DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4651#0203
IN THE BURMIIAN EMPIRE. 193
to the southward; except these it is rare to see
a beggar in the Burmhan dominions. They
seem to be licensed by their peculiar misfortune ;
the other poor, as far as I can learn, are subsisted
at the baws or cottages of the poonghees ; for
which purpose, the poonghees of each monastery,
make a procession early every morning to appro-
priated quarters of the town, to collect the do-
nations of the charitable, which, in general, con-
sist of boiled rice, vegetable curries, and fruit.
About four o'clock, a messenger arrived in a war-
boat, from court express, with an order from his
majesty to the mayhoon of Hunzawuddy, to pro-
ceed to Rangoon without me, and for me to
return to Amarapoorah if I had left it with him ;
also to inform me that his majesty would return to
Amarapoorah in a few days, and wished to see me.
The messenger had orders to follow us as far down
the river as Rangoon, so that if I had followed
the mayhoon's advice I should have had the
trouble of returning. It appears that his majesty
had been informed I had left Amarapoorah at the
instance of the mayhoon, contrary to his wishes
and intentions; it must therefore be pleasing to
him, to learn that I had resisted such imprudent
advice. The messenger informed me that he had
been two days in coming from court; that his ma-
jesty had cut down an immense quantity of wood
to burn bricks for his pagoda ; also two large trees
o
to the southward; except these it is rare to see
a beggar in the Burmhan dominions. They
seem to be licensed by their peculiar misfortune ;
the other poor, as far as I can learn, are subsisted
at the baws or cottages of the poonghees ; for
which purpose, the poonghees of each monastery,
make a procession early every morning to appro-
priated quarters of the town, to collect the do-
nations of the charitable, which, in general, con-
sist of boiled rice, vegetable curries, and fruit.
About four o'clock, a messenger arrived in a war-
boat, from court express, with an order from his
majesty to the mayhoon of Hunzawuddy, to pro-
ceed to Rangoon without me, and for me to
return to Amarapoorah if I had left it with him ;
also to inform me that his majesty would return to
Amarapoorah in a few days, and wished to see me.
The messenger had orders to follow us as far down
the river as Rangoon, so that if I had followed
the mayhoon's advice I should have had the
trouble of returning. It appears that his majesty
had been informed I had left Amarapoorah at the
instance of the mayhoon, contrary to his wishes
and intentions; it must therefore be pleasing to
him, to learn that I had resisted such imprudent
advice. The messenger informed me that he had
been two days in coming from court; that his ma-
jesty had cut down an immense quantity of wood
to burn bricks for his pagoda ; also two large trees
o