DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4651#0405
392 JOURNAL OF A RESIDENCE
that of Burmhans, he being of Pegue extraction;
his countenance is sedate, but not impressive,
rather mean than otherways; in stature he is
about five feet seven, and of a spare habit. After
the usual compliments, we conversed of the dif-
ferent modes of warfare practised by our respec-
tive nations; a subject he shrewdly enough ob-
served, he supposed I would best like to talk
of, being as well as himself a soldier.
The Burmhans pique themselves on stratagem,
and he inquired whether we used stratagems in
war ? I mentioned two or three common ones,
but added, that the art of war chiefly rested on
stratagems in outwitting your enemy, or circum-
venting his designs ; so that generals of abilities
were continually inventing new ones, or prac-
tising old ones in a new manner: to which he
assented, and mentioned some of their stratagems,
which chiefly consisted in well-laid ambuscades,
#-c. He then observed, that the English had a
great many sepoys; I told him we found, that
the cheapest and best mode of preserving peace
was, by convincing our neighbours that we were
always prepared for war ; but added, by way of
softening the observation, that the Burmhans were
a nation of warriors. In this he corrected me,
saying, " That only particular classes amongst
them went to war, some by prescriptive occupa-
tion continued such from father to son, but, in
that of Burmhans, he being of Pegue extraction;
his countenance is sedate, but not impressive,
rather mean than otherways; in stature he is
about five feet seven, and of a spare habit. After
the usual compliments, we conversed of the dif-
ferent modes of warfare practised by our respec-
tive nations; a subject he shrewdly enough ob-
served, he supposed I would best like to talk
of, being as well as himself a soldier.
The Burmhans pique themselves on stratagem,
and he inquired whether we used stratagems in
war ? I mentioned two or three common ones,
but added, that the art of war chiefly rested on
stratagems in outwitting your enemy, or circum-
venting his designs ; so that generals of abilities
were continually inventing new ones, or prac-
tising old ones in a new manner: to which he
assented, and mentioned some of their stratagems,
which chiefly consisted in well-laid ambuscades,
#-c. He then observed, that the English had a
great many sepoys; I told him we found, that
the cheapest and best mode of preserving peace
was, by convincing our neighbours that we were
always prepared for war ; but added, by way of
softening the observation, that the Burmhans were
a nation of warriors. In this he corrected me,
saying, " That only particular classes amongst
them went to war, some by prescriptive occupa-
tion continued such from father to son, but, in