Page:History of Indian and Eastern Architecture Vol 2.djvu/396

 340 FURTHER INDIA. BOOK VIII. northern or Tibetan element crept into Burma across the northern mountains by some route we cannot now follow. These are interesting problems we shall not be able to solve till we have a more critical knowledge than we now possess of Burmese buildings. Thanks to the zeal and intelligence of some English travellers, we do know a great deal about Burmese art. The works of Symes, 1 Crawfurd, 2 and, above all, of Colonel Yule, 3 are replete with information ; but what they did was done in the intervals they were able to snatch from pressing public duties. What is really wanted is, that some qualified person should take up the subject specially, and travel through the country with no other object than to investigate its antiquities. This was attempted between 1884-1888, when Professor Forchammer 4 was sent on a mission to study the temples in West Burma, but he unfortunately died before he could com- plete his task, and although his descriptions and plans of buildings at Mrohaung in Arakan and Kyaukku in Pagan are of great value, the former are not always quite intelligible owing to his want of acquaintance with architectural features. This was not the case with Mr. Oertel, 5 an engineer and architect in the Government service, who visited Burma with a similar object, but his permit was limited to about two months, so that he was only able to see some of the architectural centres. His report, however, contains much useful information, and the photographs which he took are of some value. In Mr. Nisbet's work, 6 published in 1901, is a chapter on Burmese architecture which shows careful research, and he is perhaps the first writer on the subject who has drawn up a list of the oldest buildings in Pagan, giving the dates of their erection and the names of the kings by whom they were built. Many other works have appeared since the British Annexation of Burma, in some cases containing illustrations from photo- graphs which add to our knowledge. Among these should be mentioned General de Beylie's work, 7 in which nearly one hundred pages are devoted to Burma, where he carried out some researches in the early part of 1907. The most important source of information at present, however, is given in the annual reports published by the Government of Burma, 8 giving details of the 1 ' Embassy to Ava in 1795.' London, 1800. 4to., 27 plates. 2 'Journal of Embassy to Court of Ava,' 1827. 4to., plates. 3 'Mission to Court of Ava, in 1855.' 4to., numerous illustrations. 4 Arakan : I. Mahamuni Pagoda, II. Mrohaung: III. Akyab : Sandowayand the Kyaukku Temple, Pagan, 1891. 6 ' Notes on a Tour in Burma in 1902,' by Fred. O. Oertel, F.R.I.B.A. 6 ' Burma under British Rule and Before,' by John Nisbet, D.CE.C, 1901. 7 ' L' Architecture Hindoue en Extreme Orient,' by General L. de Beylie, 1907. 8 ' Reports of the Superintendent of the Archaeological Survey, Burma, 1902- 1908.'