schools, both for young and adult people.
In the afternoon we visited the great Arakan Pagoda, a shrine which
pilgrims of the Buddhist faith frequent from all over the world. It is
built in the form of a square tower, rising in a series of terraces,
growing smaller and ending in a finial at the summit. There are also
battlements with finials capping the top. The whole is gilded and is
very magnificent in appearance, even to the gilded figure of Buddha,
which occupies the principal throne. The day we were there, the throne
was surrounded by worshippers, and the long passages leading from the
pagoda to it were densely thronged. There are four smaller passages,
each being filled with stalls where is displayed almost every
conceivable article, even to fruit and flowers. Near one of the
passages are two large tanks filled with grayish water where are kept
the sacred turtles. The turtles were fed while we were present and
seemed very tame. In the adjacent enclosure we saw many large bells of
graduated size, for which Burma is famous. In an enclosure young men
were playing the game of football, called "Chinlon," in that country,
which means "round basket," the ball being about six inches in diameter.
The players stand in a circle a few feet apart. The ball is thrown by
one, and the player nearest to whom it falls kicks it in the air, and
attempts to repeat this feat several times in order to keep the ball up,
but failing to do so, the next player gains possession and throws it,
and so on.
The visit to the Queen's Golden Monastery was peculiarly interesting. It
is a fine specimen of native architecture, made of elaborately carved
teakwood, finely gilded, but showing the marks of age. In the large
central room, from which leads a smaller room separated only by columns,
the so-called golden image of Buddha (also bejewelled) rests on a raised
dais, and in front is a long table containing a great variety of votive
offerings to the deity from a widely scattered circle of believers. The
columns surrounding these rooms were profusely decorated with glass
ornamentation, and the effect was startling. The Bishop in his robe of
yellow silk--the color of the Buddhist priesthood--was gracious, and
the young priests very jolly. We received several presents of long
narrow books written on palm-leaf, the text being a translation in
modern Burmese from the old Pali Bible. It is unnecessary to add that we
left compensation, the sale of said books being forbidden; hence such is
the way of evading the law!
[Illustration: _The Queen's Golden Monastery_]
[Illustration: _Karen women in Mandalay_]
This monastery contained, like the Silver Monastery, a school for
children. On our departure, an interesting little episode occurred. A
young priest draped his long yellow robe around one of the gentlemen, in
veritable Roman toga style, the right arm and shoulder being exposed.
Then one of the party took a photograph, promising to send a copy to the
monastery.
The support of the Buddhist monasteries depends on charity, and a
procession of priests from each monastery goes about with mendicant
bowls or baskets, each morning soliciting food and fruit, everything
being placed in one receptacle. Rice, however, is the principal
contribution.
We also visited the Aindaw-Yah Pagoda, the oldest in Mandalay. This is
entirely gilt, from base to spire, and presents an imposing appearance.
It is surrounded by a large square or platform on which are placed
various other shrines containing small images of Buddha.
The cause of there being so many pagodas in Burma is that thereby the
builder gains renown and paves the way for greater happiness in a future
state. For the above reason the pagoda is seldom repaired. The builder
desires to be approached as "the builder of a pagoda," and invariably
addresses his wife as "O wife of a pagoda builder." Architecturally the
pagoda, in general, may be described as having a spire, massive
throughout, rising from a circular, square, or octagonal base, in a
succession of tiers or circles, of which the upper is always narrower
than the one beneath it.
The principal industry of Mandalay is the weaving of silk, for which it
is very celebrated, and a visit to the bazar was most interesting.
Unlike the bazars previously described, this was a large, high building,
filled with aisles and furnished with long tables, at the back of which
sat the saleswomen; all the business of the bazar is carried on by
women. There was a great variety of silk weaving of every conceivable
shape and style, the sarong being prominent. This is a long colored
garment which the women of Burma wear pinned tightly around them below
the waist, unlike the fuller skirt we had seen in India, the dress being
completed by a short, loose jacket which shows a white under-vest and a
long, wide sash. The market was also very interesting, in a small
building next or adjoining the silk bazar.
