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Show LETTER FROM INDIA. la Bnrmab. The City f Rangoon. lluddhaNm. Origin of the llnnnesr. Correspondence Dcssbct Nets. Burmah Is not well known in western countries. Politically it is situated between China and Bengal of tlie East Indies. The narrow frontier to tlie north Is the hunting ground of nomadic Mongols, also called Tartar". The southeast frontier fron-tier is Siam. fciam aud Burmah are twins, just as were the Siamese twins; the only difference being that Burmese are Buddhists of one sort andSiamese of another thinking that Buddhi, i. e , tno wise one, isbetter represented by the white elephant, who In their mythology represents wIdom. The water boundaries of Burmah are the Bays of Bengal and Martaban, and the rivers Brahmapootra Brahma-pootra and Sal Wen Than Lweng, alo called Wei TbU. The Burmese hop while they sing, and sing as though tliey used but one lung. This may not be a bright pun on the Hop Sing of Wun Lung aim, but it may help to impress on the reader, that Burmah Is a small celetlal empire bei ond the porcelain porce-lain walN. Burmah people are uc-tramelled uc-tramelled by time worn customs, caste distinctions or civilized prejudices. pre-judices. The liv as though they were independent and always wear a smile. There is none of the careworn care-worn look of classic Chinamen about them. They arc a nation of gay hearted rustics, unacquainted with Chinese finery. Even in Buddhism they assert their independent notions, no-tions, worshipping with flowers, in-ccn-and music instead of food and drink. Tilt CIT OV IHNOOOS Is the capital, situated In the Ira-waddy Ira-waddy uelta. The Irawaddy overflows over-flows frequently. Consequently the houses are built on stilts, o that when the inundation comes, the lswer floor is still above high water. These houses or cottages are always called bungalows, the English ln-si-t upon calling them so. Perhaps it Ls well they do, for a house or cottage would mean a European dwelling; a native house would sicnify an English built house In' hibitcd or owned by a native. The bungalow is generally a two story building, mere frame .t or k cf timber, tim-ber, bamboo and lattice, the air or wind moving tbroush easily in any direction. The roof Is made of brick or bamboo tiles and Is the only sub stantiai part of the bungalow, and it needs to be such when the heavj rains set in as they now do. Stone mortar, plaster or cement are not used in the construction of these dwellings. Rangoon has some European dwellings; and few they are. The most impo-ing monuments are the pagodas. The general form of a Burmese pagoui might not inaptly in-aptly be compared to a gigantic Chinese clarlnette or oboe, or to an ancient trumpet 200 feet high and tapering to a needle point. It Is gilt all over, and looks like a spire of gold. Some arc built In the form of a terraced pyramlde very much elongated. Around the Pagoda are shrines in which arc the remains of heroes and holy men of Buddhism. In the cupola or dome under the tower are treasures of gold. The large Pagoda of Rangoon has a canoe and other oldects cf gold, f If course these treasures are guarded by armed men. Unlike many other heathens, the Burmese permit Euroiieans to visit these places. The principal object of tho Pagoda Pa-goda is I am told to remind the Notaries of God and his greitness. It would be unfair to call Buddhists idolaters; somebody lias said "BJddhlm is atheism with a God." Rangoon is surrounded w ith water, tool.', ponds and canals all over. The town Is a big, veri big i Mage, though it has the population or a city. Despite this description it is very cosmopolitan. It contains Burmese, Chinese, Moguls, Arabs, negroes, Hindus, Parsees, etc Consequently Con-sequently a China town, Jos houses, etc, a mosque with a score of minarets and a fine si nagogue and churches. The protestanU of Buddhism are : the Burmese. They have their own reformed views which they base upon their records (palm leaf tablets) tab-lets) and from the-se they get their priestly authority, just as the Protestant Pro-testant finds his call to the ministry in the Bible. Buddhism contains all manner of sects, monks, nuns, scribes, parsons the doctrine of a savior born ofa virgin, and a triune God. The greatestfolly of Buddhism is their punctilious care to prevent cruelty to animals. This is carried so far, that, in districts where the British do not rule, to kill an ox or chicken (even for food) can only be expiated by death upon tho cross. Crucifixion is the capltil anl most odious punishment of Burmah. Manslaughter Is considered a trifle. To kill a man maliciously costs only money, SIO to $50 for an ordinary mortal. Except this and a few national, na-tional, not rellgiousjldcas Buddhism and fallen Christianity are very much the same. The reader may doubt this, but why do so many enlightened en-lightened Christians embrace Buddhism Budd-hism in Europe, and America, India and Australia, if this were uot so? Buddhism, or Theosopby, arc found right in bait Lake City. I assert again that Buddhism is only apostate Chrlstianism, jui the tinsel and glitter in the oriental mind. In apostate religions re-ligions what mean such things as mass, or no mass, holy waters, quaking under the "Spirit," apostolic succession, or a oil In the heart, ordination or divining for money, aud baptism or the presence in the holy h os tie,orimmaculate conception? con-ception? What are all these names' Buddhism and Sectarianism are but Narlations of similar errors and perhaps per-haps deviations from the same truths. Beyond the deluge the Pentateuch Penta-teuch and Chinese history agree. Then begins an era of literature and astronomy, as naturally would at tlie Tower of Babel which is often supposed to hao been an observatory, observa-tory, built to predict any cataclysm of nature (like our meterrologic stations). At any rate, Egyptian and Chinese observatories are supposed sup-posed to reach to within about fifteen fif-teen years of the foundation of the "Bab-el-on" or"Gate cf on, orSun." Therefore, tho hobby I will ride, until I find a better, is that the Burmese Bur-mese are descendants of our unknown un-known cou'Ins, the other children of Noah. C. U. L. Rangoon, Burmah, Sept. 1G. |