ASIA 
 
 LIBRARY 
 
 ANNEX 
 
 2 
 
CORNELL 
 UNIVERSITY 
 - LIBRARY 
 
 THE 
 
 CHARLES WILLIAM WASON 
 
 COLLECTION ON CHINA 
 
 AND THE CHINESE 
 
Cornell University Library 
 DS 485.B86B88 
 
 na r f?Ji„ 
 
 " 1924 023 217 197 
 
The original of this book is in 
 the Cornell University Library. 
 
 There are no known copyright restrictions in 
 the United States on the use of the text. 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924023217197 
 
KEY. 
 
 i.— H.M. the Queen. 
 
 2. — Bhuddist High Priest. 
 
 3. — Burman (Women). 
 
 4. — Burman (Men). 
 
 5. — Shway Dagon Pagoda. . 
 
 6. — Kakhyen (Women). 
 
 7. — Kakhyen (Men). 
 
 8. — Shan man. 
 
 9. — Minkia of Tali. 
 10. — Hsi-Fan of N.W. Yannan (Man). 
 11. — Mahommedan of Yannan. 
 12. — Hsi-Fan (Woman). 
 13. — Siamese. 
 14. — Chinaman. 
 15. — Native Indian Troops. 
 
THE 
 
 COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN, 
 
 A NARRATIVE OF THE ACQUISITION 
 OF BURMA. 
 
 BY 
 
 Major EDMOND CHARLES BROWNE, 
 
 Royal Scots Fusiliers, 
 
 DEPUTY-ASSISTANT ADJUTANT-GENERAL, MADRAS ARMY ; LATE COMMANDANT, 
 ' MOUNTED INFANTRY CORPS, BURMA FIELD FORCE. 
 
 The Great Mother cometh over the sea, 
 She cometh with the pure water, the head-water. 
 Karen prophecy. 
 
 For southern wind and east wind meet, 
 Where, girt and crowned by sword and fire, 
 England with bare and bleeding feet 
 Climbs the steep road of wide Empire. 
 
 Ave Imperatrix. 
 
 LONDON : 
 
 HARRISON AND SONSj_ j^J^AL^JdALL, 
 
 fiooksHta to i\i tynnn snb f.Ci' % ffirina of «Mm. 
 
HARRISON AND SONS, 
 
 PRINTERS IN ORDINARY TO HER MAJESTY, 
 
 ST. MARTIN'S LANE. 
 
judication. 
 
 TO 
 
 General Sir HARRY NORTH DALRYMPLE PRENDERGAST, 
 
 V.C, K.C.B., R.E., 
 
 THE GALLANT SOLDIER AND SKILFUL COMMANDER WHO ADDED THE FAIR 
 AND FERTILE PROVINCE OF 
 
 UPPER BURMA 
 
 EMPIRE OF THE GREAT QUEEN, 
 
 THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED 
 
 BY HIS COMRADE AND FRIEND 
 
 THE AUTHOR. 
 
 A 2 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 I am vain enough to flatter myself that this book 
 contains more information on Indo-China generally, 
 and its peoples, than any other publication which 
 has hitherto appeared in print. 
 
 It labours under the disadvantage, however, of 
 having been put together in bits and scraps as op- 
 portunity has offered over a period of nearly two 
 years, and under the depressing influences of oppres- 
 sive heat, flies, mosquitos, and the many distractions 
 consequent on official duties. 
 
 I should have been glad if I could have been 
 able to sink my own personality a little more than 
 I have done, but I feared by so doing to interrupt 
 the flow of the narrative. 
 
 Rangoon, 
 July, 1887. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 BOOK I. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 History of Burma from the Earliest Times to the Outbreak of the late War. . . 7 
 
 Narrative of Expedition, 1885 (Third War) 136 
 
 Events subsequent to the Fall of Mandalay 188 
 
 History, Fluctuations, and future Prospects of Trade ... . ... ... 249 
 
 Exports from Lower Burma to Upper Burma, the Shan States, 1 
 
 and China { 254 
 
 Trade with Foreign Countries ... ... 255 
 
 Dacoits and Dacoity ... ... ... 268 
 
 The Burmese Women ... 287 
 
 BOOK II. 
 
 Our Neighbours in the Far East — 
 
 The Karens.. 
 
 The Shans ... 
 
 The Chins or Khyins 
 
 The Kakyens or Kachins... 
 
 The Yunanese 
 
 The Siamese 
 
 The Annamese and Tonkingese. 
 The Indo-Chinese Question 
 
 300 
 325 
 347 
 365 
 376 
 394 
 417 
 435 
 
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 The Coming of the Great Queen . . 
 
 Great Bell and Ruins at Mengoon 
 
 A Street in Bamo 
 
 Race Stand at Rangoon 
 
 Captain Couchman's Party of Mounted Infantry at Bamo 
 
 Progress of the Expedition to Mandalay 
 
 Scene in Upper Defile of Irrawaddy 
 
 Temple of Buddhist High Priest at Mandalay 
 
 Image of Gautama in the Incomparable Pagoda 
 
 South Side of City Wall and Moat, Mandalay 
 
 A Few of the Arms taken at Mandalay on November 29th, 
 An Entrance Gate of the Incomparable Pagoda, Mandalay 
 Burmese Girls 
 
 
 . Frontispiece 
 
 
 PAGE 
 
 
 .. face 88 
 
 
 
 90 
 
 
 
 ■ • 123 
 
 
 
 .. 136 
 
 
 
 .. 151 
 
 
 
 ■ 153 
 
 
 
 •■ I9S 
 
 
 
 .. 198 
 
 
 
 .. 199 
 
 188s 
 
 
 224 
 .. 249 
 .. 289 
 
 MAPS. 
 
 Historical Geography of the Burmese Countries from Yules "Ava,'' with 
 
 present situation added f ace 2 o 
 
 Map of Burma and the Shan States in 1887 325 
 
 Map of Indo-China in 1887 435 
 
THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 ooKKo 
 
 BOOK I. 
 
 HISTORY OF BURMA FROM THE EARLIEST TIMES UNTIL 
 THE OUTBREAK OF THE LATE WAR. 
 
 Travellers and ethnographers of ancient and modern 
 times are pretty well agreed as to the origin of the 
 Burmese people. That they are a branch of the great 
 Mongolian family of the human race is clear from their 
 physical and mental attributes, which also testify to 
 their kinsmanship to the trans- Himalayan tribes. 
 
 Sir Arthur Phayre gives it as his opinion that they 
 were formed into a nation by the union of a number of 
 these Mongolian tribes under the influence of Aryan 
 immigrants from Gangetic India, who also introduced 
 Buddhism which remains unshaken until to-day. 
 
 That these tribes flooded the fertile valleys of the 
 Irrawaddy in successive waves seems to be proved by 
 the dominance for many centuries of the Mons or 
 Talaings — these latter eventually being driven out by 
 the Burmans. 
 
 Early Burmese history is based upon the authority 
 of the Maha Rajaweng, or " History of Kings." 
 Although much of this is naturally romance, the most 
 careful students receive a considerable portion as more 
 or less reliable. 
 
 From a remote period there have been three dis- 
 
8 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 tinct tribes, if not nationalities, in what is now " Burma," 
 as a portion of the British Empire, viz., the Burmese 
 proper, or the inhabitants of the Upper Irrawaddy, who 
 have in times past established their capitals at Pagan, 
 Ava, and, last of all, at Mandalay ; the Peguans, Mons, 
 or Takings, or people of the deltas of the great rivers 
 Irrawaddy, Sittang, and Salween ; and the Arakanese, 
 or inhabitants of the western littoral. Throughout the 
 past ten or a dozen centuries Burmese history is a 
 record of a succession of wars and tumults between 
 these ever restless and insatiable tribes. 
 
 At one period we are told of the Burmese supre- 
 macy over the "world," at another the Peguans are 
 victorious ; and at a third the Arakanese, often assisted 
 by their cousins from Lower Bengal, descend into the 
 valley of the Great River, and sweep all before them. 
 
 According to Sir Arthur Phayre's interpretation of 
 the Maha Rajaweng, a northern Indian prince named 
 Abhi Raja, of the same family as Buddha, descended 
 into the valley of the Middle Irrawaddy, and estab- 
 lished his capital at Tagoung, on the right bank. This 
 was about the year B.C. 850. " At his death he left 
 two sons, the elder named Kan Rajaghi, and the 
 younger Kan Rajange. They disputed the succession 
 to the throne, and it was agreed that the difference 
 should be settled in favour of him who should first 
 complete a religious building." 
 
 By an artifice the younger brother made it appear 
 that he had finished his in one night, and he was de- 
 clared the winner. He therefore succeeded to his 
 father's kingdom. 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA.' g 
 
 The elder brother collected his followers and went 
 down the Irrawaddy till he reached the mouth of the 
 Khyengdweng (modern Chinwinde) river, which he 
 ascended, and then established himself in the southern 
 portion of the country now known as the Kubo Valley, 
 at or near a hill called Kal£. The tribes Pyu, Kauran 
 and Sak are described as then in the land, and Kan 
 Rajaghi made his son Muddusitta king over them. 
 
 "He with his followers went towards the south-west 
 until he reached a mountain in the northern part of 
 Arakan, now called Kyankpundaung. There he 
 established the capital of his kingdom." 
 
 If there be any truth in all this, it would appear that 
 the Arakanese kings were descended from the elder 
 branch, while the Burmese of the Irrawaddy Valley 
 sprang from the younger of the Mramma family. 
 
 Either the peoples of these lands were of a much 
 more docile nature than they are at present, or 
 the sway of their kings was too firm to be shaken, 
 for they seem to have held undisputed possession over 
 their newly-acquired territories for a long succession of 
 years. 
 
 Thirty-one kings of this dynasty ruled at Tagoung, 
 which appears to have been a wealthy and populous 
 city. It was at length captured and destroyed by an 
 army from Western China, and the dynasty came to an 
 end. But as in more subsequent raids to the valley of 
 the Irrawaddy, the Chinese do not appear to have 
 made any attempt to occupy the country permanently, 
 but to have cleared out when the mischief had been 
 done. 
 
IO THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 About this time there was another rush of immi- 
 grants from Northern India. Their leader, Daza Raja, 
 established his capital on a spot close to Tagoung. 
 This city has been called by geographers Old Pagan, 
 in contradistinction to the more modern and much 
 greater city of Pagan lower down the river. 
 
 There is little to be seen of the remains of these 
 cities to-day ; but then, time in the East is a great 
 destroyer. 
 
 This second expedition from Gangetic India to the 
 Irrawaddy was inspired by Goadama Buddha, the 
 founder of the Buddhist faith, who was alive at this 
 time, in order to re-establish the supremacy of his 
 followers. 
 
 Sixteen kings of this dynasty succeeded each other 
 without opposition, after which a general break up 
 seems to have taken place. The outcome of this was 
 the foundation of Prome, a large native city, to-day 
 only a few hours' train from Rangoon, which for many 
 years was a Royal capital. 
 
 The legend runs thus, in the words of the above- 
 quoted distinguished writer : — 
 
 " The last king, Thado Maha Raja, having no son, 
 the queen's brother was appointed Ainsh6meng, or 
 heir-apparent, and declared heir to the throne. The 
 king was dethroned by invaders, but whether by the 
 descendants of the former conquerors or by others 
 from the eastward is not stated. 
 
 " He hid himself from the invaders, and his queen 
 gave birth to twin sons who were born blind. 
 
 " The legend runs that the Ainshemeng, when out 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. I I 
 
 hunting, followed a wild boar so eagerly that he lost his 
 way in the forest. Wandering on he became wearied 
 with the world, and determined to become a hermit. 
 Down the course of the river, far from his country, he 
 lighted on a hill where was a cave close to the present 
 town of Prome, and there he dwelt. The three tribes 
 before mentioned were in this land. In Tagoung, the 
 twin sons of the dethroned king being blind were, ac- 
 cording to custom, to be put to death as being unfit to 
 rule. But the queen concealed them until they had 
 become young men. They were then put into a boat 
 and set afloat on the Irrawaddy. While borne along 
 by the stream they received their sight, and at length 
 reached Prome. There they met a daughter of the 
 hermit, whom they saw drawing water from the river, 
 and found that her father was their uncle. The elder 
 of the princes, Maha Thambawa, was then married to 
 his cousin. He was the first of the dynasty established 
 at or near Prome, about 483 years before Christ, 
 according to the Maha Rajaweng. From this ruler the 
 kings of Burma claim descent, though several breaks 
 in the succession appear in the course of time." 
 
 For the first six or seven hundred years of the Chris- 
 tian era the Mramma family of rulers seem to have 
 remained in power, when an irruption of Shans from 
 the east overran and occupied the valley of the Irra- 
 waddy. Samlongpra, a Shan prince, conquered Kachar, 
 Tippera, Munnipur, and Assam. This success cul- 
 minated the Shan influence, and about the ninth century 
 the Burmese once more regained sway. It was not 
 until the eleventh century, however, that Anoarahta, by 
 
12 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 his power and conquests, re-established their former 
 greatness. This prince is one of the darlings of Bur- 
 mese history. 
 
 The date of the founding of Pagan, which for many 
 centuries was the focus of Burmese wealth and influ- 
 ence, is not satisfactorily recorded. 
 
 It had been the capital of the Tagoung race of kings 
 for many years previous to the accession of Anoarahta, 
 during whose reign it increased in extent and import- 
 ance. 
 
 This prince not only subdued neighbouring States, 
 but he had the boldness to attack the religious beliefs 
 of his own countrymen. He challenged the teachings 
 of the Ar! priests, abolished Naga, or dragon worship, 
 and purified the Buddhist faith. 
 
 He conquered the provinces of Pegu and Prome, 
 and marched an army into China. He broke up the 
 Shan Kingdom and extended his conquests as far west 
 as Bengal. 
 
 He died about the middle of the eleventh century. 
 
 Anoarahta's successors for the next hundred years 
 seem to have devoted their time and much of the 
 revenues of their vast territory to building magnificent 
 temples at Pagan. The most accomplished Indian 
 architects were brought from Bengal, and many works 
 were constructed, which, to use Colonel Yule's* 
 words, *' excite wonder, almost awe, to this day." But 
 this period did not pass over without internecine strife 
 in the Irrawaddy Valley. The King, or rather Viceroy 
 of Pegu, rebelled, led an army to Pagan, and actually 
 
 * Ava. 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 1 3 
 
 remained for some time in possession of the capital. 
 But he was finally driven off and his army dispersed. 
 
 In the beginning of the fourteenth century we 
 read of the King of Ceylon sending an army to Pegu. 
 This was in consequence of an imagined insult which 
 had been offered to his ambassador, but the matter 
 was compromised, and the Cingalese re-embarked and 
 returned to their own country. 
 
 About this time troubles began to accumulate 
 round the Pagan Court. 
 
 The enormous sums of money which had been 
 spent on the erection of the temples had somewhat 
 impoverished the treasury, and the people had been 
 taxed to the bounds of forbearance. The Chinese 
 crossed the mountains and descended on Mogoung and 
 Bhamo in the north. They defeated the Burmese and 
 took possession of Pagan, the king and royal family 
 being forced to flee to Pegu. But the Mongols do not 
 appear to have tarried long, nor to have done any 
 serious amount of damage during their stay in the 
 Burmese capital. 
 
 An attempt was now made to prop up the empire 
 by adopting severe measures against the many mal- 
 contents ; but this only resulted in several minor States, 
 including Pegu, proclaiming themselves independent. 
 
 Three brothers, kinsmen of the dethroned king, 
 were next entrusted with the reins of government. 
 They attempted to negociate with China, but this 
 policy failed, a Chinese army once more appearing 
 before Pagan. 
 
 The brothers having persuaded the Celestials to 
 
14 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 depart by loading their chiefs with presents, set to 
 work to fight amongst themselves. This fratricidal 
 strife resulted in the two elder brothers being killed 
 and the younger remaining master of the situation. 
 
 This king, by name Thihatha, made his mark in 
 Burmese history. He was a Shan by birth, and he 
 may be said to have been the first of the race of Shan 
 kings who ruled Burma, his dynasty lasting half a 
 century. 
 
 Thihatha shifted the capital to Sagain, a place 
 nearly opposite Mandalay on the right bank of the 
 river. The influence of this dynasty extended up and 
 down the Irrawaddy from Mogoung in the north to 
 Prome in the south, and as far west as Munipur. But 
 rebellions and disruptions were continuous all over the 
 country. 
 
 About the end of the fourteenth century a prince 
 of uncertain lineage usurped the throne, and he shifted 
 the capital to the left bank at Ava. 
 
 He appears to have had some character and skill 
 as a ruler, but he found himself unable to control his 
 troubled and unwieldy possessions. The upper por- 
 tions fell into the hands of the Chinese, and the Lower 
 Irrawaddy was a prey to robbers and traitors. 
 
 His career was cut short by small-pox. 
 
 During these times the fertile plains of the delta 
 were constantly overrun by Shans, Siamese and other 
 marauding hordes. 
 
 Arakan, although acknowledging in theory the 
 Burmese suzerainty, was really in a state of anarchy 
 during the latter half of this century. 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 1 5 
 
 1400-1450. — The first decades of the fifteenth 
 century saw Arakan tributary to Bengal in return for 
 services rendered to the Arakanese by the Bengal 
 princes, in the struggles of the former against the 
 Burmese. 
 
 In the Irrawaddy Valley fighting and dacoity went 
 on unchecked. At length a Shan chief named Meng- 
 nan-s£ got a firm hold on the kingdom of Ava, and 
 soon commenced to make his influence felt. Tounghoo, 
 once a Royal city, and which for thirty years has been 
 a military cantonment under British rule, first became 
 heard of about this time. 
 
 During the fighting and raiding which had con- 
 vulsed the country for years past, the governor of this 
 province, Soalu, had so successfully controlled his 
 district that he was regarded as an independent prince. 
 He formed an alliance with the King of Pegu, and 
 induced the latter to join him in an attack on Ava. 
 
 Arrived at the capital, the Peguan monarch de- 
 serted his ally, who had to beat a hasty retreat, and 
 fraternised with the King of Ava. 
 
 At this early period of the history of the Indo- 
 Chinese States we hear of women wielding imperial 
 power. 
 
 Queen Sheng Soabu of Ava took it into her head 
 to seek a change of consorts in the King of Pegu. 
 She accordingly repaired to the latter city, where 
 she attached herself to the king's household. She 
 became very popular in the province, and when the 
 king died she was invited to rule the Peguans. Her 
 prime favourite was a Buddhist monk who had accom- 
 
I 6 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 panied her from Ava. This person, on his mistress 
 being raised to supreme power, threw off his sackcloth 
 and ashes and assumed the toga of the statesman. 
 The queen gave him her daughter in marriage, and 
 named him her " heir apparent." On her death he 
 became king, and ruled with great success for a period 
 of thirty-one years. 
 
 The last decade of this half century witnessed the 
 Chinese armies once more in the Irrawaddy Valley. 
 Having at first successfully repelled the invaders, the 
 Burmese were finally driven to sue for peace at any 
 price, but this does not seem to have been higher 
 than the surrender of the person of the Governor 
 of Mogoung, after obtaining whom they took their 
 departure. 
 
 Sir Arthur Phayre is of opinion that these attacks 
 arose from the determination of the Ming dynasty of 
 China to assert a right of sovereignty over the Shan 
 chiefs. 
 
 1450-1500. — During this period no events of im- 
 portance are narrated in Burmese history. 
 
 No prince of any power or character ruled the 
 kingdom of Ava, and that country grew weaker and 
 weaker under incessant attacks from the Shans, her 
 old dependents, the Kings of Prome and Pegu, looking 
 on with indifference. 
 
 1500-1550. — The Shan attacks on Ava were con- 
 tinued into this century, and the city taken and 
 pillaged. The throne was actually offered to and 
 accepted by the King of Prome, but he in his turn 
 had to fly, and the dethroned monarch was reinstated. 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 1 7 
 
 Meanwhile Tounghoo was increasing in wealth and 
 power, and many of the most influential Burmese nobles 
 who had fled from Ava took refuge therein. Tabeng- 
 Shwe-Tl was at this time its ruler. He led an army 
 against Pegu, and took possession of the city. 
 Europeans appear for the first time to have mixed 
 themselves up in these quarrels, a contingent under 
 the command of Ferdinand de Morales, a Portuguese 
 adventurer, fighting on the side of the Peguans. 
 
 In this war the Napoleon Buonaparte of Burmese 
 history first made his military skill as a commander 
 known, in the person of Bureng N young, then simply 
 a general, but who afterwards became king of a vast 
 tract of country. The young King of Tounghoo, with 
 this determined leader to back him up, soon began to 
 extend his possessions and make his power felt. The 
 Portuguese had both ships and guns at Martaban, at 
 the mouth of the Sal ween river, not far from the 
 modern town of Moulmein. 
 
 Bureng N young marched a large army against 
 the place, and after a short siege forced it to sur- 
 render. 
 
 The Portuguese were permitted to escape to their 
 ships, but many of the leading men of Martaban were 
 put to death. The victorious general next prepared 
 to attack Prome, which was then an important prin- 
 cipality. He marched across the mountains and laid 
 siege to the city, which was strongly fortified. The 
 King of Ava, desirous of checking the rising power 
 of Tounghoo, despatched an army of Burmese and 
 Shans down the Irrawaddy to relieve the city, while the 
 
 B 
 
i8 
 
 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 Arakanese from the west crossed the hills and directed 
 their march on the same point. But Bureng Nyoung 
 was too much for this triple alliance. Leaving a small 
 force at Prome to continue the investment, he marched 
 to meet an army from the north, which was proceeding 
 partly in boats and partly marching along the left bank 
 of the great river. He attacked and dispersed this 
 army, and, crossing the river on boats and rafts, he 
 moved to meet the Arakanese, whom he also defeated 
 with great slaughter, driving them through the moun- 
 tain passes westward. 
 
 On both of these occasions the wily Portuguese 
 arrayed themselves on his side, sharing the spoil. 
 Prome surrendered, and a governor was appointed to 
 control the kingdom, as Viceroy to the King of 
 Tounghoo. 
 
 This was all a terrible shock for the Upper 
 Burmans, and resulted in the reigning dynasty being 
 driven from power, and a Shan prince placed on the 
 throne. 
 
 His first act was to despatch an army, composed 
 almost entirely of Shans, against Prome, but Bureng 
 Nyoung, hearing of their approach, once more threw 
 himself upon them, utterly routing them, and chasing 
 the Shans to the gates of Ava. 
 
 On his return march he halted at Pagan, where 
 great ceremonials were gone through. His young 
 master was crowned " King of Kings," and the 
 general himself was formally declared heir to the 
 throne. 
 
 Pegu was now made the capital of this new kino- 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 1 9 
 
 <dom, and all the Indo-Chinese principalities and powers 
 trembled at the name of Bureng Nyoung. 
 
 He next led an army into Arakan, but does not 
 appear to have accomplished much. The Arakans 
 avoided him, and after losing many of his best men 
 through sickness, he returned to Pegu. 
 
 Siam, the rock on which more than one Burmese 
 king has split himself, was the land on which this 
 insatiable conqueror now turned his glance. He led 
 a large army thither, but the physical difficulties to 
 be overcome were so insurmountable, the sickness 
 amongst his army was so great, the distance to be 
 traversed, the difficulties in the way of supplies and 
 the activity of the enemy, forced him to retrace his 
 ■steps before his object had been accomplished, and he 
 had to employ all his skill and fertility of resource 
 during this disastrous retreat to save his army from 
 total destruction. He at length reached Pegu, where 
 he found the young king sunk in drunkenness and 
 debauchery, and all the affairs of State in disorder. He 
 •constituted himself Regent, and made every effort to 
 restore the kingdom ; but things had gone too far. 
 Exhausted by continual wars, and depressed by the 
 failure of the Siamese expedition, the various viceroys 
 rose in rebellion, and the country generally declared 
 for the local chiefs. 
 
 Bureng Nyoung had to fly from Pegu, and sought 
 refuge in his native city of Tounghoo. Arrived here 
 his brother closed the gates in his face, and attended 
 only by a few faithful followers, he retired to the hills, 
 determined to bide his time. 
 
 B 2 
 
20 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 1 5 50- 1 600. — As he had prognosticated, the people 
 soon began to feel the effects of the state of anarchy 
 which prevailed. His great name once more came to 
 his succour, and the Tounghoo nobles invited him to 
 resume the reins of government. Once more a king, 
 his ambitious designs and the magic of his name soon 
 attached to his standard all the adventurous fighting 
 spirits in Burma. His first act was to reoccupy Prome,. 
 which opened her gates at his approach. He next 
 flooded the delta with his troops. The Taking prince 
 who had been placed on the throne of Pegu, fled, and 
 he was once more proclaimed king of that province. 
 On the Upper Irrawaddy a Shan prince sat upon the 
 throne of Ava. Bureng N young determined to unseat 
 him. Hearing of his intentions, the Shan chiefs drew 
 together, and a large army was assembled near Ava 
 to oppose his advance. He advanced northwards in 
 two columns, one along the left bank of the Irrawaddy, 
 a flotilla of boats conveying all the impedimenta, and 
 a second by way of Tounghoo and the Sittang valley. 
 He accompanied this last column in person. To those 
 who know all this country his strategy in this campaign 
 may appear strange. Having directed his march as 
 far north as Yemethen, he turned abruptly westward 
 with his main body, directing his brother with a small 
 column to march due north, and entrench himself in 
 some suitable position south of Ava. 
 
 Pursuing his march westward, he debouched on the 
 Irrawaddy, at Pagan, where he was joined by the 
 flotilla and the Irrawaddy army. He next transferred 
 his whole force to the right bank, and marching along 
 
HISTORICAL GEOGRAPHY OF THE BURMESE COUNTRIES 
 
 FROM YULE'S "AVA" 
 
 WITH PRESENT SITUATION ADDED 
 
 SCALE ABOUT 500 MILES TO 1 INCH. 
 
 ABOUT AD. 1580. A. D. 1822. N? 2 
 
 Hirieon '■. Son^. Litk. 3 Martins Lam~A~C. 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 21 
 
 the shore he crossed the Chinwinde River, and appeared 
 before Sagain, which he occupied without resistance. 
 He now directed his brother, who was entrenched at 
 Panya, to issue from his position and attack Ava, 
 whilst he crossed the river in his flotilla and made an 
 .attack from the west. The Shan princes were para- 
 lysed, and after a feeble resistance the city surren- 
 dered. 
 
 The Shan King was imprisoned, and Bureng 
 Nyoung placed his brother on the throne of Ava as a 
 tributary prince. 
 
 The " Great King " was on this campaign accom- 
 panied by a body-guard of four hundred Portuguese, 
 ■dressed in uniform. His short visit to the Upper Irra- 
 waddy convinced him that the Shan chiefs were his 
 inveterate foes, and that no sooner would his back be 
 turned than they would renew their aggressions. He 
 accordingly directed his brother to make preparations for 
 a monster campaign against the Shans, and he promised 
 to return and conduct operations in person. He was 
 as good as his word, for two years later, making a casus 
 belli of some disturbances in the north, he led a large 
 army to Ava, here massed his forces with those of his 
 brother, and marched against the Shans. He routed 
 the Kings of Moyoung and Monyin, and pursued them 
 into the snowy regions of the north-east. He then 
 returned to Pegu. He next turned his attention to the 
 Southern Shan kingdom of Zimme. The terror of 
 his name preceded him, and he overran the country 
 with little opposition, advancing into the heart of Siam. 
 When here news reached him of a rebellion at Pegu, 
 
22 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 and leaving his son to continue the campaign, he- 
 returned with all speed to his capital. Here he found 
 things in a bad way, and he was constrained to recall 
 the young prince with his whole army. 
 
 Having restored order and set the kingdom on its- 
 legs again, he once more led an expedition to Siam. 
 He overran Laos, and penetrated the mountain dis- 
 tricts beyond the Mekong. Here he came to grief, 
 losing half his army from cold and hunger, and with 
 difficulty withdrawing the remnants to Pegu. 
 
 At no period in the history of Indo-China was. 
 Burma so powerful, united, and dreaded as at that of 
 which I now write. 
 
 Of the vast territory over which Bureng Nyoung 
 held sway, only a portion of the littoral of the Bay of 
 Bengal still showed signs of resistance to his control. 
 He accordingly resolved to crush this rebellious and 
 insignificant province. Having collected a fleet of 
 fifteen hundred large boats, he despatched it round the. 
 coast to the town of Sandaway. Here the army dis- 
 embarked and prepared to march on Arakan. It was- 
 intended that the "King of Kings" himself should 
 join at this place and conduct the march on the: 
 capital ; but his force was failing him, and he found 
 himself unequal to the task. His health rapidly 
 declined and he died this same year at Pegu, having 
 reigned thirty years. 
 
 The wars of Bureng Nyoung indicate the restless 
 spirit of the Burmese people, their persistence in 
 aggression, and their belief in, and devotion to, a 
 loved and trusted leader. 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 23 
 
 The young king, Yuva Raja, who succeeded his 
 father, was no novice in either politics or war, but was 
 not equal to bearing, the weight of the vast territory 
 which his father had ruled. Two of his uncles paid 
 him homage, but other chiefs struck. 
 
 He immediately entered on a system of aggression. 
 The King of Ava was disrespectful, and to punish him 
 he led an army up the Irrawaddy. A battle ensued 
 in which, it is said, uncle and nephew had a hand-to- 
 hand fight, mounted on elephants. The King of Ava 
 was defeated and driven from power and the " Supreme 
 King " returned to Pegu. 
 
 Siam, the " Loralei " of his father, now riveted his 
 attention, and he led an army thither. But disaster 
 befel him : thousands of his troops died of disease and 
 starvation, and only a few survived to return to their 
 own country. 
 
 Embittered by this reverse the king became savage 
 and unmanageable, and put many of his most faithful 
 followers to death. A general break up in the Empire 
 took place. Pegu was almost destroyed and the king 
 put to death, and, "thus," says Phayre, "the great 
 Empire of united Pegu and Burma, which a generation 
 before had excited the wonder of European travellers, 
 was utterly broken up ; and the wide delta of the 
 Irrawaddy, with a soil fertile as Egypt and in a 
 geographical position commanding the outlet of a 
 great natural highway, was abandoned by those who 
 might claim to represent the ancient rulers, and left to 
 be parcelled out by petty local chiefs and European 
 adventurers." 
 
24 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 The opening decades of the seventeenth century 
 found Burma helplessly tossed on conflicting billows. 
 Henceforward we shall find Europeans mixed up in all 
 important affairs of State, gradually increasing their 
 influence with periodical checks, as time proceeds. 
 
 One Philip de Brito appears to have been the first 
 of these who rose to actual power in Burma. He 
 commenced life on these shores as a servant of the 
 King of Arakan, then transferred himself to the delta, 
 where he became manager of the custom-house at 
 Syriam, near the modern city of Rangoon. He soon 
 became governor of the district. He next departed 
 for Goa, married the daughter of the Portuguese 
 Viceroy there, and returned to his business at Syriam. 
 Being a robber and extortioner of the deepest dye, he 
 soon became unpopular, and his days were numbered. 
 The place was attacked and taken by a force from 
 Upper Burma, and the unfortunate De Brito was 
 " impaled on a stake before his own house, and there 
 lived for three days in intense agony." Almost all his 
 European followers perished with their chief. 
 
 This blow to the kalas, or foreigners, was a most 
 popular hit for the King of Ava, Maha Dhamma Raja, 
 who was a grand-nephew of the " Great King," and 
 he rapidly obtained the allegiance of Pegu, Prome, 
 Tounghoo, and other smaller States. The Shan 
 States and the Tenasserim Coast next came under his 
 influence. He was acknowledged as a " Supreme 
 King," and received ambassadors from India and 
 China. He was assassinated in 1630, and the Empire 
 once more fell to pieces. 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 25 
 
 1 650-1 700. — During the next half-century no ruler 
 of extraordinary influence arose to restore matters, and 
 much anarchy prevailed. 
 
 1 700-1 750. — In the beginning of this century the 
 country was overrun by hordes of Chinese, who, 
 having plundered the people and enriched themselves, 
 returned to their homes. 
 
 It is a remarkable fact that the Chinese have never 
 displayed any desire to extend their possessions to the 
 banks of the Irrawaddy. They have made frequent 
 raids thither, but have always evacuated the country a 
 few months later, and left it in the hands of native 
 rulers. 
 
 In Lower Burma, at this period, a phoongee, or 
 Buddhist monk, had been elected king ; but after 
 vainly endeavouring to restore order into his kingdom,' 
 he betook him to his yellow robes once more, and 
 retired to the Shan States to count his beads. 
 
 He was succeeded by a turbulent villain, by name 
 Bemya Dala, who seized the throne and proved to be 
 too strong to dislodge. Like his predecessor the 
 priest, he, too, was a Shan by birth. He aspired to 
 restore the empire of Bureng Nyoung. 
 
 He assembled an army and flotilla, advanced up 
 the Irrawaddy and took possession of Ava, which was 
 burnt to the ground. In his strategy in this campaign 
 the king imitated his great predecessor, and it was 
 equally successful. Placing his most trusted general, 
 Talaban, in charge of the kingdom of Ava, Bemya 
 Dala returned to Pegu. 
 
 1 750-1 800. — We have now reached a most inte- 
 
26 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 resting epoch in Burmese history — the final subsidence 
 of the Shan and Taking kings of Pegu and the rise of 
 the Alompras, of whom King Thebaw is a living 
 representative. 
 
 Alompra, or Alaunghpra, although never as great 
 a leader as Bureng Nyoung, exercised, perhaps, more 
 influence over the Burmese people. 
 
 He was nothing to begin with, merely a hunter, or, 
 even if this be romance, the governor, or myouk of a 
 district. It was only after he had become a great king 
 he discovered that he was of royal blood. 
 
 He rose to power out of the troubles of his country. 
 After the departure from Ava of the King of Pegu 
 and the greater part of his army, the country became 
 restless and disturbed, and there was a general im- 
 patience to the rule of the Peguans. Great resistance 
 was offered to the tax collectors, who had to be escorted 
 by armed men for their protection. The leader in this 
 movement was the head man of Mootshobo (modern 
 Shewaybo), a town about twenty miles west of the 
 Irrawaddy, at a point fifty miles above Ava, now the 
 headquarters of a brigade of British troops. This 
 man by his fearless advocacy of open resistance soon 
 became a celebrity in his own district. It was not long 
 before he made his power felt. With a band of 
 chosen followers he surprised and completely destroyed 
 a small detachment of Peguans sent to enforce the 
 payment of taxes. This success was followed by 
 another more marked, and a few weeks later he suc- 
 cessfully resisted a Taking army led by Talaban, the 
 viceroy, in person. 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 2J 
 
 His fame spread throughout the length and breadth 
 of the land, and he soon found himself elevated from 
 a humble myouk to the exalted estate of a national 
 hero. 
 
 He was quite equal to the change in his circum- 
 stances. He announced himself to be of royal blood,, 
 heaven-born, and assumed all the airs of a monarch. 
 Thousands flocked to his standards. He drove the 
 Peguans from Ava, and proclaimed himself king. 
 
 He immediately commenced a campaign against 
 the Shans, and succeeded in completely subjugating 
 the Kings of Momein and Moyoung. 
 
 Meanwhile the Peguans were busy assembling a 
 large army to reconquer Ava. He advanced to meet 
 them, but was severely defeated, and Ava once more 
 besieged. 
 
 His tactics at this crisis were certainly somewhat 
 strange. He withdrew altogether from Ava, established 
 himself at his native town of Mootshobo, and awaited 
 the development of events. 
 
 A detachment was despatched up the Irrawaddy 
 to attack him. This was the opportunity he sought. 
 Collecting all his forces he fell on the Peguans while 
 on the march through dense bush, and scarcely a man 
 escaped. This success re-established his lost prestige, 
 and he soon afterwards appeared at Sagaing at the 
 head of a large army. The Peguans did not await to 
 be regularly attacked. Finding themselves surrounded, 
 on all sides by enemies and with a stealthy and deter- 
 mined leader ready to take advantage of any little 
 mishap, close upon them, they withdrew altogether 
 
28 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 from the country and returned to Pegu. After a short 
 rest Alompra resolved to lead an army down the Irra- 
 waddy to relieve Prome, which was being besieged by 
 the Peguans. 
 
 He took with him a small but enthusiastic force, 
 and in his operations he displayed the same remarkable 
 caution and cunning which had characterised his 
 former campaigns. Having ascertained the point in 
 the besieging lines where the enemy had accumulated 
 their stores of arms and provisions, he resolved to make 
 his attack here. He failed in his first onslaught, but 
 a second attempt succeeded, and the Peguans, after 
 several unsuccessful attempts to dislodge him, broke 
 up and departed. 
 
 The glamour of his name filled the whole country, 
 and men of all classes and tribes, thirsting for loot and 
 adventure, flocked round him. 
 
 He now for the first time found himself in contact 
 with Europeans — English, French, and Portuguese, 
 who had established factories at Syriam and Cape 
 Negrais. He was wise enough not to run his head 
 against this unseen obstacle without first feeling his 
 way. 
 
 A little observation taught him that the two first 
 Powers were at issue in political matters. He accord- 
 ingly made overtures to that which he understood to 
 be the stronger, the English, and left the French out 
 in the cold. Having established as he thought friendly 
 relations with the Kalas, he returned to Mootshobo, 
 which had now blossomed into a royal capital. 
 
 He soon found that the white merchants of the 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 20 
 
 Far West were slippery customers to deal with, for 
 no sooner was his back turned than the two presum- 
 ably hostile nations joined the Takings in an attack 
 on his post at Rangoon. But tv/o attempts having 
 failed, the idea was abandoned, and the English 
 resolved to try diplomacy. A mission was accordingly 
 despatched to Mootshobo to kiss the Golden Feet 
 and ask for concessions. 
 
 The king received the envoys graciously, and gave 
 the English permission to establish factories at Bassein 
 and Syriam. But he resolved to pay off the Peguans 
 for their share in the late affairs in very different coin. 
 