[Illustration: _Burmese country house near Mandalay_]
It may be well to speak here of the happy, contented, pleasure-loving
Burmese women. Indeed, their condition could have been envied a few
years ago, even in a portion of our own United States, as they can hold
property in their own right and are entitled to their earnings. This
causes them to be very industrious as well as executive. It is possible
that the sunny aspect of Nature may partly be responsible for their
joyous appearance, as it certainly causes the men to be very indolent
and quite willing that their wives should carry on their business,
provided they are left undisturbed to enjoy life in their own way.
The women are very fond of dress, and, unlike the women of India, wear
only real jewelry; travellers see a profusion of solitaire diamond
rings, every one of which is said to be genuine.
There is no caste in Burma and no division of class; in the olden time
any one might become a prince or a prime minister if he had the ability
to rise. There is little expression of art or literature, the life being
very simple. The people are indeed children of Nature, and the only
expression of taste is to be found in their pagodas and monasteries.
Their silver work and wood carving are fine. The houses in the country
are usually built of bamboo, raised from the ground on poles, four to
six feet, as protection against floods, reptiles, and other mishaps.
The floor usually consists of split bamboo, the thatched roof of
elephant grass. The sides of the house are of bamboo, opening to the
street on verandas. Some have second stories. Around these homes birds
and animals and naked children are everywhere to be seen.
Among the incidents of our stay at Mandalay I remember a native dance,
called "Pwe," given one evening in front of the hotel. This was a little
on the order of a vaudeville, consisting of a mixture of talk, song, and
dance. The performers were arranged on a high platform. The women were
dressed in the extreme of Burmese fashion, having long pink silk sarongs
tightly drawn around them, jackets and long sashes, and with flowers in
the hair. They appeared in the dancing and the singing, while the two
men furnished the dialogue. The music was anything but melodious, and
the talking we could not understand; but from the applause of the large
number of spectators gathered around, we assumed, however, that it was
funny. The movement of the dance was very slow and measured, as had been
all the dancing we had witnessed in the Orient. The effect was rather
spectacular, seen in a dim light, with trees for a background. Whenever
a dance of this kind occurs, it soon gets noised about, and large
gatherings of people arrive, and they group themselves around, sitting
always on the ground and observing a profound silence except when they
applaud.
[Illustration: _A national dance at Mandalay_]
Near our hotel was an English Wesleyan mission, directed by the Rev. Mr.
Bestol. A friend and I visited it, and found it very interesting and
cheerful,--the home of the missionaries, and the assistant teachers who
supervised the boys' and girls' school, and the dormitories. They seemed
to be doing a very good work. On the occasion of our first call, they
had all gone on a picnic, quite after our usual Sunday-school fashion.
We also heard of other missions of merit.
At 5 P.M. we left our hotel for the landing of the Irrawaddy Flotilla
Company to pass the night on the steamer _Siam_. We were now on a model
river vessel for three days. The scenery was varied and picturesque. At
points from the water's edge there were terraced slopes of vegetation,
trees of many kinds and hues, the dark green foliage alternating with
the light green of the graceful bamboo, while creepers and flowers
peeped out here and there, also clumps of toddy palms rearing their
lofty heads, while the ever-prevalent pagoda glistened white or golden
through the branches. As the steamer carried freight, occasional stops
were made, and this gave variety to the scene.
We arrived at Pakoku about 4 P.M. and anchored for the night. The shore
was lined with piles of bags, boxes, and other usual accessories.
Natives were seen in all directions with a new array of articles, some
bearing baskets suspended from bamboo poles across the shoulders, while
bullock carts and other primitive vehicles, together with the variety of
style and color of the attire worn by the natives, made a scene truly
picturesque. We also stopped at Mirout. Here were mud volcanoes, which
some of the party visited, being carried there in bullock carts, and
found them rather interesting, the volcanoes emitting mud instead of
lava.
