A Burmese wonderland; a tale of travel in Lower and ... - Khamkoo

—
26 A BURMESE WONDERLAND.
nationality and language are preserved to any
appreciable
extent.
Of the 80,000 Takings now found in Thaton, only
34,000 speak their own language.
There appear to be four groups of Takings, each
with language peculiarities of their own. The Mon
Dung are found in Rangoon, Dala, Bassein, and Pegu.
The Mon Deik occur in
Amherst, south of the Salween.
The Mon Nya hve between the Sittang and Salween
Rivers : and
with Karens, live
HiUs.
the Mon Duk, who are now mixed up
at Paan, and east of the Kalamadaung
Takings, as such, rarely enlist in our army : but
numbers of them are recruited in Lower Burma under
the name of Burmese. Many of the leading members
of Burmese Society in Rangoon are really Takings.
A well-known Taking, U Shwe Le, non-ojQ&cial
member of the Legislative Council, speaks as follows
of his countrymen
:
" Numerically we are inferior to the Burmese ;
and
I notice with deep regret and concern that the Mon
are slowly dying out. Their language is becomin g
obsolete and their Hterature is neglected. In such
circumstances the question, of course, arises as to when
Mons are hkely to become extinct. Personally, I don't
think that extinction can be postponed very long.
Shans, Karens, Ka chins and other indigenous races of
Burma have more xdtality and preserve their individuality
; but the Takings, I regret to say, are becoming