 He got together a force of 20,000 Shans, and with 
 this army proceeded southward to the delta. He 
 drove the Talaings from Syriam and boarded two 
 French ships which were lying at anchor off the place. 
 It transpired that these ships had been sent from 
 Pondicherry to aid the Peguans, and the king, in a fit 
 of passion, put both the captains and the head of the 
 French factory to death. He next led his whole army 
 against Pegu which he took possession of and almost 
 totally destroyed. 
 
 The story of the capture and destruction of this city 
 which had been the focus of Talaing power and wealth 
 for twelve centuries, is thus told in Sir Arthur Phayre's 
 work on Burmese history : — 
 
 " The rainy season having abated, the troops of 
 his (the King of Pegu's) dreaded enemy began to 
 swarm round his capital. Coming by thousands by 
 land and water they appeared before the city about 
 the middle of October. The Shan contingent, which 
 
30 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 had marched down by Tounghoo, occupied Sittang by 
 the end of September, and awaited further orders. 
 The Takings in the city made sorties and fought with 
 the courage of men of spirit, who struggle for national 
 independence in its last place of refuge. The out- 
 works were all taken though with considerable loss 
 to the assailants, and by the end of October the whole 
 of Alompra's army, including the Shans, had closed 
 round the devoted city. The King of Pegu had no 
 resource left but to appeal to the mercy and religious 
 sentiment of his enemy — an expedient of which 
 several instances are mentioned in the histories of the 
 wars of Burma. 
 
 The de*eply revered Rahans, the brotherhood who 
 devote their lives to the observance of the law of 
 Buddha, headed by their venerable superior, appeared 
 in the camp of the invader, and in the name of religion 
 besought him to put an end to the war and to live as 
 elder and younger brother with the King of Pegu. In 
 other words, the kingdom was to be held as tributary 
 to the King of Burma. 
 
 The chief Rahan in his address, with sincere or 
 artful allusion to the conqueror as a destined Buddha, 
 referred to the satisfaction he would feel in after ages, 
 when that high and holy state had been attained in his 
 last birth,* and when he could look back with pure 
 delight on a noble act of generosity and mercy which 
 would give relief to millions of human beings. Alompra 
 replied in terms which evaded the appeal to his 
 clemency. In all ages, he said, with a ready assump- 
 * The Buddhist believe in an infinite succession of existences. 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 3 1 
 
 tion of the exalted character he claimed, Bodhisatwas 
 who reigned as kings had observed the duties and 
 good works incumbent on rulers. He would be care- 
 ful to follow their example ; to obey the dictates of 
 his heart ; to secure the happiness of his subjects and 
 of all sentient beings. The poor had nothing to fear 
 from him. He would respect and uphold existing 
 laws and customs, and so with respect and friendship 
 he imparted this information to the venerable Rahan. 
 
 This reply having been reported to the king, 
 Talaban and other Talaing officers represented that 
 submission would be destruction. It was determined 
 to defend the city to the last extremity. Alompra, to 
 show to the whole country his determination to per- 
 severe, built a temporary palace with a lofty seven- 
 storied spire, and, excepting in the capital, was supreme 
 throughout the province. A line of works being drawn 
 round the city, no supplies of food could enter, and all 
 signs of resistance by the garrison had ceased. 
 
 The citizens were reduced by famine to the deepest 
 misery. The king assembled his council. They re- 
 commended that he should offer his maiden daughter, 
 Maikum, to the conqueror, and again appeal to his 
 mercy. This princess had been betrothed to Talaban, 
 and they were to be married whenever he succeeded 
 in expelling the Burmese Army. In vain he now 
 protested against the proposition of the council, which 
 was supported by the king's brother, the Yuva Raja. 
 
 Overborne by this influence he determined to leave 
 the city. With a devoted band of followers, the mem- 
 bers of his family being mounted on elephants and 
 
32 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 horses, he went forth by night from the eastern gate, 
 and forcing his way through the besieging lines, made 
 good his escape to Sittang. A wail of despair now 
 arose among the citizens. The Talaing king forthwith 
 wrote a humble letter to the conqueror, which was 
 presented by the chief Rahan. He offered his daughter 
 in marriage, that he might secure peace to his people, 
 and prayed that he might be left as tributary in his 
 kingdom. According to the Talaing chronicle this 
 petition was granted, while the Burmese history records 
 the verbal reply as merely expressing the desire of 
 Alompra to promote the happiness of all beings. To 
 a noble who accompanied the chief Rahan he gave 
 two bunches of orchid flowers, saying enigmatically, 
 one as an offering and one for adornment. The 
 message being conveyed to Binya B)ala, the trembling 
 suppliant, one nosegay was offered at the great 
 Pagoda ; the other was given to the princess, who 
 placed it in her hair. 
 
 Without delay she set out for the camp of Alompra, 
 borne in a palanquin and surrounded by a hundred 
 maiden attendants. 
 
 The Yuva Raja, with many Talaing grandees, had 
 preceded her, and they remained as hostages in the 
 Burmese camp. The princess was received in open 
 court, the conqueror sitting on his throne ; she knelt 
 down and made pbeisance, and was then conducted 
 into the interior of the palace. 
 
 For several days hostilities were suspended. Festi- 
 vals were held in the city and in the besieger's camp, 
 all of both nations, except a few of the leading men, 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 33. 
 
 believing that the war was ended. From the palace 
 of Hansawadi came some princesses of the deposed 
 royal family of Burma whom Alompra was anxious to 
 gain. Some officers of the Gwe Shans and Burmese 
 who had taken service with the Taking king were 
 surrendered, and at once put to death. It was next 
 demanded that the king's brother, Binya Dala, his 
 nephew Doabanya, and his son-in-law Soabya, should 
 be given up. They knew the fate that awaited 
 them and the demand was resisted. Alompra, who 
 never intended to fulfil the hopes he had inspired, now 
 no longer concealed his design. He had managed to 
 introduce into the city a band of chosen soldiers, who 
 remained hidden apart from each other, but ready on a 
 given signal to attack the palace. They were dis- 
 covered and put to death, and again hostilities were 
 resumed. The Yuva Raja who had made himself 
 acceptable to Alompra, appeared at one of the city 
 gates, and called to his relations to come, as they had 
 promised, to the Burmese camp. The famine in the 
 city became more intense ; quarrels arose among the 
 royal family ; and the wretched king sent secret pro- 
 posals to surrender, asking only that his life should be 
 spared. The Burmese king now made a night assault 
 on one of the city gates. The defenders fled ; the 
 besiegers rushed in, the houses near the gate were set 
 on fire, and amidst the terror and confusion no com- 
 bined resistance was made. The city was given up 
 to plunder, and the soldiers were allowed to keep as 
 booty all they could lay hands on, except warlike 
 stores, and the jewels, valuables, and equipage which 
 
 c 
 
34 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 had been carried away from the palace at Ava. The 
 conquered king was taken prisoner in the palace. 
 Most of the leading men, even Rahans, according 
 to the Taking chronicle, were put to death ; and 
 thousands of men, women, and children were sold as 
 slaves." 
 
 I have detailed the above account of the treatment 
 of his greatest opponent by the first of the Alompras, 
 in order to draw a contrast between this event and the 
 treatment of the last of that dynasty by the British on 
 the eventful day of their fall, the 29th of November, 
 1885. 
 
 Having almost razed the Taking capital to the 
 ground, Alompra proceeded south, founded Rangoon,* 
 and from thence returned to Mootshobo. He was 
 accompanied thither by one Ensign Lester, who even- 
 tually succeeded in appeasing his wrath against the 
 British for the part they had played in the Taking 
 rebellion. 
 
 He agreed to cede Cape Negrais to the English, 
 as also ground for a factory at Bassein. 
 
 His next act was to lead a force into the Munnipur 
 country. So great was the terror which his name 
 inspired that he met with no opposition ; and having 
 established his authority in these districts, he returned 
 to his capital. The news which reached him there 
 was scarcely reassuring, for he learnt that his so lately 
 prostrate foes, the Takings, with that most wonderful 
 
 * Alompra founded Rangoon to commemorate his victory over 
 the Peguans. The name is made up of Yan, quarrel, Kone, done, 
 finished. 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 35 
 
 persistence and restlessness which has always been a 
 leading feature in the Indo-Chinese character, were 
 •once more in arms. 
 
 He learnt, furthermore, that the rising had been 
 instigated by the English merchants. He set out post 
 haste for the south, and from all he saw and heard this 
 report proved to be true. Having satisfied himself 
 that the merchants of Negrais had been selling arms 
 and ammunition to the rebels, he attacked the settle- 
 ment and slaughtered almost all the Europeans. 
 
 Strangely enough, John Company took no official 
 notice of this brutal act. Indeed, about this time all 
 his resources were required to govern his rapidly-in- 
 creasing Indian subjects. 
 
 The presence of Alompra and his terrible vengeance 
 on the perfidious Kalas had a quieting effect on the 
 rebels, and things soon settled down. 
 
 He determined to employ many of these last to 
 fight on his side, a plan which has so often proved to 
 be the most effective means of quelling troubles. 
 
 Like so many of his predecessors Alompra deter- 
 mined to invade Siam. The fact that all previous expe- 
 ditions to this country had failed had no deterrent effect 
 upon him. He was running over with the confidence 
 of success. Assembling a large army on the banks of 
 the Sittang, he marched across country to Martaban. 
 Here he unseated the Taking governor. He next 
 marched southwards along the coast of Tavoy and 
 Megui until he reached the shores of the Gulf of 
 Siam. Here, not many miles from the capital, he 
 encountered and routed the Siamese Army, and follow- 
 
 c 2 
 
3P THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 ing up his victory, endeavoured to seize the city. But 
 he found it secure against a ,coup de main, and he was 
 obliged to invest it. Finding great difficulties in the 
 way of provisions, and knowing that the country would 
 soon be under water, he employed all his diplomatic 
 skill to induce the inhabitants to surrender, but the fate 
 of the Peguans was well known in Siam, and all his 
 overtures were refused. 
 
 While still here he was seized with the malady 
 which eventually caused his death, and feeling unable 
 to carry on the command he ordered a retreat, during 
 which he died. His body was preserved and conveyed 
 to Mootshobo, where it was burnt with the funeral rites 
 of a Chekravarti or Universal King. 
 
 Alompra is described by Symes* as above the 
 middle size, strong, and well proportioned : his features 
 were coarse, his complexion dark, and his countenance 
 saturnine. Prone to anger, in revenge implacable, in 
 punishing faults remorseless. " But," says this author, 
 "be the private character of Alompra what it may, his 
 heroic actions give him an indisputable claim to no 
 mean rank among the most distinguished personages 
 in the page of history. His firmness emancipated a 
 whole nation from servitude ; and inspired by his 
 bravery the oppressed, in their turn, subdued their 
 oppressors. Like the deliverer of Sweden with his 
 gallant band of Dalecarlians, he fought for that which 
 experience tells us rouses the human breast above 
 every other stimulant to deeds of daring valour. 
 Private injuries, personal animosities, commercial 
 * Embassy to Ava in 1795. 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. T>7 
 
 emulation, wars of regal policy, are petty provocations 
 compared to that which animates the resentment of a 
 people whose liberties are assailed, whose right to 
 govern themselves is wrested from them, and who are 
 forced to bend beneath the tyranny of a foreign 
 yoke." 
 
 Alompra was succeeded by his eldest son, a man of 
 no weight in himself, and troubles at once began to 
 accumulate. A rebellious general seized Ava and a 
 rising also took place in Tounghoo. Having lived to 
 see these disturbances quelled and to receive a mission 
 from the Company at Mootshobo, this prince died and 
 was succeeded by his brother Hsengbynsheng, who 
 had made himself a name for ability and daring. To 
 improve on this he at once turned his attention to Siam. 
 He marched an army thither in two columns and 
 invested Bankok. No attempt was made to assault the 
 city, and all through the rainy season the Burmese 
 stuck to their lines of circumvallation. 
 
 At length the Siamese surrendered : the king was 
 killed and his family led into captivity. But no sooner 
 had this task been accomplished after so many failures 
 than the Burmese Army had to be withdrawn to meet 
 a Chinese invasion in the north. Meanwhile Ava had 
 been rebuilt, and the king shifted his court to this 
 ancient seat of Burmese Government. 
 
 The quarrel with China rose out of petty frontier 
 squabbles and extended over four years. The Bur- 
 mese in all these wars acquitted themselves with such 
 bravery and fought with such persistence that the 
 Chinese, notwithstanding their vast resources, finally 
 
3§ THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 abandoned the idea of conquering the country, and 
 peace was restored. 
 
 In 1766 the first invasion came by way of Momein 
 and overran the country about Mogoung and Bamo.. 
 The Shan Swabwa of Mogoung was at this time 
 hostile to the Burmese, and gave the invaders every 
 assistance. 
 
 The army from Ava having defeated the Chinese 
 in the vicinity of Bamo and cleared the country south 
 of their presence, advanced northwards against Mo- 
 goung. 
 
 Some severe fighting took place in the defiles of 
 the Upper Irrawaddy : the Burmese were always 
 victorious and the Chinese retired north-east tho- 
 roughly discomfited. 
 
 A second Chinese column had advanced from 
 Thenni on Ava, but this was met bv a second Burmese 
 force, defeated and forced to beat a hasty retreat. 
 
 Elated by these successes, the Kirtg of Ava pro- 
 claimed himself to be sovereign prince of the Shan 
 States which formerly had belonged to Burma, but to 
 which the Chinese had for the last century laid claim. 
 As might be expected, this act brought a hornet's- 
 nest about his ears. 
 
 In the following year the Chinese organised a still 
 more formidable expedition for the subjugation of 
 Burma. At the commencement of the dry season 
 three columns advanced on the Irrawaddy Valley : one 
 by Thenni on Ava, one by the valley of the Tapeng 
 on Bamo, and a third by Shweti on Momeit 
 
 The Burmese main column from Ava encountered 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 39 
 
 the central Chinese Army in the mountainous country- 
 east of the capital, defeated it and pursued the fugitives 
 into south-west Yunan. On the news of this disaster 
 becoming known the two northern columns retreated, 
 and the Burmese were once more masters of the 
 situation. 
 
 The Pekin authorities, incensed at these successive 
 reverses, directed that in the following year another 
 expedition should start from Yunan against the 
 Burmese. To meet this inroad the King of Ava de- 
 spatched three armies northwards. 
 
 The Chinese had occupied certain towns on the 
 river's bank, but from these were driven, one by one, 
 and the Burmese, following up their successes, con- 
 trived to place themselves across their enemy's line of 
 retreat. Finding fortune once more against them and 
 despairing of success in battle, the Chinese generals 
 sued for peace, promising to evacuate the country for 
 good and all. 
 
 The Burmese General-in-Chief, an old man, who 
 had long maintained the honour of his country's arms, 
 decided to accept the terms offered without reference 
 to the capital. The Chinese withdrew and the Bur- 
 mese armies were broken up. When the news of 
 these occurrences reached Hsengbynseng he was 
 furious. Unlike Bureng or Alompra, he never led 
 armies in the field himself. He kept clear of the 
 dangers and discomforts of war, but he took all the 
 glory of success. That his enemies should have been 
 allowed to escape maddened him. He gave orders 
 that the wives of the consenting generals should be 
 
40 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 made to sit at the palace gates for three days and three 
 nights, balancing on their heads the presents which 
 their husbands had sent over as the spoils of war. 
 When the brave chiefs who had cast off three succes- 
 sive invasions arrived at Ava, he refused to receive 
 them and gave orders that they should be degraded. 
 
 His next act was to send an expedition into Arakan, 
 but nothing much came out of this. After two years of 
 wanderings in the mountain districts of that country 
 the expedition returned. It is worthy of note that 
 although Arakan seems to have resisted for centuries 
 the encroachments of the Burmese on the one hand 
 and the Bengalis on the other, and to have withstood 
 the intrigues of Portuguese and Dutch adventurers, we 
 have had little or no trouble with this province since its 
 annexation to our Eastern Empire in 1826. The 
 people of Arakan to-day are a harmless quiet race, and 
 although curiously fanatical and bitter in their blood 
 feuds towards each other, they are very easy to govern, 
 
 A second expedition to Siam ended in utter failure, 
 and is said to have been the cause of the king's death. 
 His son succeeded, but after a reign of six days he was 
 murdered, and Bodoapra, a brother of the great 
 Alompra, seized the throne. 
 
 He proved himself to be an inhuman tyrant. 
 Many plots were made against his life and many 
 persons were put to death, amongst others the re- 
 nowned old chief, Maha Thihathura, who had defeated 
 the Chinese so often, but failed in Siam. 
 
 This king shifted the seat of government from 
 Ava to Amarapoora, a site a few miles higher up the 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 4 1 
 
 river on the same bank. The change took place in 1 783. 
 His troops overran and occupied the capital and chief 
 towns of Arakan. His ambition now soared to the 
 subjugation of Siam, and he resolved to lead an army 
 thither in person. 
 
 Being of too arrogant and impatient a disposition 
 to wait whilst preparations were being made for the 
 departure of this army, the various columns started 
 without either provisions or transport of any kind. It 
 was represented to him at the outset that unless a halt 
 were made to set things right all would end in disaster. 
 But he would brook no delay and insisted on pushing 
 on. The Siamese, avoiding a battle, harassed his 
 march, failure and misfortune dogged his steps, and he 
 barely succeeded in escaping alive. Most of his army 
 perished in the mountains and swamps. 
 
 Bodoapra's next rdle was to devote himself to 
 religion. He commenced building the Mengoon 
 Pagoda, on the opposite bank of the great river to the 
 capital. When partially finished, this gigantic pile of 
 solid masonry was shattered by an earthquake, but is 
 to-day one of the wonders of the world. 
 
 The bell which was cast for the Pagoda weighs 
 So tons, and is the largest in the world after that of. 
 Moscow Cathedral. 
 
 It was during this king's reign that the Burmese 
 first collided with the British in the direction of the 
 Bengal frontier. The former crossed into British 
 territory in pursuit of some rebels who had taken 
 refuge there. The fugitives were given up and the 
 Burmese retired. 
 
42 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 The Company despatched two officers to Amara- 
 poora to negociate a treaty. 
 
 The envoys, Captains Symes and Cox, were treated 
 with contumely at the Burmese Court and nothing 
 was accomplished. But this was not all. 
 
 1 800-1 850. — Bodoapra despatched a letter to the 
 Governor-General of India, to the effect that if he 
 allowed rebels from Arakan to enter Bengal he would 
 declare war against the English. Symes was once 
 more sent to Amarapoora to ask the meaning of this 
 threat. The king, in a fit of dread, denied that he 
 had ordered any such letter to be written ; but the 
 envoy was treated with disrespect. 
 
 After much trouble he consented to a Resident 
 being appointed to Rangoon. He had scarcely as- 
 sumed office when the king endeavoured to seize his 
 person as a hostage for our good behaviour on the 
 Chittagong frontier. 
 
 For the remaining years of his life Bodoapra was 
 constantly mixed up with the British in frontier 
 squabbles. He invaded Assam and Munipoor and 
 annexed the Rubo Valley. In 18 19 he died at Amara- 
 poora, having reigned thirty-seven years. He was 
 Alompra's fourth brother, and although he possessed 
 much of his great brother's cunning and resolution, he 
 had none of his bravery or military skill. 
 
 The next Alompra was Hpagytdoa, grandson of 
 the deceased monarch, who determined, from the first, 
 to pick up a quarrel with the British. He accordingly 
 sent his armies westward, occupying Assam, Kachar, 
 and Munipoor. 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 45 
 
 These aggressions ended in a declaration of war by 
 the Governor-General, to the undisguised satisfaction 
 of the Burmese Court, where it was now decreed that 
 India should be added to the Empire of the Alompras. 
 This was in 1824. 
 
 The British plan of operations was the following : 
 To drive the Burmese from Assam, Kachar and Muni- 
 poor, but not to advance further eastward. The main 
 attack was to be directed against Rangoon and thence 
 up the Irrawaddy in small steamers and boats to the 
 capital. 
 
 The army apportioned for this task consisted of 
 1 1,500 officers and men under the command of General 
 Sir Archibald Campbell, K.C.B., to be supplied from 
 both the Bengal and Madras Presidencies. 
 
 Bengal Division. — 13th and 38th Regiments 
 
 (British). 
 20th Bengal N.I. 
 Two companies of artillery. 
 Madras Division. — 41st and 89th Regiments, 
 
 Madras Fusiliers (British). 
 7th Battalion N.I. 
 Four companies artillery. 
 One company pioneers. 
 On May 1 ith the fleet conveying this army, having 
 rendezvoused at the mouth of the river, proceeded up 
 the stream and appeared before Rangoon. The troops- 
 immediately landed, and the Burmese, completely taken 
 by surprise, fled after a feeble resistance, and the town 
 and environs were occupied by our men. The Great- 
 Pagoda, a structure of extraordinary natural strength,. 
 
44 THE CODING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 was garrisoned and strengthened and converted into 
 a sort of base for future operations. 
 
 The time of year chosen for the outset of this 
 expedition was the most detestable imaginable, being 
 a few days previous to the rains, which from the end 
 of May till the middle of October are unceasing, con- 
 verting the country into a gigantic swamp. But we 
 must presume that the Government had good reason 
 for precipitating matters, otherwise their action is in- 
 conceivable. 
 
 The general, although much cramped for want of 
 transport, moved out in different directions to recon- 
 noitre. These observations showed that considerable 
 numbers of the enemy were about, but there were no 
 signs of any regular army. A stockade was discovered 
 six miles north of Great Pagoda, and this was carried 
 at the point of the bayonet with a loss of 10 killed and 
 27 wounded. The enemy had 300 killed. This was 
 the first fight of the war and, as Phayre remarks, " the 
 Burmese had never before encountered European 
 troops, and the fierce dash of these white strangers into 
 their stockade astonished them." 
 
 A month passed away before arrangements could 
 be made for any regular advance. The fierce heat of 
 the sun had given place to a perfect deluge of rain. 
 
 The country was converted into a swamp, and the 
 tracks — for there were no roads — were little better 
 than quagmires. 
 
 The Burmese naturally attributing our inaction to 
 weakness, were daily increasing in numbers. They 
 established a large stockade at Remendine, a few miles 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 45 
 
 from Rangoon, and now a railway station. A small 
 detachment was sent against them and the attack 
 failed. 
 
 As so often happens, after a slight reverse a force 
 far too large for the job was next despatched. Big 
 guns were dragged through the mud, and when the 
 column arrived near the position, it was dark. The 
 troops sat down in the mud and water on this night, 
 and when the morning came, it was found that the 
 enemy had decamped. 
 
 Fever and dysentery now broke out amongst our 
 men and hundreds perished. The tinned provisions 
 all went bad and became absolutely poisonous. 
 
 Meanwhile the British troops in the north pushed 
 the Burmese from Assam, Kachar, and Munipoor, and, 
 having accomplished their task, went into cantonments 
 on the frontiers. 
 
 July came on, the rain fell incessantly day and 
 night, and the sickness increased. 
 
 On the 8th of this month Sir A. Campbell attacked 
 and carried the main Burmese position near Rangoon, 
 and for a time things looked like settling down. Fresh 
 stores and troops had arrived, and some sort of trans- 
 port had been organised. Expeditions sailed up the 
 Sittang and Salween Rivers, and Pegu and Martaban 
 were occupied. But the Burmese forces still blocked 
 the great river. They had taken up a position at 
 Danabyu, occupying both banks, and were strongly 
 entrenched. 
 
 A column was. sent to attack the main stockade, 
 but it failed in its object and fell back on Rangoon in 
 
46 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 •disorder. On a second and stronger column arriving 
 to retrieve this reverse, the stockades, as usual, were 
 found to have been abandoned. But the enemy were 
 by no means dispirited ; on the contrary, the well- 
 known chief Maha Bundula had just arrived from the 
 north, and things began to take a more lively turn. 
 The rains had ceased and, although the heat was 
 terrific, there was some chance of getting about. 
 Report estimated the number under his command at 
 60,000, but probably a third of that number was nearer 
 the mark. 
 
 He immediately assumed the offensive and pro- 
 ceeded to attack Rangoon. 
 
 There were at this time at headquarters only 
 1,300 British and 2,000 native troops available to take 
 the field. These were cantoned about the Great 
 Pagoda, which had been converted into an impregnable 
 fortress and guns mounted thereon. 
 
 On the 6th December the British general, having 
 allowed the Burmese to approach to within striking 
 distance in the open space between the Pagoda and 
 the Royal Lakes, attacked and completely routed them, 
 pursuing the fugitives for some miles. This reverse 
 broke for a time, if not permanently, the belief of the 
 Burmese in Bundula's invincible power, and after 
 making two or three futile attempts to rally his men, 
 the chief fell back on his old position at Donabyu, 
 where he constructed works which would have done 
 credit to a skilled engineer. This may be said to have 
 closed the first Irrawaddy campaign. 
 
 The difficulties to be faced having been found 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 47 
 
 much greater than was anticipated by the Government, 
 a second expedition had been organised to try an 
 advance into Burma by way of Arakan. For this 
 purpose a force of 11,000 men, under General Morri- 
 son, assembled at Chittagong. The majority of this 
 force were conveyed in ships down the coast and a 
 portion marched. Arakan was occupied and the Aeng 
 Pass which leads across the hills into the Irrawaddy 
 Valley fell into our hands, but nothing further seems 
 to have been accomplished. 
 
 There was a great want of transport, and the 
 troops fell sick in immense numbers. 
 
 To return once more to the operations of Sir A. 
 Campbell's force. This commander, having received 
 additions in men and supplies, was ready to take the 
 offensive in February, 1825. His plan was to 
 advance partly by boats and partly by land on Prome. 
 The Boat Column, under Colonel Cotton, consisted 
 of 1,800 British and 1,000 native infantry, with 
 some heavy guns. The Land Column was composed 
 of 1,300 British and 1,000 native infantry, with a 
 battery of horse artillery, the general himself being in 
 command. Cotton arrived first at Donabyu, landed, 
 attacked Bundula's entrenchments, was heavily re- 
 pulsed and re-embarked his men. 
 
 On this news reaching Sir A. Campbell, he 
 hastened to reinforce Colonel Cotton, and arrangements 
 were made to attack the place next morning. A heavy 
 cannonade was kept up for several hours during the 
 night. The morning broke and the entrenchments 
 were empty — not a Burman was to be seen anywhere. 
 
48 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 News soon reached the general that this skedaddle 
 was due to the death of the great Bundula, who had 
 been killed by a round shot during the bombardment. 
 
 The death of Bundula was a terrible blow to the 
 king and his court, and the news plunged the capital 
 in excitement and confusion. The king reproached 
 his ministers with having egged him on to the ruin of 
 the country, and mutual reproaches ensued. The most 
 influential person at Amarapoora at this period was 
 the king's principal wife, Manoo, who completely ruled 
 the roost at the palace. She it was who had instigated 
 the aggressive policy against the English, which the 
 king himself only undertook with strong misgivings. 
 
 She was believed to possess magic power, and was 
 known as " the Sorceress." She was a woman of low 
 origin, and her brother was a retailer of fish at the 
 bazaar. She would not hear of peace, and still foretold 
 victory over the Kalas. 
 
 At this crisis a man known as the Pagan Mooneyi 
 volunteered to repel the invasion, and he was appointed 
 General-in-Chief. But he soon made it evident that 
 butchery was more in his line than soldiering. He 
 proposed to begin the campaign by murdering all the 
 Europeans who remained in the country after the 
 declaration of war. At first this proposal was agreed to, 
 but on second thoughts the barbarous court dreaded 
 the responsibility and the projector himself fell a victim. 
 He was trampled to death by elephants. The king's 
 half-brother was now appointed Commander-in-Chief,- 
 and some attempt was made to restore order into the: 
 army. 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 49 
 
 On the 4th April Sir A. Campbell reached Prome, 
 which he found almost deserted by the inhabitants, 
 and he here went into cantonments for several months, 
 during the rains. 
 
 In the following September the King of Burma 
 sent down a deputation to ascertain on what terms the 
 English would agree to quit the country. 
 
 The terms offered were, the concession of Ara- 
 kan, Tavoy, and Mergui, and the payment of two 
 millions of pounds sterling. 
 
 After much beating about the bush the king 
 declared that yielding territory and paying money 
 were contrary to Burmese custom ; and hostilities were 
 renewed. Large bodies of the enemy had during the 
 lengthened armistice been assembling about Prome. 
 Reconnaissances showed that they held a strong posi- 
 tion astride the road northwards. It was arranged, 
 if possible, to surround them by a night march, three 
 columns converging. But the difficulties were too 
 great for such an undertaking. The columns lost 
 their way in the jungle and only one arrived at day- 
 break. The commander, Colonel McDowell, was 
 killed in an unsuccessful attack, and all the columns 
 had to retrace their steps, pursued and harassed by the 
 enemy. This was a bad commencement to what may 
 be called the third campaign of this war. But the 
 brave old chief was in no way cast down. 
 
 Assembling a force of 2,500 British and 1,300 
 native troops, he personally led them against the main 
 Burmese position, ten miles north of Prome. The 
 gun-boats co-operated from the river. A fierce fight 
 
 D 
 
50 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 took place — the men carrying stockade after stockade 
 with the bayonet, and completely defeating the enemy 
 with a loss of between 2,000 and 3,000 men. Our 
 own loss was 12 officers and 160 men killed and 
 wounded. 
 
 This victory was a deathblow to Burmese prestige. 
 There was no getting them to stand afterwards, 
 and a few days later the general reached Meaday 
 — nearly opposite our frontier station of Thayetmyo — 
 unopposed. Whilst here negociations for peace were 
 once more resumed. The parties met in a boat 
 anchored in mid-stream ; but after much parleying 
 nothing was done, and the British once more advanced. 
 They encountered no opposition until Pagan was 
 reached, where a very feeble attempt was made to 
 make a stand, and the army and flotilla pushed on 
 towards the capital. 
 
 After all their terrible trials and troubles they were 
 not destined to consummate their victories by that 
 highest aim of conquering armies — the occupation of 
 the enemy's capital. At Yandaboj a small village, 
 about forty miles south of Amarapoora, they were met 
 by a deputation from the king. A treaty of peace was 
 signed between the " Two Great Empires," of which 
 the following are the provisions. The cession to the 
 Company of the provinces of Assam, Arakan, and 
 Tenasserim, and the non-interference on the part of 
 the king in the affairs of Jyntia, Cachar, and Munipoor. 
 No indemnity was demanded. 
 
 Thus ended the first of our wars with the sturdy 
 little red men who are still a thorn in our sides. ' 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 5 1 
 
 The struggle with the British had thus resulted in 
 the territories of the Burmese king being considerably- 
 contracted and much of the seaboard gone. This war 
 over, it was the object of the Government of India to 
 induce the king to sign some sort of treaty of com- 
 merce by which it would be possible to open up the 
 ■country for trade. But this, owing to the feeling of 
 bitterness that prevailed against the British, turned 
 out to be a stiff job. For scarcely had our armies 
 turned their backs upon the capital than, as Yule 
 remarks, " the arrogance of the nation had, with mar- 
 vellous elasticity, recovered all its old exorbitance." 
 
 Mr. Crawford repaired to Amarapoora to try to 
 negociate a treaty, but he failed utterly to accomplish 
 anything. Four years later, in 1830, the king agreed 
 to receive a Resident at his capital, and a Burmese 
 mission was sent to Calcutta to interview the Governor- 
 General. 
 
 Major Burney, who undertook to fill this difficult 
 and dangerous post, was a man of high character and 
 great personal influence. He made a good impression 
 on the king, but he failed to appease the queen, who 
 made no attempt to hide her implacable hatred to all 
 foreigners, and especially the English. As the king 
 got more feeble the influence of this woman at court 
 increased tenfold. The ministers, one and all, trem- 
 bled at her nod. Finding his health failing him, he 
 was only too glad to hand over the affairs of state to 
 more energetic minds, and the queen and her party 
 had it all their own way. 
 
 Observing this state of things, the king's brother, 
 
 d 2 
 
52 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 Tharrawaddy, an able and ambitious prince, resolved 
 to attempt to assert his authority before it was too' 
 late. 
 
 He suddenly fled from the capital, turned up at 
 Mootshobo, the home of the Alompras, from which 
 standpoint he sent out emissaries to set the whole 
 country "a bubbling and a boiling." And the country 
 bubbled and boiled over. The Burmese, credulous 
 and excitement-loving, were then, as now, always ripe 
 for a row, especially if there was likely to be any loot 
 going. Tharrawaddy, although by no means a bold 
 leader of men, was completely successful. He occu- 
 pied the capital in triumph, and seated himself on the 
 throne of the Alompras with all the becoming pomp 
 and circumstance of the rightful heir. 
 
 He began by murdering and expelling his enemies. 
 The old queen was inflexible and defiant. Having on 
 one occasion defied the king in open durbar, the latter 
 in a passion ordered her to be led forth to execution. 
 
 She died with heroic courage after the manner of 
 royal victims. One executioner, seizing her by the 
 long hair, bent back her head until the bone of the 
 throat protruded, when a second, by a violent blow 
 from a thick bamboo fractured the distended part, 
 causing instant death. Not a drop of blood must be 
 spilt. 
 
 This woman, who according to Burmese accounts, 
 had something more than human ken, was the grand- 
 mother of Soopyah Lat, Theebaw's wife, about whom 
 the reader will learn more anon. 
 
 Colonel Burney stuck to his post at the Burmese 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 53 
 
 capital for seven years, but being at the end of that 
 time broken in health and thoroughly weary of bat- 
 tling against the lying and chicanery of the court 
 officials, he abandoned it and returned to India. 
 
 Having been for some time unrepresented, the 
 Governor-General, in 1838, despatched Colonel Ben- 
 son thither as Resident. But he was treated with 
 utter scorn by the menials about the palace, and never 
 once received by the king. A six months' stay was 
 enough for his patience. Captain McLeod, however, 
 his assistant, still stayed on, and remained at Amara- 
 poora for three years. Little notice was taken of him, 
 and his efforts to make the name of an Englishman 
 respected were not very successful. After his depar- 
 ture the king rejoiced at having freed his presence of 
 the hated Kalas. 
 
 As he grew older and more feeble his eccentricity 
 increased. He seems to have conceived a great 
 admiration for the " Great Kala Queen," Queen 
 Victoria. When he heard of the war in Scindh he 
 expressed himself willing to send troops to Her 
 Majesty's assistance, adding " I want nothing from 
 Queen Victoria in return but a small feather or some 
 such trifle." In 1845 he became quite insane and had 
 to be put in confinement, his son the Pagan prince 
 ruling in his stead. 
 
 The latter began his reign by murdering all his 
 rivals in thought, word, or deed. The Alompra 
 dynasty was well represented by this brigand. His 
 favourite pursuits were cock-fighting, ram-fighting, 
 wrestling, gambling, and debauchery. 
 
54 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 During his reign the Hlwot Dau, or State Council,, 
 was a band of dacoits who plundered and murdered 
 the people. The whole country became plunged into 
 a state of anarchy, and people flocked into Arakan 
 and Tenasserim for protection. 
 
 The Taking population of Lower Burma, who> 
 always detested the rule of the Upper Burmans, lost no 
 opportunity of stirring up strife between the latter and 
 the English about Rangoon, which even in those days 
 had become a considerable trading town. The more the 
 merchants protested against the insolence and obstruc- 
 tiveness of the Burmese officials, the more offensive 
 the latter became. At length, in the autumn of 1851, 
 it was decided to send a second expedition to Burma 
 with the avowed object of humbling the Burmese king 
 and court, and dictating terms at the capital. 
 
 This expedition was undertaken with much unwil- 
 lingness, and after all peaceful means of bringing the 
 Burmese court to their senses had failed. The difficul- 
 ties encountered in the late war and the fearful loss of 
 life from sickness were a sure test of the troubles that 
 were before us ; but they would have to be faced or we 
 must make up our minds to abandon our conquests in 
 Indo-China. This was out of the question. Arakan 
 and Tenasserim had made rapid strides under our 
 administration, and the people in these provinces were 
 happy and contented. Nor would any power have 
 induced them to hand themselves over to be chained 
 and bound by their former oppressors. 
 
 The circumstances which led to the actual outbreak 
 of hostilities may thus be narrated. Towards the end 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 55 
 
 of the year 1851 the Burmese Governor of Rangoon, on 
 the evidence of a native pilot, seized the captain of a 
 British merchantman and put him in the stocks, until 
 he should pay a fine of 900 rupees. Other acts of 
 oppression and insolence followed, and the merchants 
 of Rangoon and Moulmein applied to the Governor- 
 General for protection. This resulted in Commodore 
 Lambert repairing to Rangoon with some British ships 
 of war to settle matters and restore confidence. The 
 Commodore demanded the removal of the Governor of 
 Rangoon, and the payment of 9,000 rupees to the 
 captain for the indignity he had been subjected to. 
 The Burmese court, momentarily scared, agreed to 
 these terms — the Governor was relieved and the money 
 paid up. 
 
 On the arrival of the new governor, the Com- 
 modore requested him to receive a deputation of 
 British officers. He expressed a willingness to do so ; 
 but on the officers' repairing to his house at the 
 appointed hour, they were treated with the utmost 
 insolence by his servants, who said the governor was 
 asleep' and could not receive them. The fiery old 
 sailor was scarcely the man to stand this kind of treat- 
 ment. He replied by seizing the king's ships then in 
 the Rangoon river and declaring the rivers Rangoon, 
 Bassein, and Salween to be in a state of blockade. 
 Having taken on board the Hermes those of the 
 inhabitants of Rangoon who sought the protection of 
 the British flag, the Commodore set sail with his prize. 
 The Burmese opened fire from their stockades and 
 the ships replied, quickly deciding the unequal contest. 
 
56 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 The flotilla proceeded to Calcutta, where Commodore 
 Lambert reported to Lord Dalhousie all that had 
 occurred. The Governor-General approved of the 
 strong measures adopted : but still hoping to be able 
 to avoid war, endeavoured to negociate. This was all 
 to no effect. War was inevitable, and on the 12th 
 February, 1852, it was decided to send a second 
 expedition to Burma. 
 