We arrived at a place near old Pagan at four in the morning, and never
can I forget the spectacle presented from my stateroom window. There was
total darkness, save where long lines of natives with lanterns, coming
from the woods in every direction, were seen carrying boxes, bales, and
baskets of freight to the shore. Once at the landing, the rush and
commotion and waving of lanterns were truly Burmese. The next point in
our progress was old Pagan, where we saw many pagodas, but we were told
that there were as many as a thousand in the days of her prosperity.
On the river we constantly passed shipping of various kinds, sometimes
huge rafts of teakwood propelled by natives, mostly devoid of attire;
the peculiar Burman paddy boats of old Egyptian style are used for
transporting unhulled rice. A more peaceful trip cannot be imagined,
and it has been compared to a passage up the Nile.
[Illustration: _On the Irrawaddy River, near Sagoing_]
* * * * *
PROME: We arrived at Prome the evening of January 12th, but owing to
some hours' delay we were disappointed in not having the expected drive
or visiting the celebrated pagoda. We took the night train for Rangoon
and were so fortunate as to have the _de luxe_ cars again.
* * * * *
RANGOON: We reached the city early the following morning. Rangoon is
located on the ocean and is furthermore aided by the Irrawaddy River,
which is navigable for over nine hundred miles. It has an unrivalled
location for future growth and permanence. Rangoon's increase has been
phenomenal for this latitude; in 1852 it was a small fishing village; in
1904 the inhabitants numbered two hundred and fifty thousand, and there
has since been a marked increase. The population is divided into
Burmese, Hindus, Mohammedans, and Christians, with a sprinkling of other
nationalities,--a variety which is distinctly recognized in the life of
the city. It has a large export trade in rice, lumber, and oil, and a
visit to one of the factories is almost always included by tourists.
The shipping at Rangoon presents a picturesque variety, as ocean
steamers, river steamers, paddy boats, and quaint smaller vessels are
always in evidence. The civil and municipal buildings do not, however,
compare with those of such rival cities in India as Bombay, Calcutta,
and Madras. The bazars in the European quarter are unusually fine, and
it was a pleasure to visit them, silks, curios, and silver work being
well displayed. In the native quarter those of the inhabitants to be
seen on the street (previously described) had no distinctive character,
but the native silk bazars were mostly in a large, low, poorly lighted
building, divided into aisles. A visit to this neighborhood showed the
happy-go-lucky features noticed in Mandalay.
Indeed, life in Burma is like a comic opera. I realized this one morning
when going about simply to be amused. The market and pavements were
crowded with persons of different nationalities,--the pineapple man with
his tray of fruit, the Burmese girl with her pretty stall of cigars, the
Hindu seller of betel, the Chinaman under his swaying burden of cooked
meats and strange luxuries, the vermicelli man, the Indian confectioner
with his silver-coated pyramids of sago and cream. It is of all crowds
the most cosmopolitan. Here is the long-coated Persian with his air of
breeding and dignity, jostled by the naked coolie with rings in his
nose. The lady beauty of Japan dashes by in her jinrikisha drawn by a
Chinese coolie, and the exclusive Brahman finds himself shoulder to
shoulder with the laughing daughter of the soil who has never heard of
caste.
[Illustration: _General view of Rangoon_]
* * * * *
SHWE DAGON: The centre of attraction in Rangoon, however, is the Shwe
Dagon Pagoda, which is famous wherever the Buddhist religion prevails;
it is situated on an eminence, one hundred and sixty-six feet above the
sea-level and towering up three hundred and sixty-eight feet. It is a
very imposing structure, exceeding in height even St. Paul's Cathedral
in London. This proportion gives it an air of dignity and repose, while
its gilded surface from base to finial causes it to be truly
magnificent.
The structure has no interior, being built solidly of brick over a relic
chamber; hence its platform with a circumference of about fourteen
hundred feet is the place for worship and also for many small pagodas.
The great pagoda is of conical shape and is divided into twelve parts,
and of these the ti, or umbrella, valued at £60,000, is the most costly
and remarkable, and was the gift of King Mindon, the next to the last
king of Burma. While from its great height it is scarcely visible, it is
really thirteen and one-half feet high and is hung with about fifteen
hundred bells, many of them gold. When heard at night, the effect is
magical.
