IMPRESSIONS OF BURMAH.

Otago Witness, Issue 2801, 20 November 1907, Page 87

IMPRESSIONS OF BURMAH.

Bl A Dr/NEDINITE.

1. Burmah is a comparatively recent possession of the British Crown, and, although it is nearly a century eince its people came into touch wiih the Eaafc Indife_ Company, our occupation of Upper Burmah is a thing of the last two decades only. The first Burmese war arose in 1826, and was caused by the continual raiding of the frontier tribes on our territories in Eastern Bengal. On that occasion the Bengal Sepoys marched into the country, for they would not cross the water; but the main force was sent from Madrae, the troops of that presidency not being so caste-bound. As the outcome of that war, pert of the Aracan and Tenasserim coasts were annexed, and the province has always eince been administered from Madras. War broke out again in 1862, and the Province of Lower Burmah was added to our possessions. In 1885, owing to the iniquitous reign of King Theebaw and the impossibility of obtaining any redress for treaties broken and gross injustice done to British subjects, the country was again overrun, and this time formally taken possession of.

While New Zealand can bo entered by any one of half a dozen 6eaport6, there is practically only one way of getting into Burmah, and that is by Rangoon, which is situated on one of the mouths — and not the largest by any means— of the great River Irrawaddy. Rangoon is now the third port of British India, and is a most flourishing city. As we came in we saw a huge fleet of steamers lj - ing in its broad, deep, and rapid stream. The first object that one eees in approaching the city is the great Shoay Dagon Pagoda, the Mecca of Buddhists. The vast building iteelf is some 370 ft high, and, as it stands on a mound 170 ft «n height, its splendid golden pinnacle is visible for a great distance. Its temples are beautiful specimens of the old Burmeeo art of mosaic work in glass and plaster.

There is a great riverside population of Madrassies in the city, and they soem to do the most part of the work about the town and port, for the Burraans are very lazy. But the latter are an interesting people, and my first impressions were good. I liked their appearance very much, for they are clean, merry, good-tempered, and polite. The girl* wear bright silka, with the colours tastefully chosen, but they do not improve upon Nature in all rcspecte, for their faces are usually whitened with a piste made from the powdered root of some plant. Thie is said to be very good for sunburn and prickly heat, and is commonly used by women and children; but I am afraid it is fashion which 13 followed, more than comfort. Women and girls have a good time in Burmah ; most of the. petty trading is in their hands— for they are born traders,— and they live a free, happy, and contented life.

In and around the city of Rangoon aro 6ome beautiful lawns and magnificent trees, especially in the public gardens, where there is also a fine tortuous lake, with a boathouse. But the high temp-criituro and close atmosphere make it desirable to k^cp indoors during the greater part of the day. In the evenings recreation is sought cither in a drive through these beautiful gardens, or in tennis or a pull on the lake. It is a ddLLeiitful change, after tho great heat of

the day, to enjoy the beautiful prospect, with its masses of luxuriant, tropical (yet cool) foliage, and to breathe the cooled air from off the lake.

It was only as a bird of passage t.hat I saw Rangoon ; my destination was Manda*lay, eomo 350 milce inland by rail. The train left at 12.30 noon, and we travelled all night, reaching the capital at 6.30 a.m. As long as daylight lasted I looked round on all sides to ccc what was to me a totally new country, and must confess to some disappointment. My preconceived notion of Burmah was that of a country almost completely covered with forest, with a heavy rainfall everywhere, and hero we were bowling along over flat, dry plains. Tho line leaves the rher soon after srarting from Rangoon, and runs up by Pegu over a wide plain, whose edge was not visible on either side, and which (at the end of April) was nearly all covered with rice stubble. For many miles no trees were visible at all, but in a few parts the dead flatness was relieved by some small plantations visible on the horizon, and these were generally raised into the air by slight mirage. It was a hot, dry, and dusty journey, the temperature no( falling below 84deg at night, while at midday it rose to 106deg. "We were not sorry to reach our destination in tho early morning, and to find our quarters within the fort.

