AN ENGLISH GIRL'S FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF BURMAH.
BY
BETH ELLIS.
"'TIS TRUE 'TIS STRANGE, BUT TRUTH IS
ALWAYS STRANGE; STRANGER SOMETIMES
THAN FICTION."
Wigan:
R. PLATT, 17, WALLGATE.
London:
SIMPKIN, MARSHALL, HAMILTON, KENT & CO., LTD.
1899.
[Illustration: EASTWARD HO!
PASSING THROUGH THE SUEZ CANAL]
DEDICATED
TO
T. E.
ILLUSTRATIONS.
Eastward Ho! _Frontispiece_
TO FACE PAGE
Elephant Moving Timber 32
Burmese Bullock Cart 84
Native Bazaar at Remyo 164
A Hpoongyi Kyaung 224
CONTENTS.
_Chapter_ _Page_
I. THE VOYAGE 1
II. RANGOON 28
III. THE ROAD TO MANDALAY 46
IV. THE JOURNEY TO THE HILLS 61
V. AN UP-COUNTRY STATION 87
VI. THE EUROPEAN INHABITANTS 103
VII. THE BURMESE 142
VIII. ENTERTAINING 168
IX. ADVENTURES 178
X. BEASTS AND REPTILES 192
XI. SPORT 217
XII. THE RETURN 238
INTRODUCTION.
_Towards the close of my visit to Burmah I was dining one night at a
friend's house in Rangoon, when my neighbour, a noted member of the I.
C. S. suddenly turned to me and asked me if it was my intention to write
a book. At my prompt reply in the negative he seemed astonished, and
asked, what then did I intend to do with my life? I had never looked at
the matter in that light before, and felt depressed. It has always been
my ambition to do at Rome as the Romans do, and if, as my questioner
clearly intimated, it was the custom for every casual visitor to the
Land of Pagodas either to write a book or to "do something with his
life," my duty seemed clear. I had no desire at all to undertake either
of the tasks, but as there was apparently no third course open to me, I
decided to choose the safer of the two, and write a book. So far so
good, but what to write about? I have considered the merits of
innumerable subjects, from the exploits of the old Greek heroes to green
Carnations, but each appears to have been appropriated by some earlier
author. The only subject which, so far as I can discover, has never
hitherto formed the theme of song or story, is Myself, and as that is a
subject about which I ought to know more than most folks and which has
always appeared to me to be intensely interesting, I have adopted it as
the theme of this, my first plunge into Literature._
[Illustration: Decoration]
CHAPTER I.
THE VOYAGE.
"Who spoke of things beyond my knowledge and showed me many things
I had never seen before."
"For to admire, and for to see, and for to behold
the world so wide."--(Rudyard Kipling.)
"I am not naturally a coward, except when I am afraid; at other times I
am as brave as a lion."
It is an unfortunate state of existence, but such it is. From my
babyhood I have been known to my friends and relations as one who might
be confidently expected to behave in a most terror-stricken manner on
all occasions when no real danger threatened; but for myself, I have
always felt convinced that should I ever be brought face to face with
real danger, I should behave with a coolness and courage calculated to
win the unbounded admiration of all beholders. I say advisedly "of all
beholders," because, possibly, were no witnesses present, I might not
feel disposed to show so resolute a front to the danger!
For example, in the case of a shipwreck, I can picture myself
presenting my life-belt to any one in distress, in the most
self-sacrificing manner, with the neatest little speech, quite worthy of
"Sir Philip Sidney" himself, and from some commanding post of vantage in
the rigging, haranguing the terrified passengers on the advisability of
keeping their heads. I feel sure that no power on earth would prevent me
from diving into the raging sea to rescue inexpert swimmers from a
watery death, were such an opportunity to present itself to me.
And yet, if I am taken out of my depth, during a morning bathe, I am
paralysed with fear. Though a brave and expert swimmer in shallow water,
no sooner do I find myself out of reach of dry land, than all my powers
forsake me. I swim with short, irregular, and utterly ineffective
strokes, I pant, gasp and struggle, and unless promptly rescued, I sink.
