Kubos-Gorkas - - Kirauts― Bijnees - Asamese Meekirs Joomeas Bor Kunungs Muttucks - Lapchas Duflas Kantees Singphoos Anals - Poo rums - Mueyols - Munsangs-Murings-Luhoppas Rumbos-Joholes - Jompoles-Gominchis- Oojongs Jellaboos Segamets Kemoungs Udais Ulus - Calangs · Sakkyes-Utans-Joc Semangs- Oodees Sakais Reyots - Simongs - Reegas- Suryabans Korengs. To complete the foregoing notes on Burmah, and to show the extent and character of the missionary field, in and adjacent to this empire, the following sketch is submitted. With some exceptions, these tribes have been hitherto unknown; neither geographers nor missionaries having so much as given their names. My extended journeys brought me into contact either with the people themselves, or with persons who knew them, being neighbors; and constant inquiry has produced the following catalogue, which surprised the best informed persons in India, to whom it was submitted. That a document, compiled, to a considerable extent, from natives unacquainted with geography, and unaccustomed to minute investigations, should be imperfect, is unavoidable. My object is to show the extent of the field and the necessity of more vigorous exertions; and this no mistake in detail can effect. My memorandums would furnish a much greater amount of information respecting the manners of several of these tribes; but the present purpose does not require further details. 1. BURMAH PROPER contains about 3,000,000 of inhabitants to whom the language is vernacular. Information as to these is so amply furnished in this work and missionary periodicals, that nothing need here be said. For these, there are, at Ava, Messrs. Kincaid and Simons, and at Rangoon, Messrs. Webb and How`ard. Stations might be formed at Sagaing, Umerapoora, Bamoo, Mogoung, Prome, Bassein, and other important places. At least ten missionaries are now needed for Burmah proper. 2. The PEGUANS, called by Burmans Talains, or Talings, and by themselves Moons, amount to more than 70,000 souls. Their language has been very much superseded by the Burman; the men speaking it in all their business, and most of such as learn to read, doing so in Burman. It will not be proper to expend missionary time and money in preserving it from extinction; but, as many of the females speak only Peguan, and all can understand it better than Burman, it will be necessary to preach the gospel in their language, and perhaps print a few books. At least one missionary, therefore, is wanted to sustain and succeed Mr Haswell, who now occupies this department, and is located at Amherst. 3. The TENASSERIM PROVINCES (as the British possessions south of Rangoon are called) contain about 100,000 souls. For the Burman part of these, the laborers are Messrs. Judson, Osgood, Hancock, and Bennett. Mr. J. is wholly engrossed with translations and tracts, and in the pastorship of the native church; Messrs. O. and H. are printers; and Mr. B. has full employ in the government school. There is, therefore, not a single effective out-door missionary to this whole people, nor one on the ground preparing to become so! Maulmain, Tavoy, and Mergui should each immediately have a missionary devoted to public services. 4. In Arracan, containing 300,000, there is only Mr. Comstock, stationed at Kyouk Phyoo. The population is twice that of the Sandwich Islands. Ramree and Sandoway ought at once to be occupied. These stations should at least have two missionaries each. Rev. Mr. Ingalls is designated to one of them. 5. The KA-RENS inhabit all the mountain regions of the southern and eastern portions of Burmah proper, and all parts of the Tenasserim provinces, extending into the western portions of Siam, and thence northward among the Shyans. It is impossible to form a satisfactory estimate of their numbers. In the province of Tavoy, a British census makes the number 2500. Around Maulmain and Rangoon, there are perhaps 20,000 more. In Siam and Lao there are probably 10,000; making in all about 33,000. There are known to be at least two different tribes, speaking diverse dialects, viz. the Sgaus, or Chegaws and the Pos, or Pgwos. The former reside chiefly in the Tenasserim provinces, and are called by the Burmans Myet-ho. Their language has been reduced to writing, in the Burman character, by Mr. Wade. Among this tribe have occurred those triumphs of Christianity which have been so remarkable, and with which all the friends of missions are acquainted. The Po tribe (called by the Burmans Myet-kyen) reside in Pegu, and have adopted many of the words and habits of the Talains. With this tribe Miss Macomber has commenced labors. Missionaries knew nothing more of these people, than that there were such, until the visit of the sorcerer in April, 1828: The heart of Boardman was immediately touched with sympathy, and his judgment convinced that Providence pointed them out as entitled to his future labors. An early visit to their jungle confirmed him in this decision; and thenceforth his life was spent in their cause. On his second tour, he was called from his labor, amid those touching scenes described in his memoir; having seen nearly seventy persons added to the church. He died February 11, 1831. Mr. and Mrs. Mason had joined the mission in the preceding January; and Mr. and Mrs. Wade, returning from America with Miss Gardner, were added in 1835. The Tavoy station has hitherto been made almost wholly subservient to the interests of this people. God has opened among them an effectual door of entrance, and