Daily Yellowstone journal., 1888-04-12
~IAIIooINa IN eURMAH.
How II Is Performed-0pium rs an An.
nsthetic-Designs.


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 a little distance as though he
were clothed in a tight fitting pair of
knee breeches. The custom is said to be
falling into disuse, but l have seen very
few Burmans without this mark Of
manhood, =" which is conferred upon him
when he is about IL to IA years old. The
operation isa painful one, and | was glad
of the opportunity that now offered to
see il, though aware that it takes at least
two or three days to complete.
Pho Myin, the subject, is lying on a
mat quite nude, with a 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.
l am not surprised at it. If the Htok-
w~insayahgyee was going 10 exercise his
art upon me for four o five hours, l
should follow the Burman's plan and
take opium by way of an anesthetic.
The ~tattooing will show well upon the
plump, fair skinned lad before us, and
the professor evidently thinks he is a
subject to take pains with, as he sits
carefully mixing his ink in a joint of
bamboo and preparing his weapon. This
is a brass rod nearly two feet long and
about half an inch thick; il is weighted
at the top with a little ornamental figure,
and ut the other end has a hollow point
divided by two cross Sits into four fine
pricks. The professor examines the
cuisines end critically, and, having
satisfied himself that it is sharp enough,
tucks up his putsoe and squats at Pho
Myin's side. Selecting a spot on the
thigh, he places both feet m it a few
inches apart, and stretching the skin
tight, draws the outline Of the first
figure-a tiger rampant-with an inky
splinter of bamboo; this is
done. and relieving himself of a 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 daintily, and.
clasping it with the finger and thumb Of
the right hand, makes a bridge of the
left, which he rests on the surface be-
tween his feet. After sliding the instru-
ment through his fingers once or twice,
as if 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, stupefed 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 a time before the work Of
illustration is resumed, so it often ex-
tends over a period of week or ten days,
DURING which the Inconvenience suffered
is considerable. Without the aid of
opium the pl cess would be a much
longer one. | found that ! 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 a
tattooer for endowing a I'D with breeches.
The figures that compose them vary
little, consisting as n rule Of tigers,
'snagas' ldragons) and ''beloes" devils.
Each one Is surrounded with a border Of
sentences. generally illegible, invoking
good luck upon the owner Of the skin
whereon they are inscribed. The waist
and knees are neatly finished off with o
tasteful edging Of point or scroll pattern
these sensitive parts of the body are the
last 10 be done. and t%attooers have told
me that the pain caused frequently
arouses the patient from lis torpor.-
Cornhill Magazine.