Or again, I can in imagination picture myself snatching little children
from under the hoofs of maddened horses, or with a plunge at the reins,
stopping them in the full force of their desperate career.
But in reality I have never yet had sufficient courage to enter into
close intimacy with any horse, maddened or otherwise. Once, when I
wished to ingratiate myself in the eyes of the owner, I did venture to
pat a horse gingerly on the neck, well out of reach of mouth or heels,
but the animal shied away promptly, and I have never repeated the
experiment.
Twice indeed, when a small girl, I was induced to mount to the saddle,
and then my expectations were not disappointed. Real danger stared me in
the face, and I was brave. When the horse, for some unaccountable
reason, pricked its ears, tossed its head, and began to trot, I did not
scream, I did not call for help, I merely grasped the pummel with one
hand, the saddle with the other, shut my eyes and waited for the end.
The end was sudden and somewhat painful.
But in this matter-of-fact little England of ours there are few
opportunities, outside the yellow backed novel, of meeting with real
adventures. Picture then my delight when I received an invitation to
spend the winter in Burmah. I knew where Burmah was; that it was bounded
by Siam, China, and Tibet; anything was possible in a country with such
surroundings. I was charmed to go.
Accordingly, I bought a great many unnecessary things, as is ever the
custom with inexperienced travellers, and started from Liverpool early
in November, my mind filled with dreams of tiger shooting, cobra
killing, dacoit hunting, and other venturesome deeds.
After I had recovered from the effects of homesickness, brought on by my
first venture into the unknown world, and sea sickness brought on by the
Bay of Biscay, I found the ship a world of hitherto undreamt of
delights. I suppose the voyage was much the same as all other voyages,
but to me, naturally, it was full of enjoyments, wonders, and new
experiences. Everything was delightful, including the "Amusement
Committee" and "Baggage Days"; even coaling, I think, for the first
five minutes was full of interest.
I have since been told that my fellow passengers were not uncommon
types, but to me they appeared the most wonderful and interesting beings
who ever lived in this work-a-day world. Certainly, none could have been
kinder to a lone, lorn female than were they. There were, of course, on
board several other passengers making their first voyage, young Indian
Civilians much advised and patronised by seniors of two years standing,
but these were of interest only as partners in games and dances. It was
in the real seasoned article, the self-satisfied, and immensely
kind-hearted Anglo-Indian, in whom I found my real interest.
And they were all very good to me. Finding me young, ignorant, and eager
for information, they undertook my education, and taught me many things
which I did not know before, shedding new light on all subjects, from
"the only way to eat a banana," to the object of creation.
I learned that India was created that the Indian Civilian might dwell
therein; the rest of mankind was created in order to admire the Indian
Civilian. Something of this sort I had already heard from my
brother-in-law, a member of that service, but one does not pay much
attention to what brothers-in-law say.
Burmah, I discovered, is a land where teak grows, in order that the
"Bombay Burman" may go there and collect it. I have no very clear idea
as to what this "Bombay Burman" may be, but suppose him to be a member
of a society of men who uphold the principles of a late Prime Minister;
not political, but woodcraft.
There are other dwellers in India and Burmah; indeed, one man proved to
me that the welfare of the British Constitution was solely dependent
upon the efficient condition of the Burmese police force, of which he
was an important member, but his arguments seemed to me a trifle
involved. On the whole, the other inhabitants of these countries seem to
be of little use or importance, unless perhaps it be to amuse and
entertain the Indian Civilian and the "Bombay Burman" in his leisure
hours.
Further, I was instructed that Ceylon is a country in which dwell the
best (and the noisiest!) fellows in the world. They have innumerable
horse races, eat prawn curry, are prodigiously hospitable, and in odd
hours grow tea.
My fellow passengers also filled my eager mind with stories of wonderful
adventure. Burmah, apparently, is crowded with tigers and wild
elephants, of a size and ferocity which filled me with fear. But as
every man on board appeared to have slain tigers and captured elephants
innumerable, and that under the most surprisingly dangerous
circumstances, I felt I should be well protected.
I was also taught how to overcome a wild beast, should I chance to meet
with one when weaponless.