 As there does not appear to have been any par- 
 ticular reason for any precipitate action, it is not easy 
 to understand, after the terrible experiences of the first 
 expedition, why the month of April should have been 
 chosen for the commencement of military operations. 
 But it is possible things had gone so far that there was 
 no means of retiring without sacrificing the lives and 
 property of the Europeans at the trading ports. 
 
 Be that as it may, the beginning of April, 1852, 
 witnessed the arrival of the following ships of war in 
 the Rangoon waters. The Feroze, Mozuffer, Zenobia, 
 Sesostris, Berenice, Medusa, Rockcliffe, Sir Thomas 
 Gresham, Hempsyche, and Atalanta, had come from 
 Madras ; while from Calcutta had come the Hermes, 
 Tenasserim, Enterprise, Fire Queen, Proserpine, 
 Salamander, and Phlegethon. The new steamer 
 Rattler had also arrived from Penang with Admiral 
 Austen on board. The land force which had arrived 
 on board the steamers was under command of Major- 
 General Godwin, C.B., and consisted of the following 
 corps: 18th Royal Irish, 51st K.O.L.I., and 80th 
 Regiments, the 9th and 35th M.N. I., 40th B.N. I., six 
 companies of European artillery, three from Madras 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 57 
 
 and three from Bengal. Total force of Europeans 
 2,725, Native Infantry 3,400, to which force if we add 
 the sailors who were available for land service, 8,000 
 men at least could be assembled for the attack on 
 Rangoon. 
 
 Before commencing operations against Rangoon, 
 General Godwin decided to strike a decisive blow 
 against the town of Martaban, a large place im- 
 mediately opposite the British town of Moulmein, the 
 capital of the Tenasserim Provinces. Accordingly, he 
 set out thither with a wing of the 80th Regiment, 
 which was to be reinforced by the garrison of Moul- 
 mein — a wing of the 18th R.I. — for the attack on the 
 town. This, the first engagement with the enemy, 
 was a complete success. As soon as the ships arrived 
 opposite the stockades, a heavy cannonade was opened 
 on them : a storming party was formed under command 
 of Colonel Reignolds, 18th R.I. ; they dashed boldly 
 at the place and in a few minutes Martaban was in our 
 hands. The object of this attack was to overawe the 
 Burmese in the vicinity of Moulmein in order to ward 
 off an anticipated attack on that place. 
 
 Martaban was garrisoned by a detachment of 
 Native Infantry and the rest returned to Rangoon. 
 
 At about 9 o'clock on the morning of the nth 
 April the British ships of war opened fire on Rangoon 
 on the left bank and Dalla on the right. The enemy 
 replied at first with some vigour and not altogether 
 without accuracy, but their fire soon died away into 
 desultory shots here and there. By 1 1 o'clock the 
 action was at an end, the fire from the defences was 
 
58 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 silenced and the stockade and a great part of the town 
 in flames. 
 
 On the Dalla side, however, the Burmese seemed 
 still to stick to their works. A storming party of 
 sailors was formed and despatched thither in boats. 
 Running their boats upon the low mud banks, the 
 "Jacks " quickly formed a somewhat rough array and 
 rushed forward, with a shout, cutlass in hand. Their 
 grim visages evidently sufficed for the enemy, for they 
 abandoned their works and fled without striking a 
 blow. Thus successfully were the first day's operations 
 of the second Burmese war brought to a close. 
 
 Shortly after daybreak on the following morning, 
 the ships once more opened fire on the town and the 
 troops landed in two brigades thus : First Brigade, 
 i8th R.I. (right); 51st K.O.L.I. (left); 40th B.N.I, 
 (centre). The Sappers and Miners were placed in rear 
 of the left flank. Second Brigade, 9th M.N.I, (right) ; 
 80th (centre) ; 35th M.N.I, (left). 
 
 As soon as all was ready the general put the First 
 Brigade in motion. He proposed to advance by a 
 circuitous route to the east side of the Shwe Dagon 
 Pagoda, the colossal mass of solid masonry which 
 formed our principal rMuit in the first war, and 
 which was now defended by triple stockades, ramparts 
 and ditches. 
 
 The Second Brigade was to be in support. It 
 soon became evident that the enemy had anticipated 
 an advance in this direction and were prepared to 
 oppose it. Four companies of the K.O.L.I. covered 
 the advance, accompanied by four guns, Bengal 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 59 
 
 Artillery. These had not proceeded far when, on 
 reaching the summit of a small knoll, they found them- 
 selves in the presence of the enemy. Some guns, 
 opened fire on them from the front, while from the 
 jungle on each flank they were peppered by skir- 
 mishers. It was soon discovered that the artillery fire 
 proceeded from a work directly on the line of advance, 
 in which, to all appearance, the enemy were strongly 
 posted. It consisted of a white building containing a 
 colossal figure of Gautama. This was surrounded by a 
 wall ten feet high, outside of which was a stockade of 
 equal size, the interval being filled up with earth. 
 
 Major Reid, Bengal Artillery, opened fire on this 
 position at a range of eight hundred yards with two guns 
 and was quickly supported by Major Oakes, Madras 
 Artillery, with two more : but sufficient ammunition 
 had not come up, and they were obliged to cease 
 firing before much damage had been done to the 
 works. This was a misfortune, for General Godwin 
 knew well from his experience of the last war in 
 Burma that any hesitation would give the enemy 
 confidence and boldness. 
 
 A storming party was formed of the 51st and 
 Sappers and Miners, and Major Fraser, Chief En- 
 gineer, closely followed by Captain Rundall, R.E., led 
 the way. 
 
 The party advanced slowly, encumbered by five 
 heavy scaling-ladders, the Burmese meanwhile keep- 
 ing up a brisk fire on them from the wood. 
 
 As the enemy grew bolder it was found necessary 
 to ground ladders, unsling muskets and drive them 
 
60 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 off". This done they again advanced. Under a heavy- 
 fire from the work the party coolly reared their 
 ladders and scaled the ramparts in gallant style. 
 There was no opportunity of using the bayonet, for 
 the enemy evacuated the work and scampered off into 
 the jungle. Our loss was considerable. Lieutenant 
 Donaldson and Captain Blundal were mortally 
 wounded. But the sun did more damage than the 
 bullets of the enemy. Major Griffiths, Brigade-Major 
 and Major Oakes, R.A., both died of its effects on 
 this occasion, the latter almost instantaneously ; and 
 Colonel Foorde, Brigadier Warren and Colonel 
 St. Maur were all rendered temporarily hors de 
 combat* 
 
 On this evening the troops encamped on the open 
 plain. They had yet to perform the crowning feat of 
 the campaign, the capture of the Great Pagoda. 
 
 The day following the occupation of the " white 
 house stockade " was devoted to preparations for the 
 main attack on the morrow. The troops, notwithstand- 
 ing the heat, worked with an excellent spirit. Four 
 8-inch howitzers were dragged up from the shipping, a 
 labour of no small magnitude considering the nature of 
 the ground. 
 
 At daybreak the entire force advanced in two 
 brigades. The 8oth, with four guns of Montgomery's 
 battery, formed the advance, and with little difficulty 
 reached the desired position, viz., a rising ground 
 about 1,000 yards south-east of the Pagoda defences. 
 
 * Forage-caps with white covers were then the Indian head-dress 
 ■of our army. 
 
 1 i 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 6 1 
 
 The troops following formed up under fire at a range 
 of 700 yards. The fire from the Pagoda now com- 
 menced with no small vigour ; missiles of various 
 shapes and sizes dropping upon the columns under the 
 hill. 
 
 Lieutenant Laurie, from whose work on the war this 
 little sketch is principally compiled, thus describes the 
 Shwe Dagon as it was at this time. " The hill upon 
 which the temple stands is divided into three terraces, 
 each defended by a brick and mud rampart. There 
 are four flights of steps up the centre of each terrace, 
 three of which are covered over : the east, the south, 
 and the west. Their heavy guns were on the upper 
 terrace, their light ones on the second and third. 
 
 " The rampart of the upper terrace being mostly of 
 bricks and mortar is of superior description." 
 
 At this strong work then the guns continued to 
 fire for a couple of hours with little apparent effect, 
 and it soon became clear that the place could only be 
 taken by assault. 
 
 The untrained defenders of the ramparts cared little 
 for the shot and shell, which seldom took effect, but 
 they had a wholesome dread of cold steel. The 
 assault thus took place. A wing of the 80th under 
 Major Lockhart, two companies of the 18th under 
 Lieutenant Hewitt, and two companies 40th Bengal 
 N.I., formed the storming party. Colonel Coote, 18th 
 R.I., commanded. 
 
 Over an open space of 800 yards this force ad- 
 vanced exposed to the fire of the work. Arrived at 
 the foot of the stone steps already referred to, the 
 
•62 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 leading company, lead on by its officers, made a rush 
 up, followed closely by the whole attacking force. 
 
 This was the signal for a wild panic on the part of 
 the garrison, the chiefs leading in a headlong stampede 
 northwards into the shelter of the dense bush. 
 
 Our loss in the two days' fighting was 2 officers 
 and 15 men killed, and 14 officers and 118 men 
 wounded. 
 
 General Godwin now determined to give the troops 
 a short rest, and efforts were made to prepare for the 
 rainy season which was at hand. In this work they 
 were assisted by the natives, who soon nocked back to 
 the town, and expressed the usual friendliness for their 
 conquerors which the weak so often express for the 
 strong. 
 
 After a lapse of nearly a month an expedition was 
 despatched in search of the ex-Governor of Rangoon, 
 who had fled northwards with his beaten troops. It 
 consisted of 500 men of the 18th R.I. and the same 
 number of 35th M.N.I, under Colonel Abthorpe. On 
 the 9th of May the expedition returned to Rangoon 
 not having found any enemy. 
 
 On the 1 2th the force at Rangoon was enriched by 
 the addition of the 67th Bengal N.I. from Arakan. 
 
 The rains now set in and with them fever and 
 dysentery. The temporary hospitals were thronged 
 with sick, and medical officers were at a premium. 
 
 It was determined, however, to send a force to 
 attack Bassein. The latter was the most important 
 place in South Arakan, and at this time was strongly 
 fortified and defended by a force of 7,000 men. 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 63 
 
 •General Godwin conducted this expedition in person. 
 It consisted of 800 men in all, who were embarked on 
 the Sesostris, Mozuffer, Tenasserim, and Pluto. 
 
 The ships anchored off Nigrais Island on the 17th, 
 and on the following morning steamed up the Bassein 
 river. At 4 p.m. the flotilla arrived opposite the 
 town. The defences were about one mile in length, 
 a strongly built mud wall occupying the left of the line, 
 while in the centre was a huge pagoda well armed with 
 guns and jingals. 
 
 The Burmese allowed the troops to land without 
 the slightest molestation, evidently fearing to bring 
 upon themselves the fire of the ships. General 
 Godwin in his despatch thus describes the attack 
 which followed. " The contest that stamped the 
 operations of this remarkable day with a brilliant con- 
 clusion was the attack on the mud fort, most scienti- 
 fically built and of great extent, which could only have 
 been constructed under a despotism that commanded 
 the labour of its subjects in the short time they had 
 been about it. It was not entirely completed in its 
 details within. The storming party under Major 
 Errington proceeded to the left of the Burmese work ac- 
 companied by Lieutenant Rice of H.M. frigate Fox and 
 Lieutenant Ford of the Madras Sappers, came upon the 
 mud fort fully garrisoned and well armed. The attack 
 was most determined as was the defence obstinate. It 
 was bravely stormed, but with the consequence of Major 
 Errington and several officers and men being severely 
 wounded. The whole affair was over at a little after 
 6. o'clock." 
 
64 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 In the meanwhile a party of sailors had carried a 
 stockade on the opposite bank of the river, taking six 
 guns. Bassein was garrisoned by two companies of 
 the 51st and 300 of the 9th M.N.I. The remainder 
 of the force returned to Rangoon. 
 
 About this time news arrived at headquarters of an 
 attack on Martaban. It was organised by a robber 
 chief named Moung-shewe-loung, and was so vigor- 
 ously conducted that had not reinforcements arrived 
 from Rangoon, it must have succeeded. But the 
 appearance of fresh troops was decisive and the dacoit 
 chief decamped with his followers. 
 
 Meanwhile a rebellion had broken out at Pegu. 
 The Talaing portion of the troops had mutinied and 
 taken possession of the city, but were shortly after- 
 wards driven out, and order, to a certain extent, 
 restored. The British authorities at Rangoon resolved 
 to take advantage of this mishap in order to get hold 
 of the city. Major Cotton was sent thither with orders 
 to side with the Takings and drive out the king's 
 troops. He arrived to find all confusion, and had 
 great difficulty in finding out which was which. He 
 succeeded, however, after some sharp fighting in oc- 
 cupying the place and demolishing its defences, after 
 which he returned to Rangoon. 
 
 In the beginning of July an expedition proceeded 
 up the Irrawaddy to Prome, at this time a large and 
 populous city. Captain Tarleton, R.N., conducted 
 this exploit, and finding little signs of prepared defence 
 he landed and took possession almost unopposed, 
 capturing twenty guns, many of them of large calibre, 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 65 
 
 and many war boats, barges, &c. This operation may 
 be said to have brought to a close the first phase of 
 the second Burmese War. 
 
 On the 27th July Lord Dalhousie, Governor- 
 General of India, arrived in Rangoon. He held a 
 levee, issued a flattering proclamation to the troops, 
 and started for Calcutta on the 1st of August. 
 
 Inaction followed, and fever and dysentery had it all 
 their own way. 
 
 At length the decision of Government reached the 
 general, who was informed that he was going to be 
 strongly reinforced and to advance, if necessary, to the 
 Burmese capital. 
 
 The new organisation included three brigades of 
 Bengal and three of Madras troops. The Bengal 
 Division was commanded by Brigadier-General Sir 
 John Cheape, K.C.B., the brigades being under 
 Colonels Reignolds, Dickinson, and Huyshe. 
 
 Brigadier Steel, C.B., commanded the Madras 
 troops, the brigades being under Colonels Elliot, 
 McNeil, and Forde. The latter commanded also the 
 whole of the artillery. 
 
 General Godwin retained the supreme command. 
 The whole of the above forces had not arrived when, 
 on the 6th September, general orders announced that 
 active operations were to be recommenced without 
 delay. 
 
 On the 27th one entire brigade left Rangoon for 
 Prome, whither the general himself repaired. As the 
 flotilla approached, the enemy's guns opened fire, but 
 none of the missiles reached the ships. The troops 
 
 E 
 
66 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 landed unopposed, and on the following day nothing 
 was to be seen of the foe. 
 
 On the 9th November the second brigade arrived 
 to reinforce the army at Prome, and the command 
 devolved upon Sir John Cheape, General Godwin 
 returning to Rangoon, whence he set out for Pegu with 
 a strong party of all arms. 
 
 The difficulties to be encountered were considerable. 
 The ships could not approach the place, and there was 
 apparently no reliable information as to a suitable land- 
 ing place, the result being that the pioneers had to cut 
 a path through some miles of dense bush. Arrived at 
 the city, however, only a feeble opposition was met 
 with. It was garrisoned by 200 Madras Fusiliers and 
 the same number of Native Infantry, the remainder 
 returning to Rangoon. 
 
 No sooner had the main body departed than the little 
 garrison found themselves surrounded by thousands of 
 their persistent little enemies, who gave them no rest 
 day or night for some weeks. Two gun-boats were 
 sent from Rangoon to their assistance, but these were 
 attacked by the enemy on the river and forced to return. 
 
 General Godwin himself finally had to lead a force 
 of 1,300 men to relieve the place. The enemy retired 
 at his approach and took up a position in an open plain 
 a few miles north of the city. But from this they also 
 fell back, and after a few days' indefinite wandering in 
 the jungle, the force returned to Pegu which was 
 strengthened and strongly garrisoned. 
 
 The Governor-General's proclamation now arrived 
 annexing Pegu to our Eastern Empire. 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 6j 
 
 The troops of the King of Burma who still remained 
 in the province were to be " driven out forthwith." 
 
 Let us now turn our attention to Sir John Cheape's 
 army at Prome. 
 
 Save the temporary excitement of having to repel 
 a rather well-organised and formidable night attack 
 made by the enemy, this force had been condemned to 
 weary inaction. No forward movement was ordered, 
 and little appears to have been known of the enemy's 
 whereabouts or intentions. 
 
 Early in January, 1853, a land column started from 
 Martaban under Brigadier-General Steel, C.B., with 
 the object of penetrating the close country in the 
 Sittang Valley and advancing as far as Tounghoo. It 
 was thus composed : one troop Ramghur Native 
 Cavalry, 450 Bengal and 150 Madras Fusiliers, 400 of 
 the 10th B.N. I., 400 5th M.N. I., one company Madras 
 Artillery, one company Sappers and Miners. 
 
 This force left Martaban on the 14th January and 
 took the road northward to Beling. After a thirty- 
 four days' march Tounghoo was reached. No opposi- 
 tion of any kind was met with, the people everywhere 
 expressing their pleasure at being delivered from the 
 yoke of the hated Upper Burmans. 
 
 Our troops now met with one of those nasty 
 disasters which are almost inseparable from our little 
 wars. 
 
 A notorious dacoit leader, Myat Toon, having es- 
 tablished himself at a point about forty-five miles north- 
 west of Rangoon, refused to submit and was said to 
 have a considerable following. 
 
 E 2 
 
68 THE COMING OF THE "GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 An expedition composed of 185 sailors, 62 marines, 
 300 67th B.N.I, with two three-pounder guns, under 
 command of Captain Lock, C.B.. Royal Navy, started 
 from Rangoon to dislodge him. 
 
 Arrived at a place on the river about twenty-five 
 miles from the chiefs stronghold, the party landed and 
 started off with apparently undue precipitation. 
 
 For some miles they trailed along in single file, 
 and while in this formation the head of the column 
 found themselves in contact with the enemy who had 
 constructed a strong breastwork across the road. All 
 attempt to get into attacking formation failed. Captains 
 Lock and Price were killed ; the guns were abandoned, 
 and the party fell back in confusion, losing in their retreat 
 to the river over a hundred men killed and wounded. 
 
 On this news reaching Prome, Sir John Cheape 
 himself resolved to conduct an expedition against 
 Myat Toon. Considering the circumstances of the 
 case, it was altogether too strong and unwieldy for the 
 work to be done, being composed of over a thousand 
 men of the 80th, 51st, 18th Regiments, 67th B.N. I., 
 Sikhs, and a few Irregular Horse. 
 
 As the advance of Lock's force had been reckless 
 and imprudent this one overdid the caution plan. The 
 heat was severe and cholera broke out on the march. 
 At one period the civil officer stated to the general 
 that he had no means of finding the correct road and 
 suggested to return. But this was out of the question ; 
 and after a wearisome day's march, the party found 
 themselves on the identical spot from which they had 
 started many hours before. 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 69 
 
 At length by sheer perseverance the chief's strong- 
 hold was reached. It consisted of a long, low breast- 
 work on the far side of a dry river bed. 
 
 The advanced party, 8oth and Sikhs, tried to form 
 up for attack, but the thickness of the jungle prevented 
 this and much confusion ensued. The 18th R.I. were 
 the next on the ground, but their numbers only tended 
 to increase the general turmoil. Two guns and some 
 rocket tubes had been dragged to the front and opened 
 fire at a range of twenty-five yards. Meanwhile, the 
 fire from the breastwork was most lively. Missiles of 
 various shapes and sizes were flying through the air. 
 Rough iron and leaden balls, pieces of glass, necks of 
 bottles, great lumps of granite, and even brass images 
 were falling like hail amongst the men. Finding that 
 there was a path which led round the position, the 
 general directed a party to endeavour to penetrate the 
 work in this direction. It was gallantly led and suc- 
 ceeded in ousting the enemy, not, however, until 
 several of our men had fallen. The dacoits disap- 
 peared into the jungle and were seen no more.* 
 
 The gang seemed to have dispersed after this. 
 
 Our loss was most severe, 140 killed and 
 wounded, including several officers, and 100 died of 
 cholera. 
 
 The attack on Myat Toon may be said to have 
 been the last episode of the second Burmese War ; 
 although civil officers had much trouble to contend 
 
 * I think I am correct in saying that Lord Wolseley received his 
 baptime defeu at this action, and that he led the storming party and 
 was severely wounded. 
 
JO THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 against for some years in hunting down restless bands 
 of dacoits. 
 
 The province of Pegu was now fairly conquered, 
 and the newly-elected King of Ava was solicitous of 
 peace. 
 
 After much lying and chicanery on the part of the 
 Burmese officials our terms were agreed to, and the 
 Governor-General once more arrived in the country, 
 sailed up the Irrawaddy, and himself fixed the position 
 of the two white pillars which were henceforward to 
 separate the Empires of the "Great King" and the 
 " Great Queen." 
 
 The result of the many reverses which the Burmese 
 met with in Lower Burma was, as might be expected, 
 a row at the capital. The Mendoon Prince was sus- 
 pected of treason and attempts were made to lay hands 
 on him. But he contrived to effect his escape, fled to 
 Mootshobo, and set up an independent court and 
 government at the ancient seat of Alompra. The 
 Burmese, who apart from their contempt for a defeated 
 ruler dearly love a change, gladly hailed the new 
 comer. 
 
 He was invited to march on Amarapoora, where it 
 was said he would be enthusiastically received. He 
 did so, and, after some delay outside the capital, the 
 gates were thrown open and he was proclaimed king. 
 
 He proved himself to be a wise and moderate ruler, 
 was altogether averse to the war policy, and at once 
 made known his desire to cultivate friendly relations 
 with the British. With this object in view early in 
 1 354 he despatched a mission to Calcutta to interview 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 
 
 71 
 
 the Governor-General. It was well received, and his 
 Excellency promised the envoys that a return mission 
 should wait on His Majesty at Amarapoora in the 
 following year. 
 
 Accordingly, on the 1st August, 1855, Major 
 Phayre, at the head of several officers and men of 
 science, started from Rangoon for the capital of Upper 
 Burma. Captain Henry Yule, R.E., accompanied the 
 envoy as secretary. 
 
 About the end of the month the mission reached 
 Amarapoora, and was well received. 
 
 Although the ostensible object of the mission was 
 complimentary, the envoy had in view the negociation 
 of a commercial treaty which should remove obnoxious 
 impediments to free trade up and down the great river. 
 But here he found himself at issue with the other party. 
 The king wanted nothing of the sort ; and while ex- 
 hibiting a marked desire to avoid heat or unpleasant- 
 ness in his communications with the English envoy, he 
 showed more inclination to " fence and skirmish " with 
 the subject than to come to any conclusion. 
 
 The question of importation of arms being mooted, 
 the king expressed his abhorrence of the idea of at any 
 time attempting to use arms against the British or 
 others from whom he had obtained them. 
 
 Mr. Oldham, the geologist to the expedition, ex- 
 presed his desire to visit the Ruby Mines, but the 
 monarch did not rise to the idea, remarking that during 
 the rainy season to go thither would be certain death. 
 Yule's graphic account of the court formalities under- 
 gone during the reception of the mission by this king 
 
72 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 in 1855, certainly stands out in strange contrast to the 
 scene I witnessed myself on the 30th of November, 
 1885, thirty years later. 
 
 " At last the king's approach was announced by 
 music, sounding, as it appeared, from some inner court 
 of the palace. A body of musketeers entered from 
 the verandah in rear of the throne, and, passing for- 
 ward, took their places between the pillars on each side 
 of the centre aisle, kneeling down with their muskets 
 (double-barrelled pieces) between their knees, and their 
 hands clasped before them in an attitude of prayer. As 
 the last man entered the golden lattice doors behind 
 the throne rolled back into the wall, and the king was 
 seen mounting a stair leading from the chamber behind 
 to the summit of the throne. He ascended slowly, 
 using his golden-sheathed sword as a staff to assist his 
 steps. This is, doubtless, in some degree a royal eti- 
 quette, but Camaretta asserted that the jewelled coat 
 worn by His Majesty actually weighed nearly one hun- 
 dred pounds. The queen followed close upon her 
 husband. The king, after standing for a second or two, 
 slightly dusting the gudhi with a small chowree, which 
 he carried in his left hand, took his seat on the left side 
 of the throne, resting his elbow on the velvet cushion 
 which was placed for that purpose, covered with a white 
 napkin. The queen seated herself on the king's right, 
 and a little in rear, assisting to hand in the golden 
 spittoon and other appendages of a Burmese dignitary 
 which were presented by female attendants from behind. 
 Between their Majesties, in front of the throne, stood a 
 large golden figure of the Sacred Henza on a pedestal. 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 73 
 
 " After the queen had finally taken her seat, she 
 fanned herself diligently for a few moments, and then 
 fanned her husband, whilst one of the girls from behind 
 brought her a lighted cheroot which was immediately 
 placed between her royal lips. 
 
 " From the distance at which we viewed the king, 
 he seemed a somewhat portly man, having features of a 
 much more refined character than are common among 
 his subjects, exhibiting, indeed, the national physi- 
 ognomy, but much subdued. His expression was 
 good and intelligent — his hands delicately and finely 
 formed. His dress was a sort of long tunic or sur- 
 coat of a light-coloured silk apparently, but so thickly 
 set with jewels that the fundamental material was 
 scarcely discernible. His cap or crown was a round 
 tiara of similar material ; in shape like an Indian 
 morion, rising to a peak, crowned with a spike-like 
 ornament several inches high, and having flaps or wings 
 rising over each ear. Over the forehead was a gold plate 
 or frontlet. This crown is called Thara-poo. The queen 
 was not seen to such advantage. This was partly 
 owing to the character of her head-dress, which would 
 have been a very trying one to any lady. It was a 
 perfectly close cap covering ears and hair entirely, and 
 rising above into a conical crest, strongly resembling 
 in form a rhinoceros horn, with the point curved for- 
 ward into a volute. Close lappets fell along the cheeks. 
 The rest of Her Majesty's dress had rather an Eliza- 
 bethan character. The sleeves and skirt appeared to 
 be formed in successive overlapping scalloped lappets, 
 and the throat was surrounded by a high collar also 
 
74 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 scalloped and vandyked, and descending to the waist. 
 At the waist she wore a stomacher or breastplate of 
 large gems. Both cap and robe were covered and 
 stiffened with diamonds, or what appeared to be such. 
 The queen is her husband's half sister, as has always 
 been the custom in the royal families of the Burmese 
 race. 
 
 " One of the young girls who appeared at the 
 lattice door in rear of the throne, dressed somewhat 
 after the fashion of the queen, was, we understood, the 
 king's daughter. Another pretty little girl, with white 
 flowers in her hair, who peeped in occasionally to get a 
 glimpse of the kalas, was said to be a child of the heir- 
 apparent residing in the palace. 
 
 " When the king had fairly entered we all took off 
 our hats, which hitherto we had kept on, and, at the 
 same time, the whole of the native assembly bowed 
 their faces to the ground and crossed their hands in 
 front of them. The two rows of little princes who lay 
 in file before us doubled over one another like fallen 
 books on a shelf, and the two Atwen Woons who sat 
 near us grovelled forward in this frog-like attitude to a 
 point about half-way to the throne, as if to establish a 
 ' repeating station ' between the king and us. Some 
 eight or ten Brahmins in white stoles and white mitres 
 encircled with gold leaves, then entered the screened 
 recesses or pews near the throne and commenced a 
 choral chant in the Sanscrit language. This was suc- 
 ceeded by a similar chant in Burmese, sung by one of 
 the Brahmins also. Transcripts of these hymns were 
 afterwards furnished to the envoy by one of the Brah- 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 75 
 
 mins. The Sanscrit is merely a string of names of the 
 chief Hindo gods, sages, and sacred creatures, whose 
 benediction is invoked on the king's head. The con- 
 cluding stanza ascribes its composition to Kalidasa. 
 
 I. 
 
 May the dangers and enmity which arise from the ten points be 
 calmed and subdued, may the affliction of disease never attach itself to 
 thee, and in accordance with the blessing declared in the sacred Pali ; 
 may'st thou be continually victorious! May thy life be prolonged for 
 more than a hundred years, and may thy glory continue until the end of 
 the world ; may'st thou enjoy whatever is propitious, and may all evil be 
 far from thee, O ! King ! 
 
 II. 
 
 The glorious reputation diffuses itself like the scent of the sandal 
 wood and exceeds the refulgence of the moon ! Lord of the celestial 
 elephant ! of the excellent White Elephant ! Master of the celestial 
 weapon ! Lord of Life and Great Chief of Righteousness ! Lineal 
 descendant of the Mahadha-mayadza, like unto the Kings of the 
 universe who governed the four great islands of the solar system and 
 were versed in charms and spells of fourteen descriptions, may thy glory 
 be prolonged and thy life be extended to more than a hundred years ! 
 May'st thou enjoy whatever is propitious, and may all evil be far from 
 thee, Of King! 
 
 III. 
 Great Chief of Righteousness, whose fame spread like the fragrance 
 of sandal wood and exceeds the glorious light of the moon, in whom is 
 concentrated all glory and honour, who with Her Majesty the Queen, 
 the lineal descendant of anointed Kings, happily governest all. May 
 thy rule extend not only to the Great Southern Lsland (the Earth), 
 which is tens of thousands of miles in extent, but to all the four grand 
 and five hundred smaller islands ; may it equal the stability of the 
 mountains of Yoh-gan-toh, Myen-mo, and Haimagaree, and until the 
 end of the world may thou and thy descendants continue in unbroken 
 line unto the royal son and royal grandson, that thy glory may endure 
 for countless ages ; and may thy royal life be prolonged for more than a 
 hundred years, O! King! 
 
y6 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 IV. 
 
 May our King be continually victorious. When the Divine 
 Buddha ascended the golden throne, all created beings inhabiting 
 millions of worlds became his subjects, and he overcame all enemies ; 
 so may kings by hundreds of thousands and tens of thousands come 
 with offerings of celestial weapons, white elephants, flying horses, virgins 
 and precious stones of divers sorts, and do homage to the golden feet, 
 which resemble the gems of the lotus, O ! King! 
 
 When the chants were concluded our friend the 
 Tara-Thooghi, or chief justice, who was close on our 
 left, read from a parabeik (or black note-book) an 
 address to the king stating that the offerings which 
 His Majesty proposed making to certain pagodas at the 
 capital were ready, and one of the officials uttered, " Let 
 them be dedicated." The music was then renewed. 
 
 The chant of the Brahmins, accompanied by the 
 ceremony of A-beit-thiet (literally a pouring out of 
 water on a solemn occasion) may be considered as 
 specially preliminary to this religious act of dedicating 
 gifts to the pagodas, and the whole of a solemn 
 inauguration of the proceedings of a royal sitting. 
 
 The Governor-General's letter was then taken 
 from its cover and read . aloud by a Than-du-gan, or 
 " Receiver of the Royal Voice." The lists of presents 
 to the king and queen were then read by the same 
 official. The cases had been arranged along the other 
 colonnade. The railway model which Mr. (now Sir) 
 Macdonald Stephenson had put at the disposal of the 
 envoy for presentation, was the only one of the presents 
 which was actually exhibited in the hall. It excited a 
 good deal of interest among the Burmese, 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 77 
 
 All these readings were intoned in a high recita- 
 tive, strongly resembling that used in the English 
 cathedral service, and the long-drawn Phya-a-a-a ! 
 (my Lord), which terminated each reading added to 
 the resemblance, as it came in exactly like the Amen 
 of the liturgy. 
 
 Three questions which custom prescribes were 
 then put to the envoy, as if from the king. His 
 Majesty, however, did not move his lips, though it 
 was thought that he intimated his will by an inclina- 
 tion of the head. The questions were actually put by 
 the Atwen Woons who had taken up their position 
 half way to the throne. 
 
 Atwen Woon. "Is the English ruler well ? " 
 
 Envoy. " The English ruler is well." The 
 Thandau-gan in a loud voice : " By reason of your 
 Majesty's great glory and excellence the English ruler 
 is well, and therefore, with obeisance, I represent the 
 same to your Majesty." 
 
 Atwen Woon. " How long is it since you left the 
 English country ?" 
 
 Envoy. " It is now fifty-five days since we left 
 Bengal and have arrived and lived happily at the royal 
 city." 
 
 Than-dan-gan. "By reason of your Majesty's 
 great glory and excellence, it is fifty-five days since the 
 envoy left the English country, and he has happily 
 arrived at the Golden Feet, therefore with obei- 
 sance." 
 
 Atwen Woon. "Are the rain and air propitious 
 so that the people live in happiness and ease ?" 
 
78 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 Envoy. " The seasons are favourable, and the 
 people live in happiness." 
 
 Presents were then bestowed on all the officers of 
 the mission. Major Phayre received a gold cup 
 embossed with zodiacal signs, a fine ruby, a tsalwe of 
 nine cords, and a handsome putso ; other officers a 
 plain gold cup, ring, and putso, or ring and putso. 
 only. 
 
 The king then rose to depart, the queen helping 
 him to rise and then using his sword to help herself 
 up. They passed through the gilded lattice ; the 
 music played again, the doors rolled out from the wall, 
 and we were told that we might retire. 
 
 On another occasion the king remarked to the 
 envoy, " I believe your English kings have existed for 
 two hundred years, or more, have they not ? " 
 
 Envoy. "The English nation, your Majesty, have 
 had kings to reign over them for fourteen or fifteen 
 hundred years." 
 
 K. " My ancestors have come in regular descent 
 from the Maha-tha-Mada " (the first king who ever 
 reigned on earth). 
 
 The envoy here said to one of the Atwen Woons, 
 " Which of the royal cities did the Maha-tha-mada 
 build ?" 
 
 The Atwen Woon stared at him without replying, 
 but a Woon Donk said, " Oh ! that king reigned in 
 Myit-tsye-ma-detha (the middle land, India)." 
 
 K. " Our race once reigned in all the countries 
 you hold. Now the Kalas have come up close to us." 
 
 On various other occasions the king received the 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 79 
 
 envoy, always courteously, but he continued to fence 
 with the treaty question. Every subject was grateful 
 to him but this one. He resolutely resisted all 
 attempts to induce him to put his hand to paper, 
 always remarking, "When the two great nations are 
 on such friendly terms, what is the use of a treaty ?" 
 
 So the mission of 1855 departed from Amarapoora, 
 having spent some six weeks at the capital, during 
 which time a fund of information about the country 
 and people was accumulated which is truly amazing. 
 
 For the next few years affairs in Upper Burma 
 jogged on quietly enough, and peace was taken advan- 
 tage of to shift the royal city from Amarapoora to 
 Mandalay. 
 
 His Majesty proved himself to be the most rational 
 and enlightened ruler who had hitherto held sway on 
 the banks of the Irrawaddy. The "fad" of his life 
 was the recovery of his lost child — the fair province of 
 p e g U — and to the day of his death he never altogether 
 abandoned hope that he would one day be able to call 
 Rangoon his own city. 
 
 In 1862 Colonel Phayre once more proceeded Lo 
 the Burmese Court. His object was very much the 
 same as on the previous occasion, viz., the conclusion 
 of a commercial treaty. " The main object in view," 
 writes General Fytche, "was the abolition or reduction 
 of the frontier duties for the purpose of opening up a 
 new trade with Upper Burma, and, if possible, with the 
 countries beyond. The British Government agreed 
 to abolish the duties on their side within a year. In 
 return the Burmese Government agreed to do the 
 
80 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 same, if so inclined, within two, three, or four years. 
 This was a one-sided arrangement, but it was con- 
 sidered necessary to educate the Burmese in the 
 principles of free trade." 
 
 Accordingly the treaty of ] 862 was concluded on 
 this basis. British subjects were at liberty to trade 
 in any portion of His Majesty's dominions, and a 
 representative of the British Government was to reside 
 at Mandalay to smooth down all difficulties and explain 
 any misunderstandings which might arise. 
 
 The working of this treaty soon turned out to be 
 as bad as possible ; indeed, it can scarcely be said 
 to have worked at all. The British Government 
 abolished the duties on their side ; the Burmese took 
 no action in the matter whatever. " The king," says 
 Fytche, " had been glad to dismiss the English envoy 
 in the hope of some day abolishing the duties. In 
 like manner he dismissed the English representative 
 at Mandalay. He stated evasively that he was only 
 waiting for further reports, and that he would take an 
 early opportunity of settling the question. In this 
 way three or four years slipped by, and in 1866 the 
 frontier duties were still levied by the Burmese autho- 
 rities. 
 
 The British merchants at Rangoon were exaspe- 
 rated at this delay to fulfil the conditions of the treaty, 
 and continued to urge the Government to enforce 
 their fulfilment. 
 
 Furthermore, every article of produce in Upper 
 Burma was a royal monopoly. No Burmese subject 
 could sell grain, timber, cutch, or other commodities, 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 8 1 
 
 except through royal brokers, or by the express per- 
 mission of the local authorities. 
 
 Other difficulties also arose which might have led 
 to serious consequences. The king appeared well 
 disposed towards the English, but his officials were 
 still imbued with the old arrogance in their dealings 
 towards foreigners, which two disastrous wars had 
 failed to efface. Two British officers who had been 
 sent into the interior to explore the upper source of 
 the Salween river were stopped and sent back by the 
 Burmese authorities, in direct violation of the treaty. 
 Obstacles were thrown in the way of any attempt to 
 explore the upper valley of the Irrawaddy in the 
 direction of Bamo. Above all, an English gentleman 
 was severely beaten in the streets of Mandalay for 
 refusing to sit or kneel, whilst a Burmese official of 
 inferior rank was passing by. But all these complica- 
 tions were allowed to be explained away. 
 
 In 1866 another mission was determined upon, but 
 before it could start, an insurrection broke out in 
 Upper Burma which plunged all things in confusion. 
 The king had favoured his brother, the Kanoung- 
 Meng, who had assisted to place him on the throne, 
 at the expense of his sons. He had appointed his 
 brother to be Jeng-she-Meng, or Crown Prince, and 
 had placed his sons entirely under the latter's control. 
 The sons complained of the harsh treatment of their 
 uncle, and two of them formed a conspiracy against him. 
 
