These are momentous questions. | stretches along its eastern verge, It greatly concerns us that we and the west is terminated by the should give a right answer, and that Tiperah mountains and the river this answer should be in the affirm- Nauf. The number of square miles ative. For unless we are renewed comprised in this empire is estimain the spirit of our mind, unless ted at 194,000, (exclusive of Aslike the publican we have prayed, sam) containing Ava, Arracan, PeGod be merciful to us sinners,-gu, Martabau, Tenasserim, Junkand unless like the Ethiopean Eu-seylon, Mergni, Tabay, Yunshan, nuch we have been made to confess Lowashan, and Cassay. It is said that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, our state is such as to excite the greatest alarm.

to contain 8000 cities, towns and villages, without including Arracan. The population has been estimated by Colonel Symes at 17 millions; but Captain Cox, who succeeded him at the Birman Court, estimates it at only half that number. The chief rivers are the Irawaddy, the Kenduem, the Lokiang, and the

Before the first day of another year arrives, some of us may be numbered with the dead. Long indeed, before that period we may be cut off. If we are found in a state of impenitence, we must perish. Our Saviour has said, "Ex-Pegu; and the chief towns, Ummecept a man be born again he cannot rapoor, the capital; Ava, the ansee the kingdom of God. He that cient capital; Manchaboo, the birth believeth on the Son hath everlast-place of Alompra; Pegu, Rangoon, ing life; and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him."

Syriam, Prome, Negrais, Persaim, and Chagaing. The climate is healthy, the seasons being regular, and extremes of heat and cold seldom experienced. The intense heat which precedes the rains is so very short in its continuance, that the inconvenience is trifling. In many parts, the soil is fertile. Rice, in the south, yields abundant crops; and in the north, wheat, and the various kinds of small grain, and leguines which grow in Hindostan, flourish. Sugar canes, tobacco, indigo, cotton, and the different tropical fruits, are indigenous. Although the tea-plant flourishes near Ummerapoor, it yields scarcely any flavor. The teak tree grows here in great abundance, and also every other kind of timber which grows in India. There are mines of gold and silver, rubies and sapphires, iron, tin, lead, antimony, arsenic, sulphur, &c. Amethysts, garnets, beautiful chrysolites, jasper, amber, and marble, are also found here; and the wells are here which produce petroleum oil.

With China, the Birmans carry on an extensive trade. Cotton, amber, ivory, precious stones, bet

elnut, and edible nests are trans-ly rich. Every man in the kingdom ported up the river Irawaddy, in is held liable to military duty when large boats, as far as Bamoo, where called upon; but the standing army they are bartered at the jee or mart, in time of peace has been very with the Chinese merchants, for small. It is evident, however, from raw and wrought silks, velvets, the numbers they have brought into gold-leaf, preserves, paper, and the field during the war now existsome utensils of hard ware. The ing, that they can swell their army British in India have been in the to a very considerable force. Of practice of importing to Madras war boats, the Emperor is said to and Calcutta, from the Birman do- | have 500, carrying each from 40 to minions, teak timber to the amount 50 rowers, 30 soldiers with muskets, of nearly a million of dollars annu- and a piece of ordnance on the ally, which they have paid for in prow. English broad-cloth, hard ware, There is a great contrast between coarse Bengal muslins, glass, Cos- the Birmans and the natives of Insimbazar silks, cocoa nuts, &c. dia; the former being lively, inquis The Birmans, like the Chinese, have itive, active, irascible, and impano coin; silver in bullion, and lead, tient; while their Bengal neighbours being the currency of the country; are exactly the reverse of all these. and the value of these being regu- In Ava, the females are not conlated by artificial standards, fluc-cealed from the sight of men: but tuates so continually, that foreign- they are treated in a manner irrecers are obliged to entrust their af- oncileable either with delicacy or fairs to native bankers. The val-humanity. Their women are sold ue of rice at the capital is 56 cents to strangers, but this purchase does for 84 lbs. ; but at Rangoon, 250lbs. not authorise the carrying of them may be purchased for that sum. out of the country; they are never permitted to emigrate. The men pluck out their beards by the roots, and both sexes colour their teeth, their eye-lashes, and the edges of their eye-lids, black. Polygamy is prohibited by law, but concubinage, to an unlimited extent, is admitted. The Birmans bury their dead; they are in their food gross and uncleanly; even reptiles being eaten by the lower classes. The sitting posture is considered the most respectful. Their houses are raised on wooden