A bear should cause but little anxiety; it is only necessary to hit him
violently over the nose; he will then stop and cry, and his victim will
escape. But beware! one man was so much amused at the bear's strange
cry that he laughed and forgot to run away. The bear killed him.
When chased by an elephant the pursued should, I believe, climb up a
clump of feathery bamboos, where the beast cannot reach him. When I saw
a clump of feathery bamboos I rather wondered how anyone could climb it;
but all things are possible to one pursued.
A tiger presents greater difficulties. If he doesn't run away when you
wave your arms and shout, you should poke your stick through his eye
into his brain, or get on his back, out of reach of his claws, and
throttle him. If that fails, pretend to be dead; if that even fails, you
must die.
All this information I accepted gratefully and stored in my memory for
use when opportunity should arise. In the meantime I continued to enjoy
my voyage, and turned all my energies to mastering the science of
board-ship games.
The one game which I never could play was "Bull." To me it seemed the
most foolish game ever invented. It is played by means of six flat
pads, about two inches in diameter, and a large sloping black board,
divided by thick white lines into twelve squares. Ten of these squares
are marked with numbers, the remaining two with "Bs." The object of the
player is to throw the pads on to the centre of the squares, avoiding
the lines, which count nothing, and above all avoiding the "Bs," which
count "minus ten." At the end of each turn the total of the numbers
scored is reckoned, and the highest score wins.
In the "Bull" tournament I was drawn to play with a Mr. Rod, whom I did
not know, but who enjoyed the reputation of being an excellent player,
and very keen to win. One morning I was practising, and playing, if
possible, worse than usual, when I noticed a melancholy-looking man,
seated on a camp stool, watching my performance. I was struck by his
ever increasing sadness of expression, and enquired his name.
He was Mr. Rod.
In the tournament my score was minus twenty; I did not see him any more
during the voyage!
I learned that one or two people had seen a worse "Bull" player than
myself. Her first three throws went overboard, the fourth went down an
air funnel, and the fifth upset an ink-stand, showering the contents
over an innocent spectator of the game. She never attempted to play
"Bull" again; it had made her so unpopular.
Great indeed are the attractions of board-ship life on a first voyage.
The congenial companionship, the exhilarating outdoor life, the constant
succession of games, gaieties, and amusements, the novelty of every
thing, all tend to shed a halo over what, to the seasoned traveller, is
merely a period of utter boredom, to be dragged through with as little
ennui as possible. But the chief charm to me lay in the glimpse, though
only distant, of new lands, lands which had hitherto been merely
geographical or historical names, but which now acquired a new reality
and interest.
The first few days we saw little of the land, but after the Bay was
passed, our course lay more inland, and we saw the coast of Spain and
Portugal, beautiful in the sunlight, red rocks and green slopes rising
up from a sea of deepest blue.
Then appeared on the horizon a vague shadowy cloud, which we learned was
Africa. The first glimpse of a new continent, and a continent fraught
with such endless possibilities is impressive; and as we drew nearer,
and gazed on that dark range of wild, bare hills, I sympathised
thoroughly with a wee fellow-passenger who was discovered, full of
mingled hope and terror, looking eagerly at the dreary waste of land in
search of lions!
Soon again we forgot all else, when, shaping our course round the south
of Spain, Gibraltar broke upon our view. What a wonder it is! that great
rugged rock, shaped on the northwest like a crouching lion, rising dark,
cold and solitary, amid the alien lands around it. Unmoved by the raging
seas beneath, it stands calm and defiant, a fit emblem of the nation to
which it belongs. Surely no Englishman can behold Gibraltar without
feeling proud of his nationality.
We passed close to the north of Corsica, where the hills were covered
with snow, though it was still early winter. A dreary inhospitable
looking country is this: a fit birthplace for that iron-heart the First
Napoleon.
