TOWN LIFE
Owing to their primitive methods of building and choice of materials,
a Burmese town differs very little from a village except in point of
size, though occasionally the houses are of two stories and
timber-built throughout.
The stockade is absent, and in its place deep ditches, partly filled
with water, surround the houses, and run alongside of the streets,
which are, perhaps, somewhat wider and more regularly planned.
The approach to the town is often very pretty, the water reflecting
the waving palm-trees and picturesque buildings, while the roads,
which in Burma are usually nothing but a track, have, as they near the
town, some semblance of solidity.
Little bridges cross the ditches, and give access to the houses, round
about which are often raised paths or causeways of burnt brick set
"herring-bone" fashion. These prove a comfort in the rains, when the
streets of the town are rivers and the whole country a sea of mud.
Trees in plenty shade the road and houses, and shops and small bazaars
give an air of business to the town, whose principal street, however,
is largely covered with grass, and affords a convenient place in
which to try a pony's paces.
Some of the streets have side-walks, a shade less dusty (or muddy, as
the case may be) than the road itself, and in the least frequented of
them dwarf palmettos enjoy a lusty existence.
Enclosed by low palisades in front of many houses, cannas, hibiscus,
poinsettia, or lilies are growing, and rare orchids hang from the
eaves, to provide in their strange but lovely blossoms a flower for
some woman's hair. Indoors, in coloured pots or stands of often
elaborate design, are other flowers, always most carefully tended, for
the Burmans love what is beautiful in Nature.
In the streets the life of the people is only a slight amplification
of that of the villages, the shops with their attendant customers
marking the principal difference, while in bullock-carts of more
ornamental design than those of the villages, the families of the
well-to-do enjoy their outing.
Though always two-wheeled and drawn by a pair of oxen, there is a
certain amount of variety in the native carts. The wheels are
generally large, and are placed very wide apart, in order to lessen
the risk of capsizing in the terribly rough roads they often have to
travel.
In the common country carts the wheels have very wide rims, across
which is fastened a single flat piece of wood instead of spokes, and
in many cases the wheels are quite solid. The body is plain, but the
yoke and yoke-pins are often carved, and the pole usually finishes in
some grotesque ornament.
When travelling the carts are covered by a hood of matting, and a
mattress inside eases the jolting by day, and serves as a bed at
night.
The pleasure gharry, however, is quite a pretty vehicle. The wheels
have a very large number of thin spokes, and the hub is always
ornamental. The sides consist of an open balustrade, and the rails
sweeping backward in a fine curve, to terminate in a piece of carving
high above the rail.
In Mandalay another pretty cart is used by the ladies when out calling
or shopping. This is a closed carriage built entirely of wood, each
panel of which is carved, and is just high enough in the roof to
permit the ladies to sit upright upon their cushions. We can see them
through the little unglazed windows, looking pretty or dignified, as
the case may be; but dignity disappears so soon as they attempt to
dismount, for this can only be done through a small door at the back,
through which the rider must crawl backwards and then drop to the
ground.
Games, as usual, figure largely in the young life of the place. A
curious kind of football called "chinlon" is very general, and the
instinct for sport comes out early in the boys, who, while flying
their kites, attempt by skilful manoeuvring to saw through each
other's lines and so prove a "conqueror." The little girls have their
amusements also, and it is pretty to see a little one being drawn
about in a diminutive go-cart, or, squatting on her haunches by the
doorstep, endeavouring to fathom the intricacies of doll-dressing.
Let us wander round the streets and see what we can find to interest
us. First it will be noticed that beside every house are two long
poles; one has a hook at its end, and the other is formed into a sort
of broad paddle. These are provided in case of fire, when with the
hook the thatch is pulled down, or the fire beaten out with the other.
Fires are constantly occurring, for though every house is supposed to
have a separate cooking shed, carelessness, or the habit of cooking
indoors, is largely responsible for them, and there is very little
hope for dwellings built of such inflammable material once a fire
starts. Consequently in all parts of the country roofs of galvanized
iron are slowly taking the place of the picturesque "thekka," even the
"kyoungs" and "zeyats" being roofed by it; and unfortunately, as
creepers do not take kindly to this new form of roofing, it will, I am
afraid, always remain an eyesore among what is otherwise so
picturesque.
In many of the streets are wells, surrounded by a wall and crossed by
a heavy beam of wood to which pulleys are attached, through which run
ropes with hooks at their ends, by means of which the water-pots are
lowered. This is a great place of congregation for the young people,
and is always surrounded by animated groups of young men and maidens,
who, with pretty courtesies or coyness, carry on their youthful
flirtations.
The Burman is always delightfully natural, and seems to live in the
open daylight. At the doorstep of one house are mother and daughter,
busy sewing up cloth, their red lacquer box of sewing materials
between them. At another a dainty housewife entertains her guests at
tea, for tea is now largely drunk in Burma.
[Illustration: AT THE WELL.]
All the shops are open to the street, and we may see the various
trades in operation.
It is interesting to see the umbrellas being made. They are almost
flat when open, the frame consisting of a multitude of thin bamboo
ribs formed by splitting _one_ bamboo into many sections, so that the
knots of the cane occur at the same regular distances on the ribs, so
forming a kind of pattern. The common kinds are very large, some of
those in use in the market-places being as big as a small tent. These
are covered with calico, oiled or varnished, and form an excellent
protection against sun or rain. More delicate sunshades are made of
the same materials, or of silk; these are smaller, and are often
painted in rings of flowers or foliage, which has a very pretty
effect, and the sun shining through them throws a rich orange shade
over the head and shoulders of the bearer.