There is said to exist a great similarity between the courts of Ava and Pekin, especially as regards title and ostentatious splendour. The Birman Emperor, like the sovereign of China, acknowledges no equal. Amongst his titles arethe Sovereign of the Earth, the Emperor of Emperors, Sovereign esteemed for Riches and Happiness, the Monarch of Elephants and Horses and all good things, the Lord of high-built Palaces, of Gold, &c. &c. There are no hereditary dig-posts, or bamboos, generally comnities, but rank is designated by the number of gold chains which are worn. The king wears 24 chains, and his prime minister 12; and other nobles created for life, or during office, wear different numbers, down to 3, which denotes the lowest order of nobility. One tenth of all produce is exacted as the revenue of the crown; but the amount varies so much that no average can be estimated. The Emperor, however, is understood to be immenseFEB. 1826.

posed of bamboos and mats, and but indifferently thatched; but their temples are splendid fabrics, glittering with gold. There is one of these splendid erections, built on a rising ground above Rangoon, which is ascended by 100 magnificent steps. Terraces are cut round the summit of the hill, and planted with rows of trees, whose rich foliage gives a fine effect to the lofty spires of the temple which rise above it. The centre spire, which is the tall

8

est, is crowned at the top with a sort of cap, in the form of an umbrella, which, as well as the spire itself, is richly gilt, and glitters beautifully in the sunshine. The great temple at Pegu has no less than 100 tall spires, all richly gilt, and at a distance, they seem like a forest of gold; whence the temple derives its name, being called the Golden Temple. The centre spire, with the cap, or umbrella, is 56 feet in circumference. It is called the Tee; and round its rims are hung numerous small bells, which keep up such a continual sound, that the Tee is heard, night and day, at a considerable distance.

the weight of his dress. He liter ally appeared to be cased in gold, with a wing of the same metal on each shoulder. His crown was a

high cap, richly studded with precious stones, and his fingers were covered with rings. Four priests in long robes chaunted song at the foot of the throne, and the numerous officers of state were dressed in rich silks. His Majesty is the sole proprietor of all the elephants in his dominions. It is a great honour to be permitted to ride on one. Male elephants are prized beyond females in Ava, although in Hindostan the females are in more estimation, on account of their superior docility. The henza, a Ev-wild fowl, called in India the Brahmany goose, is the symbol of the Birman nation, as the eagle is of

ours.

Gold is, indeed, the type of excellence among the Birmans. ery thing belonging to the sovereign has the word SHOE, or gold, prefixed to it. When a subject means to affirm that the king has heard In Ava, Pegu, and Siam, the Pali any thing, he says It has reach-language, which is derived from ed the golden ears;" he who has Sanscrit, constitutes the sacred obtained admittance to the royal text. The character in common use presence, has been at "the golden is a round nagari, formed from the feet;" what pleases the sight, is square pali. It runs in circles, and delightful to the golden eye;" segments of circles, variously disand what gratifies the sense of smel- posed, and is written from left to ling, is pleasing to the golden right. Their common books are nose." The palace of the Empe composed of the palmira leaf, on ror, in the city of Ummerapoor, is which the letters are engraved with a large stone building, with four styles. The laws of the Birmans gates. Its east entrance is called are of Hindoo origin. Their code the golden gate; its west, the gate is founded on the Dharma Sastra, of favour; its south, the gate of which is a commentary on Menu; justice; and its north, the gate of it prescribes specific punishments state. When the English ambas- for almost every species of crime sadors went there, they entered at that can be committed. Their laws the golden gate, and passed through are described as wise, and pregnant different superb apartments to the with sound morality; and their pohall of audience, which was support- lice is better regulated than in most ed by seventy-seven pillars. At countries. There are no distincthe end of it is a high gilted lattice, tions of caste amongst them, nor which conceals the throne. On his are they restricted to hereditary Majesty's arrival, the folding doors occupations, nor forbidden from parof this lattice were thrown open. ticipating with strangers in every The throne is richly carved and social bond. It is said that every gilded; and two tables stand near person can read and write the vulit, covered with vessels and orna- gar tongue; all their monasteries ments of gold. The Emperor seem- being seminaries, where youths of ed scarcely able to ascend the flight all descriptions are educated gratis of steps that leads to his seat, from by the rhaans or monks, who never

buy, sell, or accept money. They || terwards, rescued his country from are fond of poetry and music. In her degradation, drove out the Pethe king's library, which was shown guers, and founded the present dyto Col. Symes, the books were in- nasty. In these wars, the French numerable, kept in boxes, ranged favoured the Peguers, and the Enwith great regularity, the contentsglish assisted the Birmans. Alomof each chest being written in gold letters on the lid.

pra died in 1760, after most extensive conquests, and the display of most profound wisdom, leaving the empire to his eldest son, Namdogee

Birman era, the Chinese sent an army of 50,000 men against the Birmans. But the whole of this army was destroyed, except about 2,500 men, who were sent in fetters to the capital, where they were forced to marry Birman wives, and were afterwards encouraged to con