We passed through the Straits of Messina by full moonlight, and never
have I beheld a scene of more fairylike beauty. The Sicilian coast
seemed (for all was vague and shadowy) to rise in gentle slopes from the
dark water, the land looked thickly wooded and well cultivated, and here
and there appeared the little white towns, nestling among trees and
vineyards, or perched beneath sheltering rocks, a peaceful and beautiful
paradise. On the Italian coast the scenery was a complete contrast, the
high, fierce hills stood up black and frowning against the clear sky,
the country was wild, dreary and desolate. This mingling of peaceful
homelike landscape, and weird rugged scenery, with the tender romance
of the moon shining on the still dark water, reminded me, somehow, of
Wagner's music; nothing else can so fitly represent the scene.
Our course did not carry us very near to Crete, but we saw Mount Ida
rising beautiful and snow-crowned in the centre of a tumultuous land.
What scorn and pity this fair Mother Ida must feel for the miserable
dwellers at her feet!
We stopped at Port Said for four hours. During the first two hours I was
charmed with the place; it seemed just like a big exhibition, everything
was so strange and unreal. The donkeys were delightful, the Turkish
traders so amusing, and shopping, when one has to bargain twenty minutes
over every article, and then toss up about the price, is certainly a new
experience.
During the third hour I found that the heat, dust, and endless noise and
chatter were far from unreal. I had bought every conceivable thing that
I could not possibly want, and paid three times the proper price for it.
The Arabs ceased to be amusing; I was bored to tears.
During the fourth hour I grew to hate the place and its inhabitants
with a deadly hatred, and could have kissed the ship in my delight at
returning to her, had she not been covered with coal dust.
My first experience of the natives of Port Said was a long brown arm
coming through my porthole, feeling about for whatsoever valuable it
might find; a hearty smack with a hair brush caused it to retire
abruptly. The last I saw of them was a pompous trader thrown overboard
with all his wares, because he would not leave the ship when ordered.
His companions in their boat, I noticed, busily rescued the wares, but
seemed quite indifferent to the safety of the poor owner, whom they left
to struggle to shore as best he could.
It is said that one would meet everyone sometime at Port Said if one
waited long enough; I would rather forego the meeting.
The Canal, I believe, is generally regarded as an unmitigated nuisance,
and indeed, the slow progress and constant stoppages make the passage
through it a little wearisome, but on a first voyage its shores are most
interesting. On one side are several inland seas, and small collections
of the most wretched and impossible looking habitations that human
beings ever inhabited, with an occasional oasis of tall green palm
trees. From the east bank the desert stretches away apparently into
infinity.
I was disappointed in the desert, though I hardly know what I expected;
I suppose the very emptiness and immensity detract from its
impressiveness; the human eye and mind cannot grasp them. We saw several
mirages and felt quite pleased with ourselves, though unconvinced that
they were not really oases in the desert; they were so very distinct.
Some of the glimpses of native life on the banks were very amusing. At
one spot we met a camel, smiling the foolish irritating smile which is a
camel's characteristic, speeding away at an inelegant trot, and
distantly pursued by the owner and his friends; alas! we could not see
the end of the race. Camels, I was told, are unwearying beasts, so
perhaps, like "Charley's Aunt" this one is still running.
We were greatly excited by one incident. A Dutch steamer passed us, and
we noticed on the deck a very pretty girl, evidently very much admired
by all the crew, and especially by one tall fine looking fellow who
seemed on very good terms with her. Shortly after the boat had passed, a
small steam launch hove into sight, on board of which were several men,
mostly Turkish officials. As they passed, the skipper of the launch
shouted various questions, and we gathered that "Mademoiselle" had run
away and they were in pursuit. Whether it was an elopement or merely an
escape from justice we never learned, but most of us adopted the former
view, and hoped that the guilty steamer would be out of the canal and
safe from pursuit, before the fussy little launch overtook it.
We had a gorgeous sunset that night in the canal. The sky, every
conceivable shade of yellow, violet and crimson, was reflected in the
still waters of the canal and inland seas. The tall palm trees rose
darkest green against the brilliant sky, while the sand of the desert
glowed golden and salmon pink, fading in the distance to the palest
green; and all the colours were softened by a shadowy blue haze. I have
never seen more wonderful colouring.
After passing Aden we steamed uninterruptedly for ten days with but
occasional glimpses of land; we had perfect weather, and the beauty of
everything was almost overpowering.
