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238 BIRMAH.
sitting on a satin cushion, encompassed by a circle of
rhahaans, from whom he could be no other ways
distinguished, than by his preserving an erect position,
while the others bent their bodies in an attitude of
respect, with their hands joined in a supplicating
manner."
On taking leave of the primate, Col. Symes pro-
ceeded along a wide road leading to the northward,
which soon brought him to an extensive plain, reach-
ing in an uninterrupted level to the foot of a range of
mountains ten or twelve miles distant. The soil is a
poor clay, and the pasturage very indifferent. At a
distance were seen some fields of grain ; and they were
told, that capacious reservoirs had been constructed
with great labour and expense, by order of the emperor,
in the vicinity of the mountains, which enabled
the inhabitants of the low countries to irrigate the
grounds, and render them productive in a season of
"
drought. Several kioums and villages were scattered
over the plain; but," continues Col. "
S., when
we had advanced about two miles, the religious edi-
fices increased beyond our power to calculate the
number.
" The first that we entered was called Knebany
Kioum, or the kioum of immortality, from the centre
of which rose a royal piasath to the height of 150
feet: the roofs were of the customary structure, diminishing
in stories. This is the place where the embalmed
bodies of the deceased seredaws are laid in
state. The building rests on a terrace of brick, and
is not elevated on pillars as the kioums usually are.
The hall was very handsome, about seventy feet
square ; the roof sustained by thirty-six gilded pillars,
the central one forty feet in height. Mats were
spread in different parts for the repose of the rha-