ART. I. Journal of an Embassy from the Governor-General of India II. An Encyclopedia of Plants; comprising the Description, Specific Character, Culture, History, Application in the Arts, and every other desirable Particular respecting all the Plants, Indigenous, Cultivated in, or introduced to Britain. Edited by J. C. Loudon, F. L. S. H.S. &c. 337 III. Histoire de la détention des Philosophes et des Gens de lettres à la Bastille et à Vincennes, précédée de celle de Foucquet, de Pellisson et de Lauzun, avec tous les docu- mens authentiques et inédits. Par J. Delort IV. History of the Rise of the Mahomedan Power in India, till the year, A. D. 1612. Translated from the Original V. Sir Thomas More; or, Colloquies on the Progress and ART. VIII. 1. All for Love; and the Pilgrim to Compostella. By Robert Southey, Esq. LL.D. Poet Laureate. 2. A Day in Switzerland; and Florence-a Fragment. 3. John Huss, or the Council of Constance: a Poem. With Historical and Descriptive Notes. PAGE X. Three Years in Canada: an Account of the Actual State of the Country in 1826-7-8. By John Mactaggart, Civil Engineer in the Service of the British Government. 426 XI. Fridolin translated from Schiller's Ballad, Fridolin oder der Gang nach dem Eisenhammer,' into English verse. XII. Essays on the Pursuit of Truth, on the Progress of Know- ledge, and on the Fundamental Principle of all Evidence and Expectation. By the Author of "Essays on the Formation and Publication of Opinions." XIII. Biographical Sketches and Authentic Anecdotes of Dogs, exhibiting instances of their instinct, &c., with Portraits of Remarkable Dogs, and an Introduction. By Capt. XV. Stories of Popular Voyages and Travels, &c. XVI. A Glance at some of the Beauties and Sublimities of Swit- THE MONTHLY REVIEW. JULY, 1829. ART. I-Journal of an Embassy from the Governor-General of India to the Court of Ava, in the year 1827. By John Crawfurd, Esq. F. R. S. &c. 4to. London: Colburn. 1829. OUR knowledge of the countries collectively denominated “India beyond the Ganges," is so extremely imperfect, that we are led to consider even the smallest addition as important; every thing, in fact, being important which tends to enlarge our acquaintance with the scattered fragments of the great family of mankind. But the Burman empire, a portion of which has been rent away and added to our own vast dominions in the East, and which therefore lies as it were on our frontiers, possesses peculiar claims upon our consideration, as a neighbouring and, in some measure, a rival state. The history of our wars and conquests in this country has already been rendered almost familiar to the public, by numerous works written by the actors in the scenes described; in which the manners of the people have also been depicted with more or less fidelity. We are still very far, however, from possessing the materials for constructing a history of the Hindoo-Chinese nations themselves, or for forming a just estimate of their progress in those arts and sciences, the practice of which constitutes civilization. The limits and extent of the Burman empire, the more immediate subject of the present article, are unknown; the country is supposed, however, to extend from long. 93° to 98° 40' east, and from lat. 15° 45′ to 26° or 27° north, and may be said to contain about 184,000 square miles. It is bounded on the south by the sea, on the west by Arracan, Cassay, and Assam, on the north and northeast by China, and on the east by the kingdom of Lao. Entering the empire from the south, the traveller first meets with a champaign country, in part inundated by the rivers; he then encounters a succession of low hills, and finally vast ridges of lofty mountains, clothed with forests, and passable with difficulty. There are four great rivers in the Burman territory, and an immense number of lakes, of which many are of considerable extent. Notwithstanding the length of the sea-coast there are only three harbours, Martaban, Rangoon, and Bassein. The remote portions of the empire are divided into provinces or vice-royalties, the number of which has not yet been ascertained. In general the country is divided into Myos, or townships, each containing a number of dependent villages; and it is calculated that there may be about one hundred and sixty-three townships, and about one thousand three hundred villages. The population of this country, estimated by former travellers at seventeen, nineteen, and even at thirty-three millions, is reduced by Mr. Crawfurd to four millions, or about twenty two persons to every square mile; which, considering the uncultivated state of the land, and the barbarous nature of the government, may perhaps be nearer the truth. Bad government is the principal, if not the sole check to population. Epidemic diseases are unfrequent, the plague is unknown; and celibacy, infanticide, and other unnatural practices for repressing population, are unheard of. The price of labour is high throughout the country. A day labourer at Rangoon earns about twelve pounds per annum, while in Bengal, where the price of rice is nearly the same as in the lower provinces of the Burman empire, and salt, fish, and house-rent much higher, the day labourer earns only about three pounds per annum. able carpenter earns at Calcutta about twenty shillings per month, at Rangoon about thirty: the wages of the Bengal carpenter will purchase about eight hundred pounds of rice; those of the Burmese about eleven hundred and twenty pounds. In Bengal, beggary is exceedingly common; among the Burmese it is very unfrequent. An It has been remarked by philosophers, that the diversity of language prevailing among mankind, is at once a proof and a means of perpetuating barbarism; and in the Burman empire we have a striking illustration of this theory. The Burmans themselves are divided into seven distinct tribes or nations, whose names are, 1. Mranma, or the proper Burmese; 2. Talain, or the Peguans; 3. Rakaing, or the people of Arracan; 4. the Yan, a people residing to the west of the Kyend wen river; 5. the Taong-su, a nomadic people; 6. the people of Tavoy; and 7. the Karyens. Besides these there are the Shans, or people of Lao, whose language nearly resembles the Siamese; and numerous wild tribes claiming no affinity with the Burmese, such as the Zabaing, the Kyen, the Palaon, the Pyer, the Leuzen, the Laevá, the D'haru the D'hanao, the Dhenny, &c. All these races of men are supposed to possess languages, religions, and manners peculiar to themselves. Of many of them, however, little or nothing is known beyond their names, as they live in a savage state in the mountains, resisting or eluding the influence of civilization. Other of these nations, as the Karyen, the Zabaing, and the Kyen, approach the Burmese in civilization, |