Morning journal and courier., 1889-04-09
SUNDAY IN BURMAH.
The Function of Melting the HTsaln-
 hOn.39

1 The Function of Melting the ssTsain- boO.ss
 From the Pall Mall Gazette.l
 Perhaps one of the most wonderful strpc l lures that the Orient can boast is the Pagoda ! at Rangoon. "Shway" is Burmese for gold or gilded, and if the reader can imagine an elongated bulbous dome drawn out to a height greater than St. Paul's, and covered summit, he may get an idea of the Shway Dugon Pagoda. But stay, he must not for get the eastern sun blazing on it in a clear atmosphere, causing the eye to turn away from it, dazzied by its supreme brilliance, for relief among the deep-green foliage at it's feet. At the very crown of the spire is fixed a canopy studded with rubies, diamonds, emeralds and sapphires, and this again is crowned by gilded flag, in which all the choicest gems are set in pure gold. This flag was recently dislodged by an earth- quake and was taken down, and for three consecutive Sundays all the pious Burmese docked to contribute 6 share towards the ex- pense of remodelling and enriching this or- nameut. There are two or three layers of leaden alloy inside, while outside these are covered with layer of pure gold about quarter of an inch thick, and densely en- crusted with gems.
 The remelting is solemn ceremony con- ducted by the "poongyees." or Burmese el- ders, select committee of whom gather and control the public funds. Clad in flowing white garments, the ''poongyees" gather be- hind bamboo" barrier, inside kind of square tent, and receive the offerings of the people, which vary from 8 diamond worth sixty hundred rupees to few pice, ac- cording to the wealth of the donor. The high caste Burmese lady comes forward, and, unclasping costly bangle set with gems, hands it over to the presiding functionary; the magnate strips his rings from his hands and they too go into the melting pot, while the poorer people contribute small gold rings, bangles, necklaces, pins, etc., down to ru- pees, annas and pices. In the meantime, iu the forepart of the enclosure, which is richly hung with all the native emblems, such as umbrellas, feathers, vases, quaintly colored carpets, long muslin leaves covered with spangles and gold, and such like, two char coal fires are being kept alive with blow pipes, in which are to be seen crucibles full of molten gold; at six o'clock the gold is cast into ingots, and the final melting takes place on the last Sunday of the three.
 The crowd of spectators pressing round the bamboo barriers is of 8 very varied na- ture. Gayly decked Burmese girls, with faces plastered over with white paint if of high rank, the hair turned up over the head,
 
 children; Chinamen in huge hats and loose coats, with yellow. oily complexions; Shans in black clothes; Pathans of fine stature and appearance; Parsees, from Bombay, of a Semitic cast of countenance; Hindus, Sikhs, Panjabees, half castes and Europeans of ali nations are to be found in this motley mass. The surroundings too are well worthy of re. mark. Surrounding the base of the pagoda are numerous shrines and smaller paRodas fitted with the most wondrous carving; out side these sit musicians plsying on tom toms, gongs, strange violins and string instru- ments; you see two or three bands assem- bled within few feet of each other, each playing its own tune (f tune it can be called) irrespective of it's neighbors; there too are the chiromancists or fortune tellers. astrolo- gists and provision mongers. If you are in. clined to be told your character and future, you pay few annas and find that you are going to be blessed with ten sons and daugh ters, that you hospitable and kind heart ed, and, above all things, extravagantly gen. erous-the latter quality is never missing in l the catalogue, for the willy Burman hopes in this way to screw out another anna or two, but perhaps as rule unsuccessfully. l
 When Burman goes to pray he can do it l most comfortably, as he breakfasts in church | and puts in a prayer between each mouthful, and if anything tickles him he stops to have a hearty laugh. The Burman has been called the Irishman of the East, not alto- Sether without reason perhaps.