He Is Thus Carried To His House Without Side Of The Town, And
Is There Left.
Every individual talapoin has his own house, which is very small, set
upon six or eight posts, and to which they have to go up by a ladder of
twelve or fourteen staves.
Their houses are mostly by the road sides,
and among the trees in the woods. They go about, having a great pot of
wood or fine earthen ware covered, and hung by a broad belt from their
shoulder, with which they beg their victuals, being rice, fish, and
herbs. They never ask any thing, but come to the doors, when the people
presently give them, some one thing and some another, all of which they
put into their pot, saying they must feed on their alms and be
contented. Their festivals are regulated by the moon, their chiefest
being at the new moon, when the people send rice and other things to the
_kiack_ or church which they frequent, where all the talapoins belonging
to it meet and eat the victuals that are sent. When the talapoins
preach, many of their hearers carry gifts to them in the pulpit, while
preaching, a person sitting beside the preacher to receive these gifts,
which are divided between them. So far as I could see, they have no
other ceremonials or religious service, except preaching.
From Pegu I went to _Jamahey_, in the country of the _Langeiannes_, whom
we call _Jangomes_, which is twenty-five days journey north from
Pegu[426], in which journey I passed through many fertile and pleasant
countries, the whole being low land, with many fine rivers; but the
houses are mean and bad, being built of canes and covered with straw.
This country has great numbers of wild elephants and buffaloes.
_Jamahey_ is a large handsome town, well peopled, and the houses are
well built of stone, with broad streets. The men are strong and well
made, having a cloth about their middles, bareheaded and with bare feet,
as in all these countries they wear no shoes. The women are much fairer
than those of Pegu. In all these countries they have no wheat, living
entirely on rice, which they make into cakes. To Jamahey there come many
merchants out of China, bringing great store of musk, gold, silver, and
many Chinese manufactures. They have here such great abundance of
provisions, that they do not take the trouble to milk the buffaloes as
they do in other places. Here there is great abundance of copper and
benzoin.
[Footnote 426: The names here used are so corrupted as to be utterly
unintelligible. Twenty-five days journey north from the city of Pegu, or
perhaps 500 miles, would lead the author into the northern provinces of
the Birman empire, of which the geography is very little known, perhaps
into Assan: Yet the _Langeiannes_ may possibly refer to _Lang-shang_ in
Laos, nearly west from Pegu. _Jamahey_ may be _Shamai_, in the north of
Laos; near the N.W. frontier of China.
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