The southern entrance has a pair of gryphons, and beyond them is the
entrance arch, which is inferior to the rest of the edifice. Here may be
seen venders of many kinds, selling gold leaf (which is used by pilgrims
on the surface of the pagoda), books, papers, toys, and offerings to
place on the altar; and the scene around the stalls is instinct with
life and gayety. Brightly dressed women and children, coquettish girls,
nuns, and beggars all assemble here.
There are four flights of stairs, east, west, north, and south, leading
up to the platform; the southern one being mostly used, as it looks down
upon the thoroughfare. The western stairs have been closed to
worshippers, as the place is now a British fortress.
It is impossible to describe the many objects of interest on this
immense platform. Four chapels at the foot of the pagoda are guarded by
colossal figures of the sitting Buddha, and in the farthest recess, in a
niche, is a small Buddha, the gilding of which is discolored by the
smoke from many thousands of tapers and candles.
On each side of the pagoda are chapels with tapering roofs and upturned
eaves, and within them are seated images of the Buddha covered with
gold. These attract large numbers of worshippers, and with the myriad
waxen tapers produce an impressive effect.
[Illustration: _Shwe Dagon Pagoda at Rangoon_]
[Illustration: _Entrance gateway, Shwe Dagon Pagoda_]
[Illustration: _Chapels on platform around Shwe Dagon, Rangoon_]
The chapels are decorated with screens of fine wood carving. The
coloring is also very striking, the outside being of vermilion and gold,
the inside of green, gold, and purple.
Hundreds of Buddhas of various sizes are seen in all directions,
sitting, standing, and reclining; and on the outer edge of the platform
are small pagodas, each with its ti, or umbrella, and also holding its
usual offerings of fruit, flowers, or small gifts. Seen at twilight and
as the candles are being lighted, it is almost bewildering, even
uncanny, as I found one evening when there alone with my guide, the
renowned Abraham, who, even though a rigid Mohammedan, assumed a devout
attitude.
Another prominent pagoda is the gilded Sule. This is situated quite in
the heart of things, near the Strand, and is graceful in proportions.
The platform also contains many interesting shrines. A fine distant view
of the Sule is obtained from Hytche Square.
There are many monasteries (virtually schools for boys), the finest
being at a suburb called Kemmendine, which is also a centre for the
manufacture of kalagas, or blankets, usually red with figures in
appliqué. We enjoyed several pleasant drives while in Rangoon, the
favorite one being to Royal Lake and through Dalhousie Park; if taken in
the late afternoon, one will see a gayly dressed, fashionable throng,
either driving or walking. I had met Mr. and Mrs. W.T. Graham of the
Burma Civil Service on the steamer from Port Saïd to Bombay, and I was
indebted to them for two drives,--one to their country home, which was
an attractive two-storied bungalow with galleries and low windows above
and below, quite unlike the thatched houses seen in Upper Burma. There
were contrasts in the general dress and appearance of the natives; pink
was, however, still the prevailing color in the sarongs, sashes, and
jackets of the women, and the long hair of the men was the custom. The
intermarriage between Burmese women and Chinamen was said to be very
frequent, some of the women preferring the hard-working executive
Chinamen to the indolent Burmese. And, according to the opinion of a
gentleman I met later, who had made a study of the subject, the
intermarriage of the ever-prevalent Chinamen with races of the Orient,
where caste does not prevent, is in time going to work a great racial
revolution.
One morning we rose at 5 A.M. for an early excursion to see elephants
haul teak from the river-bank to higher ground, where the logs would dry
before transference to the sawmills. We went at this time so as to avoid
the heat, and also because the elephants rest after 11 A.M. The
illustration will show the process, but it was an amusing sight to see
five ponderous animals moving slowly along, propelling the logs with
their trunks, and ever and anon trumpeting; not being versed in elephant
expression, I was left in doubt as to whether the sound meant joy or
sorrow. We visited another similar scene near a large sawmill which we
explored under the leadership of the manager.