 The king had left the palace in the city, and had 
 gone to a summer palace some miles away. On the 
 2nd August, 1866, when the Woongees and other 
 
 F 
 
82 
 
 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 officials, with the Crown Prince as president, were 
 assembled, holding council in the temporary Hlwot- 
 Dan, situated close to the palace gates, the two princes 
 suddenly rushed in with about thirty armed followers. 
 The Crown Prince and one of the ministers were 
 killed on the spot, and the assembly were seized with 
 panic. The murderers penetrated into the palace 
 enclosure. The king, warned of their approach, 
 managed to make his escape and fled to the city, 
 whence he was pursued by the rebel princes. Here, 
 however, his guards rallied, and the king was pro- 
 tected against the violence of the rebels. Captain 
 (now Colonel Sir Edward Sladen) was present in the 
 Summer Palace when the outbreak occurred, and only 
 just escaped with his life to the British Residency. 
 There he found a crowd of terrified Europeans and 
 natives assembled to seek protection under the British 
 flag. Sladen remained at Mandalay for seven days 
 after this event, but finding all things in a state of 
 confusion and anarchy, and having been informed by 
 the king that he would not hold himself responsible 
 for the lives and property of the Europeans, he 
 embarked with the latter on board a Flotilla Company's 
 steamer and left for Rangoon. The insurrection was 
 suppressed, but the rebel princes, having seized one of 
 the king's steamers, escaped into British territory." 
 
 The old king once more found himself master of 
 the situation ; and, although at the end of the year 
 Colonel Phayre proceeded to Mandalay with the object 
 of inducing His Majesty to put his name to a treaty, 
 he failed altogether in his mission. 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 83 
 
 In 1867 Colonel Fytche, who had succeeded 
 Colonel Phayre as Chief Commissioner of Burma, pro- 
 ceeded to the Burmese court with the same object in 
 view. Something was really accomplished on this 
 occasion ; at least, certain promises were made and a 
 treaty signed. 
 
 This treaty provided for the utmost freedom as 
 regards commercial intercourse between the people of 
 the two countries ; for the permanent residence of a 
 political agent at the Court of Mandalay, who was to 
 be the medium of all official communications between 
 the two Governments ; and for the establishment of a 
 court in which the political agent had the power to 
 adjudicate in all cases in which British subjects were 
 alone concerned, and in which a Burman official of high 
 rank was to sit on the same bench for the adjudication 
 of all civil cases in which Burmese and British subjects 
 were concerned. 
 
 Moreover, under this treaty the king gave up his 
 more oppressive monopolies, and measures were taken 
 for the opening of the old trade route with Western 
 China, by which in former days a considerable trade 
 had been carried on. 
 
 His Majesty seems to have made an excellent 
 impression on the envoy,, for he tells us in " Burma: 
 Past and Present" that "the king is doubtless one 
 of the most enlightened monarchs who has ever sat on 
 the Burmese throne, and his reign has not been dis- 
 graced, like his predecessors, by wanton atrocities and 
 wild excesses. He is polished in his manner, has 
 considerable knowledge of the affairs of State, 
 
 f 2 
 
84 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 and the history and statistics of his own and other 
 countries." 
 
 Only a few years after this event the author of this 
 work found himself quartered with his regiment, the 
 2nd Battalion of the Royal Scots Fusiliers, in the land 
 whose history and traditions he has endeavoured to 
 relate in the foregoing pages. 
 
 Having served for two years at Rangoon, we were 
 moved in wings to the two frontier stations of Thayet- 
 myo, on the Irrawaddy, and Tounghoo, on the 
 Sittang. To be at the former lively spot was my fate, 
 and finding little to occupy myself with during the 
 rainy season of 187 1, I started with a brother officer, 
 long since gone to his rest, poor fellow ! on a little 
 trip to the Upper Irrawaddy. Our object was to spy 
 out the nakedness of the land, so that in case of war, 
 which was then talked of as a not very far-off certainty, 
 we might be authorities on the subject. 
 
 Yule had described every shed as far as Amarapoora, 
 but Mandalay was not built when he wrote in 1855, 
 and he had not visited the Upper Irrawaddy at all. 
 As far as I knew then, and know still, no plan of Man- 
 dalay had been made according to our scales, and no 
 report, in a military sense, been written on the river 
 between the capital and Bamo. So I resolved to make 
 one. We also had, I might add, dim visions of ruby 
 rings which it was said " the Great King " occasionally 
 bestowed on itinerant subjects of the " Great Queen 
 of the West." But our skipper on the river steamer 
 informed us that our chance of seeing the mighty 
 monarch was not particularly good, as he was 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 85 
 
 getting old and crotchety, and seldom saw any 
 visitors. 
 
 Our journey up the great river at this season of 
 the year (August) was uneventful, and as pleasant as 
 the weather would permit. When it was not raining 
 the sun shone forth with terrific force, and seemed to 
 penetrate the zinc roof of the little steamer. The river 
 was in full flood, and at certain points where the land 
 was low-lying the water assumed the appearance of a 
 vast lake, the channel becoming altogether indistin- 
 guishable. 
 
 We only steamed by day, anchoring at night, and 
 in an eight or nine days' journey reached the capital. 
 After some fuss and delay we were allowed to land — 
 the bumptious officials being very curious to know who 
 we were and what we wanted — and proceeded to the 
 Residency. I might add that we had been joined at 
 Thayetmyo by a naval officer, who was also bent on 
 saluting the " Golden Feet." The Resident, who was 
 as cautious as he was silent, asked us to dinner, but 
 regretted that it was not in his power to get us an 
 audience of the king, nor an order to visit the palace. 
 This looked blue for my little project ; but I was quite 
 determined to get into the palace, and if I couldn't enter 
 by the great gate, I resolved to use a golden key and 
 get passed in by some side passage. , 
 
 This last most undesirable method was, however, 
 rendered unnecessary through the instrumentality of 
 Dr. Marks, of the S.P.G. mission, whom I learnt was 
 an unofficial power at the Burmese capital. I here 
 met this truly wonderful man for the first time. He 
 
86 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 said he would see us through if we would trust him. 
 My companion, however, refused to go without official 
 authority, and so the Indian navy officer and myself 
 put ourselves under the wing of the good missionary, 
 and trudged off under a naming sun for the palace. 
 
 The broad streets were then, as they were when I 
 next entered the city with General Prendergast's army 
 last year, the receptacles of unutterable filth, and dogs 
 and pigs jostled one another over the carrion. I 
 thought I should have been very ill from the abominable 
 smells, but the doctor only laughed, and said he was 
 quite accustomed to that sort of thing. He seemed to 
 know everyone, Burmese officials and all, and acknow- 
 ledged their salutes with the dignity befitting a man 
 who was the friend and adviser of their omnipotent 
 master. We entered through many gates, and passed 
 the lazy guards as they squatted and smoked, their 
 rusty muskets deposited somewhere hard by. At 
 length we found ourselves in a sort of gilded audience 
 chamber, adjoining the royal apartments. 
 
 Here we waited and waited and waited. Numerous 
 little Burmans came in to have a stare at the Kalas. 
 The doctor said they were all the king's sons (he 
 claimed to be the father of seventy sons, which from 
 a Burmese point of view was a fine feather in his cap), 
 and we were introduced and shook hands with them 
 all. Theebaw, he has since informed me, was one. 
 Many of the princes were at this time attending 
 Dr. Marks' school, but they were all removed later on 
 by the king, in order to punish the former for refusing 
 to bring one of His Majesty's sons to England, with 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 87 
 
 the avowed object of asking the " Great Queen " to 
 return the province of Pegu. 
 
 At length we were told definitely that His Majesty 
 was too ill to see us, so there was nothing left but to 
 submit. But I had the satisfaction of thoroughly 
 exploring the palace, and poking my nose into all the 
 gun sheds and armouries in the place. 
 
 After a terrible hard day of it I got back to the 
 house at which we were spending the night, pretty 
 well played out. The next morning we set out city- 
 wards, and, as on the day previous, I was once more 
 " the chiel " taking notes of all I saw. My prismatic 
 compass, which the Burmese regarded with profound 
 suspicion, was not much required, as the whole city is 
 built square, the walls running due north and south, 
 east and west. We climbed to the top of Mandalay 
 hill, situated outside the north-east angle of the city. 
 It was then, as now, thickly wooded, and crowned by 
 many picturesque temples. From this eminence the 
 whole country for many miles is spread out like a 
 panorama under the eye of the observer ; the mighty 
 river, with all its windings, and arms, and creeks ; the 
 rugged cone-shaped hills away to the west ; the clear, 
 hard-cut line of the Shan mountains due east ; the vast 
 expanse of alluvial flats, now one great lake, which 
 stretch for miles northward, and southward, and east- 
 ward ; the square city below, with its interminable 
 suburbs, its broad and lofty ramparts, adorned at short 
 intervals with finely-carved steeples, its broad espla- 
 nade, and magnificent moat, struck me at the time as 
 being a sight well worth going so far to see. 
 
88 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 Our next expedition was to visit the MengOon 
 Pagoda, which, it will be remembered, was commenced 
 by one of the Alompra kings and never completed. It 
 certainly is a gigantic mass of solid masonry, and the 
 bell is one of the wonders of the world. 
 
 It was now time for us to take our departure 
 northwards. We transferred ourselves to a steamer of 
 smaller draft but with powerful engines, and prepared 
 to negociate the defiles of the Upper Irrawaddy. 
 
 Our journey to Bamo, a distance of about 200 
 miles, was accomplished with only one or two mishaps 
 in the way of sandbank delays, in about a week. The 
 scenery throughout was interesting, and in the second 
 or middle defile, grand and imposing, precipitous rocks 
 towering overhead clothed in dense bush. 
 
 We carried on small trading transactions at villages 
 on the way up, and the inhabitants gave one the im- 
 pression of being at peace with all mankind. Most of 
 the trade was done by Chinamen, who in their busy 
 activity were a marked contrast to the lazy and listless 
 natives. The Bamo of 1871 was exactly, I should 
 say, to a single hut the Bamo of Christmas 1885, when 
 it was to be my fate to visit it again under such 
 changed conditions. There was one element wanting, 
 however, on my second visit, and in that, it may be 
 said to our discredit, we had retrogressed, viz., the 
 existence of British influence in the person of a poli- 
 tical agent.* In those former days we lunched with 
 our representative at his residence some little distance 
 from the town, and heard the news of his doings with 
 * Captain (now Colonel) Spearman. 
 
is 
 o 
 o 
 o 
 
 Ed 
 
 
 Z 
 
 
 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 89 
 
 the wild tribes in this remote region ; but in these later 
 days the residency was a ruin, nothing being left to 
 mark the spot but charred posts ; while the garden and 
 compound so neat then was now overgrown with 
 jungle shrubs. 
 
 But the British influence, which was buried with 
 our last political agent,* was not to remain long in the 
 grave. It has risen again, and now Bamo is a commo- 
 dious little military cantonment with fine barracks built 
 of best teak. 
 
 The only episode which at present occurs to me 
 connected with my first journey to Bamo, was a slight 
 uproar consequent on the truly British conduct of the 
 engineer of our little steamer. 
 
 This gentleman, a gigantic Scot, having thoroughly 
 explored the town and its defences, was anxious to 
 take with him some memento of his visit. Con- 
 sidering that he had a perfect right to anything he 
 saw, he did not take into consideration the dignity 
 of the Burmese soldier, and attempted to possess him- 
 self of a sword belonging to one of the guards at the 
 gate of the stockade. The result was a row. Our 
 friend was seen strolling leisurely towards the steamer 
 with the sword or dah in his hand, followed by a great 
 crowd, some armed, howling and gesticulating no end. 
 We enquired the cause, and the Celt became his own 
 accuser. "A jist wanted to git a guid dah," he said, 
 "so A went into the gaird-room awa' the ither side o' 
 the toun, and, says I, ' one o' ye soldiers gie me a dah,' 
 and they would na, so A took one. The blaggards 
 
 * Mr. Cooper, who was murdered by one of his own guard. 
 
90 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 then attempted to lay honds on me, and A jist sent 
 them flying and walked off with the dah." The 
 skipper suggested that a very good way out of the 
 difficulty would be to give a couple of rupees to the 
 individual who professed to be the Bo, or officer. 
 This was done with wonderful effect, and the soldiers 
 of Alompra strutted off apparently quite pleased with 
 the result of their protest. 
 
 After a few days' stay at Bamo, we returned to 
 Mandalay, thence to Thayetmyo. I got a slight fever, 
 and no wonder, for the heat on board the steamer was 
 a caution ; but on the whole enjoyed the trip im- 
 mensely, and had compiled the wherewithal for an 
 ample report which afterwards appeared in the journals 
 of the United Service Institutions of England and India. 
 
 At this period I may say safely that there was no out- 
 ward or visible sign of impending complications with 
 Upper Burma. The merchants of Rangoon were most 
 prosperous, and the rule of the Mendoon prince was 
 acknowledged to be an improvement on that of any of 
 his predecessors. But even at this period among the 
 Burmans in Upper Burma, the Shans and other bor- 
 dering tribes, the " Coming of the Great Queen " with 
 huge armies was regarded as an inevitable event in the 
 not very far distant future. 
 
 The common impression of those who saw the 
 most of the people of Upper Burma at this time was 
 that our advent would be hailed with delight by all but 
 the official classes, and especially by those who had 
 had an opportunity of visiting those districts which 
 were under British rule. 
 
v »«--* 
 
 : 4 N 
 
 pq 
 
 H 
 
 H 
 03 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 9 1 
 
 Such was the state of Burma in 1872 when I took 
 my departure for Madras, thence to England, never 
 dreaming for an instant that there was the remotest 
 chance of my ever setting foot on her shores again. 
 
 Events at the Mandalay Court, from the time 
 above referred-to to the late outbreak of hostilities, 
 indicated a general tendency towards eventual compli- 
 cations. 
 
 As the memory of her past misfortunes faded and 
 became more remote the exorbitance of the palace 
 officials expanded. 
 
 In 1875 frontier disturbances brought us to the 
 eve of war with Upper Burma, and this was followed 
 by a rebellion which was not suppressed without con- 
 siderable bloodshed at the capital. 
 
 Being quartered at Aldershot at the time, I was 
 invited to lecture on the subject of Burma at the 
 United Service Institution, Whitehall Yard. Several 
 of the leading papers commented on my remarks, 
 one which has been lately the most vehement advo- 
 cate of annexation, stating that they regretted to 
 hear a British officer advocate coercive measures 
 against a weak State because it chose to be a 
 drag on the progress of our Eastern trading under- 
 takings. 
 
 But this difficulty was also tided over, and affairs 
 jogged along somehow till 1878, when the old king 
 breathed his last breath. 
 
 During his dying moments speculation was rife 
 as to who would be his successor. The officials at 
 the palace were quivering with excitement, and rival 
 
92 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 candidates were actively engaged in pushing forward 
 their own claims. 
 
 At this game of brag a woman won. The right- 
 ful heir was the Myoungan Prince, but there were 
 influences at work to prevent his election. 
 
 For some years past the leading spirit, for evil it 
 was said, in the palace was Sinbyumaryin, a daughter 
 of the celebrated Queen Manoo, who ruled the des- 
 tinies of Burma during the last days of Pagidau, and 
 who, it will be remembered, was executed by Tharra- 
 waddy. She was now old in age, but young in the 
 spirit of intrigue. 
 
 She had no male issue, but two daughters, the 
 elder of whom she resolved to make Queen of 
 Burma. 
 
 For years the old king had hated this woman, and 
 seldom saw her ; but he was perfectly sensible of her 
 power at court. He was aware that she had given 
 her daughter Soopyah Lat in marriage to one of 
 his sons, Theebaw, and he also felt convinced that 
 she intended, if possible, pushing her son-in-law for- 
 ward as his successor. He particularly disliked 
 Theebaw, whom he suspected of not being his son at 
 all,* but he knew that all the priestly influence was on 
 his side. In his dying moments, he naturally fell 
 under priestly influence, while the queen mother 
 worked heaven and earth to organise a party of action. 
 She secured the adhesion of the prime minister and 
 
 * Theebaw was christened by his brothers the "Phoonghee 
 Prince, 1 ' as court gossip stated that his father was a Buddhist 
 priest. 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 93 
 
 several of the most influential men about the palace, 
 and gave out publicly that if she gained the day no 
 mercy would be shown to her opponents. 
 
 The king, in his last breath, nominated Theebaw 
 as his successor, and the latter was proclaimed with 
 becoming pomp " The King of Kings." His two 
 elder brothers, expecting to be murdered, fled to the 
 British Residency for protection, and were given 
 passage to Rangoon. 
 
 Now followed a manifesto to the effect that the 
 new king was to govern by means of a council, that 
 all monopolies were to be abolished, and that hence- 
 forward peace and prosperity were to reign undisturbed 
 from the British frontier to Bamo. 
 
 It had been quite an established custom for Bur- 
 mese kings, having established themselves on the 
 throne, to render themselves secure thereon by ridding 
 themselves of all probable rivals. Theebaw, egged 
 on by his wife and mother-in-law, was not going to 
 depart from this time-honoured custom. He accord- 
 ingly ordered, or permitted to be enacted, a brutal 
 massacre of his blood relations — eighty-six of whom 
 were put to death under circumstances of fearful 
 barbarity. Mr. Shaw, the Resident, protested against 
 this brutality ; but he was not listened to, being only 
 feebly supported by his own Government. 
 
 The British lion on the other side of the frontier 
 growled savagely and lashed his tail, the bristles 
 standing like bayonets on his back ; but his master 
 held on to his chain saying, " Not yet, great heart, not 
 yet!" 
 
94 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 The storm blew over; his rivals were under the 
 sod, and Theebaw, the last of the Alompras, sat firm 
 upon his throne. The queen mother's influence was 
 now all-in-all at Mandalay, and ministers trembled at 
 her nod. The king lived almost entirely in the interior 
 of his palace among women, and did not exercise much 
 influence outside its limits. 
 
 There is little doubt that war was only avoided 
 this year by the heavy calls on our military forces 
 necessitated by the Zulu and Afghan Wars. It is 
 remarkably fortunate that we never entered upon a 
 war with Burma at this particular time, as it would 
 probably have resulted in a puppet being set up at 
 Mandalay, and the country being allowed once more 
 to drift into anarchy. 
 
 But we certainly ought to have strengthened the 
 Resident's hands, sent him a suitable escort, and taken 
 up a firm though not necessarily hostile attitude. 
 Nothing of the sort was done. The Burmese question 
 was allowed to slide. Isandula horrified the Empire ; 
 and the pessimists prophesied immediate war with 
 Russia as the outcome of the Afghan campaigns. All 
 this news reached Mandalay, and the disintegration of 
 the Empire of the Great Queen was talked of at the 
 palace as a coming event. So the officials became 
 proportionally bumptious and arrogant. 
 
 Poor Shaw died at his post, and Colonel Horace 
 Browne, who was regarded as the ablest and most 
 resolute officer in the commission, was despatched to 
 the Burmese capital. But he would not brook the 
 treatment he received, and his stay was very short. 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 95 
 
 Mr. St. Barbe,* a young Bengal civilian of considerable 
 talent and great personal attractions, was next deputed 
 to Mandalay. He, too, found himself in a false posi- 
 tion. Not only was he insulted daily, but his life was 
 in imminent danger every time he quitted the Resi- 
 dency. 
 
 The Europeans took fright, and many natives left 
 the city. The Resident next received orders to 
 depart, and the Residency was abolished at the Bur- 
 mese capital. The political agency at Bamo had 
 previously ceased to exist. This was in 1880 ; and 
 no sooner had the abominable incubus of British 
 influence vanished altogether from Upper Burma, 
 than another horrible massacre occurred at Mandalay. 
 The object of the crime seems to have been to 
 appease the offended nats and stave off an epidemic 
 of small-pox. Five hundred victims were secured 
 amidst a general stampede from the city, the greater 
 portion of whom were sacrificed to the offended 
 gods. 
 
 In the spring, one of the exiled princes made his 
 way into Upper Burma from Calcutta and endeavoured 
 to assemble a following ; but nothing came of this 
 attempt to oust Theebaw. 
 
 In the following year domestic troubles overtook 
 the " Phoonghee King." His young wife, Soopyah 
 Lat, presented him with a son-and-heir amidst great 
 rejoicings at the city. The child died, and the " King 
 of Kings " was exceedingly angry with the fates. His 
 next offspring was a daughter, which did not mend 
 * Since killed by dacoits in Lower Burma. 
 
96 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 matters. While the queen was still in the doctor's 
 hands her unfaithful spouse gave out that he intended 
 nominating one of the numerous princesses about the 
 palace as his queen, throwing over poor Soopyah Lat. 
 But this could not be allowed. The queen mother 
 threw her weight into the scales and the poor little 
 aspirant to queenly dignity was brutally murdered.* 
 Soopyah Lat was forgiven on condition that no more 
 daughters were brought into the world. 
 
 Meanwhile the Government of India looked on 
 sullenly, much displeased, but unwilling to act. The 
 king sent an envoy to Simla to ask for a treaty, but he 
 was coldly received and returned to Mandalay angry 
 and humiliated. 
 
 Early in 1885 the inexorable fates bore me safely 
 over the treacherous Bay of Bengal, and landed me for 
 the second time on the historic shores of Burma. Four- 
 teen years had elapsed since I had last grilled under a 
 Burmese sun, since I had streamed and steamed with 
 perspiration in that vapour-bath the city of Rangoon, 
 and since I had paid double its value for every article 
 of food or clothing. Almost the whole of that period 
 had been passed far from the land of the " cypress and 
 myrtle," if that term may be allowed to apply to India. 
 I confess I dreaded the idea of Burma again ; indeed, 
 we all did. The Scots Fusiliers, so proud in their 
 glorious traditions, so jealous of their smartness and 
 soldierly bearing, looked with no hopeful eye on the 
 prospect of being posted for the next two or three 
 
 * This is one of the numerous court stories we heard at 
 Mandalay. 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 97 
 
 years in two clearings in the jungle on the banks of 
 Burmese rivers. One thought cheered us, but it was 
 a very vague and faint hope which none but the 
 sanguine shared — there was just an off chance of a 
 row in Upper Burma, "When," said we, "we shall be 
 exactly on the spot." 
 
 Our poor fellows had but recently arrived in India 
 from South Africa, where they had taken a very con- 
 spicuous part in the Zulu, Seccoconi, and Boer Cam- 
 paigns. They had marched about those everlasting 
 wilds for three years. Several officers and a very 
 considerable number of men had been killed and 
 wounded in action, and more still had died of disease, 
 and " What 'ave we got for it all ? " I once heard a 
 Tommy Atkins say as he " bucked " to a lot of 
 bystanders, " What have we got for it ? Well ! we've 
 got one blessed medal, and £1 compensation for 
 clothing." I firmly believe if at that moment the 
 gallant fellow had been called upon to volunteer to go 
 over the whole thing again for nothing, neither the 
 medal nor the pound, he would have jumped at the 
 idea. A great soldier once said to me, in quite an 
 unofficial spirit, " My view of brevets for service is 
 that it gives the country an opportunity of pushing on 
 good men ; the reward for going on service is con- 
 tained in the pleasure it gives any keen man to feel 
 that he is on service." If promotion and brevets for 
 service were done away with to-morrow, I do not for 
 a moment believe that it would make officers a whit 
 less keen to bleed for their country. The " bit of 
 ribbon" they do like; but if it was an understood 
 
 G 
 
98 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 thing that no promotions were to be given it would, on 
 the whole, be a popular measure. What men do feel 
 is to see an enormous shower of honours for one 
 campaign and none at all or very few for another ; this 
 makes them angry. 
 
 To proceed with my story. My gallant corps after 
 their three years of South African wanderings were 
 keen for service once more. Many of the old lot were 
 gone, but there was a strong element of them in the 
 ranks. 
 
 I found myself this time at Tounghoo on the 
 Sittang River, a really pretty but uncommon dull little 
 hole. The hot weather was not so bad for Indian 
 hot weather, although wooden houses, or rather sheds, 
 are terribly good conductors of heat ; but the rains at 
 Tounghoo I shall never forget to my dying day. It 
 rained this year, they said, more than usual, urging 
 that they were nothing to the rains of Arakan and 
 Moulmein. I can only say that I shall never forget 
 those "dark days" on the banks of the Sittang. 
 There was nothing on the face of the earth to do, it 
 being far too wet to think of parades. The damp 
 turned everything blue-mouldy, your boots rotted, 
 your books and photographs became covered with 
 spots. The air throbbed with animal life, the roar of 
 their myriads reverberating monotonously. Creatures 
 there were of every conceivable shape and size, from 
 the compass of a pin's point to an enormous beetle. 
 There were fellows like crabs and fellows like croco- 
 diles and fellows like giraffes, all to be seen hopping 
 about your damp table-cloth with fantastic gyrations ; 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 99 
 
 and all green, green like the young tender leaves and 
 the fresh wet grass. All green but one, and he the 
 most irrepressible and persistent of man's tormentors. 
 on earth, I mean the common fly. The same on the- 
 window pane of the English homestead, the same in 
 the pestilential valleys of the " Dark Continent," the 
 same in all lands and in all climates, the same yesterday, 
 to-day, and for ever. This gentleman is not so very 
 spry when the rain is at its height, it makes him, 
 perhaps, feel a little chilly ; but his time for full enjoy- 
 ment is during the intervals of dry hours.. Then, in 
 company with his no less persistent but more poisonous 
 young brother, the mosquito, he disports himself 
 wherever he thinks he is least appreciated, and where 
 he can inflict on man a maximum of annoyance at a 
 minimum of risk to himself. The mosquito is a 
 venomous little wretch, especially if he takes a fancy 
 to you ; but he is clean, which is more than can be 
 said for the "blue-tailed fly," who a few moments 
 previous to his visit to your strawberry jam, or the tip 
 of your nose, was possibly perched on the carcase of a 
 dead cat. The mosquito is an epicure, in his way ; he 
 only likes nice people ; and if, dear reader, you find 
 that you can sleep without mosquito-curtains in the 
 East, you may safely conclude that you are by no 
 means nice. 
 
 But life in Tounghoo, too awful to us as it was, 
 coming from the largest military station in India, was 
 joyous to that of the solitary Assistant Commissioner, 
 police officer, or the engineer, who lives and works on 
 for months at a time without speaking one word of 
 
 G 2 
 
IOO THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 English, or seeing a single white face. And yet we 
 thought we were decidedly to be pitied, and received 
 letters of condolence from our friends at being so 
 entirely banished from the world. But unlucky as we 
 considered ourselves at being outlawed to Tounghoo, 
 this was only from a soldier's point of view. Civilians 
 coming in from jungles and swamps regarded it as 
 quite a large station ; and I remember being very 
 much amused at hearing a young fellow who had just 
 arrived from some awful swamp in Upper Burma, 
 where he was employed in the timber trade, talk of 
 how much he was enjoying his " run up to town," 
 meaning to Tounghoo. A tumble-down old shed, 
 with the roof full of holes, was our " gymkhana," 
 where we met every now and then to witness or 
 partake in pony racing, the great sport of Burma. In 
 addition to this we had our " paper chases " once a 
 week, when, astride of plucky little twelve-two ponies 
 we slushed along through mud and water, and over all 
 sorts of fences for a couple of miles. 
 
 The rains had jcommenced to abate ; we had slight 
 interims of sunshine, when we sat and streamed with 
 perspiration ; the races were in prospect, and the first 
 snipe had been shot. Being of a somewhat sanguine 
 disposition, the outlook cheered me. I had secured 
 a miniature chaser, twelve-two, but with loins and 
 quarters like an English cob, and one or two more 
 likely ones were in my eye, so in spite of the damp 
 heat and the mosquitoes I began to think there were 
 worse places than Tounghoo. I had a wooden house 
 all to myself, and I had just got out some nick-nacks 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. IOI 
 
 when a telegram was put into my hand one morning, 
 which ran thus : " Major E. C. Browne is directed to 
 proceed- immediately to T.hayetmyo.and report himself 
 for duty at that station." 
 
 So there were to be no races,, and no. snipe, or 
 very few in comparison, and 1 no more, of Tounghoo for 
 me. I" fancied at the time I was sorry to leave. After 
 eight years of almost continuous bucketting, I was 
 beginning to sigh for a little rest, or this is what I 
 fancied at the time, 
 
 I had many consolers whom, I fear I must confess, 
 cared not so, much for me as for the death-blow the 
 withdrawal of my ponies , would be to the forthcoming 
 race meeting. 
 
 The railway from Tounghoo.. to Rangoon was not 
 completed for passenger traffic at this time, but I 
 managed to get down by hook or by crook, by goods 
 trains and in Mr. Matthews, the Chief Engineer's 
 private carriage. It rained for all the forty-eight hours 
 I stayed in Rangoon, whence I took train to Prome 
 and steamer to Thayetmyo. I thus found; myself back 
 on the. identical spot of the round earth at which I had 
 spent about ten months of my military career so many 
 years, ago. I found very few changes. New barracks 
 had been built for the. men, but the officers lived in the 
 same thatched huts which had been, probably rigged 
 up for their reception more than a quarter of a century 
 before. Although I was now in the. proud position of 
 commanding headquarters of the. Scots Fusiliers, F 
 shared one of these, the only one vacant. with anything 
 like decent stabling,, with. one. of our youngsters who 
 
102 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 had somewhat similar tastes to myself, and shook down 
 for a season. 
 
 The rains were much less here than at Tounghoo, 
 and the station, on the whole, was brighter. The 
 garrison was very much the same, with the addition of 
 one battery of artillery. We had lots of parades, and 
 even small field days every week, for our Brigadier 
 was a man of devouring activity after thirty-seven 
 years' continuous Indian service without one visit to 
 his native land of old England, and we got up a very 
 decent little race meeting. I won the steeplechase of 
 the meeting with my little cob, beating the Rangoon 
 crack, and, with intervals of the dumps, I was beginning 
 to think that there were worse places than Thayetmyo. 
 But another change awaited me. I was offered an 
 appointment in the Adjutant-General's department at 
 Rangoon, and started off thither to fill it. 
 
 This was in the middle of October. But had 
 nothing hitherto occurred to disturb once more the oft- 
 times troubled waters of Burma politics ? Most cer- 
 tainly, yes. For the past half-year the " French 
 Question " had been agitating the minds of the English 
 residents in the country, and so long ago as the previous 
 spring the interference of France in Mandalay affairs 
 had commenced to attract general attention. Forsooth, 
 they must have a representative there, and they must 
 have a treaty of commerce. England at this time was 
 not represented at the Court of Mandalay, and diplo- 
 matic relations had for some time been anything but 
 active with Upper Burma. 
 
 So, I suppose, the French thought it would be a 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. IO3 
 
 favourable opportunity to get the thin edge of the 
 wedge in with the ultimate hope, no doubt, of convert- 
 ing Burma into a second Ton-king. 
 
 This intention was disavowed by M. de Freycinet, 
 and it is probable that that astute minister never for a 
 moment believed that there was the remotest chance 
 of the great English cock allowing so small a bird as 
 France in the East to crow on a dunghill so very 
 adjacent to his own. Strangely enough, I think I 
 know the source from which this wild enterprise sprang. 
 When I was in Paris in the spring of 1880 I attended 
 a meeting of what was called " La Societ6 de Cochin- 
 Chine." The meeting took place in the private apart- 
 ments of the Marquis de , in the fifth story of 
 
 a very lofty house, I think in la Rue de Quatre 
 Septembre. It was not largely attended, and someone 
 read a paper on Indo-Chinese affairs. A well-known 
 Indo-Chinese explorer was present whose name I did 
 not catch. A short discussion followed the paper, but 
 I thought it was somewhat constrained, and the noble 
 Marquis complained of the paucity of information pro- 
 duced generally, after which we adjourned to another 
 room where we smoked and chatted for half an hour. 
 As far as I could collect the Society was a sort of 
 private Intelligence Department not ostensibly sup- 
 ported by Government. It professed to watch French 
 interests in Indo-China, and by collecting information 
 and compiling reports thereon, to keep the Govern- 
 ment coached up on the subject. 
 
 I have often thought since that the feebly supported 
 attempt to establish French influence at Mandalay was 
 
104 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 the outcome of this Society's investigations. The 
 Government not improbably said to this body, "If 
 you can get a footing in Upper Burma without bringing 
 us into conflict with England, we shall say you deserve 
 well of your country." But of course the project failed. 
 
 M. Haas, a very courageous and honourable man, 
 was deputed to Mandalay, and worked like a Trojan 
 to accomplish his end. But his task was an utterly 
 hopeless one. He went up the river full of hope, and 
 returned after a couple of months dejected and broken- 
 hearted. It is not known exactly what were the ob- 
 jects of his mission, and probably his instructions, for 
 he must have had some, are buried with the poor 
 man's reputation. The French Government, when 
 faced in a perfectly frank and conciliatory spirit by John 
 Bull, were obliged to admit that his interests in Burma 
 far exceeded their own, and the question for the time 
 gave place to matters of more importance in Europe. 
 
 But the Indian Government were instructed to 
 take sure and certain steps to prevent the possibility 
 of a recurrence of such a state of things. And it was 
 determined by that august body that Theebaw should 
 be treated to an ultimatum which should once for all 
 place on a permanent and unmistakable footing the 
 relationships to each other of "the two Great Empires." 
 But at the time of which I write, the " unenlightened " 
 in Burma only heard rumours and reports of possibly 
 coming events. There was no doubt that things were 
 working up for a row, but on two previous occasions a 
 similar cloud had blown over. 
 
 Colonel Sladen, writing in September, had placed 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. T05 
 
 the situation very clearly and forcibly before the 
 Indian Government. 
 
 " Have we," he wrote, " still cause against Theebaw 
 which justifies intervention, and, if necessary, forcible 
 interference ? The answer will depend upon a 
 correct appreciation of the following facts : — ■ 
 
 "(I.) We have twice been forced into war by 
 Burmese aggression and misrule, and on both occa- 
 sions the country became ours had we chosen to 
 occupy it by right of conquest 
 
 "(II.) On the first occasion the provinces of Arakan 
 and Tenasserim were ceded to us by treaty. On the 
 second occasion we annexed the province of Pegu, and 
 the then king was plainly informed in the annexation 
 proclamation, that ' if he failed to renew his former 
 relations of friendship, and if he recklessly sought to 
 dispute the possession of the annexed territory, the 
 Governor-General would again put forth the power he 
 held, and would visit with retribution aggressions, 
 which, if they be persisted in, must of necessity lead 
 to the total subversion of the Burman State, and the 
 ruin and exile of the king and his race.' 
 
 "(III.) The king or his successor has failed to renew 
 his former friendship, and we have again been com- 
 pelled to withdraw our Resident from the capital, and 
 stay further direct relations with the Court, because the 
 condition of things there is so barbarous and insecure 
 and the attitude of the Government so intractable, that 
 we cannot consent on the one hand to countenance 
 massacres and misrule, or on the other to invite insult 
 and risk the lives of our political officers. 
 
Io6 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 "(IV.) After refusing the treaty we offered King 
 Theebawat Simla in 1882, he has thought proper to 
 make political capital out of our forced retirement by 
 forming alliances with European States which have no 
 interests in Burma, and whose presence on the scene 
 is only intended to encumber our action, and even 
 menace our possessions in British Burma. As a 
 consequence we already find ourselves in the false and 
 anomalous position of having a powerful ruling State on 
 our borders intriguing against us and ready at any 
 moment to bring about a mischievous state of affairs 
 which may involve us at any moment in serious com • 
 plications with European foreign Powers. 
 
 " (V.) At the present moment our hand is being 
 forced by the fact that the French have already estab- 
 lished a political agency at Mandalay, and a French 
 Consul now resides there for the purpose of represent- 
 ing French interests, though it is obvious to everyone 
 that no such interests (unless they are of a very remote 
 or clandestine character) have any present existence in 
 Upper Burma. 
 
 "(VI.) On the other hand British interests, both 
 in a political and commercial sense, do exist, and are 
 very closely allied to those of Upper Burma. These 
 interests are so jeopardized at the present moment 
 that some immediate step is necessary to preserve the 
 integrity of our dominions and protect British com- 
 merce. 
 
 " (VII.) And not only are the interests of our own 
 province seriously affected by anarchy and misrule in 
 Upper Burma, but the interests of humanity are 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. \OJ 
 
 infringed by the continued excesses of a barbarous and 
 despotic ruler. 
 
 " On all these grounds I contend that immediate 
 active interference is indispensable for the purposes of 
 (i) maintaining our political superiority, (2) of arresting 
 grave complications which are imminent at the present 
 moment, and (3) of securing good government in Upper 
 Burma. 
 
 " I maintain that these objects can only be success- 
 fully and permanently attained by annexing the whole 
 of the country known as Upper Burma. At the same 
 time I am well aware that Government will not resort 
 to so final a step without first of all exhausting 
 every other course of action and being guided by 
 results. 
 
 " What are these other courses ? First, we may 
 return to the old state of things, a treaty with Theebaw 
 and the re-establishment of a Resident at his capital ; 
 or second, we may ask Theebaw to treat with us on 
 our own lines on pain of being superseded by a prince 
 of our own selection, or third, we may ask him, and in 
 case of his refusal, the prince of our selection, to 
 accept a British Protectorate. This is the extreme 
 limit of possible action, short of annexation. 
 
 " Let each course be considered. A treaty and 
 Resident on the old lines would be proof of political 
 imbecility- The experiment has been repeatedly tried 
 and has always signally failed. It may be tried again 
 on a former basis, that is under a more stringent treaty, 
 giving the Resident extended powers, and allowing 
 him a strong escort at the capital. 
 
Io8 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 "Well, as long as all conditions were favourable, 
 diplomatic relations of a kind could be carried on for a 
 time by these means ; but there would be no real 
 security against the periodical scares and. uncertainties 
 which are inseparable from the conditions, of Burmese 
 rule. 
 
 " History would be sure to repeat itself. Revolu 
 tions might be less imminent, perhaps, owing to 
 Theebaw's wholesale extermination of the royal 
 family, but upstart scions of the race would still be 
 found to revolt against tyranny and carry out the 
 traditional laws of the constitution which justify their 
 putting in a claim for supreme power. Then there are 
 the princes in British territory, who are only held back 
 by our restraining hand from making a dash for their 
 rights and seizing the crown and the kingdom.. 
 
