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Minderajee-praw,
BIRMAH. 59
desirous of information on the
subject, is said to have ordered that every city, town,
and village in his dominions, including the conquered
countries, should send one soldier to the Birman
army. When they were mustered at Amarapura,
there appeared to be 8000 men. Now, their towns
and villages, in general, are little more than a straggling
line of bamboo huts along the banks of the
Irrawaddy, or a double row lining a road of communication,
and the whole of these 8000 towns do not
average more than 150 or 200 houses each. Taking
the largest statement, or 200, it will make the number
of houses in the Birman dominions amount to
1,600,000, and reckoning seven persons to a house,
will give a population of 11,200,000 souls; a very
scanty population for so extended a territory, and not
above one half are in a state of firm allegiance. It is
stated, moreover, that the proportion of women to
men is as ten to six, and in some cases, four to one.
This enormous disproportion is accounted for by their
incessant wars ; for, on the strictest inquiry, Colonel
Francklin says, he pretty well ascertained that the
births of females do not exceed those of males.
Reckoning 6,000,000, then, for the effective population,
this will give only 1,500,000 males ; and making
from these the usual deductions for all persons
under fifteen and above fifty years of age, it may be
assumed that there are not more than 375,000 men
capable of bearing arms, were even the country to
rise en masse. His Birman majesty has no stand-
ing land force, except a few undisciplined native
Christians and renegadoes of all descriptions, who act
as artillery, a small body of Cassay cavalry, not ex-
ceeding a hundred, and perhaps about two thousand
ill-armed infantry. His armies are composed of levies,