teeth, or fangs, fixed in the upper jaw, which are commonly two in number, but often more. Then follows an anatomical defcription of the furrounding parts of the reservoir, or bag that holds the poifon, and the membranes, and muscles, used in protruding it, when the animal inflicts the fatal wound. Thrown naked on the ground, and expofed to every injury, the ferpent poffeffes a weapon for its defence and revenge, more terrible than any known befides in nature. Civilized man regards him with innate horror; the awe-ftruck favage propitiates him with food, and foothes him with religious rites. The quality of the venomous matter is next investigated, and its dreadful effects on the human frame are defcribed; medical obfervations, connected with the fubject, that argue confiderable depth of research, fucceed; and the refult is, "that the poifon of ferpents acts upon the blood, by attracting the oxygen, which it receives from the atmosphere in its paffage through the lungs, and upon which its vitality depends. P. 109. This affertion is proved by a train of arguments and experiments, which, in fome degree, clash with thofe of the celebrated MEAD; but the prefent advanced flate of medical fcience has made us more intimately acquainted with the subject than Mead could be; and the ingenious writer now proceeds to point out the cure. Having taken an extensive view of the ancient methods of effecting that cure, all fhaded with doubt and fufpicion, he ultimately recommends, as a fpecific in this dreadful malady, the "lunar cauftic, which is a preparation of filver in the nitric acid," a remedy long ago proposed by Fontana, who mixed the venom with the lunar cauftic, and found that it was thus rendered entirely innocent. He explains the mode of its operation in the following manner:

"OXYGEN, we have already obferved, is a principle which enters into the compofition of the blood, and performs a very important part in the animal economy. It muft alfo be evident that the blood may be more or lefs loaded with this principle, and that disease may be produced, either by too great, or by too fmall a quantity being prefent in the circulating mafs. We have already faid that the difeale produced by the bite of a ferpent, arifes from the fubtraction of oxygen from the blood: the indication of cure muft therefore be, to fapply this oxygen, which we fuppofe to be withdrawn. The most obvious method of accomplishing this will be to employ fuch fubftances as are known to contain oxygen in the greatest abundance, and to part with it with the greatest facility. This is precifely the characer of the lunar cauftic, which is made by diffolving filver in the nitric acid, and afterwards evaporating and cryftallifing the folation. The compofition of the nitric acid is alfo accurately afcertained, it differs from the common nitrous acid of the fhops, by containing a greater quantity of oxygen, and in a fingularly loofe form; fo that if

our

our reasoning upon the poifon of the ferpent be in any degree correct, no medicine would appear to be better calculated than this, to obviate its effects." P. 115..

6 An Account of the Petroleum Wells in the Burmha Dominions; extracted from a Journal of a Voyage from Ranghong up the River Erai-Wuddey to Amarapoorah, the prefent Capital of the Burmha Empire. By Capt, Hiram Cox, Refident at Ranghong.

These wells are in number no less than 520, and the oil produced by them, we are informed, is a genuine petroleum. Captain Cox gives a very minute and inftructive account of the mode in which they are funk, and the manner in which the petroleum is raised, often from very confiderable depths. The working of them is frequently fatal to the miners, from the mephitic air met with at thofe depths, and which inftantly inflicts death; but still the natives perfevere. The oil comes up pure from the wells, in the liquid ftate, as used: it is of a greenish colour, and odorous: it is ufed principally for lamps, and for paying the timbers of houses and the bottoms of boats, which it is faid to preferve from decay and vermin. It has alfo medicinal virtues, and is used as an embrocation in bruifes and rheumatic affections. These wells are the property of individuals resident near the spot, and defcend by inheritance in the families to which they belong. They are the fource of a confiderable revenue to the king of Burmha, and give employment to a multitude of men engaged in circulating through the empire their valuable produce.

The 7th article, on The Maximum of MECHANIC Powers, and the Effects of MACHINES in Motion, by Lieutenant Lambton, though ingenious, we pafs over, becaufe not immediately connected with the profeffed object of the Afiatic Researches, the natural and civil hiftory and fciences of Afia; but our attention is ftrongly attracted to the next article, which exhibits a ftill wider view of that great empire, the Burman, fo recently only penetrated by Europeans.

