ed among u

nd the Sea."-

f the earth, and t

ried, in beauty m

s, like everything else in this leisurely country, are not given to hurrying themselves. "Hasti, hasti, always go hasti" i

e most comfortable, and the scenery through which the

'clock in the afternoon, well provided with books, fruit and chocolates

l much affection for her, and I only consented to put up with her company as a protection against the thieves who haunt the various halting places along the line, ready to steal into carriages and carry away all

as seized with an overpowering hunger, and spent all her time bargaining with the vendors of bananas, huge

she wrapped up in a large red pocket handkerchief, and hid under the seat; what was

king me up at all odd hours of the night, to point out the houses where her various Mem-Sahibs had l

unintelligible "pigeon English" I found it very difficult to understand, but the gist of all was that she was very old and ver

e from somewhere an unpleasant mixture she called coffee, and which I was obliged to throw secretly out of the window, she did nothing except talk. I suppose she w

latform come and kneel down in the humblest manner round the door of my carriage, and remain th

ted the fame of my presence to have spread to this distant land, and felt considerably

e Shan Chief and his retinue, and it was to him, not to my insignificant person, that all this homage was paid. I felt quite annoyed at the discovery. He was really such a hideous, yellow, dirty old man, and he sat a

, possibly with a view to offering me a position among the number of his dusky spouses. She opened the door, and stared at me for some time, taking not the slightest notice of

ve heard no more of the episode. Possibly, she repo

nteresting, consisting merely of flat stretches of Paddy fields and low jungle scrub. But all

t night in the east, so comparatively cool, so cl

eless noise am

ry sigh that s

n elsewhere, and the noisy, weary, worn old earth hides away her tinsel shams and gaudiness, which

n all sides, stretching away into the distance till they become only blue shadows. Everywhere are groves of

ed Mandalay we passed many groups of half-ruined shrines, images and pagodas, covered with moss and creeper, deserted by the human beings who erected them, and visited now only by the birds and other jung

natives of every description, at all hours of the day and night, selling their wares, gr

cunning Chinese, ever ready to drive a hard bargain, amused but did not a

rassees and Chinese, the women coquetting in the most graceful and goodnatured way with everyone in turn. When they had paid their devoirs to the old chief, they would crowd roun

spot, they are such jolly peop

s setting out on their journey to the neighbouring town, and the pretty little Burmese girls coquetting with their admirers as they carried water from the well, or chattering and w

edately towards a pagoda, with offerings of fruit or flowers; to contemplate the image of the mighty Gaudama, to hear the reading of the Word, and to meditate upon the Holy Life. Now we passed a group of little hpoongyi pupils with their shaven crowns and yellow robes, sitt

ght and happy. I suppose the Burman must have his troubles like other folk, but if so he hides them extremely well under

rightness of its people; their merriment is infectious, and t

nto the station, and I saw my brother-in-law (who had descended from his "mountain heights" to meet me) waiting on the platform. The journey had been delightful

th an overwhelming gratitude towards Mr. R

onverted into a club, though its Pagodas and shrines have been desecrated by the feet of the alien, and though its bazaar has become a warehouse fo

of the cork brings relief. Suddenly there flashed into my mind three lines of Mr. Kipling's poem, and as I wandered amid "them spicy garlic smells, the sunshine and the palm tr

gan to look on him as my bitterest foe, and to rega

their countrymen. They were immensely popular among the native hawkers, who swarmed upon the door steps and verandahs, and sold them Manchester silks

tering their talk with Burmese and Hindustani words. But these things did not satisfy them. Evidently they believed that they could only satisfactorily

, during the whole of the tw

d it. At night, and when we took our afternoon siesta, they sang it boldly, accompanying one another o

fell asleep for a few seconds, it was only to dream of a confused mixture of "Moulmein Pagodas," flying elephants, and fishes piling teak, till we w

the Banks of Mandalay," thereby displaying a vagueness of detail regarding the geographical pecu

ht to make some attempt to describe this far-famed city of Mandalay, the wonders of its palaces

great regret I saw little of them. My stay in the town was too short, and I was too weary after my journey, to admit of much sight-seeing. Beyond a short drive through the delightful eastern stre

and leave it to cleverer pens than mine to depict its charms. "I cannot sing of that I do no