 " These dangers and uncertainties,, it may be said, 
 are of a kind which may happen anywhere or in any 
 country. Granted. But the constitution of Burma 
 and the temperament of its people favour this 
 possible and probable development here to an extent 
 which is unknown in almost any other part of Asia. I 
 shall return to this subject further on, but it will suffice 
 for present purposes if I record my honest conviction 
 that the treaty and Resident system on the old lines is 
 no cure for the present situation, and would result 
 sooner or later in the. usual fiasco. The alternative 
 course is the compulsory treaty to be followed up hy a 
 protectorate. 
 
 " We shall get this if we go to work in the proper 
 way, and have made our preparations, but not othes- 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. IO9 
 
 wise. But having got it, what is the kind of protection 
 offered, and how is the country to be governed ? If it 
 is to be the Indian system, a state of semi-sovereignty, 
 it cannot and will not answer in Burma. The Bur- 
 mese people are imbued with an almost superstitious 
 veneration for the royai family. As long as the 
 dynasty lasts this veneration will continue. A pro- 
 tectorate on the Hyderabad system might succeed if 
 accompanied by a military occupation of the country by 
 British troops, and the appointment of a Resident or 
 Chief Commissioner, who would exercise "control over 
 the entire executive and legislative departments of the 
 State. But even this kind of protectorate would be 
 attended by immense risks and difficulties, owing to the 
 presence on the scene of a de facto sovereign of the 
 reigning dynasty, and the impossibility of getting the 
 people to bury their instincts or sink their loyalty so far 
 as to suffer any other authority to exist on an equality 
 with a prince of the royal blood. 
 
 "Although the Burmese would gladly hail our 
 advent and accept our rule if we came prepared and 
 single-handed, nothing but the strongest coercive 
 measures would restrain them from open hostility or 
 sullen opposition so long as a king of their own race 
 was present and exercised an influence over their 
 feelings and conduct. Such a king of our nomination 
 might be sufficiently interested on his own behalf to 
 try at least to exercise his influence in the cause of the 
 protectorate, but in this he would fail, and I regard the 
 state of things that would then inevitably ensue with 
 the most serious misgivings. I speak advisedly on 
 
IIO THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 this point and from experience, having for a long time 
 past studied and learnt the true feelings of the people. 
 The old king has often said to me, when I tried to 
 advise him against spending his money on a super- 
 abundance of expensive war material : ' I must appear 
 to be strong in the eyes of my people. If they did not 
 believe in my power they would be dissatisfied and 
 put some one else in my place.' My reply was : 
 ' But, your Majesty, the possession of war material 
 which you cannot use (this refers to arms of precision 
 which he had ordered in any quantity) does not give 
 you this supremacy.' King : ' True : you and I know 
 this, but they don't. They will have their way and I 
 cannot prevent it.' 
 
 A protectorate, then, of the ordinary kind seems to 
 be prohibited, because it would involve a de facto king 
 with semi-sovereignty under command of a protecting 
 Power, a state of things which I believe to be almost 
 impracticable as applied to the peculiar conditions of 
 the Burmese constitution, and the ultra-loyal suscepti- 
 bilities of the Burmese people. Still it may be tried, 
 and if only our arrangements provide that all members 
 of the royal family shall be pensioned, deported.or other- 
 wise kept in the background, the success of the experi- 
 ment will be proportionally insured. The protectorate 
 will then involve (i) a military occupation (partial) ; 
 (2) the entire administration of the country by British 
 officers ; (3) the deportation of all surplus members of 
 the royal family. And it will differ from annexation in 
 name only. Nevertheless, we are forced, as it were, to 
 take the risk and accept the far less satisfactory results 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. I 1 1 
 
 of a protectorate, because ' annexation ' is an offensive 
 term, and the policy which advocates it is condemned 
 as unjustifiable and out of date. At the same time it 
 is a policy which the people pray for, and which the 
 exigencies of humanity and of the present political 
 situation very earnestly call into requisition. 
 
 " Annexation would be simple in accomplishment, 
 and, under judicious arrangements, the occupation of 
 the country ought to be nothing more than a quiet 
 military parade. A protectorate, on the other hand, is 
 complex. The Burmese will never stand it. It will 
 savour of instability, uncertainty, and unrest. The 
 people will not be with us if called upon to serve 
 two masters, though they will join us, heart and soul, 
 if we clear the way for them by deposing all royal 
 claimants, and assume the chief sovereignty in our 
 own hands." 
 
 These, then, were the views expressed by one of 
 the best living authorities on Upper Burma, although 
 it is believed that there were many responsible dis- 
 senters therefrom in the country. 
 
 We shall be able to watch in the course of this 
 narrative the gradual development of events, and in 
 what manner Colonel Sladen's ideas and prophecies 
 manifested themselves. 
 
 When I left Thayetmyo for Rangoon only rumours 
 of war were afloat, but I doubt if anyone believed that 
 there would be any more than a good deal of talk and 
 a small military display. Simla kept things very dark. 
 One ugly rumour reached us of some idea of leaving 
 the regiments quartered in Burma stationary, and 
 
T 1 2 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 transferring all the troops from the sea-going steamers 
 on to the river flats. 
 
 The plan commended itself to the mind of the 
 military economist, but it was monstrously rough on 
 the unfortunates who were ignored. The last night I 
 dined with the dear old regiment as " one of them," I 
 said in chaff, although, I confess, I very much feared 
 that something of the sort would happen, that " the 
 expedition " would be entirely composed of troops from 
 India, and that the Burma Division would not be 
 touched. 
 
 This remark elicited a howl of indignation, and I 
 believe that if I had not been the guest of the evening 
 and the senior officer present, they would have pelted 
 me with biscuits and fruit. Little we thought on this 
 evening that this arrangement was all cut and dry, and 
 was soon to be put into practice. So I departed for 
 Rangoon, with a choky feeling in my throat, to do five 
 years on the Indian Staff — for better or for worse — 
 wondering if I should ever again return to those 
 glorious colours, with their scroll of undying victories, 
 whose fortunes I had followed for over twenty years in 
 many lands — by field and by flood. If the fortune of 
 war favoured the reunion, the latest* " scheme for pro- 
 motion " was against it. I had received my majority 
 on the same day as seven others, and I was the bottom 
 of the seven ; so the outlook was bleak, if not altogether 
 the "blackness of darkness." 
 
 When I reached Rangoon, " The Autumn Meet- 
 ing " was the universal topic of conversation. People 
 * The newest Warrant was then not thought of. 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 1 1 3 
 
 thought of nothing else, and every morning crowds of 
 ladies and gentlemen assembled on the picturesque 
 course to see the miniature racers get their gallops. 
 
 I had brought with me from Thayetmyo four 
 ponies, all supposed to possess some special qualifica- 
 tion. One was a chaser, one was a hurdle racer, and 
 two were flat racers. They were " our stable," my 
 pal's and mine at Thayetmyo, and they were the hope 
 of the station. They had been regularly galloped and 
 fed on oats and hay with the utmost care. And now 
 their coats shone like floss silk, and the muscles stood 
 out in bold relief on their powerful chests and quarters. 
 
 It is the custom at Rangoon for everyone to as- 
 semble at the " Gymkhana " when the day's toil is o'er 
 and the Indian sun, having done as much harm as he 
 can for some twelve hours, has retired to rest. The 
 place resembles a huge restaurant. There are drinking 
 bars and billiard-rooms, and ball-rooms and reading- 
 rcoms, and card-rooms immediately connected with the 
 establishment ; and outside there is a beautiful cricket 
 ground and half-a-dozen lawn-tennis courts, and the 
 band plays twice a-week, and there are ayahs and babies 
 innumerable. But there is one feature in these social 
 assemblies which, perhaps, for India, is remarkable : 
 the men keep studiously to the bars and billiard-rooms 
 and the card-rooms, and the ladies confine themselves 
 to the ball-rooms and the reading-rooms with vengeful 
 pertinacity. And so there are no flirtations and 
 no scandals and no (at least, hardly any) marriages in 
 Rangoon. 
 
 In the restaurant and billiard-rooms assemble every 
 
 H 
 
114 TH E COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 evening of the week — Sunday only in degree excepted 
 — a hundred or more gentlemen of all ages, professions 
 and callings, and not a few nationalities. At least one 
 " red " or '* yellow cocktail " must be sucked through 
 a straw, the latest telegrams must be read, and the 
 affairs of the Empire set right before the assembly thins, 
 and men shout for their traps and drive off to dinner. 
 
 A very strong element in Rangoon is the " German 
 element." There is quite a large German community 
 amongst the subjects of the " Great Queen " at Ran- 
 goon. When I say community, I by no means intend to 
 indicate that the Germans keep to themselves. Not 
 at all. They in every way make common cause with 
 the English. They excel in music and other accom- 
 plishments, and are always ready to perform without 
 fuss or ostentation. They will play on any piano, and 
 sing to any accompaniment with unmoved counten- 
 ances, although undergoing intense torment. It is 
 astonishing with what tact and dignity the Germans 
 have ingratiated themselves into Rangoon society. 
 
 I remember, during my former tour of Burmese 
 service, having a conversation with a German who had 
 served in the 1866 campaign. The Franco- Prussian 
 War was raging at the time. He had been to a review 
 of the little garrison of Rangoon, of which my regi- 
 ment was the most prominent feature. 
 
 "Your regiment, Sir," he said, "is a very fine 
 regiment : a magnificent body of men — almost the 
 finest I have ever seen. A glorious army, the British 
 Army — wonderful traditions. Now, Sir, I'll tell you 
 what I think ; but, perhaps, I ought not to say so ; I 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 1 1 5 
 
 think this : that after all our late victories, with equal 
 numbers, you'd beat us to-morrow." 
 
 " Well," I said, " if we did it would be only after a 
 tough fight ; and I hope we shall always be on the same 
 side." 
 
 " Oh ! I hope so," he said, " and I think so. You 
 see, we are the same race — both Teutons." 
 
 There were two topics of conversation which ani- 
 mated the Gymkhana assemblies during the early days 
 of October, 1885. One was the prospected war with 
 Theebaw, and the other was the Races. 
 
 But the hushed and mysterious prophecies of the 
 political wiseacres were drowned in the uproar created 
 by the sporting prognosticators, who outnumbered 
 them ten to one. " Oh ! damn the war," quoth the 
 latter, as jaurum-coated, breeches and gaitered, deer- 
 stalking-capped and fox-terrier-dogged, they sucked 
 away at their cocktails through long straws ; " the 
 question now before the House is what to put your 
 money on for the ' Hunt Cup ?' " 
 
 The thoughtful brows of the clever Bengal civi- 
 lians of the Secretariat might be discerned amongst the 
 crowd. And right good fellows they were : by no 
 means weaklings — just the reverse. When pumped 
 by some keen subaltern, weary of inaction and thirsting 
 for a row, they imparted no information with a most 
 skilful display of candour. "Well, you know, the truth 
 is there has been a good deal of correspondence going 
 on between the Home Government, the Indian 
 Government, and our office on the subject, but these 
 sort of things are constantly recurring. I see the 
 
 H 2 
 
Il6 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 ' Pioneer ' says there will be war." Then the young 
 diplomat, determined not to be treed, deftly changes 
 the subject to the all-absorbing topic of the races, for 
 which he has two ponies entered. " By the way, I 
 hear you have a three-pound saddle ; I wish you 
 would lend it to me for the St. Leger ;" and having got 
 his answer, he slides off amongst the crowd. 
 
 Throughout the length and breadth of our mighty 
 Empire — on whatever shores the flag of England 
 proudly waves — alike in the abodes of snow and ice, 
 and on the sumparched plains of the Asian and African 
 continents — wherever there are Englishmen there are 
 racecourses and races. There are men who ride and 
 men who bet, and men who do both. And the " races " 
 are the most attractive and important event of each 
 year's course of pleasure and recreation. Some are 
 made and some are marred, and some break their 
 bones, if not their necks ; and wives become widows, 
 and children orphans, and whole families are brought 
 to beggary, and great names are dragged in the dust. 
 And parsons preach against racing, and statesmen and 
 orators condemn it ; and even " the fair " oftentimes 
 express their disapproval of the betting which must of 
 necessity be its inevitable concomitant ; but all " go to 
 the races" as surely as that all-important event comes off. 
 
 The love of racing is grounded on that instinct in 
 man's nature which impels him to witness, in order to 
 admire, individual prowess in man and animals ; and it 
 is a prominent characteristic of the stronger and more 
 energetic nations of mankind. Therefore it will always 
 continue to be a sport amongst Englishmen, and will 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. II7 
 
 develop or fall away in direct proportion to the power 
 of the Empire or the progress of its decay. 
 
 As Burma is a great country for ponies, Rangoon 
 is a great racing centre. There are two race meetings 
 in the year — the Spring Meeting,, which takes place 
 generally after the commencement of the rains in May, 
 and the Autumn Meeting, at the end of the rains in 
 October. The latter is the principal event of the year, 
 and enormous sums of money change hands. On the 
 evening preceding each day's racing, lotteries are held 
 in the Assembly Rooms, and sportsmen and " sporting 
 men " meet to take tickets, buy and sell racers in the 
 lotteries, make books, and discuss eventualities. 
 
 The scene at the Assembly Rooms on a lottery 
 night is illustrative of the variety of " peoples, nations, 
 and tongues " who own the sovereignty of the " Great 
 Queen " in Burma. 
 
 " The Rooms " consist in one long, lofty room with 
 a stage at one end. The building serves the threefold 
 purpose of a theatre, a ball-room, and a banquetting 
 hall. To-night, the eve of the first day's racing, it is 
 arranged for the latter entertainment. There is a long 
 table, running parallel to the stage, and two much 
 longer ones at right angles stretching almost the whole 
 length of the hall. In the centre of the table near the 
 stage stands the race secretary. Before him is his 
 lottery box. He is surrounded by his assistants, clerks, 
 writers, and so forth. In his hand he holds a wooden 
 hammer which he uses frequently with reverberating 
 effect on the table. With this instrument he calls the 
 assembly to order, and " knocks. down" the horses to 
 
I 1 8 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 the highest bidder. The space between the tables 
 and in all parts of the room is crowded with men. The 
 more methodical bookmakers are seated at the tables 
 and engaged in apparently profound calculations of the 
 "chances." There are British officers in mess dress 
 and civilians in evening dress, for the lotteries com- 
 mence at 9.30 p.m., and everyone has dined — and 
 some men in shooting jackets and some in jaurum 
 suits. There are lots of Germans, some Greeks, several 
 shades of Eurasians, Chinamen, baboos of Bengal and 
 Madras, Parsees, and last, but by no means least, Jack 
 Burmans. Many of the latter cannot speak a word of 
 English, but they manage somehow to do their business. 
 They squat about on chairs and forms and smoke, 
 smoke, smoke, perfectly at home and at peace with all 
 the world, in the happy consciousness that the secretary, 
 although he has sometimes a hasty tongue, is an 
 English gentleman and will do them every justice ; 
 and in the full enjoyment of that glorious liberty which 
 Britannia bequeaths to her children. 
 
 But now the time has come for action. The work 
 of filling up the lottery papers is over as regards certain 
 races, and the drawing and selling the horses is about 
 to begin. The secretary brings his hammer down on 
 the table several times. 
 
 "Silence," he shouts, "gentlemen, silence, please. 
 The lottery for the Grand National Steeplechase is 
 filled. Now I am going to draw the horses. Please 
 keep silence." He now puts his hand into a box and 
 takes out a number which he announces at the pitch of 
 his voice " No. 136." His assistant puts his hand 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. II9 
 
 into another box and takes out a horse. " John 
 Small," he bellows. It is now the clerk's turn. He 
 hastily looks at No. 136 on the paper before him, and 
 he finds, " Ah Sin," which historical name he announces 
 in stentorian tones to the great delight of the owner — 
 a fat Celestial with a long pigtail and a vacuous expres- 
 sion in his oblong eyes, who, however, remains out- 
 wardly unmoved. He is perfectly aware that John 
 Small is a favourite, and will sell for a "pot," but he never 
 allows his face to betray his emotions. And so the 
 drawing proceeds until the last horse — there are seven- 
 teen starters — has been disposed of. 
 
 The excitement of the evening is now about to 
 commence, the horses are going to be sold by public 
 auction. Be it known to our readers who are not con- 
 versant with Indian lotteries, that speculating in this 
 way is a very dangerous game, and many men with 
 both money and brains, have, to use a slang term, been 
 "broke" over it. Some of our cleverest men have 
 driven their minds into the subject of " bookmaking," 
 but how few have succeeded ? After a life of toil and 
 constant excitement, torn asunder by hopes and fears, 
 without any assured position amongst men, brought 
 into contact with many of the vilest of mankind ; how 
 few, I say, realise a sufficient fortune to pass their 
 declining years in competence and comfort ? What 
 chance, then, has an amateur, like myself, who only 
 goes in for racing just to pass a few hours in the year, 
 of making bookmaking pay ? I fear very little. The 
 lottery system has its merits, the chief of which is that 
 the loser is a debtor to the public, and not to any indi- 
 
120 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 vidual, so that if he comes to grief he can blame no 
 one in particular. 
 
 But it is a dangerous game nevertheless, especially 
 for men who have not a considerable fund of ready 
 money to fall back on, and that they can lay their 
 hands on at a day's notice. Otherwise the practice is 
 absolutely dishonest. You play for other men's money 
 on the chance of winning, and if you lose you know 
 you can't pay up. 
 
 There is too much of this sort of thing going on in 
 India, although, it must be confessed, it is better than 
 of yore. A man pays 600 rupees for a horse. If the 
 horse wins he wins the lottery, which is probably worth 
 3,000 rupees ; but if he loses, which the chances are 
 he will, he has to pay 1,200 rupees or a hundred pounds, 
 about — 600 to the lottery and 600 to the man who 
 drew the horse therein. 
 
 Now in Rangoon I have known a pony to sell for 
 over a thousand rupees on several occasions and lose the 
 race after all. So a man who " plunges " at all in the 
 lotteries can without difficulty, on a run of good or bad 
 luck, win or lose a thousand pounds at a meeting, which 
 in these hard times is a fair week's work for the Anglo- 
 Indian whose private fortune is in most cases limited. 
 
 To sell the horses successfully at a lottery requires 
 special gifts which, like the faculty of being able to 
 make a happy speech at a wedding breakfast, few men 
 possess. He must be prompt, inflexible, persuasive, 
 witty, versatile. He must have a quick eye and ready 
 tongue. He must reprove, exhort, control. He must 
 know his hearers well, even to their minutest idio- 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 121 
 
 syncracies, and be thoroughly known of them. And 
 above all he must be quick at his work and, having 
 hustled his audience along nolens volens, squeezing out 
 of them the highest price obtainable, bring his hammer 
 down and finish the job. 
 
 " Come on, now, gentlemen," he shouts, " who'll 
 bid for John Small ? Great pony. Winner of, well, I 
 don't know how many races. Who'll bid for the 
 Thayetymo crack ? Ah Sin, what are you at ? Wake 
 up, Moung Hpo. Now, a hundred rupees at a time, 
 gentlemen. Fifteen hundred rupees in the lottery ! 
 Bid up, now. Fifty rupees for John Small. Sixty 
 rupees for John Small. Seventy. Eighty. One hun- 
 dred rupees for John Small. One hundred rupees for 
 John Small. Come on, gentlemen ; bid up, bid up. 
 Don't keep me here all night. Come, fifty rupees at a 
 time ; he's worth five hundred at least. One twenty 
 rupees for John Small. Thirty. Forty. Fifty. Sixty. 
 Seventy. Eighty. Ninety. Two hundred rupees for 
 John Small. Do keep silence and let me hear my own 
 voice. Two hundred rupees for John Small. Going 
 for two hundred rupees !" The latter part of the bidding 
 has been entirely confined to two individuals, Ah Sin, 
 the drawer, whose object it naturally is to bid up the 
 horse as high as possible ; and Moung Hpo, a wealthy 
 Burman and city magistrate, who is a keen sportsman. 
 The Celestial owes the judge a grudge, for the latter 
 has only a few days previous given a civil suit against 
 him. The quick eye of the secretary perceives that 
 there is a certain amount of rivalry between them. 
 "Come on," he says, "Moung Hpo, you are not 
 
122 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 going to be done by a Chinaman ; a city magistrate, 
 too."* The great man winces under the roar of laughter 
 which this remark calls forth, and regarding his rival 
 with a look as much as to say " the judge has spoken," 
 he says decisively " Two hundred and fifty rupees." 
 The withering look is lost on his rival. The dreamy 
 eyes are fixed on vacancy. He seems only intent on 
 watching the wreaths of smoke curl upwards as they 
 emerge from between his dry lips. He simply bends 
 his head slightly forward, and the secretary shouts 
 " Two sixty." The judge feels disconcerted. He 
 shifts uneasily on his seat, and he imagines that the 
 eyes of the assembly are upon him. But his dignity 
 must be upheld at any cost, so he comes out with a 
 very decisive " Three hundred rupees." Ah Sin 
 remains immobile, and the hammer comes down on the 
 table with a whack. The heathen Chinee has scored. 
 He must win three hundred, his enemy the judge may, 
 and most probably will, lose six hundred. And so 
 the night works on far into the small hours of the 
 morning, and they buy, and sell, and laugh, and chaff ; 
 and all go home buoyed up with hope that the morrow 
 will see their combinations crowned with success. 
 
 The morrow has come. It is 3 p.m., and a flaming 
 sun, still high in the heavens, strikes down on the 
 Rangoon racecourse with terrific force. There is a 
 vast assemblage on the course, scarcely fewer than 
 20,000 persons — a picturesque crowd, with their gay 
 colours and merry countenances. There must be 
 
 * This picture is only drawn as an illustration of a lottery scene : 
 the Race described hereafter actually took place. 
 
z 
 o 
 o 
 o 
 z 
 
 < 
 
 Q 
 
 z 
 
 H 
 W 
 
 u 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 1 23 
 
 thousands of women present, for the Burmese ladies 
 are not only lovers of races, but in many cases " owners" 
 themselves. It is a perfectly orderly crowd, and to 
 behold it the mind is at a loss to conceive how these 
 jolly, happy-go-lucky little fellows can go on so per- 
 sistently getting shot as they have done in wars, 
 always forced upon us, both past and present. 
 
 The Grand Stand is quite an imposing structure, or 
 rather group of structures. It is made of finely-carved 
 teak, and is of Indo-Chinese architecture. It is all 
 smart and new, and its many gables and spires shine 
 in the sun. 
 
 There are long rows of temporary stables, each 
 stall with its little racer. The ponies run in three 
 classes: (1) the Indian arabs and country-breds ; 
 (2) the half-breed Burmans ; and (3) the pure Burmans. 
 In times past, before the Rangoon meeting became 
 what it is to-day, attempts were made to bring these 
 classes together by means of weighting ; but the result 
 has always been a failure, and the plan has been aban- 
 doned. There are separate races now for each class. 
 
 But the Grand National is now on, and there are 
 seventeen starters announced on the board. " I say, 
 George," says Tiny Jones, of Rice Brothers, to his pal, 
 as he goes " bucking" about the Grand Stand, "won't 
 there be some smashers in this race ? You bet ! Seven- 
 teen starters ! Why, there has never been such a thing 
 seen here before." One or two young wives look 
 rather pale at the remark, and wish they were not 
 quite so interested in the race. 
 
 As I am tightening up my girths and overhauling 
 
124 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 my gear in the paddock, previous to mounting, who do 
 I see close by, wistfully watching my movements, but 
 our friend of last night, the Burman judge^ He has 
 evidently found out that on my pony and myself rest 
 his chances of winning six thousand, or losing six hun- 
 dred rupees. He is rather fearful of the result. He is 
 well off for a Burman, but six hundred is a lot for him 
 to lose, and all through that villain, Ah Sin, too ; but 
 what a chance ! To win six thousand ! where would 
 Ah Sin be then ? His scrutiny of John Small seems 
 to please him muchly. He surveys his mighty chest 
 and crest ; his kindly, but now kindling brown eye ; 
 his round hard quarters ; his clean, sinewy legs ; his 
 bright bay coat, shining like, floss silk in the glare of 
 the sun. And now I feel he is having a sly look at me. 
 Presently he goes off, apparently well pleased, and after 
 a couple of ineffectual attempts to get into the pigskin 
 — for John Small is " bad to mount," — I swing on to 
 his back, and jog along towards the starting-post. It 
 is exactly opposite the Grand Stand, on the far side 
 of the course. The steeplechase course is once and 
 three quarters round the flat racecourse, and inside the 
 latter.. 
 
 I confess to always having experienced a certain 
 feeling of nervousness, or whatever that decidedly 
 unpleasant sensation of foreboding evil may be styled, 
 before the start in a race. It can scarcely be dread of 
 danger, for I have felt the same thing on going to the 
 wickets first at cricket, and before firing the first shot 
 at a Wimbledon rifle match. But hitherto I have 
 never found that it interfered an iota with the per- 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. I 25 
 
 formance of the difficulty to be overcome, and by 
 contact with which it has vanished. 
 
 As one gets older, especially if one has served 
 much in bad climates, this feeling of nervousness must 
 increase, and, I take it, when it becomes so marked 
 that a man finds that it paralyses his action, his nerve 
 may be said to have "broken down." I confess on 
 this occasion I am not troubled more with nerves 
 than the last race I rode on this same course four- 
 teen years before. The fact is I have my work cut 
 out to sit on John Small's back. It is like being 
 perched upon a well-blown football. He is too much 
 of a little gentleman to kick or buck, or doing anything 
 vulgar, but he is " titupping " all over the course, and 
 bounding forward and whirling round all for pure fun, 
 and regardless of the tissue which he may yet require 
 for his last few strides. The heat and all this abomin- 
 able nonsense has got us both into a white sweat before 
 the race begins, and I find myself officiously shouting 
 to a young fellow some hundreds of yards away who is 
 approaching at a slow walk, to come up and let us get 
 away. 
 
 What a squash we are ! How shall we ever get 
 started. There are three or four professional jockeys 
 from Bengal, and there are a couple of Rangoon "boys," 
 who practise the same game. There are four or five 
 gentlemen who have ridden before, and two or three 
 who have never done more than follow the Rangoon 
 Beagles or scour along in a paper-chase, and there are 
 two or three native jocks. 
 
 Some of the two latter classes have already handed 
 
126 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 over charge to their horses, for the animals seem to be 
 doing exactly as they please. The Burmans are 
 amusing themselves by starting off on little spurts on 
 their own account, and the sun is frightfully hot, and 
 there is some rather unparliamentary language being 
 used, especially by the starter, who is very hot and 
 very puzzled, and very angry. " Look here, Moung 
 Mat, if you do that again I will send you off the course," 
 he shouts. " I say, Sir, do you know that your infernal 
 mare has kicked my pony ; just look out, will you ?" 
 " I say, Timkins," expostulates a youth, " you have 
 taken my inside place; come, that won't do, you know." 
 The little sharp-nosed " pro " thus addressed, remains 
 unmoved, however, merely remarking over his shoulder, 
 " Tain't possible, Sir, not for everybody to 'av 'is own 
 place : least ways not in a squash like this 'ere ; 
 specheally (and he turns round to me confidentially) 
 when they don't know 'ow to keep it when they've 
 got it." 
 
 At last, after a lot of humbug and useless delay, 
 the starter lowers his flag and the race has begun. 
 Quite half the ponies have got clean away with their 
 riders, but it matters little, for the pace is so hot to 
 start with that we are most of us in the same box. 
 Luckily we are moving up the, to the eye, imperceptible 
 incline which is known on this course as "the hill." 
 This gives us a better chance of steadying our animals 
 before the big fence at the turn is reached. 
 
 The first fence is, as usual, a hurdle, and a proper 
 stiff un, too. We all know that liberties are not to be 
 taken with Rangoon hurdles, and we all strive to get 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 12 J 
 
 a clear spot to take off. There is a good deal of hust- 
 ling, one or two more unkind expressions, and, amidst 
 a great clattering of irons, everyone is clear over. We 
 are now en route to the " double," a very big fence 
 indeed for ponies — a broad firm bank with a ditch on 
 both sides. 
 
 There must be some "crowners" here, or experience 
 is at fault. I give my little lion his head slightly in 
 hopes of being able to get sufficiently in front to get 
 a clear take-off, but it is no go, the others also increase 
 their speed, and I find I must be satisfied to keep in 
 the ruck a little longer. John Small is a "rusher," 
 not a very safe style of fencer as a rule, but he has 
 never yet given me a fall. The bank is slightly over 
 the incline, and now, here goes ! I steady him slightly, 
 then lower my hands and let him have his head. He 
 increases his pace to full speed ; with a great bound he 
 lands on the top of the bank, and with a second he 
 clears the far ditch by at least six feet. Half-a-dozen 
 are over in the same bunch, and as we sail away I 
 glance over my shoulder to find that only one horse- 
 man has come to grief. The riderless pony, having 
 fallen and rolled over his master, now joining the race 
 once more. The next fence is a mud wall only three 
 foot three inches, but a stiff jump with a ditch on the 
 near side. The whole cavalcade clear it without error 
 or fail. We are now approaching the Grand Stand 
 where are the water jump and the ladies. But before 
 we reach this in our headlong flight, the stone wall 
 has to be negociated. There is no denying it. There 
 it is before us. Three feet three inches, built up of 
 
128 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 solid masonry, not a loose brick to be seen, and one 
 foot thick. No liberties allowed. "Now, gentlemen," 
 says Timkins, not half liking the look of it, " git 'old of 
 
 your 'orses'eads." I am riding alongside of Captain , 
 
 R.A. His little chesnut takes off too near, strikes 
 heavily, and horse and man roll over in a heap of 
 bricks. Everyone hopes he is not hurt, but no one 
 looks back. Forrard, forrard, forrard ! I am aware 
 that if my little chaser has a weakness in a cross- 
 country gallop, it is in his dislike for water. He had 
 not improbably been nearly drowned in some flood, 
 when a little foal six years ago, poor little man. So 
 I check his evident desire to take a front place at the 
 stand jump, and haul him back on his horses. He 
 must go over in the ruck and not be noticed of the 
 ladies. The fifteen still on their legs clear the water 
 in fine style and sweep past the multitude. The fence 
 at the corner is the "in-and-out," two mud walls 
 bushed up, and about ten paces apart. There is a lot 
 of very crooked going here as some try to cut off a 
 corner, but the whole lot get over somehow and we 
 move along to the "post and rails." It is made of 
 teak plants one inch thick and nine inches deep. We 
 are still altogether, you might cover us with a blanket. 
 We all get over but one, whose pony striking, and falls 
 heavily. We now commence to climb the hill for the 
 second time, the same fences being before us with the 
 exception that after the mud wall, we get on to the 
 flat racecourse, the last fence, a hurdle, being near the 
 winning post. Before starting, I had been strongly 
 advised by an excellent judge to ease my pony up the 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 129 
 
 hill the second time round : "for," said he, "he is too 
 fat ; you have brought him out too fat." I felt it was 
 only too true, although, of the two, I believe John 
 Small was at this period of the race less blown than 
 his master. We were all getting played out by the 
 heat, which was terrific. So I catch hold of his hand- 
 some little head and ease him up the hill. He is very 
 sulky at being thus held back. He strikes the hurdle 
 a savage whack just to annoy me, and when we reach 
 the big double the whole field is in front of us ; he is 
 a bit slow at the fence, and we lose a length or two. 
 There is now at least ten lengths between John Small 
 and his foremost adversary, a fact which I can see he 
 observes. He quite realises the situation. He knows 
 that he has got to overhaul and beat that leading pony 
 before the latter reaches the Grand Stand, which is 
 only about a quarter of a mile distant. I feel that I 
 have not done him justice, but we must only do our 
 best now. So I just speak to him and slacken my 
 grasp of the reins, and with ears cocked and flashing 
 eye he begins the work of " coming through his horses." 
 Passing like an arrow one or two stragglers, he soon 
 comes up with the ruck, although, in his eagerness to 
 make up for lost ground, he carries away a big lump of 
 the mud wall, and very nearly comes down. He is now 
 only half a length behind the three or four who lead 
 the van. The last hurdle is before us. One or two 
 riders now begin to flog, and I think some who ought 
 to know better, so as we approach the hurdle, the poor 
 little ponies are fully extended and very much blown. 
 But I maintain it is a great thing to be in front at a 
 
 1 
 
130 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 fence, especially when there is likelihood of accident or 
 being fouled by a beaten animal ; so I push him into 
 a space between two ponies, and about six of us, three 
 of whom are professionals, charge the hurdle abreast. 
 Three ponies crash right into it, coming tremendous 
 "purlers," one professional breaking his collar bone. 
 My pony pecks badly, but recovers himself and, oh 
 joy ! I am leading by half a length. But the race is 
 not to the swift nor the battle to the strong. A few 
 strides from the winning post two ponies came along- 
 side, both bestrode by gentlemen, poor Harry Shubrick 
 of the Somersetshires, who has since met a soldier's 
 death in the dark jungles of Ningyn, and young 
 
 , a sporting Rangoon lawyer. And now a fierce 
 
 struggle takes place for the front place. Whips and 
 spurs are applied with vigour. I carry no whip myself 
 as it offends John Small's dignity, but I fear I spur 
 the poor little fellow's reeking flanks cruelly, and all 
 three little chasers, with dilated eyes and outstretched 
 necks, every muscle and fibre brought into play, 
 amidst loud cheers from the stand and enclosures, 
 rush past the judge's box. " All three a dead heat," 
 I hear a voice exclaim, and as a matter of fact none of 
 us know who has been the winner. We pull up our 
 exhausted steeds ; there is a slight pause, and then the 
 numbers of the winners are run up on the inexorable 
 board facing the stand. The bitter end has come. 
 Chorister 1, John Small 2, Sheway Yo 3. 
 
 Ah Sin has had his sweet revenge, and the Burman 
 judge has dropped his coin. Gone are six hundred 
 hardly earned rupees from he and his heirs for ever. 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 131 
 
 Such, then, is a specimen of a Rangoon steeple- 
 chase, and I confess that I have never seen the like in 
 my experience of such matters in many lands. 
 
 Another week has glided by, the October meet- 
 ing of 1885 is an event of the past, and speculators 
 thereon con over the figures in their banker's books, 
 some with feelings of remorse and bitterness, and some 
 with undisguised gratification. 
 
 November has begun, and the war clouds are 
 gathering with ominous roar over the doomed palaces 
 of the Alompras. The " Great Queen " is coming to 
 subdue the land. 
 
 That early this month an ultimatum had been 
 despatched to King Theebaw, giving him the choice 
 between accepting war or of placing himself virtually 
 under the wing of the British Government for the 
 future, everyone in Rangoon was well aware. We 
 also knew that' military preparations on an extensive 
 scale were being made for an expedition to Upper 
 Burma. We knew full well that the Burmese Court 
 would never believe we meant to fight, and would 
 accordingly evade and temporise. Furthermore, we 
 knew full well that if once an army was put on to the 
 flats of the Irrawaddy Flotilla Company, that great 
 trading body would convey it to Mandalay. 
 
 Like all the rest of us unfortunates in Lower Burma, 
 from our veteran chief to the smallest drummer boy, I 
 was most anxious to see the show, and I now set to 
 work, in accordance with the practice of that much 
 maligned body of officers stigmatised as " medal 
 hunters," to do my level best to be somewhere in at 
 
 1 2 
 
132 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 the death. We had all been given to understand that 
 we might "sit tight," and that our services would not 
 be required. Everything was to be done in India. 
 The expedition was to be equipped there, to be 
 despatched to Burma in steamers, transferred from the 
 steamers to the flats, and conveyed up the great river 
 into Burmese territory. Had the prospect of coming 
 events foreshadowed any increased press of work on 
 my department of the staff — had I been, for example, 
 in the Quartermaster-General's branch — I honestly 
 believe I should have been satisfied to have accepted 
 my hard fate unmurmuringly, and worked on for the 
 public good ; but I knew that my work would 
 be reduced, and that in all probability there would 
 be no difficulty in obtaining a substitute just as 
 well qualified as myself. So I wired away hastily to 
 every friend in power who I thought would be inclined 
 to help me, prepaying every message, but it was all 
 waste of money. I was nowhere in a contest for place ; 
 those on the spot beat me to fits. Simla referred me 
 to Ooty, and Ooty to Simla. I urged my claim on the 
 ground of local experience and personal knowledge of 
 the seat of war, but I never got any more satisfactory 
 reply than that " my name had been noted." At length 
 the long-expected nomination to the chief command 
 was announced, Major-General Prendergast, V.C., C.B., 
 a Mutiny hero, and far the most distinguished officer of 
 the Madras Army. 
 
 My hopes went up at this, firstly because he was a 
 personal friend, and secondly because I had only just 
 left his command at Hyderabad, and he knew that I 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 1 33 
 
 had interested myself in collecting information about 
 Upper Burma. So I sent the usual message, " Glad 
 you have got the command of the expedition ; please 
 remember me." His reply did not give me much hope ; 
 it ran thus : " Hope you will come with us ; wire Mili- 
 tary Secretary, Madras." I had done this twice 
 already, and been told my name had been noted. But 
 I sent off another, with the same result. The tele- 
 grams from Calcutta and Simla announced, day by day, 
 the various appointments to the staff, scarcely a single 
 soul of whom had ever set foot on the eastern shores 
 of the Bay of Bengal, and as they were all mopped up 
 one by one, each announcement causing me a little 
 pang of bitterness, I began to despair of outside help, 
 and was driven to the conclusion that my only chance 
 of joining the expedition was to invent an appointment 
 for myself. 
 
 The weather was still steaming — indeed, October 
 and the beginning of November in Burma is the worst 
 time of the year. One night, while tossing restlessly 
 under my mosquito curtains at the club chambers, a 
 happy thought suddenly flashed across my mind, and 
 like Gilead P. Beck, of Empire City, I felt that I had 
 "struck ile." I knew that there were forty or fifty 
 young gentlemen connected with one or other of the 
 numerous Rangoon firms who were keen followers of 
 our pack of beagles, and went very pluckily over some 
 of the stiff paper-chase courses in the neighbourhood 
 of the city. 
 