granted them the services of as devoted missionaries as have ever blessed a people. In July, 1836, they had in charge five Karen churches, embracing nearly three hundred and fifty members, more than twenty native assistants, about two hundred inquirers connected with the several congregations, and fifteen schools. An account of the Tavoy and Karen churches, as well as of those in the vicinity of Maulmain, is given in the first volume. Mr. Abbott is now successfully laboring among the latter, in connection with Mr. Vinton. There are three churches, not far from each other, about forty miles north of Rangoon; viz. Mawbee, Yea-tho, or Ray-tho, and Poung-nen, or Ponan. These have been founded wholly by native assistants, and have for several years walked steadfastly in the truth. They have endured the spoiling of their goods, and cruel tortures; and live amid continual threats of violence from the Burman officers; but not one, among several hundreds, has drawn back through fear, though a few have relapsed into sin, as might be expected. We have been, perhaps, too much disposed to esteem the importance of a mission in proportion to the amount of population. We ought rather to regard the indications of Providence. In this aspect, so far as I know, no other mission of modern times holds out such encouragements. The several sections of Karens have each some peculiarities, but such general similarity, that they may be described together. The degree of attention now drawn to this interesting race of people, requires that I should add a few particulars in addition to the religious statistics given in Part I. Their houses are like the Burmans', only much higher from the ground; and as there is little distinction of rich or poor, the model, dimensions, and materials, differ but slightly. They cost only a few days' labor, and are admirably suited to the climate. One of the rooms has a hearth for cooking, made by laying earth in a shallow box. Chimneys are unknown; but the high roof and open floor prevent all inconvenience on account of smoke. Each has a veranda, or porch, raised to the same height as the floor of the house, where much of the laborious work is done. The loom, agricultural implements, &c., as well as the fowls and pigs, find a place under the house. They cultivate the ground with more care and success than Burmans, and furnish no small part of the rice consumed in the country. Their instruments of tillage are, however, particularly rude. Having no plough, they are unable to prepare the soil for a second crop on account of its baking hard. Their custom is, therefore, to clear and burn over a new spot every year; which, being soft and light, and stimulated by the ashes left upon it, yields largely. Hence, in part, arises their habit of roving from place to place. They raise hogs and poultry in abundance, so that with honey, (obtained plentifully from wild bees,) fish, esculents, and indigenous fruits, they have no want of the necessaries of life. Many of them are expert with the bow and arrow, and shoot guianas, monkeys, squirrels, and other game, common in their forests. They seem to exempt nothing from their catalogue of meats. Animals which have died of themselves, or game killed with poisoned arrows, are not the less acceptable. When I have expressed disgust at the swollen and revolting condition of such meat, they seemed to wonder what could be the nature of my objections. Their dress forms a more complete covering to the body than that of the Burmans, but is neither so graceful nor of so rich materials. The universal robe, for both sexes, is a strong cotton shirt, made loose, without sleeves, and descending a little below the knees. Women wear beneath this a petticoat, descending to the ankles; but young girls and old women dispense with this last garment. The women are distinguishable chiefly by their turban, which is made of a long, narrow, figured scarf, with the fringed ends thrown back, and falling gracefully on the shoulders. The costume will be better learned from the accompanying picture of Naw Moo Klur, whose letter to me is given on p. 45 of Vol. I. Her standing up to be drawn afforded great amusement to her school-fellows, who had never seen such an attempt before. Karen Girl. They are exceedingly fond of ornaments, and wear a great variety on the neck, arms, and ankles. Some of these necklaces are made of the hard, dry wing of a magnificent beetle, found in their forests. A young lady, of special pretensions, will sometimes wear ten or fifteen necklaces of various kinds, often suspending a little bell to the longest, so that she has "music wherever she goes." They never wear silk, and seldom any foreign fabric, except book muslin, which some of the men wear for turbans, in the same manner as the Burmans. Their ears are not only bored, but the aperture so stretched as to become, in many cases, capable of containing a cylinder, the size of a dollar. When women have obtained an age when such ornaments cease to be valued, this great empty wrinkled aperture has a disagreeable aspect. Their domestic manners are less exceptionable than those of most heathen. Truth, integrity, and hospitality, are universal. For a Karen to lie or cheat, is scarcely known. Females are in no respect degraded. They are neither secluded, nor kept at an unseemly distance, nor required to perform labor beyond their strength, nor treated with severity. Polygamy, though allowed by the government under which they live, is accounted dis |