missioner, who usually resides at Chittagong. These judges (officers in the Indian army) have a number of Bengalee policemen; and the one at Akyab, which is much the largest district, has two companies of natives to assist in preserving peace and collecting the revenue, which amounts annually, in the whole province, to about three lacs and a half of rupees (350,000l.), produced principally by the rental of land, the Company considering themselves the proprietors of the soil. A tax on everything useful or necessary is also imposed to raise this apparently insignificant amount, which barely defrays the expenses, though the garrison only consists of eight companies of sepoys. two of which are stationed at Akyab, two at Sandoway, and the other four with the head-quarters of the regiment at Kyouk Phyoo, where a cantonment has been recently formed, and part of the flotilla employed in the late war, consisting of flats and gunboats, is laid up. The others are at Jergo, or Amherst Island, off the south end of Ramree, where there are temporary storehouses, with a quantity of naval stores, decaying very fast, from want of proper protection from the climate, as also are the boats.
There is a regular dâk established between Calcutta and Arracan province, as far as Sandoway, via Chittagong, Akyab, Kyouk, Phyoo, and Ramree: it is from nine to ten days reaching Akyab, and is thence conveyed in boats by the inland communications to the southward, usually reaching Sandowny in four days.
The inhabitants are a hardy, inoffensive race; and, having had little intercourse with strangers, supply all their wants from the immediate vicinity of their houses, which are universally bamboo huts, raised upon piles about four feet from the grounds and generally in some thick jungle near the water, with small patches of rice, indigo, cotton, tobacco, and fruit-trees at no very great distance. Fish are abundant, constituting, with rice, their principal food; and this year, for the first time, a cargo of both has been purchased for the Mauritius—the rice at the rate of 1l. 8s. per ton, and the fish equally low. Poultry is also very numerous at Arracan—eighteen for a rupee; nor is there any scarcity of bullocks or buffaloes. The latter they esteem most, from their being docile and useful in cultivating and treading out rice; and it is difficult to say what other use they make of either, as they neither kill them for food, nor do they use milk or anything made from it, and were much amused at the Europeans and Hindostanees wishing to get it, asking whether they were not afraid of becoming calves. Their religion, that of Buddha, enjoins them not to take away life; but they do not appear very bigoted to this part of their creed, as they had no objection to part with their oxen or buffaloes, and ate any part when dead, even to the offal usually given to dogs. We procured excellent ox-beef, with