[Illustration: _Elephants carrying logs at Rangoon_]
[Illustration: _The Gilded Sule as seen from Hytche Square_]
A trip to a rice-mill had been spoken of, but, not having breakfasted,
we preferred to return to the hotel. Tea and toast were served at
rising, if one desired it, during our entire "Tour." Another novel
excursion was a long drive to some half-ruined Buddhist temples, a
monastery, and buildings assigned to the peculiar rites which precede
the cremation of a Buddhist priest; two bodies were seen in
curious-looking receptacles, awaiting the culmination of events.
We were disappointed in not seeing a "ceremony," but were told to come
in the evening and witness a temple dance, and, I believe, also a
semi-dramatic ceremony. Some of the party did so, but I remained in the
hotel to write letters, as we were to leave the following morning.
I have alluded to Abraham, our guide in Burma, as a devout Mohammedan,
but he had numerous characteristics which rather caused distrust, one of
them being his extreme deference to the ladies of the party, when
according to the tenets of his religion we were all "fiends incarnate";
the other was his apparent abject acceptance of all Buddhist
ceremonies, which we knew at heart he detested. However, "guides" became
a prolific study, as time went on.
The weather had been hot in Rangoon; so, in spite of our pleasant Burman
experiences and the joyousness of things in general, we hailed the
steamer voyage as affording some measure of relief. We sailed at 7 A.M.
on January 17th, on the steamer _Palmicotta_, for a voyage of four days
to Madras. As usual, nothing occurred to mar the even tenor of our way;
the ship was comfortable, the passengers affable, and the sea on good
behavior.
* * * * *
MADRAS, _January 21st_: We arrived at Madras early on the morning of
January 21st. The view of the city from the pier was disappointing, but
the drive of about two miles to the Hotel Connemara showed much natural
beauty, the trees in particular being very fine. Hot weather met us at
Madras, but as it is a city of magnificent distances, driving was a
necessity, and hence less exertion was required. In the park and at the
Botanical Gardens we saw more natural beauty and took the long drive to
the sea front, where the fashionable people of the city of Marina go in
large numbers, and which leads past fine municipal buildings, the
college, and other places of importance. St. George's Church is
pleasing, with its quota of memorial statues, and the close is very
attractive, reminding one of England. The drive through the native
quarter, called Black Town, presented unusual features. The fort and
parks were visited, as were also some rather attractive bazars. The
museum is interesting from an historical standpoint and has many statues
and bas-reliefs, some relating to Prince Gautama and some to Hindu gods;
there are also relics of saints. It is particularly rich in specimens of
armor and jewelled swords.
[Illustration: _General view of Madras_]
Madras seems quite as unlike the cities of Northern India as does
Rangoon, and comparatively few of the thousands of tourists who frequent
Northern India ever visit Southern India, a great distinction between
the two being made. It is, however, conveniently near the great Seven
Pagodas, which we did not visit, and is the gateway to the famous
Dravidian temples which presented much interest.
We left early in the afternoon in order to visit Tanjore, Trichinopoly,
and Madura, and for two days sleeping-cars were to be our home. There
are no hotels in these cities, the wonderful temples serving as a
substitute, while the English railway restaurant afforded us a certain
amount of sustenance. The ride to Tanjore was through a lovely country
with beautiful palms, groves of vari-hued trees, and occasionally a
tangle of vines.
* * * * *
TANJORE: On our arrival at Tanjore in the afternoon we went directly to
the forts which enclose the temple, palace, and gopuras. The temple is
in the little fort. The gopuras claim first attention. They are really
gateways, a feature peculiar to Southern India. They were intended as a
fortification to protect the temples from foreign invaders, and are
imposing in size and structure--towering up (some nine stories high)
course after course, and literally covered with carvings of animals and
gods, all colored in red and gold. We passed through a gopura ninety
feet high, next through a passage one hundred and seventy feet long,
then through a small gopura, when we arrived at the large outer
enclosure of the temple, four hundred and fifty by eight hundred feet.
This is further surrounded by cloisters and open to outsiders, who are
not, however, permitted to enter the great temple of the adjacent halls.
But even at a distance we could admire their barbaric splendor.