 That evening at dinner I had heard some of them 
 say that the war would stop all business for some time 
 
134 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 to come. Furthermore, I concluded that there must 
 be a score or two of mill artizans, factory hands, and 
 sailors in Rangoon, who, if supplied with saddles and 
 bridles, and carbines put into their hands, would ride 
 well enough to move from one point to another without 
 falling off. I knew from the telegrams that there were 
 no cavalry ordered — not a mounted man, not a saddle 
 or bridle. As far as we could make out, the generals 
 were to walk. So I resolved to raise a body of mounted 
 men for service in Upper Burma. I knew there would 
 be numerous difficulties in the way. I felt quite sure 
 that I should be snubbed, discouraged, and should 
 probably have to pay for a great part of the undertaking 
 out of my own pocket ; but these were minor con- 
 siderations, they would not shake my resolution a whit. 
 One thing of course I must obtain, the approval of the 
 idea by General Prendergast. The papers said that 
 the latter was to leave Madras for Rangoon at noon 
 on the following day, so that if I wanted to catch him 
 I must be sharp about it. I was up betimes, and off 
 on my redoubtable little chaser to interview several of 
 the most likely spirits in the place. They one and all 
 jumped at the idea. They would equip themselves, < 
 bring their own ponies, pay their own expenses, and 
 what not ; so I galloped off to the telegraph station and 
 wired, " Can raise fifty volunteers in Rangoon to serve 
 as mounted men with expedition, to be ready to move 
 in eight days.'' The reply was very cautiously worded, 
 but it was good enough for me to begin working on. 
 It said, " General approves of idea of mounted corps. 
 Consult with Major-General, Burma Division, as to 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 1 35 
 
 best material, &c." This I did, but without any definite 
 result. The general approved of the idea, but seemed 
 to think that there would be great difficulties in the 
 way of its accomplishment. He interviewed Mr. Ber- 
 nard, who with characteristic enthusiasm quite entered 
 into the affair. He said a portion of the mounted 
 company of the Rangoon Volunteers might go, and 
 that he would give me two officers of police to assist in 
 organising a body of mounted Burmans, who he be- 
 lieved, if judiciously led, would do good service. So 
 things looked up on this first day of my undertaking. 
 But this by no means satisfied my avarice. I pointed 
 out to my general that there were at least fifty men of 
 my own regiment who were good riders, having served 
 in the mounted infantry in South Africa for some years, 
 and that fifty more could be got from the Somerset- 
 shires. It was settled that the question of regulars 
 should stand over until the arrival of General Prender- 
 gast, and feeling quite convinced that he would give 
 me every support, I ordered equipment for a hundred 
 men from Calcutta and Lucknow. Of course every 
 firm with whom I entered into a contract broke it, and 
 there were many delays. 
 
 General Prendergast arrived at last. He approved 
 of everything I had done, and said, " I hope your 
 corps will be five hundred strong before we are long up 
 country." My services were placed at the disposal of 
 General Prendergast, and those of two or three other 
 officers who were to assist me. 
 
 I will draw a veil over the work of the next ten 
 days. I scarcely sat down for a moment, and I lost 
 
136 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 my temper more than once. I had transferred myself 
 with three officers and a hundred men to Thayetmyo, 
 where we were to be taken by our steamer a day or 
 two later. I had with me only about half of the men 
 I had originally calculated on, many of the best of them 
 being taken to accompany a land column, moving from 
 Tounghoo to Ningyan ; but the men present were per- 
 fectly equipped in every way, including the Burmans, 
 who were smartly dressed in blue jackets, red turbans, 
 karkee breeches, and gaiters, and armed with hog-spears. 
 The volunteers had dwindled down to fourteen, but 
 they were all good men and true, and full of fight. 
 Their much trusted adjutant, Captain Filliter, was with 
 them, but he was struggling against fever, and looked 
 like a ghost. Lindsell had got his South African troop 
 of mounted infantry, and Couchman was toiling from 
 daylight to dark as quartermaster and adjutant. 
 
 Our ponies were, on the whole, disappointing, many 
 of them not up to weight, and, with the exception of 
 some which I bought myself, and was helped to collect 
 at Rangoon, were a poor lot. Still, here we were at 
 last, thank Heaven, after the scares of recalls, &c, 
 under which we had passed. But I was not happy 
 yet, being still at the end of the wire, and the Talifoo, 
 my steamer, had not arrived. 
 
 Narrative of the Expedition. 
 
 On the 14th of November, 1885, the third and last 
 Burmese War may be said to have commenced. 
 
 The ultimatum had been delivered to King Thee- 
 baw — or at all events to his ministers ; and on the 13th 
 
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HISTORY OF BURMA. 1 37 
 
 of November the general had received a message from 
 the Government of India to the effect that he was to 
 advance on Mandalay as soon as possible. On this 
 day he had arrived at Thayetmyo, and his preparations 
 for an advance were almost complete. 
 
 Accordingly, on the following day, H.M.S. Irra- 
 waddy and the launch Kathleen, under the command 
 of Commander Clutterbuck, R.N., made a forward 
 reconnoissance up the river, where it was reported 
 a king's steamer, with flats, was cruising about. The 
 reconnoissance found the steamer about twenty-eight 
 miles from Thayetmyo, and immediately engaged her. 
 A few rounds from the machine-guns cleared her decks, 
 and the " Jacks " were soon on board their prize. 
 
 She was towed down to Thayetmyo, where she 
 arrived just as the vessel which brought me from 
 Prome reached the landing. Her captors were not in 
 sight, and as the king's flag floated from the mast, 
 some of the more credulous on our steamer suspected 
 that she was coming to attack our fleet on her own 
 account. As she approached, however, the " Pea- 
 cock " of Burma was hauled down, and the " Jack " of 
 England proudly substituted. It was a little theatri- 
 cal display, and it had its effect. The cheers rang out 
 and were taken up from ship to ship. The cheer was 
 spontaneous. It was not so much a cheer of triumph 
 as one of those shouts to which fighting men are wont 
 to give vent when they find themselves in the 
 presence of action. The soldiers cheered because the 
 '•' war had begun." 
 
 Now a word on the composition of the force which 
 
I38 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 had been placed under General Prendergast's com- 
 mand for the occupation of Mandalay. 
 
 It consisted in all of about ten thousand officers 
 and men formed in three brigades — two from Madras 
 Presidency, and one from Bengal, and constituted as 
 under : — 
 
 First Brigade. 
 Brigadier-General Foord. 
 
 2nd Battalion Liverpool Regiment. 
 
 1st Madras Pioneers. 
 
 21st Madras Infantry. 
 
 25th Madras Infantry. 
 
 Second Brigade. 
 Brigadier-General White, V.C., C.B. 
 2nd Battalion Hampshire Regiment. 
 1 2th Madras Infantry. 
 23rd Madras Infantry. 
 
 Third Brigade. 
 Brigadier-General Norman, C.B. 
 rst Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers. 
 2nd Bengal Infantry, 
 nth Bengal Infantry. 
 
 Artillery. 
 
 9 I 1st Cinque Ports Division R.A. 
 Hazara Mountain Battery. 
 Bombay Mountain Battery. 
 
 Two floating batteries armed with 70-pounder gun 
 and 6 "3-inch howitzers. 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 1 39 
 
 Naval Brigade. 
 
 Captain Woodward, R.N. 
 
 Crews of H. M.S. Woodlark. 
 ,, ,, Turquoise. 
 
 The Head-quarter Staff was composed of — 
 
 Colonel Bengough, Chief of the Staff. 
 
 Colonel Carey, Commanding R.A. 
 
 Colonel Sandford, R.E. 
 
 Major McNeil, D.A.Q.M.G. 
 
 Major Symons, D.A.A. and Q.M.G. 
 
 Captain Aldworth, A.D.C. 
 
 Deputy-Surg.-General McNeal Donnelly, P.M.O. 
 
 Lieut.-Colonel Laughton, A.C. General. 
 
 Major R. Hill, Director of Transport. 
 
 Lieut.-Col. Begbie, Superintendent of Signalling. 
 
 This army had been placed on the frontier of 
 Upper Burma, and was in readiness to advance in less 
 than a month from the date of the decision of Govern- 
 ment to despatch an army to Burma from India — a 
 feat in military administration which it would be 
 difficult to surpass. But we were organised and 
 equipped simply for the attainment of a limited object. 
 We had men and guns sufficient to sweep away all 
 opposition from the river's bank, and destroy or capture 
 all the chief towns thereon ; but having neither cavalry 
 nor transport, were scarcely in a position to effect the 
 conquest of a country as large as France, or to pursue 
 the king should he decide to abandon his capital. 
 
 The whole flotilla now moved forward, but I still 
 
140 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 awaited the arrival of the mounted infantry-ship, the 
 Talifoo. We had one parade — the only time we 
 were ever destined to be together. The volunteers 
 and mounted infantry worked by themselves, and as 
 the majority had had previous training, looked a work- 
 manlike little body of men. 
 
 The Burmans underwent their first day's training 
 as irregular cavalry under the direction of Mr. Fforde, 
 who spoke their language like a native ; they seemed to 
 enjoy the work immensely. The rapidity with which 
 they took the whole thing in was astounding, and gave 
 promise of good work when the time should arrive 
 for their employment in the field. One advantage 
 these little fellows had over all our newly-enlisted 
 horsemen, — they could all ride well, and, perched on 
 their brand-new red -cloth saddles, with big toe well 
 in the stirrup, were quite at home. After two 
 or three hours of this work, I returned to my 
 wooden abode to be welcomed by the following 
 cheerful telegram from Rangoon. " Obliged to load 
 your steamer and flats with arsenal stores and coals." 
 This was a facer. Poor Couchman, who had just 
 stretched his 6 feet 2 inches of bone and muscle 
 on a camp bed, forgot that he had a sprained knee, 
 sprang to his feet and shook his fist at an imaginary 
 Deputy Assistant Quartermaster-General, who fortu- 
 nately was separated from the irate giant by some two 
 hundred and fifty miles of land and water. A still 
 more disconcerting telegram arrived a few minutes 
 later, and as I fouftd myself vainly endeavouring to 
 serve two masters, the authorities of the British 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 141 
 
 Burma Division, and the authorities of the Field 
 Force, I resolved to repair my communications with 
 the latter with as little detriment to the public service 
 as possible. There were steamers arriving at Thay- 
 etmyo every day, so I proposed to break up the corps 
 and put a few men and ponies on each steamer. After 
 much hurry and no small delay — together with some 
 obstruction — and a good. deal of kindness from the 
 commanders of already overcrowded vessels, the whole 
 lot were embarked, and all were present to join in the 
 triumphal entry into Mandalay. 
 
 I have since been blamed for the want of system 
 by which the embarkation of my men was effected. 
 This, however, is all now a thing of the past, and I 
 need only say that the adverse criticisms came from 
 those who were unaware of the difficulties under 
 which I laboured. I found myself on board the 
 Irrawaddy Flotilla Company's steamer Ashley Eden, 
 steaming up the river with all the power that could be 
 got out of the engines, in what we now feared would 
 be a hopeless effort to come up with the fleet before 
 the attack on Minhla ; indeed an attack, rumour 
 said, had already taken place, but we hoped it was 
 only a prelude to a bigger one. The captain was a 
 keen man who did his own work, and munched his 
 meals while still directing his ship. He was as 
 anxious to come up with the fleet as the youngest, 
 amongst us. It rained in torrents all day, and the 
 banks of the river had a deserted, dreary look. Not 
 a soul was to be seen on land or water. 
 
 I was not particularly comfortable, as my " boy " (a 
 
I4 2 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 big, fat, self-sufficient Madrasee), had contrived to be 
 late for the steamer, and I was without any kit what- 
 ever ; a condition in which I remained for some weeks, 
 and, had it not been for the generosity of my com- 
 panions, I should not have had a very pleasant time of 
 it either as regards warmth or cleanliness. But one 
 blanket goes a long way in the East, and you can do at 
 a pinch on two flannel shirts. 
 
 The legitimate occupants of the Ashley Eden were 
 the Hazara Mountain Battery and the 23rd Madras In- 
 fantry. The guns were worked by big powerful mules — 
 animals that climb hills and clamber over the rocks 
 like goats. The men were Sikhs and Punjaubees — 
 great, tall, powerful fellows with muscles on their arms 
 like blacksmiths. In this regard they were a strange 
 contrast to the mild Hindoo of Southern India, whose 
 spindle-shanks were so well shown off by that most 
 tell-tale leg-gear, the puttee. The 23rd were a very 
 smart Madras regiment — the best shots in the Presi- 
 dency — and looked and acted like soldiers. There 
 were at this time with the corps a lieutenant-colonel, 
 two majors, and four subalterns.* I think when it is 
 taken into consideration that the Madras Army is not 
 recruited from warlike tribes, but, on the contrary, from 
 an agricultural, rice-eating people, of poor physique, 
 and much attached to their homes and families, 
 it is very creditable to all concerned that these regi- 
 ments are as fine as they are. Hitherto Government 
 has acquiesced in the enormous " following " of old 
 
 * Three out of four are since dead. Cochran, killed ; Laing and 
 Angelo died of fever. 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 1 43 
 
 men, women, and children who drag about the country- 
 after a native regiment. Each man has not only his 
 wife and children, but also a great tribe of relations to 
 provide for out of his pay, which is by no means a for- 
 tune. It is difficult to legislate for the eradication of an 
 evil of such long standing as this old Madras custom, 
 but something was attempted in this direction during 
 Sir Frederick Roberts' tenure of the Madras Command. 
 This same regiment, the 23rd, was apparently the first 
 to introduce, with any show of success, the system of 
 messes amongst the men, as practised in British corps. 
 Regular cooks had been appointed, and the younger 
 sepoys lived in such comfort that they were not driven 
 to marriage as the only means of having their rice 
 cooked. 
 
 As the afternoon wore on the rain slackened a 
 little, and before dark the weather got quite clear. But 
 there was yet no sign of the flotilla. The rule on 
 board these steamers is to anchor before dark and 
 remain anchored all night ; but our skipper, like our- 
 selves, was anxious to hear the news, so he steamed 
 on for an hour after nightfall by moonlight when, on 
 coming to a bend of the river, the whole flotilla of 
 steamers burst upon our view. 
 
 It was an exhilarating sight. All the steamers, 
 with their accompanying flats crowded with men, were 
 drawn up in two lines ; numerous lights gleamed on 
 their decks, while on their zinc roofs the signallers 
 "flashed" away messages from ship to ship with 
 untiring zeal. The little launches puffed and buzzed 
 away between the lines of their big brothers, con- 
 
144 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 veying passengers hither and thither. On the left 
 bank loomed the " beetling height " on which stood 
 Kolegone Fort, and on the right bank was Minhla a 
 humble, straggling village partly hidden in bush ; and 
 a glorious moon shone over all, illumining the shining 
 river, and lighting the path of the armies of the Great 
 Queen. 
 
 We slid up the stream, and anchored at a point 
 indicated to us by the occupant of one of the aforesaid 
 launches. I got into this launch, and was conveyed 
 to the head-quarter steamer, the Thanbyadine, a 
 long, narrow craft of low draught, with no flats 
 tacked on to her. I clambered on board, and was 
 soon amongst many friends. Everyone was in high 
 spirits ; the Minhla forts had been captured with small 
 loss — the main body of the enemy had, however, 
 evacuated the Kolegone fort, and retreated without 
 waiting for our surrounding movement to develop. 
 The staff had had a hard day's work. One of 
 them had come off badly out of the fighting, Major 
 McNeil, A.Q.M.G., having been hit on the knee, and 
 rendered hors de combat for the rest of the cam- 
 paign. 
 
 Of course the Job's comforter was not wanting in 
 this assembly of staff officers. " By Jove, old fellow," 
 he said, "what a chance you missed by not being here. 
 With fifty mounted men, you could have clean cut off 
 the retreat of the main body. Your fellows would 
 have been awfully useful — just the thing we wanted. 
 . . . You'll never get such a chance again." " Bosh, 
 my dear sir," quoth a bright-eyed doctor, " of course he 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 
 
 J 45 
 
 will get plenty of chances ; these little Johnnies mean to 
 fight, and these young gentlemen of the Volunteers will 
 have their fill of fighting before we reach Mandalay." 
 
 This was no time for vain regrets, so I sat down 
 •beside an old " pal " and heard a graphic account of 
 what I had missed. 
 
 What was at this time known as the Minhla forts 
 — since demolished — constituted the first fortified 
 defensive line designed to oppose an enemy's progress 
 up the Irrawaddy from British Burma. The principal 
 fort, Gwe-Gyomg-Kamyo, or Kolegone, was situated 
 on the left bank, on a commanding knoll close to the 
 river at a point forty-four miles from Thayetmyo. It 
 was well constructed by European engineers, and armed 
 with numerous guns. It completely commanded the 
 river for some miles, and had the ordnance been of 
 modern type, and well served, would have rendered 
 the approach of any vessel a perilous affair. Nearly 
 opposite this fort, on the right bank, was the town of 
 Minhla — a considerable native place. There was also 
 a fort here which surrounded the Woon's Court and 
 offices. 
 
 Having reconnoitred this position, General Pren- 
 dergast resolved to land his troops some miles lower 
 down on both banks and advance by country paths, if 
 possible, on both places simultaneously. In order to 
 divert the enemy's attention from these operations, he 
 directed the armed steamers to engage in an artillery 
 contest with the forts at long ranges. 
 
 In pursuance of these instructions, the First Bri- 
 gade landed at 10 a.m. at a place called Patanago, about 
 
 K 
 
146 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 seven miles below Kolegone fort. This brigade was 
 ordered to move round the back of the low hills which 
 here run parallel to the river, and gain a position east 
 of the fort, from whence a direct advance was to be 
 made. 
 
 The Second Brigade supported the First. 
 
 On the right bank, a force composed of the 2nd 
 and nth Bengal Infantry, and the 12th Madras 
 Infantry landed at about 11 a.m. at Maloon — a village 
 six miles below Minhla, and started to move on that 
 place by the intricate foot-paths, and through the dense 
 bush which prevail here. 
 
 The First Brigade, followed by the Second, 
 succeeded in gaining the position indicated, viz., a 
 white pagoda on. a rising ground, after about two 
 hours' severe marching. 
 
 On the first appearance of our troops, thus 
 occupying a position in their rear, the garrison of 
 the fort, already disconcerted by the fire of the 
 Irrawaddy and Kathleen, were panic-stricken, and, 
 evacuating the place, fled in wild confusion in a 
 northerly and north-easterly direction. 
 
 The fort was Occupied, and sOme half-dozen Bur- 
 mese soldiers were found badly wounded therein. 
 
 The troops operating on the right bank were in 
 better luck. By noon they were well on the road to 
 Minhla ; moving along three more or less parallel 
 pathways in the direction of their object. The jungle 
 was intensely thick, and in some places great delays 
 occurred, making it impossible to impart unity into the 
 advance. 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 1 47 
 
 The action was commenced by the skirmishers of 
 the 1 2th M.I., who found themselves checked by a hot 
 fire from a defensive position in thick bush. Some 
 delay occurred here, as the enemy's exact position did 
 not appear clear. At length, the nth supporting 
 the 1 2th, a resolute advance was made, and the 
 Burmese, hustled out of their position, fell back on 
 Minhla. 
 
 The 2nd Bengals were meanwhile moving on the 
 left of the general line of advance. The nth and 
 1 2 th were pretty well mixed up. Desultory fighting 
 now took place, the enemy pluckily disputing the 
 advance, but unable to check it. During this work, 
 Lieutenant Drury was killed, and Major McNeil 
 severely wounded. At length a small party of about a 
 dozen men and three or four officers reached a point 
 due west of the fort. An immediate rush was made up 
 the ramp which led to the terreplein of the work. 
 Lieutenant Wilkinson was up first, and got severely 
 cut about the head, but none of the others were touched. 
 There were about 500 men in the place, half of which 
 number threw down their arms and gave themselves 
 up, and the remainder rushed out by the river gate. 
 Here they ran right into the jaws of the troops, and 
 were shot down in dozens. 
 
 Our loss was 1 officer and 4 men killed, and 4 
 officers and 27 men wounded. 
 
 Having listened with much interest to this story, I 
 swallowed half-a-glass of whisky and water, and letting 
 myself down into the launch, went puffing away over 
 the moon-lit waters to my hard couch on the deck of 
 
 k 2 
 
148 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 the Ashley Eden. Arrived there, I found that some 
 of my fellow-passengers had got quite different 
 stories of the day's doings, and perhaps more accurate 
 ones ; who knows ? No two witnesses of an action 
 ever yet gave the same account of what they saw. 
 Unfortunately, for the cause of truth and justice, the 
 first report of an event — which is generally false or 
 exaggerated owing to the circumstances of excite- 
 ment under which it is related — is almost always 
 believed ever afterwards.* The. more matured account 
 is scarcely ever looked at. It may be true or it may 
 not be ; but it is dry and dull, and therefore is gene- 
 rally disregarded by the public. That man-making 
 and man-marring autocracy the Press, have their 
 wicked will in this regard. " Gineral's despatches, 
 indeed," says Blubber Smith, the tavern politician at 
 the Blue Bull, Whitechapel ; "all got up, bless yer. 
 For a true account o' a haction give me a noospaper 
 correspondent. There aint no polishing up this, nor 
 leaving out that, 'cause it tastes nasty ; there aint no 
 prejudice one way nor t'other — not about the like o' 
 'im, you bet ! " 
 
 After a short delay, caused by the necessity of 
 arranging for the garrisons of the captured positions, 
 on the morning of the 1 9th the whole flotilla advanced. 
 We felt sorry for our comrades, dropped on those 
 bleak shores, but this is a thing inevitable in all 
 wars. The detachments were composed of guns of 
 
 * A friend of mine has a saying that " if you only let a lie have 
 twenty-four hours' clear start you may save yourself the trouble of 
 contradicting it." 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 1 49 
 
 the Bombay Mountain Battery, the Liverpool Regi- 
 ment, and 2nd Bengal Infantry. To be left on the 
 line of communications is regarded as a great mis- 
 fortune by soldiers, as it generally entails months of 
 inaction ; but in this case they have had plenty to do, 
 and have clone it right well. 
 
 This campaign has strangely reversed all previous 
 experience in this regard, and some of the troops who 
 were pushed 800 miles up the river to Bamo and 
 Mogoung have had less fighting than many of their 
 comrades who formed the original garrison of Rangoon. 
 This is a quaint case of the fortune of war. 
 
 All orders and messages were communicated from 
 ship to ship by means of signallers, irreverently styled 
 " flag-waggers." Perched on the zinc roof of the 
 steamers they worked incessantly, and never flinched 
 under the fierce rays of the sun or the heavy 
 showers of rain which, ever and anon, drenched them 
 to the skin. It still continued to rain heavily for hours 
 daily, which made things the reverse to cheerful ; and 
 cholera, the direst of all diseases, made its appearance 
 amongst the troops. 
 
 Scarcely a soul was to be seen on the banks on this 
 our second day's journey up the great river. We 
 anchored in the same order as on the previous night 
 at Membo ; since the head-quarters of a Commissioner 
 and a Brigade. A large steamer, the Doowoon, 
 ioined us with some detachments of my own men on 
 board. It now became the head-quarter vessel, with 
 the addition of the greater portion of the mounted 
 corps, and I transferred myself thereto. If there was 
 
I50 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 any landing to be done at short notice we were now 
 well placed, being always to the front and unencum- 
 bered by flats. The volunteers seemed very fit, 
 and notwithstanding their hard fare — a change from 
 the Pegu Club, Rangoon, — were in capital spirits, 
 thoroughly identifying their fate with that of the 
 redoubtable " Tommies " around them. Not a mur- 
 mur did I hear. This was at one of those happy 
 periods of every campaign when anything and all 
 things please, ' when everything is fresh and full of 
 interest, and the heart is buoyed up by high hopes, if 
 not by noble aspirations. If to-day has been unevent- 
 ful, surely to-morrow will be fruitful of adventure. 
 The waiting and the weariness and the long months of 
 inaction had no part in our life during these early 
 days. 
 
 Another day — and another wet day too — we 
 steamed ahead with many stoppages, but saw no sign 
 of the foe. Fears were openly expressed that there 
 would be no more fighting ; and this night we drew 
 up and anchored at Yenangyoung, near which town 
 are a number of earth-oil wells which have, been 
 worked steadily for many years without any very 
 marked success. 
 
 The trade in earth-oils, it is said, has been damaged 
 by the importation of kerosine, which is far superior. 
 The former is now principally used for preserving 
 wood from the combined effects of weather and white 
 ants. 
 
 Another morning dawned — the steam-whistle of the 
 Pioneer steamer uttered three piercing shrieks, and 
 
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HISTORY OF BURMA. 151 
 
 in a very short time we were once more under weigh. 
 It was decidedly a score to be on board the head-quarter 
 ship. We were not obliged, like our less fortunate 
 friends, to keep in any particular place. The Doo- 
 woon could go where she pleased. Now she was far 
 ahead — even abreast of the cheeky little Kathleen as 
 the latter went puffing along, armed with her Gardner 
 gun and manned by fifteen blue-jackets, and feeling 
 quite equal to engage single-handed Theebaw's whole 
 army— and now she was bringing up the rear ; while, 
 far ahead of her, crawled the great chain of steamers, 
 remarkably resembling a procession of enormous 
 blackbeetles. 
 
 The Intelligence Department this day reported 
 that information had reached them that the enemy were 
 posted in great strength at Pagan, where it was pro- 
 bable a decisive action would be fought. This seemed 
 not improbable, and our spirits went up at the prospect 
 of some work. 
 
 Another detachment of mounted infantry had 
 come up and joined us, and I was beginning to feel 
 more happy. We forged ahead all day, battling with 
 the mighty currents. On the whistle of Captain 
 Woodward's ship blowing " the halt," we would shoot 
 ahead to see what was up, and again " tread water," 
 whilst, one by one, the whole fleet steamed past us. 
 Hitherto there had been only one mishap. A gun- 
 barge, with two 6 "3-inch howitzers, had gone to the 
 bottom, and one steamer coming on behind the fleet 
 had stuck in the mud with no more baneful effect than 
 the intense annoyance of .the troops on board. 
 
152 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 On this night we pulled up off Sillaymyo, where 
 we got pucka information of the presence of the Bur- 
 mese troops at Pagan. Those who knew the country 
 — and very very few they were — naturally supposed 
 that Theebaw's general had ensconced himself under 
 cover of the succession of ready-made fortresses which 
 the ruins of the pagodas naturally form, and from which 
 he could only be dislodged after a severe struggle, and 
 heavy losses on our side. So, fully persuaded that 
 we were in for a fight, we left Sillaymyo as soon as the 
 fog had cleared, and moved forward to Pagan. At 
 about two o'clock we hove in sight of the city, and 
 steamed on in full view of it for a. couple of hours. It 
 would be difficult to imagine a more curiously-interest- 
 ing sight than the ruins of Pagan to-day. As I have 
 already stated, I had seen it before, and had studied 
 it, both from an historical and architectural point 
 of view. Indeed, so much reference has already 
 been made in the early pages of this work to this 
 ancient city, that the reader, to a certain extent, must 
 feel at home now that we are there. Fifteen years had 
 elapsed since I had seen it, but, excepting the fact that 
 it was wonderful in its extent and the variety of its 
 architectural remains, only a dim vision of it remained 
 in my mind's eye. 
 
 It was truly a lovely November noon as we now 
 forged ahead. The rain had cleared the atmosphere, 
 and the air had that peculiarly fresh and crisp feeling 
 which is characteristic of the early days of the Eastern 
 winter. Every speck on the blue hills far away seemed 
 discernible to the naked eye. 
 
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HISTORY OF BURMA. I 53 
 
 Perched upon the zinc roof of the Doowoon 
 were several staff officers, binoculars in hand, busily 
 engaged in trying to discover some sign of human life 
 amongst the countless domes and spires of the temple- 
 studded plain. But nothing moved. It looked like a 
 weird city of the dead ; and it was so.' Someone 
 remarked what a grand place it would have been to 
 have defended. Artillery would have done little 
 damage to the solid masses of masonry which would 
 have afforded safe cover from fire. For a close de- 
 fence it was still better adapted. Each temple and 
 pagoda was a fort in itself, with as many as three tiers 
 of fire — and there were hundreds of these, each flank- 
 ing its neighbour. 
 
 As I made no reference to these interesting 
 ruins in the cursory sketch of my first journey to 
 Upper Burma, given in the foregoing pages, I pro- 
 pose to devote a word or two to the subject here. 
 Pagan was a royal city for over four hundred years, 
 viz., from a.d. 840 to a.d. 1286 ; but only for the last 
 two centuries was it supreme in Indo-China, and it was 
 during this latter period that most of the temples — and 
 all the great ones — were built. The architecture of 
 the various temples is by no means exclusively Indo- 
 Chinese ; on the contrary, many, especially the larger 
 ones, bear the impress of Indian craftsmanship. 
 
 Yule, who spent several days here, goes most 
 minutely into the subject. He estimates the number 
 of temples at from 800 to 1,000. There are several 
 types, each representative of a certain school of art. 
 The bell-shaped pyramid of solid masonry. The same 
 
*54 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 raised over a square or octagonal cell containing an 
 image of Buddha. The bluff knob-like dome of the 
 Ceylon Dagobas, with the square cap. The Pumpkin 
 Pagoda. The cruciform vaulted temple. Three 
 gigantic temples dominate their lesser brethren, as 
 St. Paul's dome towers above his neighbours. 
 
 The loftiest is called the " Thapingu." It stands 
 on a high platform, and is surrounded by a number of 
 smaller kyoungs or spires. 
 
 The " Gaudapalen " is another conspicuous object 
 which catches the eye of the spell-bound traveller. It 
 much resembles some great European cathedral. 
 
 Another colossal ruin is the " Dhamayangyi." It 
 is encompassed by a brick wall 250 yards square. 
 Yule remarks on the brickwork, which he says is the 
 most beautiful imaginable. 
 
 We seemed to have reached the northern limits of 
 the city, when a stoppage occurred in the fleet, and 
 the Doowoon once more shot ahead to ascertain the 
 cause. Through our glasses we could see the Kath- 
 leen steaming down stream with all speed — evidently 
 charged with some important intelligence. " Well 
 done, little Kathleen" remarked an officer, 
 " Trench has run them to ground." Woodward 
 signalled a moment later. " Enemy in sight ; en- 
 trenched on left bank." We could see the bluffs over- 
 hanging the river's bank upon which Alompra's soldiers 
 were posted to oppose our advance. 
 
 It was late in the day to have effected a landing, 
 and long before any turning movement could have 
 been accomplished it would have been dark. What 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 1 55 
 
 happened was this : Captain Woodward was directed 
 to advance with his armed steamers and floating bat- 
 teries, and engage in an artillery contest with the enemy 
 on the bluff. He had under his command — in addi- 
 tion to the Irrawaddy and the launch Kathleen — the 
 Gnawoon under Commander Carpenter, R.N., and 
 the Pulow and Ataran which towed the two 
 floating batteries, armed with the great guns. The 
 batteries were the invention of Colonel Carey, R.A., 
 who displayed great skill and ingenuity in their con- 
 struction on the eve of the outbreak of hostilities. So 
 the big guns were christened by the men " Mother 
 Carey's Chickens." Whether the possession of these 
 noisy and ponderous young birds were an advantage 
 or a disadvantage to our Chief is a matter on which 
 opinions differ. If he had no big guns he could 
 never have been accused — and most unjustly accused, 
 moreover — of allowing three Burmese armies to go 
 away with their arms. He would have been obliged 
 to have attacked and destroyed them with infantry. 
 But then he would not thereby have fulfilled his in- 
 structions to " move up the river and occupy Mandalay 
 with as little bloodshed as possible" 
 
 The Doowoon goes as close as she can without 
 interfering in any way with Captain Woodward's 
 little squadron. 
 
 And now let us watch the little one-act drama 
 about to be played under our eyes. Through the 
 clear air we descry the muzzles of the enemy's guns 
 protruding from the embrasures of the batteries on 
 the bluff. 
 
156 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 There are two of the king's steamers distinctly 
 visible, but they appear to be sunk, and are lying over 
 in the water close to the lofty bank. The armoured 
 vessels now move cautiously forward. One would 
 think they were going to bombard Cronstadt, so 
 carefully are they manoeuvred. The flag-waggers 
 now redouble their efforts, as^toessages fly from ship 
 to ship. 
 
 Surely they must now be within range. Yes, the 
 Irrawaddy swings round and a white puff of smoke 
 issues forth. The action has begun. The floating 
 batteries move up into line, and the great guns, belching 
 forth flame and smoke, hurl their iron messengers of 
 death at Jack Burman's devoted head. Screeching 
 and whistling they tear a passage through the pure air 
 of .the evening. " Boom " goes a shot ; there is a 
 pause ; then a great column of smoke rises out of the 
 thick bush ; then a sharp report comes back to us over 
 the waters. 
 
 But what are the defenders at ; all this time ? 
 Well, they are hard at work serving their guns. 
 We see white puffs all along their position, and 
 the reports reach us in little " pops." Firing heavily, 
 Captain Woodward pushes steadily on. The shells 
 strike the bluff, and bursting with a report twice as 
 loud as that of Jack Burman's artillery, raise great clouds 
 of red dust high into the air. As the range becomes 
 closer the practice improves. The little puffs become 
 less frequent and more fitful, but their continuance 
 shows that these little red gunners are still at their 
 guns. Then they cease altogether. 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 
 
 157 
 
 The declining rays of the setting sun shed a golden 
 light on the sleepless waters as they pass ever onwards 
 on their passage to the sea, and flood with a red glow 
 the wooded heights, perched upon which, only an hour 
 previously, this little army of savages had resolved to 
 do, or die, in defence of their King and Country. But 
 seventy-pounder shells bursting all round them have 
 upset alike their nerves and their patriotism. In a 
 word, they have bolted, leaving their guns in the hands 
 of the victors. It is now nearly dark. We see the 
 blue-jackets on the roofs of the king's half-sunken 
 steamers, and Captain Woodward — these sailors are 
 never satisfied — wants to know if he may land his men, 
 and take the guns. We suppose the Chief must have 
 granted permission, for in the fading light we see the 
 sailors swarming up the heights, and disappearing. No 
 enemy was found there alive or dead. The guns, 
 eleven in number, were thrown over the cliff into the 
 river. 
 
 On this day, the 22nd November, we had reached a 
 point 144 miles from the British frontier — which may 
 be deemed satisfactory progress. 
 
 We remained anchored at Pagan part of the next 
 day, and detachments of the Bombay Mountain Battery, 
 Liverpool Regiment, and nth Bengal Infantry were 
 disembarked to garrison the place. The camp was 
 fixed on a commanding height. The surrounding 
 scenery was pretty and interesting, but I thanked my 
 stars I was not to be one of them. Three months in 
 an entrenchment in South Africa, which had once been 
 my fate, made me feel that I had done my share of 
 
158 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 that sort of thing for life. As we had orders always 
 to be on the watch, to sleep in our boats, and fall in 
 one hour before daylight ; and, as no enemy ever ap- 
 peared, even against the most distant skyline, I have 
 always regard these three months of " sitting tight " as 
 by no means a happy experience. Still it had to be 
 done, and these fellows had their turn now. They 
 seemed cheerful enough, and glad to stretch their legs 
 on terra firma again. The best part of one of our 
 three brigades had now disappeared. 
 
 During the afternoon we made a further advance, 
 but only for a few miles, when we drew up and anchored 
 for the night. But now we were no longer on board 
 the head-quarter steamer. A further addition to the 
 mounted corps had arrived from Thayetmyo the day 
 before, and the staff began to consider the relative 
 advantages and disadvantages of our room, and our 
 company. They decided for the former. 
 
 The men occupied much of the space which was 
 required for the numerous army of clerks appended to 
 the different departments ; and the ponies, some of which 
 were given to kicking, rendered the passages insecure, 
 and, by their nocturnal stamping and squealing disturbed 
 the slumbers of these aspiring Moltkes. So I was 
 informed that a whole flat attached to the Thurreah, 
 one of the finest steamers in the fleet, was now at my 
 disposal, and would be brought alongside the Doowoon 
 for the reception of my men and horses. The change 
 was made in next to no time, the ponies trailing over 
 the planks laid across as if they had been at the work 
 all their lives. 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 1 59 
 
 The skipper of the Thurreah was known as 
 " the Commodore." He appeared to be a lame man ; 
 had a shock head of red hair, and a shrill voice, and 
 he evidently did not regard the advent of about a 
 hundred kicking and biting ponies as an unmixed 
 blessing. However, he was a thoroughly good fellow, 
 and did his best to make my officers and men as 
 comfortable as possible. He was a personal friend of 
 some of the volunteers, and expressed much sympathy 
 with them in their self-imposed discomforts. Indeed, 
 I had to restrain his generosity in this regard with un- 
 palatable firmness. I fear he did not altogether credit 
 my evidence that they were quite satisfied with their 
 field rations ; but as a matter of fact they were. His 
 " any amount of beer, whisky, and soda, &c," which 
 he was anxious to give them, was accordingly declined, 
 with thanks, much to his surprise. He did not approve 
 of the volunteer movement when carried into the field 
 of offensive warfare. " These men," he urged, " bear 
 valuable lives, and if they get killed, or lose their 
 limbs, who is to compensate them or their friends ? 
 What are they to gain in any case ? " " Oh ! " I replied, 
 " they don't expect to gain much ; they come of their 
 own free will to see a little real soldiering. They will 
 certainly get a medal, and possibly a little prize- 
 money." " Well," he said, " they are fine fellows, and 
 show a good spirit. I wonder if I shall get a medal ? " 
 And away he toddled to his work. 
 
 The next morning, shortly after we had made a 
 start, the Hampshire Regiment, and some Sappers, 
 landed at a place called Kounyuwa, demolished a 
 
l60 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 battery, and took possession of some guns. Informa- 
 tion was obtained here that the whole Burmese Army, 
 under Hie- thin, the Atwin Woon, was assembled at 
 Mingyan, a large town about twenty miles further on, 
 where they had been occupied for some days in 
 entrenching themselves. So we steamed on full of 
 hope. The country very much resembled that through 
 which we had already passed — the open bits being 
 limited to the vicinity of the villages — everywhere else 
 jungle. 
 