8. On the Religion and Literature of the Burmans. By Dr. Buchanan.

Dr. Buchanan, who accompanied Colonel Symes at Ava, commences his differtation by informing us, that the prevailing religion in Burmu is that of Buddha, upon whom and his doctrines we have a very extended difcuffion, intended principally to prove the priority of that fuperftition, from its great diffufion in Afia, to the Brahmin ritual even in India itself. We were fomewhat furprifed at this affertion, which is in direct contradiction to Sir W. Jones, who makes

Buddha

Buddha to be the ninth Indian Avatar, and fixes the period of his appearance, or that of his reign rather, for he was probably one of their god-kings, about the beginning of the fourth age, according to his divifion of the chronology of the Hindoos. He alfo conftantly speaks of the Brahmins as the ancient venerated poffeffors of that country, and the founders both of its religion and law. Our aftonifhment, therefore, was confiderable, when we read in a difcourfe by one of the members of the fociety, established by that firft of Afiatic fcholars, and citing him alfo, the following paffage, which fo effectually degrades them from their rank and confequence.

"If the conjectures of Sir William Jones, relative to the infcriptions found at Mongheer, and on the pillar at Buddal, be well founded, then the governing power on the banks of the Ganges, as late as about the time of the birth of Chrift, was of the fect of Bouddha. The Brahmens indeed had then introduced themselves into Hindustan, and had obtained lands, and even the rank of prime minister to the great Rajah: but they had not perfuaded him to change his religion; a change which when accomplished, proved equally deftructive to the prince, and to the people. However idle and ridiculous the legends and notions of the worshippers of Bouddha may be, they have been in a great measure adopted by the Brahmens, but with all their defects monftroufly aggravated: rajahs and heroes are converted into gods, and impoffibilities are heaped on improbabilities. No ufeful Icience have the Brahmens diffused among their followers; history they have totally abolished; morality they have depreffed to the utmoft; and the dignity and power of the altar they have erected on the ruins of the ftate, and the rights of the fubject. Even the laws attributed to Menu, which, under the form in ufe among the Burmas are not ill fuited for the purpose of an abfolute monarchy, under the hands of the Brahmens have become the most abominable, and degrading fyftem of oppreffion, ever invented by the craft of defigning men." P. 165.

According to this writer, therefore, the religion of Buddha flourished on the banks of the Ganges about the period of the birth of Chrift; and the Brahmins only then first introduced themselves and their facred rites into the country, notwithstanding the hiftorians of Alexander prefent us with a manifeft and genuine portrait of the precepts and manners of thofe priests under the title of Brachmans; notwithstanding half the names of ancient Indian cities and places are formed from the Sanferit, their native dialect, and allufive to their gods and rajahs; and notwithstanding the figures in the caverns of Elephanta, and the fculptures at Ellora, cut out of the folid rock for nearly two leagues in extent, indifputably allude to their hiftory and religious rites. These ancient and wonderful excavations could only have been made when a great empire had reached its meridian

2

ridian fplendor, and a powerful monarch gave encouragement to the arts, and protection to the priesthood. Whatever was the religion of Burma in ancient periods, it may be depended upon that the Brahminical was the religion of Hindoftan. Indeed, from the evidence here adduced by Dr. Buchanan, the latter feems to have formed the bafis of even the Burman religion itself, for in the extract here given from manuscripts of the country, tranflated into Latin by Dr. B. the names of places and of perfons, as well as the mythology, are evidently Indian, though fomewhat obfcured by the orthography. The treatise alluded to is far too long to be abridged, and we must refer the curious reader for the perufal of it to the volume itself. Of the Burman nation, of their progrefs in fcience, and their manners, what this ingenious writer perfonally observed may with fafety be credited; and a part of his extended defcription, in a more particular manner relative to their scientific attainments, and the literary character of the reigning fovereign, is as follows:

