"رحلات من الهند إلى إنجلترا: تشمل زيارة إلى الإمبراطورية البورمية، رحلة عبر بلاد فارس، آسيا الصغرى، تركيا الأوروبية وغيرها، في السنوات ١٨٢٥-١٨٢٦، بقلم جيمز إدوارد أليكساندر" [‎٢‎١] (٤١٢/٦٢)

BURMAN EMPIRE. 21
manned with half a dozen Malay Lascars, in order to communicate
with the agent for transports at Rangoon, He had not proceeded
far up the river, when six war-boats, filled with men, pushed off to
attack him. He ordered his men to pull for the nearest boat, and
on coming alongside he jumped on board, followed by his Lascars.
The Burmans were so confounded at his boldness, that they aban
doned the boat and took to the water, leaving the glittering prize in
the quiet possession of the gallant sailor. The other boats, on
perceiving the fate of their companion, judged it prudent to retire.
Chiefs of a certain rank are entitled to gild their boats, and to
bear a golden tee or umbrella.
The boats for passage and those for the conveyance of merchandize
are roofed in, with out-riggers, on which the crews sit, and pull or
force them along with poles: they occasionally track them with a
rope. When the wind is right aft, they hoist a sail of cloth between
two poles: having no keel, they cannot beat to windward. The
ledeegee, or steersman, sits or stands upon the elevated stern, which
commands a view of the river. All the smaller canoes are made of
single trees ; first shaped, then hollowed out, and finally the sides
extended by means of stretchers. In rowing, the crew keep time
by calling out or singing, "ye-ee, ee-ee !"
The Burmans have no coined money: the circulating medium is
bullion. A silver tickal, or dinga, is nearly the weight of a Madras
rupee j and before the war broke out, one hundred seers, or about
two hundred pounds of rice could be purchased for a tickal: the
price, however, at Rangoon, during my visit, was thirty. Every
shopkeeper has a small box, containing scales to weigh the bullion
given in payment for commodities: the weights are modelled after
the