MANDALAY.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 1522, 12 March 1886, Page 4

MANDALAY.

Mandalay li. s about three mile* from tbe Irrawaddy, on a risiug ground Mow the Hill Mandate. It was founded on the accession in 1803, by the late king, and one of his motives for quitting Ava and selecting the new ril-e was to remove his palace frcm tbe sight and sound of British steamers. The city is built on the same plan as the old capital, and consists of two concentric, fortified squares. The outer is defended by lofty, massive brick walls, with earthworks thrown up on the inside. There are four gates, over each of which rises a tower with seven gilded roofs. The first square is inhabited by the officials, aril and military, and the soldiers of the royal army. All the houses are in separate inclosures, bordsring broad, well-kept streets. Along the fronts is carried the king's fence, a latticed palisade, behind which the subjects tide themselves when His Majesty passes. During the day, stalls are set up in the streets, and the various Burmese necessaries, even to cloth, are sold, but at night all are cleared away and the gate closed. The central or royal squire is surrounded by an outer stockade of teak timber, twelve feet in height and an inner wall. Entrance is given by two gates opposite each other, opening into a wide place, containing the Government offices and the royal mint on one side; on the other a wall runs across, and a large gate-way opened only for the King, and a Sidall postern eive access to tbe palace inclosure. To the left is the abode of tbe white elephant, which is said to be scarcely distinguishable from any other elephant save by the paler hue of the skin of the head. To the right is the royal arsenal. Outside the walls of the city the suburbs, or unwalled town, stretch away south' ward in broad streets, which converge toward the Arracan Pagoda, and in the distance the spires of pagodas mark the site of Amaru purs. The population is roughly estimated at 65.C00. The principal industry is silk-*earing.— N Y Herald.