and tattoo
their legs, by pricking their skin, and then putting in black oil. They
have the disagreeable custom of smoking, and of chewing a stuff called
"coon," which they carry in a box.

Every one (except the priests) carries an umbrella to guard him from the
sun; the king alone has a white one; his nobles have gilded umbrellas;
the next class have red umbrellas; and the lowest have green.

FOOD.--Burmah is a pleasanter country than Hindostan, for it is not so
hot, and yet it is as fruitful. The people live chiefly upon rice; but
when they cannot get enough, they find abundance of leaves and roots to
satisfy their hunger.

ANIMALS.--There are many tigers, but no lions. The Burmese are fond of
adorning their houses with statues of lions, but never having seen any,
they make very strange and laughable figures. The pride of Burmah is her
elephants; but they all belong to the king, and none may ride upon one
but himself, and his chief favorite. Carriages are drawn by bullocks, or
buffaloes; and there are horses for riding, so the Burmese can do very
well without the elephants. The king thinks a great deal too much of
these noble animals. There was a white elephant that he delighted in so
much, that he adorned it with gold, and jewels, and counted it next to
himself in rank, even above the queen.

HOUSES.--The Burmese build their houses on posts, so that there is an
empty place under the floors. Dogs and crows may often be seen walking
under the houses, eating whatever has fallen through the cracks of the
floor.

The king allows none but the nobles to build houses of brick and stone;
the rest build them of bamboos. This law is unpleasant; but there is
another law which is a great comfort to the poor. It is _this_;--any one
may have land who wishes for it. A man has only to cultivate a piece of
spare land, and it is counted his, _as long_ as he continues to cultivate
it; therefore all industrious people have gardens of their own.

THE KARENS.

Among the mountains of Burmah, there are a wild people called the Karens,
very poor and very ignorant; yet some have attended to the voice of the
missionaries. They are not so proud as the Burmese; for they have no gods
at all, and no books at all: they have not filled their heads with five
hundred and fifty stories about Gaudama; therefore they are more ready to
listen to the history of Jesus.

The Karens live in houses raised from the ground, and so large is the
place u