Untitled - Sabrizain.org

242 BIRMAH.
is equal to that of the larger ones, and which appeared
like so many wells, were placed, on small Bengal carpets,
little hollow temples, three feet square, with pyramidal
roofs ornamented in the Birman style ; the interior
frame being of painted wood, covered with thin plates
of silver, alloyed to about fifty per cent standard ; in
height, from the base to the pinnacle, seven feet ; the
eaves ornamented with strings of red coral, about six
beads in each, terminated with heart-shaped pieces of
common window -glass. Round the solid part of the
building and upon the terrace were arranged piles of
leaden beams, about five inches square, and of sufficient
length to cover .the respective chambers, with plates
of lead of the same length, fourteen inches broad and
and
three fourths of an inch thick, for the coverings ;
besides these, a number of slates of a schistous granite
were arranged in readiness to cover the whole. We
were told that there was another set of chambers of
the same dimensions and structure, charged with trea-
sure, below these : how true this is, I cannot pretend
to determine. The invention of lining the chambers
with lead for the preservation of the treasures, is an
honour claimed by his
skill in these matters.
present majesty, who has great
" The dedicated treasures were arranged on the
platform of a bamboo shade, about seventy feet in
length, and thirty broad ; they consisted of a great
variety of Birman temples and kioums in miniature,
covered with plates of fifty per cent, silver, and filled
with little images of their idols, from three inches to a
foot in height, of the same materials. Besides those
in the temples, &c., there were -squadrons of others of
the same kind and quality arranged on the floor ;
also
many which they said were of solid gold, but, on examination,
we found them less valuable; there were
also two rows of about a dozen larger images of ala-