How very few people in New Zealand have any notion of Xlandalay ! To me it was only a name associated with Kipling's ballad, and the lines — If you've '«ard the East a-ca-'.lin' you won't never 'eed naught else On the road to 3lsuida3.»y. It is a large, fine city, with magnificent pagodas and t-emplea, lying in a nearly flajb plain. From the old watch-tower in the palace, where King Mindoon Mm used to sit and survey his capital, one gete a fine view of tho city, with the Irrawaddy away to the left, like a thread of silver in the sunlight, a range of hills about eight or 10 miles to the right, and away behind them the mountains of the Shan Plateau in tho distance. Away \vp on these mountaine— to tho catt, and at only some 20 miW d'<*iAiuie> ag the crow flies— lies May-

myo, the Simla of Burmah, to which all the European population which can possibly get away removes at the beginning of the hot weather, and which is the seat of Government for several months of the year.

The walls of the fort within which we live are a mile and a-quarter long in each direction, and are guarded by a wide and deep moat. This moat is full of a fine lotus (Nelumbium speoiosum), or waterlily, with large pink flowers and floating leaves resembling those of our great mountain buttercup (Ranunculua Lyallii), only larger. There are also numbers of smaller water-lilies. The natives sell all sorts of eatables — meat, cakes, etc. — on these lotus leaves. It looks cool and tempting to ccc these beautiful, cool, green, natural platters; but it is a most dangerous habit, on account of the great rick of conveying cholera and typhoid germs.

All round the city is a wide extent of paddy (rice) fields, and at the beginning of May everything is dried up with the heat, and neither flowers nor insects are visible. For the latter we are supremely thankful. The European inhabitants stay indoors from 10 till 5 o'clock, as far as they possibly can, for a daily temperature of 105deg with a blazing- sun overhead is distinctly dangerous to be out in, even with the protection of a good sola tope. In the evening they play golf, rackets, or tennis, ■while those whose purses are deep and heavy enough play polo three evenings a week.

One afternoon, soon after our arrival, * friend and I went into the town to visit the Araoan or Great Golden Pagoda, hardly {if at all) less sacred than the Shoay Dagon Pagoda in Rangoon. The central gilded building covering the Buddha has four long corridors or aisles leading into it from each of the quarters of the compass, and the sides of 'theae are occupied by native booths for selling toys, silks, oandles of extraordinary shapes end sizes for the shrines; locksmiths' and hardware shops, bookstalls, etc.— -everything, in fact. There are fortune-tellers, beggars, priests or poonghya, in their saffron-yellow robes and with shaven heads. In the corners between the aisles are tanks (concrete and etonelined) full of sacred turtles and little fish, and one is importuned by ugly old women to buy plates of meat to feed them. Over all hang dozens of kites or " hawks," ready to pounce down for their share. It is one of the stock sights of the pagoda to see tho turtles feed. At the call of "Tweet, tweet," they rise from the depths of the still, green water and swim lazily towards the proffered food. Some aro tame enough to take food from the hand, but the majority are shy and wary. The sanitary arrangements seem to be almoat nil about these places, though the town iteelf is well looked after.

One morning I hired a pony for the large sum of four annas (nominally 6d), and had a ride into the country from 7 to 9.30 a.m., riding up to the foothills on the east, along a. made road, and back by native carttracks through the villages. Here I saw my first live wild snake. The pony nearly trod on it. It was, I believe, a harmless carpet snake, about 4ft long, and it waa crossing the road about 20 yards away from a group' of squatting Burmese, who took no notice of it at aIL

In the evening I went another ride into the country, getting on a bund or embankment, and so riding about 15ft above the level of the surrounding country. I got fine views of the paddy fields (now commencing to get green), of clumps of fine trees, Burman villages, and backwaters of the river, while as a background the mountain rang© in tho distance relieved the flatness of the plain. One of the common trees here, of which tho whole forest i<? in some parts mainly composed, is oalled the Bima troo. It has fine green foliage, and its largo, lilac-coloured flowers are borne in long terminal raceme*. As tho flowers stand out clear of the leaves all round, they cauee the trees to present tho appearance- of domes of colour when they are in full bloom.

In the neighbourhood of the town, and within the fort it-self, the tamarind tree?, wliich" arc planted everywhere here, were getting quite green. All vegetation seemed to fceJ tho approach of the rainy pea6on. On the^c rides, too, I saw a number of bn-ds berth large and small, which were quite now to mo and also a few new plants. But any account of these must be postponed for the present.