"In their more elegant books, the Burmas write on Theets of ivory, or on very fine white palmira leaves. The ivory is stained black, and the margins are ornamented with gilding, while the characters are enamelled or gilded. On the palmira leaves the characters are in general of black enamel; and the ends of the leaves, and margins, are painted with flowers in various bright colours. In their more common books, the Burmas with an iron ftyle engrave their writings on palmira leaves. A hole, through both ends of each leaf, ferves to connect the whole into a volume by means of two ftrings, which alfo pafs through the two wooden boards, that ferve for binding. In the finer binding of these kind of books the boards are lacquered, the edges of the leaves cut fmooth and gilded, and the title is written on the upper board, the two cords are by a knot or jewel fecured at a little diftance from the boards, fo as to prevent the book from failing to pieces, but fufficiently diftant to admit of the upper leaves being turned back, while the lower ones are read. The more elegant books are in general wrapped up in filk cloth, and bound 'round by a garter, in which the Burmas have the art to weave the title of the book.

"As there are but few of the Burmas who do not read and write, almost every man carries with him a parawaik, in which he keeps his accounts, copies fongs, till he can repeat them from memory, and takes memorandums of any thing curious. It is on these parawaiks that the Zares or writers in all courts, and public offices, take down' the proceedings and orders of the fuperior officers: from thence copying fuch parts, as are neceffary, into books of a more durable and elegant nature. The parawaik is made of one fheet of thick and ftrong paper blackened over. A good one may be about eight feet long, and eighteen inches wide. It is folded up fomewhat like a fan, or thus a beach fold, or page being about fix inches, and in length the whole breadth of the fheet. Thence, wherever the book

book is opened, which ever fide is uppermoft, no part of it can be rubbed, but the two outer pages, a. b. and it only occupies a table one foot in width by eighteen inches long. The Burmas write on the parawaik with a pencil of fteatites. When in hafte the Zares ufé many contractions, and write with wonderful quickness. I have seen them keep up with an officer dictating, and not fpeaking very flow. But when they take pains, the characters written on the parawaik are remarkably neat. Indeed this nation, like the Chinese, pique themfelves much on writing an elegant, and diftinct character. When that, which has been written on a parawaik, becomes no longer ufeful, the pages are rubbed over with charcoal, and the leaves of a fpecies of Dolichos: they are then clean, as if new, and equally fit for the pencil.

"Every convent has a collection of books: feveral of which are pretty confiderable. The most common copiers are indeed the Rahans, who prepare books both for their convents, and for prefents to their lay benefactors. These books are kept in chefts, much ornamented with gilding, and bits of looking glass, faftened on with lacquer, in the fhape of flowers. At Amarapura we were fhewn a part of the royal library. This is a brick building, furrounded by enclosed courts, and temples, which occupy a delightful fituation, in the N. W. angle of the city. Near it is a fmall, but most elegant Kianng. To this, at times, the monarch retires; and we were fhewn the gilded couch on which he repofes, while the Zarado reads to him, and inftructs him in the duties of religion. The library itself is neither a convenient nor hand fome building. The gallery, into which we entered, contained about a hundred chefts, gilded on the fides, and lacquered above, with the general title of their contents written in golden letters. The chefts were large, and if full, muft have contained many thoufand volumes. As we faw only a part, I profume that the king's collection is very extenfive. He is, indeed, faid to be a very intelligent, and learned prince. He was very defirous of obtaining fome Brahmen more learned, than thofe he had, to inftruct him in aftronomy: and he had caufed the inftitutes of Menų to be tranflated from the English of Sir William Jones. He muft therefore have heard of what is purfued among Europeans, in at leaft oriental literature: and it is to be hoped, that fome more ufefuļ books may attract his notice: books which might tend to improve the people, and give them more enlightened notions of politics, of the arts, and of fcience. Hitherto, I fufpect, the laws, or religion, of the Burmas, have contributed little to the happiness of the people; but fortunately they have not, like thofe of the Brahmens, placed any infurmountable obftacles in the way of national improvement." P. 306.

There remain to be noticed, in the volume under review, one or two other important communications to the Afiatic Society, which, as this article is already too prolonged, shall be detailed in our next number, together with the whole of what is valuable and ufeful in the 7th volume, which has only recently been placed on our table.

ART.