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BIRMAH. 67
The Binnans write from left to right, like the
Europeans. Their common books are leaves of the
Palmyra palm, strung together, on which they engrave
their writing with an iron style. Others are formed
of thin pieces of bamboo delicately plaited and varnished,
the surface being gilded, on which the characters
are marked in black and shining Japan ink.
The margins are often very prettily illuminated in
red and green colours. In their more elegant books,
they sometimes use sheets of ivory stained black, on
which the characters are enamelled or gilded, the
margins being also ornamented with gilding; or at
other times, very fine white Palmyra leaves, on which
the characters are in general of black enamel, and the
ends of the leaves and margins are ornamented with
flowers painted in various bright colours. As there
are but few of the Birmans who do not both read and
write, almost every man, Dr. Buchanan says, carries
with him a parucek, in which he keeps his accounts,
copies songs, and transcribes any thing he deems
curious. " It is in these paruceks that the zares, or
words collected amounts to about 4000. The constant occurrence
of Pali terms in every Birman book has made it absolutely neces-
sary." A considerable number of words in common use, and a
very great proportion of theological terms, are of Pali origin,
although the two languages are entirely distinct. Some knowledge
of the learned language is therefore indispensable to the acquisition
of a perfect knowledge of the Birman. See JUDSON'S Account,
pp. 159, 61. One great impediment to attaining a critical knowledge
of the idiom of both the Birman and the Rukhing, is, that
there is no regular standard of orthography, or the smallest trace
of attention to grammatical inquiry among these nations. Every
writing that has hitherto come under observation, not excepting
even official documents, has been found full of the grossest inaccuracies.
l*he priests are the only persons conversant with the
Pali, and few even among them are celebrated for either the ex-
tent or accuracy of their knowledge. Asiat, Res., vol. v. p. 236.