 We were pretty well to the front in the 
 Thurreah, although it was a falling-off after the 
 general's ship. We had a distinguished brigadier on 
 board with no end of ribbons on his coat, so we were 
 safe not to be forgotten. Towards evening we hove 
 in sight of Mingyan, and there was a great deal of 
 stopping, blowing whistles, &c, &c, and the Com- 
 modore was in a fine rage. 
 
 Some of us climbed on to the zinc roof, and began 
 to ply our field-glasses. Mingyan appeared to be a 
 large town, and there were numerous spires and 
 kyoungs. The banks of the river were alive with men, 
 and on the high ground at the back of the town 
 masses of troops were visible, the huge gold umbrellas 
 of their leaders gleaming in the sun. 
 
 This, it would appear, was the only Burmese Army 
 that was ever assembled, but, judging by their position 
 and the ground they covered, it could not have, 
 exceeded a few thousand in number. 
 
 " I hope," said a keen young sub by my side, as 
 we speculated on coming events, " I hope they will let 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. l6l 
 
 us land and attack, and not use those confounded 
 ' Mother Carey's chickens.' They kill no one, and 
 only frighten them away." 
 
 Luckily the gallant C.R.A. was not present to hear 
 this disparaging remark about his pets, but I thought 
 the youngster had hit the right mark on the head. His 
 wish was not to be fulfilled. No order came to us to 
 push up to the front, and presently the big guns began 
 booming forth. Those hungry tars were once more 
 monopolising all the play. The guns were enfilading 
 the Burmese batteries, which appeared low down near 
 the bank, and across the sandy bed of a dry arm of the 
 great river. We could only descry their position by 
 the white puffs of smoke which issued from the 
 batteries. 
 
 As the armed steamers slowly advanced, one 
 battery after another was silenced, and the enemy 
 could be seen scuttling into the long grass and high 
 standing corn, but all moving towards the main 
 position on the north side of the nulla. 
 
 Night was beginning to close round us, so we 
 came to a halt and anchored. Not so the Naval 
 Brigade. If Captain Woodward ever received any 
 signal to hold hard, he must have failed to appreciate 
 its meaning, for as it grew darker the fire from the 
 ships increased. Not satisfied with silencing the 
 batteries, the Irrawaddy and Kathleen ran right 
 up under the entrenchments and engaged in a lively 
 contest, using case-shot, Gardners, and musketry, 
 while the Burmese opened a musketry fire on them all 
 along their entrenchments at close range. Meanwhile 
 
162 
 
 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 " the chickens " continued to play their own game, the 
 great shells bursting like exploding powder-magazines 
 far away inland. The fire continued till some time after 
 dark, then gradually subsided. Two blue-jackets only 
 were wounded, so the Burmese fire must have been 
 pretty wild. 
 
 I think we all felt convinced that not a Burman 
 would be in sight on the morrow. They would 
 scarcely wait for a taste of the breech-loaders. The 
 peril they had undergone would probably be good 
 enough for them. 
 
 Elaborate orders came round, detailing arrange- 
 ments for the big fight which was to come off on the 
 morrow ; and, although I was firmly convinced that the 
 enemy would, in accordance with their custom, 
 evacuate the place during the night, I was proud to 
 see that the mounted corps was designed to take an 
 important part in the proposed day's doings. 
 
 Carey's noisy fledgelings could not even roost till 
 daylight, or let others sleep, for before dawn they 
 began kicking up a ,row again. This, however, 
 stopped somewhat precipitately, and all was quiet. 
 
 The morning came, and we steamed up to our 
 appointed landing-places. But where was the foe ? 
 Where were the busy clusters of kerchiefed heads ? 
 Where were the gold umbrellas which shone under the 
 declining rays of yesterday's sun ? Alas ! all gone. 
 Not a soul was to be seen along the lines of deserted 
 entrenchments. We landed, got on our ponies, and 
 had a look round. Not a shot was fired, and only 
 a few villagers were to be seen. Some of these 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 1 63 
 
 last actually assisted us to cut some grass for our 
 ponies. 
 
 The Burmese entrenchments were most ingeniously- 
 constructed, and gave excellent cover from a fire from, 
 the river, but could of course have been rolled up by 
 a flank attack. A line of low hills ran at the back of 
 these lines, and parallel to them, which seemed to 
 facilitate a surrounding movement ; but my own belief 
 is that they were too sharp to allow of anything of the 
 sort, unless it was undertaken at night. There were 
 a few dead found about. 
 
 After an hour or two on shore, some sturdy-looking 
 villagers came to stare at us, and seemed willing to 
 lend a hand to anything in quite a cheerful spirit. 
 This conduct is very characteristic of the Burmans. 
 There is an impulsiveness and a mental and moral 
 elasticity about them which is most quaint. They 
 are friendly, confiding, obliging, and cheery at, say, 
 6 a.m. This is not altogether free from genuineness 
 whilst it lasts ; but an hour later the same half-dozen 
 who have thus volunteered to lend a hand will, if only 
 the idea come into — or be put into — their heads, 
 elaborately crucify you, laughing away lustily at your 
 agonies. 
 
 Before we re-embarked I was troubled to collect 
 the numerous ponies which I had lent (on receipt) to 
 different commanding and staff officers. With the 
 exception of my own there were scarcely half-a-dozen 
 in the whole army. However, I got most of them 
 together, and another start was made for Mandalay. 
 
 The detachments left here were almost exactly 
 
 l 2 
 
164 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 similar to those at Pagan, viz., Liverpool Regiment, 
 nth Bengal Infantry, and Bombay Mountain Guns. 
 We had now only two brigades for the finishing 
 operations, scarcely too many if Mandalay was to be 
 defended. One of our three British regiments had 
 disappeared, and all the Bengal Infantry. 
 
 On this evening the fleet anchored off Yandabo, 
 the place where the Treaty of Peace was signed which 
 brought the first Burmese War to a close in 1826. Fogs 
 in the mornings now caused us considerable delay, it 
 being impossible to get under weigh before eight o'clock. 
 
 We were only a good day's steam from the Ava 
 forts and lines, which it was said would be resolutely 
 defended. There could be no doubt that affairs were 
 approaching a crisis. 
 
 At Mingyan the Intelligence Department ascer- 
 tained that the army assembled there had fallen back 
 on these positions, which was quite within the bounds 
 of possibility, as, owing to the bend in the river here, 
 the land journey from point to point is little more than 
 half the distance of the river route. 
 
 So, all expectant, we steamed ahead for hours 
 without encountering any more formidable obstacle to 
 our advance than some floating barges filled with stones 
 which had evidently refused to sink. 
 
 About four o'clock, however, a king's state barge, 
 resembling somewhat a Grecian war-boat of the olden 
 time, was seen approaching ; a white flag on a pole at 
 her stern fluttered in the breeze. This looked like no 
 fight, but no one much believed it meant anything 
 more than an attempt to gain time. 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 1 65 
 
 The Kathleen went forward to meet this primi- 
 tive man-of-war, and taking her somewhat unceremoni- 
 ously in tow, tugged her up alongside the headquarter- 
 boat. A halt of some duration now took place. We 
 had guessed the game rightly on board the Thurreah. 
 It was simply to ask for an armistice until all things 
 were prepared to receive us at the capital. The barge 
 contained two great Mandalay functionaries : (i) 
 Myoung Shoay-ak-Kyouk Myoung, Atwin Woon, the 
 Minister of the Interior ; (ii) Oo-shoay-ak Watima 
 Soot, Woondonk. These gentlemen were invited on 
 board the general's steamer, and ponderously pro- 
 duced a royal letter which, translated by Colonel 
 Sladen, ran thus : — 
 
 " Dated 4th decrease of Tasoungmon, 1247. 
 
 "From His Excellency the Prime Minister to the 
 Commander-in-Chief of the English War-boats. 
 
 " 1. Although the treaty negociated at Simla was 
 not concluded, the Burmese Government were under 
 the impression that the former friendly conditions 
 would still prevail, and they would not therefore 
 believe that the English Government would make 
 war on Upper Burma. 
 
 " 2. The Burmese Government have always had 
 at heart the welfare and prosperity of the English 
 people. They have all along protected the interests 
 of the Irrawaddy Company's teak trade, and the pre- 
 sent interests of all British subjects. 
 
 " 3. We are desirous of still further protecting 
 
1 66 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 British interests as far as lies in our power, both at 
 present and in all future time. 
 
 " 4. The last letter forwarded by the Government 
 (the ultimatum) contained very important political 
 matter, and our sovereign regrets that the time allowed 
 was too short to admit of serious deliberation. The 
 English Government ought to have known that the 
 reason why the Burmese Government did not freely 
 concede all the demands made, was because we were 
 not allowed sufficient time for deliberation." * 
 
 Twelve or fourteen paragraphs followed, almost the 
 same expressions being used as in the foregoing, and 
 concluding with these words : " We now desire that 
 hostilities should cease, and we trust the English 
 Government will meet us half-way, and enter into a 
 treaty by which friendly intercourse may be resumed 
 between the two countries." 
 
 To all this the general replied that it was quite out 
 of his power to accept any offer or proposal that would 
 affect the movement of the troops on Mandalay, and 
 that if King Theebaw agreed to surrender his person, 
 his army, and his capital, and that if the European 
 residents in Mandalay were discovered to have been 
 unmolested, he would respect his life and the lives and 
 property of his family. He also said that the reply to 
 this announcement must reach him by 4 a.m. the fol- 
 lowing morning. 
 
 - As a guard, I presume, for this mission, a king's 
 steamer, armed with guns and the bulwarks barricaded, 
 
 * They asked for time to consult France, Germany, and Russia. 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 1 67 
 
 appeared coming down the river. Her decks were 
 crowded with soldiers, and she flew the king's peacock 
 flag. She gave us a wide berth, and nearing the 
 shore must have been in quite shallow water. The 
 cheeky little Kathleen puffed up to her and stood 
 watching her ready to pounce, as a bulldog watches 
 a bull. Presently Colonel Sladen, with six or eight 
 blue-jackets, boarded her and summoned the crew to 
 surrender, but the majority preferred jumping into the 
 water and swimming, or wading ashore. 
 
 On this night the fleet anchored at a place seven 
 miles below Ava, and once more orders were issued 
 for the fight on the morrow. A rough and, consider- 
 ing the scant information at his disposal, fairly correct 
 sketch of the country was prepared, and sent round by 
 our ingenious and indefatigable chief of the staff, 
 Colonel Bengough, and I received orders to gallop for 
 a bridge, and hold it against all comers ; so there 
 might yet be a chance for some work for us, and not 
 uninteresting work either, as the bridge was the 
 enemy's only line of retreat. 
 
 Our brigadier sent for commanding officers to 
 explain to them their orders, and issue his own. 
 Some instructions had been laid down for the assault 
 on the Ava Fort, which was to be stormed by a party 
 of a gallant regiment. The report quoted said : " The 
 ditch can be crossed by throwing across two-inch 
 planking." This was too much for the gallant colonel, 
 who exclaimed, " What the devil does he mean ? (the 
 writer of the report). Cross on a two-inch plank ! Does 
 he think me a rope-dancer ? " 
 
1 68 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 Another morning dawned cold and chill ; a dense, 
 white fog obscuring all view. 
 
 At about 8 a.m. the three whistles announced the 
 " forrard " once more, and the great chain of steamers 
 were soon breasting the current. But we had not 
 gone far when another of those confounded golden 
 barges was seen approaching. This naturally meant 
 more delay, but no one for an instant thought that any 
 check in the general advance would take place. The 
 barge, however, drew up alongside the Doowoon, and 
 the messengers produced the following letter : — 
 
 " No. i. Sent by Royal Order. 
 
 " From the Hlot Dan to Bo Hmoo, A twin Woon ; Pen 
 Myo-sa Maythit, Atwin Woon; Kyouk Myoung, 
 A twin Woon ; Wet Ma Soot, Woondonk ; Pendalai, 
 Woondonk. 
 
 "■ When the English ships arrive you are on no 
 account to fire on them. Let all the troops keep quiet. 
 Publish this everywhere. The king concedes uncon- 
 ditionally to all the demands made by the Commander 
 of the English forces as contained in his letter of yes- 
 terday's date. You are to let the English Commander 
 know this as quickly as possible." 
 
 The general now transferred himself from the 
 Doowoon to the Palow, Captain Woodward's ship, 
 and the latter steamed rapidly ahead. This was all 
 a mystery to us, and, having strained our eyes to see 
 what was up, we walked about the deck, moodily 
 wondering how events would develop themselves. 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 169 
 
 After what seemed to be an endless wait, the welcome 
 three whistles were heard once more. But now our 
 advance was very slow and tedious, and our signallers 
 could get no information out of the leading steamers. 
 As Ava became more and more distinct, we could see 
 numbers of Burmese troops manning the fort, and the 
 earthen entrenchments known as the Ava Lines, at the 
 back of which were thick woods. White flags were 
 everywhere to be seen. As someone remarked, " The 
 brutes must have cut up all their table linen." Above 
 Ava we descried a line of apparently half-sunken 
 vessels right across the river, evidently intended to bar 
 our advance. The view as we approached was cer- 
 tainly very lovely. This is, to my mind, by far the 
 prettiest and most interesting portion of the Irrawaddy 
 scenery, although, of course, some of the upper defiles 
 are more imposing. Our course was almost due east, 
 owing to a bend in the river here. The Sagain Hills, 
 a succession of lofty bush-clad cones, crowned with 
 snow-white temples, seemed from this point of view to 
 close the passage of the river, which really passes round 
 their southern extremity. As we slowly advanced, the 
 landscape opened out, and straight in our front the 
 rugged blue line of the Shan mountains cut hard 
 against the clear sky. The sites of other ancient seats 
 of royal power, little by little, came in view. Sagaing, 
 on the right bank, nearly opposite Ava, and, higher up, 
 on the left bank, Amarapoora appeared embosomed in 
 thick woods, the earthworks of the great wall being 
 about all that remained of the city. Our ship had now 
 passed by the spot where I had been directed to land 
 
17° THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 my men, and we were, almost abreast of Ava Fort. 
 Here there was a pause in the proceedings. The 
 armed ships were in our front, and were sulkily basking 
 on the waters opposite the forts waiting for orders. To 
 judge by their attitude, the Burmese soldiers along the 
 entrenchments seemed like ourselves — " waiting for 
 orders." 
 
 At length the signal came — " On the ships opening 
 fire the troops will land at once." As this signal was 
 passed along there was bustle and excitement on board 
 the various vessels of the fleet. Our skipper fixed a 
 spot on the bank close under the fort, and he said, 
 " Now, on the first shot, I'll run you in there.'' Some 
 waited in hopeful anticipation for the "boom " of the 
 first cannon. As I could see that all the fighting would 
 be storming a succession of forts and earthworks in 
 dense woods surrounded by water, I had determined 
 not to land the ponies, but fight on foot,*" and we were 
 all ready to jump on shore the moment she ran along- 
 side. The " boom " of the first gun never came ! 
 What did come was a message, which ran thus : — 
 " Land, and take over the arms which will be surren- 
 dered to you," So he ran her in, and in a moment or 
 two the volunteers and mounted infantry were swarm- 
 ing up through the long grass of the high bank. The 
 fort was found to be empty, and some of the men 
 pulled down the two red flags which had been hoisted 
 only about half an hour before by the Burmans, and 
 substituted the " Union Jack." Gradually troops joined 
 
 * Where the "bridge" was shown on the sketch there was a 
 large lake. 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. \Jl 
 
 us from other landing-places, and we formed up in 
 quarter column. 
 
 The work of taking over the enemy's arms was 
 now being proceeded with under the personal super- 
 vision of the political officer, who was radiant with 
 delight. A bloodless victory was a diplomatic victory 
 for him. General White's brigade, higher up the river, 
 was engaged in the same work at Sagain and Tha- 
 byadan. 
 
 All the afternoon guns, swords, and spears were 
 piled in heaps on the open space nearly opposite the 
 fort. I have never seen any return to show the exact 
 number of guns surrendered by the Burmese army on 
 this day, but I should say they must have been at least 
 two or three thousand stand. I am very doubtful from 
 what I saw of the enemy's numbers on shore, and what 
 I was told by men who viewed their position from other 
 points, if more than four, or at the outside five thousand 
 musketeers were assembled to oppose us on this day. 
 In fact, we actually obtained possession of almost all 
 the serviceable artillery and three-fourths of the muskets 
 of the king's army assembled to defend his capital. 
 For argument's sake, let us see what would have 
 happened in another case — I mean in the case of our 
 attacking, and dispersing the army. The preliminary 
 fire of the guns would have made the forts too hot for 
 the defenders, as their guns were practically useless ; 
 and all the fighting would have been confined to a 
 running action through thick woods, amongst pagoda 
 walls and ruined buildings. Not a soul amongst us 
 knew the ground. The enemy, on the other hand, 
 
I7 2 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 knew every inch of it, and, according to their universal 
 custom, would have kept their backs — so long as they 
 continued to fight — turned to their lines of retreat, and, 
 after a resistance, short or long, in proportion to their 
 losses, they would inevitably have bolted through the 
 morasses, thick bush, and long grass to the eastward, 
 and taken their arms with them. 
 
 After a hard day's fight, we might have secured a 
 couple of hundred stand of arms, those of men killed 
 and wounded in action, but no more. I am quite 
 sure that since that day I have been asked the same 
 question two hundred times. It has been put to me at 
 Rangoon ; it has been put to me in India; and it has 
 been put to me in England. " Why," they ask, " did 
 you allow the whole Burmese army to escape with their 
 arms at Ava ? Your action in doing so has caused all 
 this bother with dacoits." My answer has always been 
 the same. " We did nothing of the sort ; we took all 
 the arms we could possibly lay hands on, and only a 
 few stragglers made off with their arms." But this 
 answer never satisfied anyone, because, I fear, my 
 statement was not quite credited. " Well, all we can 
 say," they objected, "is that we were told, or read 
 somewhere, in some paper, that General Prendergast's 
 army abstained from disarming the king's troops at 
 Ava ;" and so the matter is disposed of. But, as I 
 have already explained, it is altogether contrary to 
 the facts of the case, and utterly without foundation. 
 On this night we again re-embarked, not in the best 
 of humours. This was poor sort of soldiering. 
 
 A passage had been discovered by Commander 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 1 73 
 
 Carpenter, R.N., through the obstruction in the river, 
 and orders were issued for a general advance and 
 occupation of Mandalay on the morrow. The morrow 
 came and brought with it another day's hopes and 
 speculations. After the mists had lifted from the river 
 the fleet of steamers got under weigh and passed, one 
 by one, through the opening in the obstruction across 
 the river. 
 
 The battlements of Thabyadan frowned on us as 
 we passed ; the surly cannon protruding from the 
 deserted ramparts; while from the flagstaff which 
 yesterday bore the banner of the Alompras, the flag 
 of England fluttered in the breeze. 
 
 We were entering an enemy's capital — scarcely an 
 occurrence in everyday life. It had over 150,000 
 inhabitants, foreign to us in race, language, and re- 
 ligion, and yet there were no visible signs of resistance. 
 What could all this mean ? Was it really that these 
 people, weary of the extortion and corruption of their 
 own rulers, and sighing for the freedom and universal 
 prosperity of their more fortunate brothers of the 
 south, were now assembled to welcome to their capital, 
 with open arms, the soldiers of the " Great White 
 Queen ?" 
 
 The train of vessels drew up alongside the shore 
 at a point on the river due west of the walled city, and 
 from whence several parallel roads lead direct thereto, 
 and the disembarkation was immediately proceeded 
 with. 
 
 It was about midday and the sun was flaming hot. 
 As at Mingyan and Ava, I was on this day "rushed" 
 
174 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 for mounts. I could not supply half the applicants, 
 who produced written orders, so that if I pleased some 
 I got myself disliked by others. Being sensible to the 
 claims of a representative of the great British public, 
 I lent a pony, saddle and bridle, to a " correspondent." 
 His choice was unfortunate, for the animal, finding the 
 weight inconvenient, immediately bucked him off. The 
 attempt was repeated with a like result, or rather a 
 worse one. I did not witness this drama ; but a few 
 minutes later the gentleman approached me leading the 
 pony. His helmet was broken in, and he limped 
 badly, but he bore a cheerful countenance. " Thank 
 you, Sir," he said, " for the pony ; but I prefer to 
 walk." 
 
 The troops now fell in by brigades on the broad 
 space between the water's edge and the lofty earthen 
 bund which runs parallel to the stream as a protection 
 against periodical floods. It was arranged that 
 columns should enter the city, as far as possible, simul- 
 taneously on all four sides, concentrating round the 
 palace enclosure which was situated in its centre. So 
 many were the demands for mounted men, that I had 
 some difficulty in retaining an officer and twenty men 
 as a personal escort for the general, whose staff I joined 
 myself. 
 
 A little after midday the bands struck up and the 
 march began. We advanced by what is now known as 
 the A road. It does not lead straight to the city, and it 
 becomes necessary to make a turn at right angles to 
 the left, and then again to the right, in order to reach 
 the south gate. 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 
 
 175 
 
 After about an hour's march along thoroughfares at 
 least fifty yards wide, covered with refuse and filth of 
 all sorts and infested by pigs and dogs, the walled city 
 suddenly broke upon our view. I had seen it before 
 years ago ; but it had since been much beautified, and 
 I confess I had not retained a correct idea of its extent 
 and grandeur. There was an amplitude and vastness 
 about the whole thing which was refreshing. The 
 lofty red brick walls, crowned at intervals with graceful 
 and finely carved spires ; then the broad green grass 
 space beneath, which has since been converted into a 
 racecourse ; then a lovely moat of clear, placid water, 
 eighty yards wide ; then a road fifty yards broad which 
 environs the city outside the moat. The circumstances, 
 too, were grand and momentous, even more so than 
 the scene. There was a glorious uncertainty about 
 what would happen next which always has its charm. 
 We were told that we should find the city gates thrown 
 open ; that the soldiers would lay down their arms and 
 the king surrender himself ; but we were quite pre- 
 pared for a very different reception. No one really 
 knew what was going to happen, and it was quite on 
 the cards that when we were well under the walls, we 
 should be greeted by volleys of musketry. For all 
 this we were perfectly prepared. But nothing hap- 
 pened. We crossed the handsome bridge, and defiled 
 through the " King's Gate " with as little concern as if 
 this foreign capital had been in our possession for 
 a hundred years. There were very few people about 
 the broad streets, within the walls, and those who we 
 saw squatted in the doorways and stared at us with 
 
176 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 impotent indifference. At the gates, some of the 
 soldiers remained in the guard-rooms, but they at once 
 surrendered their arms when called upon to do so, and 
 helped to pile them into lots. I was directed to take 
 my mounted men round the walls outside, in case there 
 should be any effort made to carry off the king in 
 the last moment, but no such ruse was attempted. We 
 rode round the eastern and northern sides, and re- 
 entered the city again by the gate in the centre of the 
 latter, and eventually pulled up outside the palace 
 stockade already referred to. 
 
 Here all the troops were now assembled and the 
 men were allowed to fall out. I entered the gate and 
 joined the general's party assembled outside the great 
 gate of the king's palace. No one seemed to know 
 what the next move' would be, as that would depend a 
 good deal on the political officer who was at this time 
 in His Majesty's presence. 
 
 After some time Colonel Sladen appeared. He 
 seemed much moved by his audience with the king, 
 and urged upon General Prendergast the desirability 
 of giving him another day of freedom. " He is quite 
 calm and resigned," he said, "but he wants time: he 
 wants as much time as we will give him." After some 
 discussion, the general agreed to give the king another 
 day ; but he impressed upon Colonel Sladen the neces- 
 sity of making it quite clear to His Majesty that he 
 must be ready to surrender himself by noon on the 
 following day. A guard of two regiments, the H amp- 
 shires and Madras Pioneers, was placed in the palace, 
 and strong guards were posted on each of the city 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. I 77 
 
 gates. The remainder of the troops returned to the 
 ships. An attempt has been made to give the public 
 the impression that there was widespread disorder 
 throughout the city and suburbs on this night, and that 
 many lives were lost and much property stolen ; but 
 there is little ground for such assertions. The palace 
 was in charge of General White, who exercised the 
 most minute personal supervision over his command, 
 and although there may have been some slight disturb- 
 ances in the suburbs, there was much less violence 
 done to the persons and property of the inhabitants 
 than might have been expected under the circum- 
 stances. Some valuables were, doubtless, removed 
 from the palace by some of the female attendants of 
 the court who were allowed to go in at the special 
 request of the king and queen, but I am exceedingly 
 doubtful if articles of any great value were removed by 
 these women. Many accusations have been levelled 
 at the officers and men who were located in the palace 
 on this day, and afterwards. The common cry was — 
 and is still — that the women looted the palace, and 
 that, on their way out with their spoils, the soldiers 
 looted the women. Now let us see how much truth 
 there is in this report, which I affirm is false. 
 
 A few months ago, when on tour of inspection at 
 Tavoy, where the exiled "Queen Mother" has her 
 residence, I paid Her Majesty a visit. When she 
 became aware that I was one of those present at the 
 closing scene of her political life, she was most affable, 
 and talked away for about an hour. She readily gave 
 my friend and myself all the information we required. 
 
 M 
 
17^ THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 It is rather a delicate matter to cross-question a queen, 
 and we had to be very careful. Her daughter, 
 Soopyah Lat's sister, was by her side, both the ladies 
 sitting curled up on dining-room chairs facing us. 
 
 She ran over with extraordinary volubility, and 
 minute attention to detail, all the circumstances con- 
 nected with the deportation of the royal family, for the 
 benefit of my friend, who is, perhaps, the most widely 
 known Englishman in Burma, and is regarded by the 
 people, rightly or wrongly, as a " go-between " in 
 communications with the natives and the British 
 Government. I elicited the following information 
 from her majesty's statements. 
 
 She had heard that there had been some dis- 
 turbance inside and outside the palace on the night of 
 our entrance into the city ; but they knew nothing of 
 it in the royal apartments. She did not hear that the 
 English soldiers had misbehaved, or looted the palace. 
 She had lost one box of valuables, but she did not 
 know who had stolen it. She still held the key of 
 the box. When asked direct if the report that the 
 women who had been allowed into the palace had gone 
 away with heaps of jewelry was true or false, both 
 the queen and her daughter burst out laughing, the 
 elder lady remarking — " the women were only servants 
 of the lower sort ; they were allowed in principally 
 to fetch their own little property. They did not know 
 where any of the royal jewels were kept, and they did 
 not come into the royal apartments." 
 
 This statement, I consider, demolishes all the 
 humbugging yarns that from time to time have ap- 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. I 79 
 
 peared in public prints about the disappearance of the 
 fabulous treasures, of the Burmese capital. The vast 
 wealth of the Alompra Princes, as represented by 
 jewels, was a myth. They never existed at any time, 
 as subsequent events have proved. 
 
 I can say honestly that the spirit of loot was not 
 rife in General Prendergast's army ; at least, if it was, 
 I never saw it manifest itself. All we took were a few 
 spears and Burmese flags, and these only by permission. 
 A Madras sapper found a handsome necklace, and 
 delivered it to his officer, and many other similar cases 
 occurred. I believe that a better-disciplined, or more 
 self-restrained army never entered a foreign capital. 
 
 Orders were issued on this evening for a second, 
 and triumphal entry on the morrow. 
 
 The different columns started about 10 a.m., by 
 the same routes as were taken on the previous day ; 
 the troops entering by the different gates to their 
 rendezvous outside the palace enclosure. The general 
 and his staff assembled at the grand entrance to the 
 palace, and there awaited the intimation of the political 
 officer that the fallen monarch was ready to surrender 
 his person. We waited, it appeared to us, an inter- 
 minable time ; until indeed, even the marvellous equa- 
 nimity and calmness of the general showed signs of 
 giving way. Like a true soldier and gentleman, as he 
 was, he desired nothing less than that any action of his 
 should show want of respect, or feeling, for the king in 
 his present delicate and painful position. 
 
 At length Colonel Sladen appeared and said that 
 the king wanted another day's law. To this the 
 
 M 2 
 
l8o THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 general gave a very firm negative, and the former re- 
 entered the palace gate. He shortly afterwards re- 
 turned with the announcement that the king would 
 receive the general. 
 
 The great gates were now thrown wide open, and 
 the Hampshire Regiment marched in. When the 
 leading files reached the foot of a flight of stone steps 
 which led to the hall of audience, the men were halted 
 and a line formed with ranks facing inwards with fixed 
 bayonets, from this point to the outer enclosure of the 
 palace grounds. Through these ranks the captive 
 monarch must pass. 
 
 The procession was now formed at the aforesaid 
 main entrance. It was headed by the eight principal 
 ministers. I thought, considering the circumstances, 
 their manner and bearing was dignified and self-con- 
 tained. There were one or two rather good faces, and 
 one or two decidedly bad ones. They were all dressed 
 in the finest of white linen — white kerchiefs encircling 
 their brows. The most remarkakle characters amongst 
 them were the Kenwoon Menghee — a little, fussy old 
 man who had been prime minister for many years, 
 and the Tinedar Menghee, whose name, both before 
 and after the annexation, has been so much before the 
 public. If the latter has committed half the crimes 
 he has been accused of, he must be a unique villain. 
 He was supposed to be war minister under Theebaw, 
 and certainly exercised some real power in the country. 
 He was stigmatised as the " head dacoit." In appear- 
 ance he was a short, stout, comfortable-looking man of 
 about forty. 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. l8l 
 
 All being ready, the procession moved off, headed 
 by the political officer. We crossed the palace yard, and 
 reached the. foot of the steps, on each side of which 
 were two enormous gilt cannon, at least twenty feet in 
 length. Slowly the fat ministers ascended the steps. 
 We passed through the Hall of Audience,* with its 
 gilded pillars, at the far end of which is situated the 
 king's throne. Leaving the throne on our left, we 
 threaded our way through a labyrinth of passages and 
 buildings — through gilded saloons and halls all ablaze 
 with mirrors, at length descending a flight of steps 
 and entering a garden with paved walks, tanks 
 and fountains of water, fairly-sized trees and walled 
 enclosures. 
 
 Having passed through two or three of these en- 
 closures, we came in sight of a little summer-house at 
 the far end. In the verandah sat a young Burman, 
 apparently quite unconcerned, and behind him squatted 
 a couple of women, one old and scraggy, and the other 
 young and not ill-looking ; while two or three other 
 women peeped through a half-open door at the back. 
 This must evidently be the " King of Kings " him- 
 self, for Colonel Sladen, removing his hat, bowed 
 low, and the white-robed ministers prostrated them- 
 selves until their brows kissed the cold earth at their 
 feet. The fat-cheeked lad remained unmoved : but on 
 closer inspection his face bore unmistakable evidence 
 of the dread which had taken possession of his soul. 
 
 The guard of soldiers was drawn up not far off ; 
 
 * This is surmounted by a lofty spire which is called " The 
 centre of the universe." 
 
l8 2 
 
 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 and now the general advanced, and bowed respectfully 
 to the king. 
 
 The young woman was no other than Queen 
 Soopyah Lat, and the old lady, her mother, who had 
 so long enjoyed the reputation of being the instigator 
 of all the massacres which have disgraced Theebaw's 
 reign. She was small and withered, and one failed to 
 detect in her looks the evidence of the resolution, 
 sagacity, and daring with which she has been credited. 
 The scared eyes of the women wandered restlessly 
 from Colonel Sladen to the general, and thence to the 
 guard and their gleaming bayonets. 
 
 A long conversation now took place between 
 Colonel Sladen and the king, all of which was in- 
 terpreted to the general. It ran somewhat thus : — 
 
 Sladen : This is the English general, your majesty. 
 He has come to request you to keep your promise 
 Of yesterday, and to surrender yourself to his charge. 
 
 King : Will the general spare my life, and the lives 
 of my family ? 
 
 Sladen : Certainly, your majesty, he will treat you 
 with great respect and consideration, and will allow 
 you to take anyone you please with you, together with 
 your personal property. 
 
 King : Will the English soldiers protect me from 
 my own people ? 
 
 Sladen: The general will see that you are sur- 
 rounded by soldiers on your way to the ships. 
 
 A pause followed this. 
 
 Sladen : Are there any of your ministers whom 
 your majesty would desire to accompany you ? 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 1 83 
 
 There was here a slight stir amongst the magnates 
 referred to, who all this time had remained prostrated 
 with their hands clasped, and their faces on the ground. 
 
 King: When I go into captivity those who love 
 me will follow me, but those who like themselves best 
 will stay, and look after their own property. 
 
 Sladen now addressed the ministers, asking them 
 if any would desire to accompany the king to Rangoon. 
 After a pause one old fellow rose slightly, and ex- 
 pressed his willingness to accompany his master, and 
 later on another mumbled something. The king 
 meanwhile regarded them with a somewhat scornful, 
 incredulous look in his small eyes.. He then shook 
 his hand angrily, intimating that he would have nothing 
 to say to any of them. 
 
 King : You must come with us, Sladen, as you are 
 an old friend. 
 
 Sladen : I regret this is impossible, your majesty. 
 My duties will detain me here. 
 
 As the day was wearing on, the general impressed 
 upon Colonel Sladen the necessity of persuading his 
 majesty to prepare for his departure. He did so, but 
 the king showed no signs of moving. Colonel Sladen 
 then pointed out to the king that the general wished 
 to treat him with every respect, but that he could not 
 agree to any further delay. 
 
 King : How much longer will I be allowed, then ? 
 
 The General (looking at his watch) : Ten minutes. 
 
 On this the general once more bowed to the king 
 and moved away. We spread ourselves over the 
 gardens and grounds, and waited events. 
 
184 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 The young white elephant was an object of attrac- 
 tion. During the proceedings above described, he was 
 screeching away with all the power of his lungs ; why, 
 no one seemed to have any idea. His gilded shed was 
 out of sight of the king's garden abode, nor could he 
 have seen or heard the procession pass through. He 
 now eyed us mistrustfully, and was evidently by no 
 means inclined to be friendly. The old white elephant 
 occupied another part of the palace enclosure, and was 
 also very angry at our intrusion. His keeper had 
 fled, and as the animal was very savage no one could be 
 got to take his place. With the exception that these 
 creatures had a leprousy whiteness about the trunk they 
 differed no way in colour from other elephants. 
 
 There was a magnificent swimming-bath, which we 
 inspected ; couches and beds were arranged round it, 
 under cover. We can imagine the royal Burmans 
 during the late king's reign bathing together in this 
 cool reservoir, and smoking their cheroots and dozing 
 on the beds and sofas about. If this state of things 
 ever existed it was so no longer ; all Theebaw's 
 brothers and sisters had been murdered, or forced to 
 fly the country. 
 
 The whereabouts of the general was clearly visible 
 by the presence of the " Union Jack," which Captain 
 Lindsell, commanding the escort, bore aloft, and not a 
 step was our Chief allowed to move without this 
 visible emblem of British nationality. 
 
 The ten minutes had become an hour, and yet 
 there was no sign of a move on the part of the royal 
 household. Transport had been provided for the 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. I 85 
 
 king's property, and hospital doolies were in readiness 
 to carry the many ladies of his suite. 
 
 At this juncture a very excited individual, a native 
 of India, appeared upon the scene. He was the 
 bearer of news for the general. His story was that 
 the city was in an uproar, and that an attempt would 
 be made to rescue the king. No one believed the 
 story ; it was one of those scares which are always 
 afloat in stirring times. 
 
 The royal party were now seen moving towards us. 
 They were walking along the paved path which led 
 from the little summer-house. Theebaw, his wife, and 
 mother-in-law were in front, the women clasping the 
 king's hands ; then followed two or three ministers, and 
 the political officer ; about twenty women and girls, 
 some with babies in their arms, some dressed in their 
 gayest colours, some with roses and orchids in their 
 hair, and all carrying boxes containing their earthly 
 goods, closed this unique procession, which moved 
 at its own pace through the many-chambered palace, 
 along the winding corridors, and through the gilded 
 saloons all ablaze with mirrors. It entered the Hall 
 of Audience, passed the throne, and stopped at the 
 head of the steps already referred to, which led to 
 the ground level where the soldiers were formed up. 
 These stood in their ranks below — silent and grim 
 — their bayonets glancing in the sun. No wonder 
 there was a check, but it was not for long ; a few 
 kind, reassuring words were spoken and the proces- 
 sion passed onwards through the ranks, and reached 
 the outer gate. 
 
i86 
 
 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 Here were two small carriages. The king, his 
 wife, and the old queen mother entered one, and some 
 lesser personages entered the other. The ladies of the 
 court turned up their little flat noses at the doolies, and 
 preferred to walk ; the guards, composed of my own 
 men and the Welsh Fusiliers, closed round the car- 
 riages, the bands struck up, and the brigade moved off. 
 
 The day was already far spent, and even had we been 
 able to proceed without checks to the river's bank, it 
 would barely have been reached by sundown ; but, as it 
 was, there were many stoppages. The roads were 
 awful, and the bridges and culverts in a rotten 
 state. To make things worse the head of the column 
 took the wrong turning, making a difference of a 
 couple of miles in our march. Night came on and 
 the carriages trundled along over ruts and stones. 
 The crowds increased tenfold with the darkness, but it 
 was a suburban crowd and quite harmless. Still a 
 rush might have been made and the traps overturned, 
 when anything might have happened ; but nothing did, 
 and we at length, with much satisfaction, came in sight 
 of the lights of the steamers. As I rode alongside 
 of the king's carriage I couldn't help calling to mind 
 the fate of the Delhi Princes. 
 
 We all pitied the poor little " maids of honour," as 
 we called them. They walked the whole way, and 
 some of them were by no means in a condition to 
 undergo such trials. They were utterly exhausted 
 when we reached the steamer, but had pertinaciously 
 stuck to their bundles. Strangely enough, they 
 had chatted merrily with the soldiers on the way 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 1 87 
 
 down ; Tommy Atkins, not understanding a word, 
 grinning a grim reply. The poor girls were really very 
 frightened, and thought that by practising their winning 
 little ways on these great rough-looking men, the 
 latter would be more likely protect them. 
 
