted knees,
he balances the brass style daintilv, and,
clasping it with the finger end thumb of
the right hand, makes a bridge" of the
| lC1ts WhlSli ilS lCoto oll tiiC bulldNC bC-
tween his feet. After sliding the instru-
ment through his fingers once or twice,
asif to take aim. he makes a start and
pricks away steadily with a light firm
touch that is wonderfully quick and true.
In less than five minutes the tiger, with
its surrounding border, is finished and
the artist removes his feet from the dis
tended skin, and washes off the superflu-
GUS ink to see how his work has come
out. Everybody presses forward to look
at the picture, which shows up in bold
relief on the rapidly formed swelling.
| Moung Saik exchanges a remark with
his wife, and the tattooer resumes his
working position to draw the outline of
the next figure.
The boy, stupefied with opium, lies in
sensible to the pain, while one figure after
another gradually appears on his skin.
Deep as the points of the style sink, they
draw little blood, but the limb swells In
a manner that would alarm any one who
did not know it would return to its nor
NAL size in a day or two. Fever some
times intervenes, and in that case the pa
tient waits for time before the work of
illustration is resumed, so it often ex-
tends over period of week or ten days,
during which the Inconvenience suffered
is considerable. Without the aid OF
opium the process would be a much
longer one. found that l could not en-.
dure the application of the style for more
than thirty consecutive seconds without
flinching SO much as to interfere with the
operators movements; for the skin is
pricked over SO closely that it becomes
too tender to sustain their repetition.
Eight rupees is the usual fee paid to {
tattooer for endowing a lad with breeches
The figures that compose them vary
little, consisting as rule of tigers
"nagas" (dragons) and "belees" devils
Each one is surrounded with border o
sentences. generally illegible, invoking
good luck upon the owner of the Skin
whereon they are inscribed. The wais
and knees are neatly finished off with {
tasteful edging of point or scroll pattern
these sensitive parts of the body are the
last tobe done, and tattooers have TOLD
me that the pain causeds frequently
arouses the patient from his torpor.-
Cornhill Magazine.