I know not which hour of the day was the most exquisite: the early
morning, with the sun rising, a ball of fire, out of the sea, making
golden paths across the water, and the distant land blushing rosy red,
as it peered through the hazy blue curtains which o'erhung it; or the
full noonday, with the deep blue sky and the deep blue sea fading
together in a pale blue mist, till the world seems changed to a blue
ball, and we the only living things within it; or the evening, when the
western sky turned crimson and violet, and the sun, looking strangely
oval, went down into the sea behind a transparent green haze, while in
the east the crescent moon sailed silver in the blue-black sky; or the
night, when one lay alone on the upper deck, fanned by the soft night
breeze, soothed by the monotonous swish of the water, looking into the
unmeasured heights of the star-bespangled heavens or the impenetrable
depths of the waters beneath, where "there is neither speech nor
language: but their voices are heard among them," and the glory of God
is shown forth night and day.
We had a fancy dress ball in the Red Sea: I suppose this is usual. Ours
was noted for the number of Japanese present. At least, I believe they
were intended to represent Japanese (the costumes had been bought at
Port Said as such), but as they were dressed chiefly in European evening
dress, partially covered by a flimsy Japanese dressing-gown, their
appearance was unique.
I suffered a great deal on that occasion. I was a peasant, and as is
the custom of fancy dress peasants all the world over, I wore my hair in
a long plait down my back.
When my first partner approached I looked up at him in the usual polite
and pleasing manner; he then seized my waist, plait included, in a firm
grip and we danced off together, I with my head forcibly fixed at an
angle such as is usually adopted by pictured good choir boys or "Souls
awakening." I endured it for a short time; but then I began to get a
stiff neck, and was obliged at last to ask my partner not to pull my
hair. Alas! he was a sensitively shy youth, and was so embarrassed at my
request that I felt I had committed an unpardonable fault.
But I did not learn by experience: the same thing occurred with all my
partners, and as, after the first unfortunate attempt I did not like to
complain again, the agonies I suffered from the crick in my neck next
day can better be imagined than described.
We stayed two days in Ceylon, but all attempts to describe this "Garden
of Eden" are futile. No one, who has not seen it, can hope to realise
the wonderful colouring of the place; the red roads, the red and white
houses, deep blue sky, and deep blue lakes; the brilliant dresses of the
natives, the large flaming red and blue flowers, the wonderful green of
the palms and other tropical plants, and above all, the beauty of that
long line of open coast, the great breakers glittering with a thousand
opal tints in the sunlight, and beyond them the dark blue ocean,
delicately flecked with shimmering white spray, stretching away into the
shadowy distance, "farther than sight can follow, farther than soul can
reach."
We drove through the Cinnamon gardens, where the still air was heavy
with the delicious scent, and out to Mount Lavinia, where, of course, we
ate prawn curry. Honestly, I must confess that never before have I
tasted anything so truly horrible; but I pretended to like it immensely.
I suppose everybody does the same when first introduced to this
celebrated dish: it is what might be called "an accrued taste."
I don't think the author of "From Greenland's Icy Mountains" can ever
have touched at Ceylon, or how could he have declared that "man is
vile"? The Singalese are the most beautiful people I have ever beheld,
while the European inhabitants are surely the most hospitable and
delightful in the world.
Perhaps, when the poet wrote those lines, he had the Turkish traders in
his mind: they certainly are vile. One of them sold me a sixpenny
bracelet for ten shillings. They are exactly like the spider of noted
memory; they stand at the doors of their fascinating, dark, poky little
shops, persuading innocent passers by to enter, "only to look round;"
but if the poor victim once venture to "walk into their parlour," he
will be indeed clever if he escape without emptying his purse.
"Rickshaws" are charming; I spent every spare minute riding about in
one. It is almost as adventurous and exciting as driving in a
Marseilles Fiacre, and far more comfortable. I feared I had met with an
adventure one day, for my "puller" (I don't know what else to call him)
ran away with me, and stopping in a lonely road, began to assure me that
I was a "handsome lady." I wondered what would happen next, but soon
discovered that he only wanted "Backsheesh," and assuming my very
sternest demeanour I repeated "don't bus" ("bus" to stop, being the only
word of the language I could remember) several times, and at last
induced him to take me back to my companions. What a valuable thing is
presence of mind on such an occasion!
