o talk about the Burmahs. There have been two or three
accounts of the military movements, but there has been no inquiry or
examination into the character of the people, which, in my opinion, is
of more importance than is generally supposed; for although the East
India Company may imagine that they have done with the Burmahs, it is my
conviction that the Burmahs have not done with them, and even I may live
to witness the truth of my assertion.

It certainly is a point of some interest to ascertain from whence the
Burmah nation originally came: that they are not aborigines, I think
most certain. They are surrounded by the Cochin Chinese, the Chinese,
and the Hindoos, all races of inferior stature and effeminate in person,
with little or no beard. Now the Burmahs are a very powerful race, very
muscular in their limbs, possessing great strength and energy: generally
speaking, I should say, that they are rather taller than Europeans.
They have the high cheek bones of the Tatar, but not the small eyes;
they have strong hair and beards, and certainly would remind you of a
cross between the Jew and the Tatar. This is singular; and it gave the
idea to some of those who are fond of indulging in theory, that they
might be the remnants of that portion of the Jews who, when permitted to
leave Babylon, instead of going east with the others, bent their course
to the westward and were never spoken of afterwards. But the only props
they had to this argument were the appearance of the people, the weight
in silver being called the _tekel_ or shekel, and the great pagoda
having the name of the _Dagon_ pagoda. At least I heard of no more to
support the argument but those three, which can hardly be sufficient,
although the coincidence of the two words is singular.

The Burmahs are semi-barbarous: but this term must be used in the most
favourable light; because, surrounded on every side by people who are
wedded to their own customs, the Burmahs have a liberality and a desire
to improve, which is very remarkable. I never met with any Burmah, not
even a lad, who could not read and write; they allow any form of
religion to be made use of, and churches of any description to be built
by foreigners, but they do not like missionaries making converts of
their own people; for as the king is the head of the religion,
conversion is a breach of allegiance. One of the missionaries had an
audience with the king, and demanded permission to make pro