This

The Birmans are followers of Budha, and acknowledge to have received their religion from Cey-Praw. In 1767, or 1131 of the lon. Their priests wear yellow clothing; they have a long loose cloak of that colour which they wrap round them, so as to cover most part of their bodies. Their Kioums, or convents, resemble the architecture of the Chinese; are entirely made of wood, and consist of one large hall, open at all sides.sider themselves as Birmans. It There are no apartments for the appears that all strangers are inviprivate recreations of the monks or ted to marry Birman women. priests; publicity is the prevailing custom, in the east, is singular; system of Birman conduct. They for women are, in almost all secadmit of no secrets either in church tions of the east, degraded by interor state. Their priests profess cel-course with strangers. Minderaibacy, and abstain from every sen-gee Praw, the fourth son of the sual pleasure; they receive no sal- great Alompra, ascended the throne aries; never dress their own food, in 1782. He founded the new mebut receive the contributions of the tropolis of Ammerapoor, to which laity ready dressed. These con- the seat of government was removtributions they collect in daily per-ed from Ava; since which period ambulations, at the dawn of day. the Birman power has been graduDuring these walks they never raise ally increasing, until the comtheir eyes from the ground, nor mencement of the present war with stop to solicit any donations; the Great Britain, which bids fair to provisions being thrown into a lack-reduce it once more to a mere deered box, which they carry on the pendency. arm. They eat but once a day, and distribute the surplus provisions among those who are in want. Nunneries have been abolished by law, as injurious to population.

There is but little known of the early history of the Birman Empire. When the Portuguese arms were triumphant in India, they interfered in a war which then raged between the Birmans and the Peguers, but there was little known of the interior of Birmah. In 1752, the sovereign of Pegu conquered the king of Ava, which is the country of the ancient Birmans. But Alompra, man of low origin, rose up soon af

a

A REMARK OF CECIL.

I have often had occasion to observe, that a warm blundering man does more for the world than a frigid wise man. A man, who gets into the habit of inquiring about proprieties and expediencies and occasions, often spends his life without doing any thing to purpose. The state of the world is such, and so much depends on action, that every thing seems to say loudly to every man, "Do something" do it" "do it."

REVIEW.

great; but it is undoubtedly the fact, that before the establishment

A Journal of a Tour around Hawaii, || first mentioned number was too the largest of the Sandwich Islands. By a deputation from the Mission on those Islands. Bos-of Missions, the population of these ton: Crocker & Brewster. N. Y. and the Society Islands was rapidJ. P. Haven. pp. 264. 12mo. ly decreasing. In the Society IslWith a map and engravings. ands, the population is supposed to have been in 1778, at least 150,000, but before the gospel had begun to exert any influence upon it, it was diminished to 15,000. Pomare, the

THE Sandwich Islands have of late excited so lively an interest in the friends of Missions, that a brief account of them may probably grat-king, speaking of the goodness of ify our readers. We embrace this God in sending his word to them, opportunity of inserting a few gen- said, that it came to the small reeral remarks concerning them, be-mainder of the people. By murcause several of the incidents to der, wars, and infanticide, were which we shall have occasion to re- these poor savages thus swept from fer, would be, from this previous the face of the earth. The same knowledge better understood. causes were at work at the Sandwich Islands; and it is probable that a pretty rapid diminution of their population was going on at the time when the Missionaries first arrived among them.

The Sandwich Islands are

a

group of islands in the North Paeific Ocean, which were discovered by Captain Cook in 1778. Their names are Hawaii (pronounced Haw-wy-ee) Maui Oahu, Tauai, Morokai Ranai, Nuhau and Tahurawa. We have arranged them according to their size,-Hawaii, the first, being 97 miles in length and 78 in breadth, and contains 4000 square miles, and Tahurawa the smallest, 11 miles in length and 8 in breadth, containing but 60 square miles. Besides these, there are two others, little more than barren rocks. The largest of these islands, formerly written Owhyhee, is rendered remarkable for the death of Capt. Cook, who was killed there, February, 1779.

The number of inhabitants in these islands has never been very accurately computed. Some navigators have estimated it at 400,000. This estimate has been considered by the Missionaries as far too high. They compute the whole population at 150,000, and that of Hawaii at 85,000: It is probable that the

Their manners and customs were such as generally have been observed in the Islands of the Pacific. The women were in the degraded state in which polygamy and concubinage might be expected to place them. The men were expert in the management of their war canoes, in fishing, and in the manufacture of some articles of clothing. They were marked in general with the vices and virtues of savage life, with the exception that their customs were probably unusually sanguinary. The custom of infanticide we have already mentioned. The sacrifice of human victims to their gods was common. Stories of these sacrifices, the Missionaries met with every where in their present tour. In Waipio, a delightful || valley on the north-east part of the island, they were shown the spot where king Umi, when sacrificing, heard the voice of his god from