It was shortly after leaving Ceylon that our first real adventure befell
us. We had all retired early to bed, being weary with the long day on
shore; the clatter of tongues and tramp of feet on deck had ceased, and
all was silent save for the throbbing of the engines, and the quiet
movements of the men on watch.
Suddenly I was awakened by a hurried murmur of voices in the next cabin,
then an electric bell rang and I was terrified to hear the cry: "Fire!
Fire!"
I sprang up, flung on a cloak, and rushed out into the "Alley Way,"
which speedily became the scene of the wildest confusion.
All the cabin doors opened, and the occupants hurried confusedly out,
arrayed in the first garments that came to hand, asking eager questions,
and giving wild explanations.
Brave men, anxious to be of use, snatched children from their mothers'
arms, while the distracted mothers, having but a vague notion as to what
was happening, supposed the boat to have been boarded by pirates or
kidnappers, and fought fiercely to regain possession of their infants.
Those who prided themselves on their presence of mind, ran up and down
with small water bottles to fling on the flames, or tried to organise a
bucket line. Others endeavoured to tie as many life-belts as possible to
themselves and their friends, fastening them to any part of their
persons most easily convenient.
One matter-of-fact old lady began to collect cloaks, biscuits, and
valuables from her trunk, preparatory to being cast ashore on a desert
island, while another proceeded to wrap herself from head to foot in
blankets, having heard that these offer a good resistance to the spread
of the flames. Some were too terrified to do aught but scream, but the
majority were full of self-sacrifice and bravery, and fell over, and
interfered with one another woefully, in their endeavour to be of
assistance to whomsoever might require their services.
Meanwhile the original causes of the alarm--two girls who shared the
cabin next to mine--did not for an instant cease their efforts. One,
with a fortitude worthy of Casabianca himself, stood firmly with a
finger pressed upon the button of the electric bell, determined to die
rather than leave her post, while the other fought her way wildly up the
passage, turning a deaf ear to all questions, and merely continuing to
reiterate her cry of: "Fire! Steward! Fire!"
At length (I suppose, in reality, in about three minutes after the
first alarm, but it seemed a far longer time) a sleepy and much
astonished steward appeared, and as soon as he could make himself heard,
demanded the cause of the uproar. When eagerly assured that the deck was
on fire over our heads, that in five minutes we should all be cinders
unless we instantly took to the boats, and that the whole affair was a
disgrace to the Company, and the "Times" should be written to if the
speaker (an irascible "Globe trotter") survived the disaster, the
steward stolidly denied the existence of any fire at all and
explanations ensued.
It was then discovered that signal rockets had been sent up from the
deck to a signal station we were passing, and some of the sparks having
blown into the porthole of the girls' cabin, the occupants had concluded
that the deck was on fire, and had given the alarm.
It took some time to make the fact of the mistake clear to everyone, but
the steward at last succeeded in allaying all fears, and we returned to
our cabins, feeling indignant and somewhat foolish, and perhaps a little
disappointed (now that the danger was over) that our adventure had
turned out so tamely.
On the following morning the Captain organised an imposing ceremony on
the upper deck, and solemnly presented two sham medals to the heroines
of the preceding night's adventure, thanking them for their presence of
mind, and noble efforts to save the burning ship!
The remainder of the voyage passed without incident, and we arrived
safely at our destination about six o'clock one lovely Friday morning.
The sun was just rising as we sailed up the river, tinting the brown
water and the green banks of the Irrawaddy with a rosy light. Rangoon, a
vast collection of brown and white houses, mills, towers, chimneys, and
cupolas, in a nest of green, showed faintly through the blue haze; and
rising high above a grove of waving dark green palm trees, glittered the
golden dome of a pagoda, the first object clearly distinguishable on
shore, to welcome us to this country so rightly termed "The Land of
Pagodas."
[Illustration: Decoration]