Then, there are the silk-weavers and silversmiths, whose work is
probably the best of its kind produced in any country, and in Thayetmu
and Rangoon I have seen silver-work produced which, in my opinion, is
unequalled for beauty of design or excellence of workmanship.
Turning enters largely into their decorative woodwork, and the
turners, who use a very simple form of foot-lathe, are busily engaged
in providing the various articles required--pilasters for a balcony,
hubs for a cart-wheel, or the turned finials of a baby's cot. In a
kindred trade the wood-carver is busy producing embellishments for
the "kyoung" or "zeyat" which some wealthy resident is erecting.
Though the Burmans occasionally become drunk on "toddy" (a beverage
made from the flower of the toddy-palm), they are by habit abstemious
and simple livers; rice and vegetable curries, bananas, jack-fruit,
papaya, and other fruits, form their staple food, and, forbidden by
their religion to take life, fish is practically the only variant to
their vegetable diet, the fisherman excusing himself by saying that
"_he_ does not kill the fish: they die of themselves."
All smoke, however, and men, women and children equally enjoy their
huge cheroots, composed of the inner bark of certain trees mixed with
chopped tobacco, which are rolled into the form of a cigar in the
spathe of Indian corn or some similar husk, and no meal would be
considered to be properly set out without the red lacquer box
containing betel, which is universally chewed. Betel is the nut of the
areca-palm, and before being used is rolled between leaves on which a
little lime is spread. The flavour is astringent and produces
excessive expectoration, and, by its irritation, gives to the tongue
and lips a curious bright pink colour. Still, it is considered an
excellent stomach tonic, and so far as one can judge has no worse
effect than to blacken the teeth of the user.
Every village or town has its pagodas, which in some cases are very
numerous. The Burman spends little upon his home, which is always
regarded as of a temporary nature, and in the erection of a pagoda or
other religious building the wealthy native finds an outlet for his
energies, and earns "merit" for himself. Few of the modern village
pagodas are of any particular beauty, and I cannot but think that the
money spent upon them would be far better employed in restoring and
preserving the many beautiful and ancient temples scattered all over
the country.
In many towns is a sacred tank or reservoir, so entirely covered with
lotus and other plants that the water cannot be seen. Large fish and
turtles of great age inhabit them, but are seldom seen, on account of
the heavy screen of leaves and flowers which lies upon the surface of
the water, which, however, is often strongly disturbed as some
ungainly monster rolls or turns below them. On the outskirts of the
towns are the gardens, enclosed by hedges of castor-oil or cactus,
where many kinds of fruits and spices are grown: bananas, pineapple,
guava, bael, citrons, etc., are some of the ordinary kinds, while the
coco-nut, tamarind, jack, and papaya grow everywhere about the streets
and houses. Many vegetables, such as cucumber and vegetable-marrow,
are also grown, and among the shops or stalls in the market-place none
are so attractive as those which display their many-coloured and
sweet-smelling fruits and vegetables.
Every few days a market is held in one or other of the large towns of
a district, and attracts to it country people from a considerable
distance around. Here one has a chance of seeing many other tribes and
types beside the Burman: Shans, Karens, or Kachins, different in
feature and costume from the natives of the town, together with
Chinese and natives of India, give a variety to the population, and
help to swell the crowd which from early morning till sundown throngs
the market-places.
The market is generally held in the open space outside the town, and
is generally enclosed. In it are wooden buildings, or booths of
sacking or "tayan" (grass-mats), in which each different trade is
gathered, so dividing the bazaar into sections. Between the buildings
rows of people squat upon the ground, protecting themselves and the
odd assortment of wares they have for sale by screens of coloured
cloth or the enormous umbrellas I have already mentioned. Up and down
the lane so formed move the would-be purchasers, a motley crowd in
which every type and race in Burma is represented. No less varied are
the articles offered for sale--cotton goods and silks, cutlery and
tools, lamps and combs, and various other articles of personal
adornment, including the ornamental sandals which all the women of the
town affect. Fruit, vegetables, and food-stuffs have a ready sale; nor
are sweetmeats for the children forgotten.
Cooking-pots and all kinds of domestic utensils may be purchased and
carried away in baskets beautifully made, and often of immense size,
which form a striking feature of the bazaar.
All the more important stalls are kept by women, who, as I have
already said, are the business backbone of the country. Many of them
are women of good position, but they like their work, and are very
clever at driving a bargain; but though dainty enough in appearance,
they can be very abusive on occasion.
[Illustration: THE MARKET PLACE.]
I have already said that the Burman is not permitted to take life, and
in consequence meat enters but little into his diet; but in all
bazaars frequented by natives of India, who are under no such
prohibition, the slaughter and sale of cattle is of regular
occurrence, and among the most eager buyers of the meat thus offered
for sale are the Burmans themselves.
Among other articles which I have noticed are "dahs," and knives of
many sorts and degrees of excellence. No Burman travels without his
"dah," which serves as a weapon of defence or enables him to clear his
path where the jungle is thick, while the heavier knives are used for
chopping the domestic fuel. Some of these "dahs" are very finely
finished, the handle and sheath of wild plum being bound by delicately
plaited bands of bamboo fibre, in which the ends are most skilfully
concealed, and the blade, often 2 feet long, is excellently wrought
and balanced.
At various times of the day groups of priests and novices move up and
down the market collecting offerings from the people, while some
"original" or buffoon gives the scene its touch of humour.
At sunset, when the bazaar is closed, long lines of people, some on
foot, some in hooded carts, wend their ways towards their distant
homes; and long after darkness has fallen on the land may still be
heard the faint creaking of some laden cart as it slowly disappears
along its lonely forest path.