THE BURMESE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2161, 15 May 1886, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE BURMESE.

The Burmese are of Tartar origin, and have the high cheekbones, the broad faces, the flat noaes, and the slanting eyes peculiar to the people of that family. Individually the Bur man is a plucky fellow ; collectively he is of very little use as a soldier, a* he is impatient of restraint and discipline- Professing Buddhism, a religion which forbids the shedding of blood, no one in the world is more BLOODTHIRSTY- AND CRUBL than he< when he ha* a wrong, cither real or fancied, to avenge. He is a daring robber, fond of raids by night or day, but he is not a pilferer ; as an indoor servant he will help himself to tea, sugar, or tobacco, but in doing so he does not seem to imagine that he is committing larceny ; until his evil passions are aroused, he is kind-hearted and merry as a child. A Burman is usually short, but stoutly built, and very muscular; but he is by nature excessively lazy, and though he excels as a boatman, he is so indolent that the boat traffic in the principal ports is in the hands of the Madrasses and Chinese. The Burmese are given to frequent ablutions, and delight in gorgeous apparel. Having no caste, they will eat and drink with or after a European. They show signs of respect by sitting down Yiubiddeo, instead of by standing up, like most Orientals. Both sexes are very PROUD OP THMR HAIR, which is of a jet black, very long and luxuriant. It is tied up in a knot at the back of the head ; the men entwine a gaudy handkerchief round it, the women a garland of flowers. Unless very poor, they "condescend to wear nothing but silk, the men a 'pussoo,' which is tied round the waist and extends to the knees, one end being drawn up tight' from the front and fastened at the back ; the women wear either a 'thamine,' which exposes the inside of One leg halfway up the thigh, or a 'loongee,' or petticoat, which is more decent) ; the upper part of the body is covered with a flowing jacket, with very tight sleeves. A scarf is generally thrown over the shoulders and allowed to hang down in front. The Burmese are very charitable, but INVKTKRATB GAMBLERS, and will often risk all they are worth, and more, on a oock fight, or a pony or boat race. Even the girls will sometimes, after losing all their ornaments and jewellery, ntake themselves agaiust suoh a sum as they are worth. From an early age every boy is taught to read and write his own language, but the same boon is not extended to the women, because the class who educate the boys are forbidden to look at, or to speak to, one of the opposite sex. With the exception of the very poor, who bnry their dead, the Burman burns his, and has a grand ceremony over the event. Their priests are doomed to celibacy. They cannot possess any property, and are solely dependent on the charity of the people for tbeir daily food. The priests are the village schoolmasters, and begin lesson* every morninglong- before daybreak. When a priest of any note dies he is embalmed and kept for a year, and then burnt with much rejoioing and festivity. MARRIAGE with the Burmese is- a matter of free choice, and is attended generally by a good deal of courtship sn the man's part and coquetry on that of the girl ; but their marriage tie is exceedingly frail, as nothing is easier than for either party to get a divorce. For Orientals their morals are very good. Burmese ■ houses are well raised! off the ground on piles, or ( maohaus ;' their villages are reglarly built, and often consist of only one long street, which is broad, and lined on either side by domiciles well suited to the country. The people are very hospitable. A case of real destitution is scarcely known, and so bounteous is the soil that it ' is computed that if a man labour three months he can live in idleness the remaining nine. The better and richer classes use teak throughout for the construction of their houses; the poorer are content with bamboos and thatch. ■ THE BURKES! WOMAN, ] v ithout being pretty, are very taking after the first impression their peculiar features make on one has worn off. They are beautifully proportioned, though on a smallish scale, with busts, arms, feet, and general contour which might serve as models to the most fastidious painter or sculptor. 1 They are fond of ornaments ; all possets some jewellery, and many are covered with it. They all smoke and chew betelnut, but |have nice' small, white, even teeth. They can all swim,' and delight in dabbling about in water. For Orientals, both men and women are a fair race, and, where the body it not exposed to the rays of the sun, the skin is as fair as in many English brunettes. There is no restriction on the liberty of a Burmese girl or woman ; she is free to mix amongst her own people or to visit Europeau families. The men are not unduly jealous. The wife reigns supreme in the house, and conducts the sale or purchase of all necessities, unchallenged by the husband. A girl's great ambition is to keep a stall in a bazaar ; it is her introduction into society, and is equivalent to our own girls being brought out. They are a merry, pleasant race, and so struck were the stalwart Seiks that when, after the last war, they returned to their own, country, many took back with them these, comparatively speaking— as to face only— plain women, preferring there as wives and companions to their own far comelier women.

In a village church recently a paper was circulated asking for contributions, "for the purpose of paying the organist and a boy to blow the same." "Sir," wrote a tailor to a debtor, "if you will favour me with the amount of my bill, you will oblige me; if not, I must oblige you." Therb has lately died in the City of London Infirmary Jatnea M'Donald, the Scptch giant. He was a native of Aberdeenshire, stood 7ft 2in high, and aged fifty-six. M'Donald met with an accident in 18S2, when he was run over and had both legs broken, since then he has been ailing. The immediate came of his death was dropsy.