 One episode caused some laughter. All Burmese 
 women smoke ; if anything, they are greater smokers 
 than the men. On her way down her majesty the 
 queen thought she would tranquillise her nerves with 
 a weed. She had a tobacco leaf, but no light. With 
 characteristic frankness, she put her fair head out of 
 the gharry window, and asked the nearest soldier for 
 a match. 
 
 " What does she say ? " said the man. She held 
 up her cigar to express her desires, and quite a rush 
 took place to supply the required light. She honoured 
 someone, smiled, and began puffing away. 
 
 The steamer was reached, and the whole party 
 crowded on board. The saloon was positively crammed 
 with women. The king went straight into his cabin 
 on arrival. Every comfort was provided for him ; he 
 was left entirely unmolested, and on the following 
 morning the Thurreah left for Rangoon. 
 
 Thus fell the last of the Alompras. They had 
 arisen amidst blood and flame ; they sank almost 
 without a struggle. 
 
 Out of the wars and tumults which convulsed this 
 portion of the East during the beginning of the last 
 century, Alompra, the hunter, had arisen. He was of 
 poor parentage, and his trade was despised, but his 
 personal prowess surmounted all difficulties. He cast 
 
1 88 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 off the yoke of the Talaing Empire, and made of Burma 
 a free and united State, embracing almost the whole of 
 Indo-China. He died, and his descendants succeeded 
 one another with a rapidity which points to the insta- 
 bility of their power. Each accession was followed by 
 brutal massacres as the only means of removing rivals. 
 The dynasty was preserved, but the prince who could 
 obtain the largest following placed himself on the 
 throne. As a necessary consequence of this system 
 the Empire began to totter, and States proclaimed 
 their own independence. 
 
 Foreigners appeared upon the waters of the great 
 river. They first conquered with fire and sword, and 
 then ruled with wisdom and justice. They were the 
 subjects of the " Great Queen " who ruled the world. 
 To their laws all were alike subject, and life and pro- 
 perty were safe in their keeping. 
 
 The star of the Alompras paled under the fierce 
 expanding rays of this resplendent sun, and has now 
 set to rise no more. 
 
 Events subsequent to the Fall of Mandalay. 
 
 On the last day of November, and almost exactly 
 a fortnight after the expedition had steamed across the 
 frontier, its mission had been fulfilled. What were the 
 orders given to our general on the eve of his departure 
 from Thayetmyo ? 
 
 " Mandalay must be occupied, and Theebaw de- 
 throned. You should announce this definitely to the 
 Burmese authorities and population. You will be 
 informed hereafter whether Upper Burma is to be 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 1 89 
 
 annexed. If so, the Commissioner will go to Mandalay 
 and assume civil control. 
 
 " Meanwhile, it seems desirable that you should 
 leave in any important fort, or other place taken and 
 garrisoned by you, a civil officer, who should, under the 
 orders of the commandant, enter into communication 
 with the local Burmese officials, and through them 
 pacify and administer the country, giving assurances 
 that Theebaw will not remain in power. 
 
 " The immediate objects of the expedition are the 
 occupation of Mandalay, and the dethronement of King 
 Theebaw." 
 
 And so we had carried out our orders to the letter, 
 and with " as little bloodshed as possible" on either 
 side. 
 
 "So far you did right well," wrote an old Staff 
 College "pal " to me some months after, "but why did 
 you then proceed to sit tight and do nothing ?" My 
 answer was very much the same as to the friends who 
 accused us of allowing the Burmese to go away with 
 their arms. I said, " We did nothing of the sort." 
 
 Now, to those who have read the letters and 
 telegrams which appeared in one or two of the leading 
 English papers relative to our action in Upper Burma 
 at this period, the story of our misdeeds will still be 
 quite fresh. 
 
 Giving the war correspondents credit for being 
 impressed with a sense of the accuracy of their state- 
 ments, I can only say that I am at a loss to understand 
 how they arrived at their conclusions, having due regard 
 for the circumstances passing around them. 
 
I90 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 After my South African experiences, I have always 
 had a great respect for these gallant fellows. Few 
 men have been more abused, and perhaps none have 
 been more praised. Had I not been brought up to 
 the profession of arms, I think I should have chosen 
 the life in preference to any other, so far be it from 
 me to infer that our newspaper correspondents, as 
 a class, do not use their utmost endeavours to supply 
 the public with sound information. I feel quite sure 
 that they do so. Of course they are anxious to know 
 everything ; that is only natural, and in their zeal for 
 their employers, they sometimes — not often — ask for 
 too much, are refused, and there is friction and, on 
 occasions, bitterness. If no news is sent, their masters 
 are not pleased, and if events are passing not, perhaps, 
 exactly under their eyes, which are of general interest, 
 they must get their information second-hand, and wire 
 it off as expeditiously as possible. They labour under 
 great difficulties, especially those who have not made 
 their names, and are anxious to do so. They cannot 
 afford to wait. I remember during one of those weari- 
 some halts on the march to Ulundi in 1879, asking 
 Archibald Forbes what he found to write about during 
 these "wait for the wagon " days on the Upoko River. 
 The great correspondent was busily engaged mending 
 holes in his pony's back. After a pause, he flopped 
 a piece of wet rag on the nasty raw place, saying signi- 
 ficantly, " I don't write at all." But it is a hard lot 
 that of a war correspondent ; he must be a hard man, 
 possessing sleepless energy and great courage. In 
 most cases he is the soldier's friend, but can be nasty 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 191 
 
 enough if thwarted in his desires, or treated with 
 contumely. But in this he resembles the rest of man- 
 kind. If he be a good man he can do an infinity of 
 good, but if he allows himself to be carried away by 
 his feelings he may do irrevocable harm. 
 
 I fear at this time there were those in camp who 
 were saying bitter things against us in the English 
 papers because we did not advance through a desert 
 without supplies ; but I assert that the utmost activity 
 prevailed among all the departments of the staff, 
 although, it must be admitted, a certain amount of 
 inactivity on the part of a portion of the troops was 
 rendered unavoidable by the absolute impossibility of 
 obtaining transport. 
 
 The officers of the commissariat converted old 
 hulks and sheds, which had hitherto been the recep- 
 tacles of filth, into stores, and worked in these un- 
 healthy places for twelve hours daily. In addition 
 to the transport staff, any young officer who could 
 speak a few words of the language was attached to 
 the department, and worked loyally to get together 
 some transport animals. With escorts of five or six 
 mounted infantry, they scoured over the country, and 
 picked up royal elephants, and ponies, which had been 
 allowed to stray about uncared for. Picquets and out- 
 posts were established on all the main roads leading 
 to the city, and guards placed on all the principal 
 buildings, and in the main thoroughfares, to preserve 
 order. 
 
 My own men also worked loyally. On some occa- 
 sions, having been patrolling, all day, with very little 
 
I9 2 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 food, they had to dismount their exhausted ponies, 
 and patrol on foot during the night. Unaccustomed to 
 ride, many were suffering from fearfully galled legs, 
 but they never murmured. The Burman portion of 
 my command under their own officers, Messrs. Fford 
 and Law, patrolled the city by night and day, keeping 
 order, and arresting robbers. On the third night 
 of our arrival, two of these police were severely 
 wounded in an encounter with dacoits outside the 
 city, but, owing to the courage and presence of mind 
 of Mr. Law, succeeded in driving off and dispersing 
 the band. 
 
 The general himself visited every part of the city 
 and suburbs, and all important points in the surround- 
 ing country, accompanied only by an escort of twenty - 
 mounted infantry, which after a few days was reduced 
 by one half. No British general ever worked harder 
 than Sir Harry Prendergast at this early period of 
 our occupation of Upper Burma. 
 
 Excepting a few hundred Madrassees, our only 
 means of transport, now that we were no longer on 
 the river, consisted of 2,000 Punjaubee coolies, which 
 Captain Cather, R.E., had brought with him from 
 Upper India. These poor wretches, turned into beasts 
 of burden, toiled all day under their heavy loads, and, 
 very ably organised as they were, did good service. 
 Cholera had broken out amongst them, and some laid 
 down, and died by the way. This dire disease had 
 made its appearance on every steamer in the fleet, and 
 daily threatened to assume the form of a fearful 
 epidemic. Fortunately the troops were got off the 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 1 93 
 
 ships in time, but there were great difficulties in 
 housing them. All the country round which was not 
 built over either by private houses or Buddhist 
 temples, was more or less under water, and it would 
 have been dangerous to have pitched tents thereon. 
 The only healthy locality lay at the north-east corner 
 of the city under the lofty isolated elevation known as 
 " Mandalay Hill." All this country was a forest of 
 temples and sacred edifices, and was the abode of the 
 monks. 
 
 So we were on the horns of a dilemma. We were 
 particularly anxious not to offend the susceptibilities of 
 the phoonghees, who are a gigantic power for good or 
 evil in the country, and it was absolutely necessary to 
 get the troops off the ships and away from the river 
 at once. At first the archbishop and his advisers 
 strenuously resisted the idea of allowing the soldiers 
 to occupy the monasteries, but at length gave way to 
 the persuasive eloquence of Colonel Sladen, who 
 promised him that the men should only occupy the 
 monks' dwelling-wards, and that the churches should 
 remain untouched. So matters were at length squared, 
 and all, except a guard and the Welsh Fusiliers, shifted 
 their quarters to the neighbourhood of the monas- 
 teries. The latter regiment was despatched up the 
 Irrawaddy to pay a visit to the site of Mootshobo, the 
 birthplace and capital of the first Alompra — where it 
 was reported there was a gathering of malcontents, and 
 I sent some of my mounted men with them as scouts. 
 The city was reached unopposed, and nothing was seen 
 of an enemy. The party having made a circuitous 
 
 N 
 
194 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 march, returned to the river at Kyouk Moung — a 
 village forty miles north of Mandalay on the right bank. 
 Before moving my men from the disease-saturated 
 river's bank, a great calamity had occurred to the 
 Burma field force in general, and to myself in particu- 
 lar — the Rangoon Volunteers, who had so loyally 
 volunteered for service when there was a sudden call 
 for mounted men, had been recalled by their employers, 
 and had taken their departure for Rangoon. The 
 general issued a flattering order, thanking them for 
 their services, expressing his admiration for the spirit 
 which had prompted them to desire to serve their 
 country in the field, and wishing them a hearty fare- 
 well. I made this second deduction from my command 
 a pretext for renewed efforts to induce the authorities 
 to support the idea of a large increase of the mounted 
 infantry. Instead of being increased to "five hundred 
 strong " it had decreased to less than fifty. The men 
 and ponies were much overworked, and sore backs 
 were only too prevalent. Everyone agreed that they 
 ought to be raised to some hundreds — we could have 
 improvised saddles out of those made by the Burmese 
 — but no order could I get issued on the subject. The 
 real difficulty was the ponies. If I could state that 
 the ponies were ready, an order would be issued for 
 the men. It was in a word a fight between the 
 transport officer and myself, in which, in face of the 
 great demand for transport, he beat me ; but I had no 
 intention of letting the matter slide. I was daily 
 expecting about a hundred more saddles and bridles 
 which I had ordered from Calcutta, and I still hoped 
 
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HISTORY OF BURMA. 1 95 
 
 that a grant of money might be allowed for the further 
 development of my project. There were some columns 
 sent out to scour the surrounding country, but with the 
 exception of a small village scrimmage, nothing in the 
 way of fighting occurred. 
 
 So we cast in our lot for a few days with the 
 shaven and yellow-robed monks of Buddha, who we 
 found very good fellows. Strict orders were issued 
 that none of the men should enter any of the temples 
 or interfere in any way with the property of the priests, 
 and I think these orders were obeyed. The monks 
 finding " Tommy " a friendly, companionable sort of 
 fellow, soon became quite chummy, and when the men 
 returned in the evening after a long day's work, they 
 would find water ready drawn for them and sometimes 
 milk and eggs. 
 
 The old bishop, who occupied a finely-carved kyoung 
 not far from the officers' " mess," came to see me two 
 or three times, and we had long conversations by 
 means of an interpreter. He was very difficult to 
 pump, and most cautious in his utterances. He was 
 anxious to know what our plans were, and how long 
 we proposed to stay in Upper Burma. I always told 
 him that there was not the slightest chance of our ever 
 evacuating the country again ; but I don't think he 
 believed this. Of course, he said, the advent of the 
 English would be bad for the Buddhist religion, as its 
 head and high priest and its most bountiful patron, the 
 king, would be no more ; but as regarded civil govern- 
 ment, and suppression of disorder and so forth, the 
 English would be better than the Burmese government. 
 
 n 2 
 
196 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 He said the presence of my men ensured the 
 absence of dacoits and robbers, which was something ; 
 but that he hoped all the officers would never be absent 
 at the same time, as the soldiers might do damage, or 
 kill the monks. This remark was too prophetic, as the 
 only trouble there was during our stay here took place 
 when all the mounted infantry were out but two privates, 
 who immediately proceeded to get into mischief. 
 
 Before quitting this locality (for a few days after 
 my arrival here I was ordered to accompany the expe- 
 dition to Bamo), I must say something more on the 
 subject of the Worship of Buddha in Burma. 
 
 Writing in 1855, Colonel Yule estimates the popu- 
 lation of the Burmese capital, then Amarapoora, as 
 80,000 souls, of which 20,000 were phoongheesr The 
 immense encouragement given to these "loafers" by the 
 old king may not improbably have accounted for this 
 almost incredible proportion ; but certain it is that 
 to-day their numbers in and about Mandalay cannot be 
 much less than 10,000. The most marvellous thing 
 to my mind is that this forest of magnificent temples 
 is the work of the last quarter of a century. The 
 actual outlay even with impressed labour must have 
 been immense. 
 
 True, the money required for the erection of 
 Buddhist temples, and for their exterior and interior 
 adornment, does not all come out of the revenues of the 
 State. The late king, Theebaw's father, who was a 
 great patron of the church, spent enormous sums in 
 this way. In fact he set the fashion, and all classes, 
 rich and poor, followed it. 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 1 97 
 
 When a Burman desires to lay up for himself 
 treasures in Heaven, he builds a pagoda — if he be rich — 
 and if he be poor, he purchases and presents to the 
 monks little gilt images for the interior adornment of 
 the churches. These are by no means all representa- 
 tions of gods or of the sublime Gautama, but of 
 grotesque demons gyrating in ecstasies of intense 
 pleasure, or pain. If money is not forthcoming, a little 
 rice, and even flowers, are laid as an offering at the feet 
 of the great image. 
 
 The kings of Burma have always been the patron 
 saints of their subjects ; and, after they have " shuffled 
 off this mortal coil," they have verified Hamlet's sneer, 
 and have lived in history, or been forgotten, in propor- 
 tion to the number and magnificence of the temples 
 erected in their lifetime. 
 
 The "old king," as Theebaw's father is always 
 called, exerted himself to the utmost to live in history. 
 The result is now before us. As we stand on one of 
 the upper terraces of a magnificently-carved, gilded 
 temple, as large as an English cathedral, we view on 
 all sides a number of more or less similar structures, 
 with their countless pinnacles and spires. Some are of 
 polished teak ; some are all golden ; some are pure 
 white. The quantity and character of the carving 
 alone is amazing, while those constructed of solid 
 masonry show a care and elaboration of design and 
 execution which points to the fact that even in these, 
 the days of her decline and fall, Burma owns some 
 artists of no mean ability. 
 
 Most of the temples are surrounded by high 
 
I98 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 masonry walls. In one enclosure, about four hundred 
 yards square, there are seven hundred small pagodas, 
 all built on the same pattern. These contain tablets 
 inside, on which are written the records of the Buddhist 
 faith. In the centre of the square is a lofty one of 
 solid masonry covered with gold leaf. 
 
 Not far from this enclosure is the newest and, in- 
 deed, the most extensive building in this group. It 
 consists in an enormous square edifice constructed in 
 successive terraces of masonry, getting shorter and 
 shorter until the summit is reached. It is not quite 
 finished, and now, probably, never will be. It is called 
 " The Incomparable." The interior is even more 
 magnificent than the exterior. It is entered by many 
 small gilt doors, which open into two extensive halls 
 the full height of the building. Each is supported by 
 eighteen handsome pillars covered with gold leaf, and 
 suspended from the ceiling are about an equal number 
 of enormous stairted-glass chandeliers, evidently of 
 European manufacture. Entering from the eastern 
 side, straight in front of the observer is a colossal 
 image of Gautama, about thirty feet in height, and 
 gilded all over. It is reared up against the dividing 
 partition, and there is a round hole in the centre of the 
 forehead. This, previous to our arrival, contained a 
 large diamond, which was removed, the monks say, by 
 dacoits on the night of the 29th November. The 
 other hall is similar to the one described, but faces 
 west, and is incomplete in every respect. 
 
 As, I opine, a natural result of all this waste of 
 money and treasure, there was at this time at Mandalay, 
 
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HISTORY OF BURMA. 1 99 
 
 and throughout all considerable places in Upper 
 Burma, much real distress. The alarm created by our 
 arrival on the scene naturally tended more to increase 
 than diminish this. 
 
 Thousands of coolies were employed by us in road- 
 making and sweeping the streets, and received pay- 
 ment at the end of each day's work. This system — 
 so new to poor Jack Burman, who was never in the 
 habit of receiving the worth of his hire — became very 
 popular, and, if we only had had the money to lay out 
 in this way on our first arrival, much after trouble would 
 have been warded off. But we had only a very limited 
 sum for this kind of work.* 
 
 On one occasion, while riding from my camp to the 
 city, I witnessed a little scene which was quaintly 
 illustrative of the new spirit which our advent had 
 
 * A good story is told, illustrative of the way the labourer 
 received his hire at Mandalay in the good old days. It was deter- 
 mined to employ a host of coolies in repairing the moat and ramparts 
 some years back. The old king ordained that they should each 
 receive one rupee a-day — a price much higher than the usual pay 
 for such labour. Great doubt was expressed as to whether this 
 amount would ever reach the labourers' horny palms. One of the 
 young queens expressed herself solicitous for the poor coolies, and 
 volunteered to pay them daily with her own fair hands. So she sat 
 herself in royal state in a specially-erected turret outside the walls, 
 and daily paid away rupees. Those who were allowed to come 
 forward got rupees, but the great majority were pushed back, and 
 went away with the hope that on the morrow they might be one of 
 the lucky ones. It leaked out at the palace that the lady was making 
 a pile, and a general, fearing lest her strength should be overtaxed, 
 volunteered to help her. She reluctantly consented. A minister 
 was the next volunteer, and the billet soon became the most popular 
 one at Mandalay. 
 
200 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 invoked. The occupation of the kyoungs by the army 
 was evidently regarded by the masses as indicative of 
 the overthrow of the power of the priests ; while the 
 introduction of a system of payment for labour was 
 regarded as a further sign of the emancipation of the 
 poor from their chains. Half-a-dozen phoonghees, much 
 encumbered by their robes, were gingerly mending 
 a drain which communicated from their monastery 
 to the moat. Unaccustomed to the work, and 
 thoroughly hating it, but evidently foiled in their 
 efforts to obtain unpaid labour, they set about it with 
 no small reluctance. Only one very old man, evidently 
 a wayfarer, too feeble to resist their importunities, had 
 they been able to impress into the labour, and his 
 movements showed unmistakable signs of a desire to 
 "bolt," should opportunity offer. I pulled up my horse 
 for a moment, and looked on. The old fellow, seizing 
 an occasion when the holy men were thoroughly ab- 
 sorbed in bricking the drain, looked up at me appeal- 
 ingly, and, holding out the palms of his withered hands, 
 shook his head with a woeful grimace, as much as to 
 say, " Help a poor old man, forced to work against 
 his will, and — no pay ! " 
 
 Before the departure of the Bamo Expedition broke 
 up the brigades which had taken part in the original 
 occupation of Mandalay, it was determined to organize 
 a day's racing for the benefit of the sporting Burmans 
 of the city. The fortnight which had elapsed since 
 our arrival had made a great change in the attitude of 
 the inhabitants. Numbers had returned to their houses, 
 and " young bucks " mounted on smart ponies gal- 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 201 
 
 loped about unrestrained. There were lots of ponies 
 now for sale, and many officers purchased good ones at 
 comparatively low prices. Cloth Burmese saddles were 
 in use. So we collected a few hundred rupees, cleared 
 the space between the city wall and the moat, of stones 
 and filth, got half-a-dozen hurdles made, and turned 
 out a capital racecourse one mile in length. We then 
 put up notices on the city gates, and in all public places, 
 that there would be races on a certain day at which all 
 comers would compete in friendly rivalry, and that 
 prizes would be given for the first, second, and third 
 pony in each race. 
 
 As I had prophesied, the thing was a great success, 
 and had a most excellent effect. Large crowds as- 
 sembled to read the notices, and dispersed in high 
 delight at the prospect of an exhibition of their 
 favourite sport. 
 
 On the appointed day the population turned out en 
 ■masse. The walls and ramparts presented a most 
 striking and interesting spectacle, for, assembled 
 thereon in thousands, were the inhabitants, male and 
 female, all arrayed in holiday dress of gay colours. On 
 the course itself, on the road beyond the moat, and 
 perched on the house tops were many spectators ; all 
 come to see the show. 
 
 As each event came off it was greeted by loud 
 applause, and unrestrained manifestations of apprecia- 
 tion. The races in which the officers competed, 
 especially the hurdle race, evoked much mirth and 
 laughter, which rose to fever pitch when someone 
 tumbled ; but it was the purely Burman races which 
 
202 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 took best. The multitude yelled with delight as they 
 saw their fellow townsmen — their Moung-Phos and 
 Hpo-Tchays, the young bucks of the capital — with 
 hair streaming in the wind, big toe well in the stirrup, 
 as flog, flog, from start to finish, they dashed past in 
 the glorious race. 
 
 But now this great day is over. Old Sol is dipping 
 to rest, and the officers and men are wending their 
 way to their different camps in and around the city. 
 The vast multitude is slowly melting from the lofty 
 battlements, and is streaming along the broad streets 
 homeward bent, all laughing, chattering, and joking 
 — men and women, and boys and girls — on the one 
 common topic of the day — the races. 
 
 As may be supposed, there were many malcontents 
 in and around the city, and once or twice our picquets 
 had been fired on at night. 
 
 The Burmese ministers, who were still allowed to 
 carry out the civil administration under the direction 
 of Colonel Sladen, made light of these attacks, stating 
 that they were made by small bands of dacoits, with 
 whom they had always had to cope. They denied 
 that the disturbances had the slightest political signifi- 
 cance. 
 
 So the expedition started for Bamo, under the 
 immediate command of Brigadier-General Norman, 
 who was then with the Welsh Fusiliers, awaiting us -at 
 Kyouk-Myoung ; but accompanied by Sir Harry 
 Prendergast, and the headquarters of the army. 
 
 As events developed themselves, it was, perhaps, 
 unfortunate that the headquarters were moved from 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 203 
 
 the capital at this time. But we are not all prophets, 
 we cannot foresee what is going to take place this day 
 week, and everything was done for the best. The 
 Commander-in-Chief thought that by personally inter- 
 viewing the chiefs of the towns and villages on the 
 Upper Irrawaddy, and by assuring them of our good- 
 will, that risings might be nipped in the bud, and the 
 people be chary of listening to mushroom agitators. 
 Up to this time there had been no movement of 
 any importance in the southern portion of the country, 
 nor had our detachments been molested at the various 
 town on the river. 
 
 So on board the Colonel Fytche I found myself with 
 thirty mounted infantry on the 18th December en 
 route to the confines of the " Flowery Land." There 
 is always a pleasant feeling in going on, especially 
 when all is uncertainty ahead. The quartermaster- 
 general's arrangements pleased me not at all. 
 
 The expedition was thus constituted : — 
 
 Naval Brigade (crews of H.M. ships Turquoise 
 
 and Woodlark). 
 Hazara Mountain Battery. 
 Half battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers. 
 ,, 25th Madras Infantry. 
 
 1 company Engineers. 
 30 mounted infantry. 
 
 I had been rather jubilant the day previous to our 
 departure to learn that I was to occupy one flat of the 
 Pulu's load, while the naval brigade were to take up 
 the other. In two ways this was desirable : firstly, 
 
204 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 that the officers were good fellows ; and secondly, that 
 they would most probably have the lion's share of any- 
 thing that was going on. But in the last minute it was 
 found impracticable, and I was informed that I must 
 board the Colonel Fytche, which was the hospital ship 
 of the fleet. This was horrid, especially as one flat 
 was crowded with coolies who could be " winded " for 
 at least half-a-mile. But it had to be faced so we 
 made the best of it. One consolation. I had — one can 
 generally find some such in every situation — if disease 
 broke out among my men, there were plenty of doctors 
 to cure them. 
 
 Our skipper — about the tenth whose acquaintance 
 I had made so far — was a fair, cool, blue-eyed man, a 
 person admirably designed for navigating the waters of 
 the Upper Irrawaddy where, at this season of the year, 
 the time is spent partly in shaving bad places and 
 partly lying ensconced on sandbanks. He did his best, 
 but when once he found his steamer stuck fast he 
 always hummed the same air — " Wait till the clouds 
 roll by." Then he would proceed to "haul her off." 
 
 The river, already much fallen, was getting lower 
 and lower every day. Many gave it as their opinion 
 that it would be impossible to get the steamers up the 
 river at this season. Each vessel had a Burmese pilot, 
 who lived on the banks, and had been employed for 
 years in this work ; but as the sands are continually 
 shifting even these sharp little fellows are often at fault. 
 
 There were a good many stoppages on this first 
 day's journey, which did not give promise of the 
 success of the expedition ; and when the fleet of five 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 205 
 
 steamers anchored for the night, Mandalay was still in 
 sight. The pilot informed us that we had done nine 
 miles. 
 
 About daylight next morning we started off once 
 more, but before many hours we stuck hard and fast on 
 a bank, and were left behind by the fleet, which dis- 
 appeared out of sight. 
 
 We felt depressed ; the imperturbable skipper with 
 the prominent blue eyes whistled his favourite air and 
 gave directions for the interesting process of " hauling 
 her off," a process with which for the next few weeks 
 we were to become only too familiar. I will now 
 proceed to describe it. 
 
 The skipper, betaking himself to his "jolly-boat," 
 proceeded to examine the depth of the water by means 
 of a graduated rod, marked off in feet, painted alternately 
 black and white. 
 
 As soon as he had succeeded in discovering the 
 real channel of the river, which appeared to be a task 
 of no mean difficulty, he had solved the first equation 
 in his problem, and he returned to the steamer. 
 
 His next step was to place in the boat a small 
 anchor with sixty or seventy yards of rope attached ; 
 one end being made fast on the steamer. He next 
 ordered the crew to row out, and drop the anchor in the 
 already discovered channel. This done, the rope 
 was made taut, and the second process completed. 
 
 Seventy yards of cable were then laid in the boat 
 with the big anchor attached. The boatmen pro- 
 ceeded to haul the boat along the already extended 
 rope, paying out the cable the while. When the 
 
206 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 channel was reached the anchor was cast, and the 
 crew on board the steamer, having previously adjusted 
 the spokes to the capstan, began to haul away. The 
 boat was now brought back, made fast astern, and all 
 hands put their power to work. The crew, mostly 
 Chittagonians, whirled the capstan round and round, 
 hopping over the chains and chanting their songs. The 
 great cable wound itself, link by link, round the iron 
 trunk, but ne'er an inch did the steamer move. Her 
 nose was pointed at the same identical tree on the 
 bank which it had pointed at on our first sticking. 
 
 On these occasions one of four things must take 
 place : the anchor may hold and the vessel may be 
 hauled into the channel and thus got off; the anchor 
 may drag, effecting nothing ; the cable may part ; both 
 the anchor holding and the ship refusing to budge, or 
 the efforts of the crew or the steam steering-gear may 
 fail, and come to a standstill. 
 
 On the occasion in question the second contingency 
 occurred. The anchor dragged, and the whole pro- 
 ceeding, an affair of hours, had to be begun again. 
 
 But it was now nightfall, and our philosophical 
 skipper proposed food and refreshment all round, 
 signified his intention of getting her off " some time 
 before morning," and disappeared into his cabin hum- 
 ming his favourite air. There were many speculations 
 as to what would become of the fleet and if they had 
 got anything on, or not. 
 
 By way of cheering us, our host told us an amusing 
 story of a fellow skipper of his who ran his ship on a 
 bank at this season of the year, and of how the river fell 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 'lOj 
 
 and fell until she was high and dry. " But," said he, 
 
 " was a thoughtful fellow in his way. He had 
 
 provided himself with plenty of vegetable seeds which 
 planted, soon sprung up, making a first-rate garden, on 
 the produce of which he lived until the following rainy 
 season." 
 
 The Kalassies howled all night as they hauled 
 away on the capstan, and in the morning we were once 
 more afloat. 
 
 We steamed ahead, and about midday came in 
 sight of the rest of the fleet at Kyounk Myoung, where 
 the Welshmen were assembled to meet us. A wing 
 joined the expedition, two companies were directed to 
 proceed to Mootshobo and support the Woon to 
 preserve order in his district, and two returned to 
 Mandalay. The result of the change in the arrange- 
 ments was beneficial to us, as we were no longer on 
 the hospital and coolie ship, but alongside the naval 
 brigade, who were the best of campaigning comrades. 
 In addition to soldiers and sailors, we had on board the 
 Pulu, and her two flats, Mr. Melton Prior, of the 
 " Illustrated London News," and Mr. Pigott, Reuter's 
 Agent. The skipper could not " mess " us, so that we 
 had to shift for ourselves. 
 
 On Christmas Day we put our bits of tinned meat 
 together, the tars knocked up a long table, and we 
 drank "absent friends" in whisky and water out of 
 bone and silver cups. In camps and on transports, 
 wherever, thousands of miles from home and beauty, 
 England's sons assemble to feast as well as they can 
 on Christmas Day, flagons are drained to this toast. 
 
208 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 In the hurry, excitement, and uncertainties of active 
 service, men seldom think of anything but their work 
 and themselves. This toast takes a man out of him- 
 self and wafts him back over oceans and continents 
 until in imagination he sees those absent friends once 
 more. 
 
 On this evening the Jacks had arranged to have 
 a " sing-song." The soldiers of course were invited to 
 join. Most of the songs were sentimental, as usual ; 
 all about sweethearts, wives, and mothers. Some of 
 the choruses were excellent, and must have astonished 
 the little fishes in the great river who were unac- 
 customed to their sleep being disturbed by such mid- 
 night revels. 
 
 The best of it all was that there was no liquor 
 going. Each man had had his single tot of rum — and 
 no more. Oh ! if some wise military administrator 
 would invent a new canteen system ! At present every 
 regiment is supplied with a magnificent grog shop 
 where men are permitted to drink themselves silly 
 every day. I confess the question is the most perplex- 
 ing one of the day. If you have no canteen, the men 
 will drink filth in the town ; if you have a canteen the 
 men get drunk in barracks. If you have no canteen, 
 and put the town "out of bounds," the men commit 
 crimes. One thing is certain, at least so it appears to 
 me, that drunkenness amongst soldiers is on the 
 increase, and I think much of it is due to the 
 faultiness of our canteen system. I hope that at no 
 very distant date the matter will be thoroughly gone 
 into. The canteen, in my opinion, ought to be a place 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 209 
 
 where men could get a pint of beer, or a glass of whisky 
 about meal times, and at no other. 
 
 I have been told by sergeants and privates of many 
 years' experience, that there are hundreds of men in 
 every regiment who, if they could get a glass with their 
 pipe in the evening, or after dinner, would never take 
 the trouble to dress, and walk two or three miles to the 
 nearest town to get a skinful of bad liquor. In theory 
 men are not allowed to get drunk at the regimental 
 canteen ; in practice they do so. Most companies are 
 proud of a rich canteen fund. 
 
 To resume, for the next few days we passed through 
 the most picturesque portion of the Upper Irrawaddy. 
 In the third, or lower, defile the river was still half-a- 
 mile across, but in the middle defile its waters are 
 contracted to less than half that breadth. In the latter 
 the banks are in many places perpendicular cliffs, a 
 hundred feet or more in height, and clothed in dense 
 bush. The depth of water is immense. Strange to 
 say we came across a shoal of porpoises in this defile, 
 which must be about 700 miles from the sea. It is 
 impossible they can be the same as the sea-fish, but 
 they resemble them exactly in appearance and action, 
 and in everything but size. 
 
 The naval brigade, in addition to guns, Gardners, 
 and other engines of destruction, had brought with 
 them an electric-light machine. It was adjusted and 
 worked every night on the roof of the steamer. The 
 effect on the natives at the villages on the banks was, 
 as may be supposed, very striking. Had the in- 
 habitants of London witnessed fifty years ago the 
 
 o 
 
2IO THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 effect on the sky of an electric machine, they would 
 most certainly have attributed the phenomenon to 
 the signs in the heavens which are to be the evi- 
 dences of the approaching end of all things. What 
 wonder, then, that these simple villagers, 800 miles 
 up an Indo-Chinese river, should have regarded the 
 Great Queen's armies as having power beyond mortal 
 ken ? 
 
 Now the machine is at work, and we are going, as 
 Captain Woodward had it, "to astonish the natives." 
 A great ray of soft light shoots across the heavens 
 from horizon to horizon. A flood of light is cast on 
 a spot in the village, but it is off with more than 
 lightning rapidity to illumine another. It now dashes 
 to the opposite bank, lighting up dark jungle and 
 ragged rocks. It hops, and bobs, and bounces about 
 heaven and earth in most uncanny fashion. Now it 
 settles down to business. The village is illumined, 
 making every object therein distinct and clear. It 
 visits every portion of it and seems to enter at the 
 doors and windows. At first the people rush away, 
 but, finding that in many cases the light follows, they 
 throw themselves down with their faces to the earth. 
 
 In a very few minutes the village and river's banks 
 are cleared, the terrified people taking refuge in the 
 bush or at the backs of the houses. But this only 
 lasts a very short time. Curiosity is stronger than 
 prudence. So far the light has struck no one 
 dead, perhaps it may be harmless. So the children, 
 clinging to each other, venture into the glare, then 
 run to their mothers' arms, screaming half with fear 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 2 I I 
 
 and half with delight. Some of the bigger boys 
 then rush out, have a good stare, and, having dared 
 so much, once more disappear. The ladies seem 
 to gain confidence next to the children. Their 
 curiosity to see what all this means cannot be re- 
 strained any longer, so they get together in groups 
 and hide their faces, and scream and giggle. Some of 
 the more " cheeky " ones actually put out their tongues 
 at us and begin dancing and gyrating about. The 
 men last of all moodily emerge from their cover, and 
 still not half liking it, walk cautiously about in groups ; 
 and gradually the village is gay. 
 
 The general landed at all the principal villages, 
 and talked to the people through Major Adamson of 
 the Commission. They all pretended to be glad to 
 see the English, but complained that they were never 
 secure against dacoits. The weak point of the situa- 
 tion was that we could'nt tell them definitely that we 
 intended to remain for good and all, and so they felt 
 that they were between two grindstones, the Kalas 
 and the dacoits — the devil and the deep blue sea. 
 
 Once clear of the defiles we encountered much 
 difficulty in navigation. At one time it seemed hope- 
 less. The steamers were constantly grounding, although, 
 it must be confessed that, owing to the skill of our 
 skipper, who was a great judge of the water, we con- 
 trived to steer clear of the shallows. 
 
 On the 28th we sighted Bamo, but as we ap- 
 proached it became clear that it would be impossible 
 to get nearer than within three or four miles of the 
 town. As it was, all the fleet were aground, but our 
 
 o 2 
 
2 12 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 own and the headquarter steamer, which drew a foot 
 less water (3 feet 6 inches) than any of the rest. 
 
 So we anchored at a point about three miles south 
 of the town and awaited orders. I was directed to 
 have my men ready to land and escort the general to 
 Bamo. It was easy enough to be ready, but as we 
 were half-a-mile from the nearest bank it would not be 
 so easy to land. 
 
 However, there are no such things as difficulties in 
 time of war, so we were preparing to get them into 
 the water somehow when the order was counter 
 manded. 
 
 Along the great expanse of sand on the east bank 
 a party was seen approaching. There was evidently 
 a " boss " amongst them, for a gigantic gold umbrella 
 was being borne along. The party put off in a boat, 
 boarded the general's vessel, and after some little 
 time departed. Evening was coming on and there 
 was little prospect of the rest of the fleet coming up 
 that night, even if the grounded ones got off at all. 
 The assurances of the Woon were evidently so peace- 
 ful that the general resolved to walk forward to Bamo, 
 only escorted by some of his staff. So they got into 
 a boat, were rowed ashore, and strode over the sand- 
 hills until they disappeared out of sight. All went off 
 most successfully. The Woon received them, took 
 them to the soldiers' lines, and the " bo," or officer, was 
 interviewed. He said his men would on no account 
 fight, and only wanted to be taken back to Mandalay. 
 After nightfall the party returned, all well. 
 
 Scarcely anything of interest occurred during our 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 213 
 
 stay at Bamo. A landing place was effected under a 
 high bank about four miles from the town, and some 
 sort of a road made through elephant grass twelve feet 
 in height. 
 
 The following detachments were landed : — 
 
 Hazara Mountain Battery. 
 Two companies R.W. Fusiliers. 
 Four companies 25th Madras Infantry. 
 Half company Mounted Infantry. 
 One company Bombay Sappers. 
 
 Colonel Carey deposited here two of his lusty 
 young brood, which it took the greater part of the 
 troops two days to drag to the camp. There is little 
 doubt that the discharge of one of these guns would 
 cause a fall of the stocks at Pekin. They are not 
 likely to be disturbed from their present habitation. 
 
 Bamo was in no way changed since my previous 
 visit in l%ji. There was the long street raised on a 
 brick causeway with insignificant offshoots and water 
 all round. There was the stockade, forming something 
 like the three sides of a hexagon, and enclosing all. 
 Outside to the eastward, was eternal jungle, jungle, 
 jungle. 
 
 The lofty range of the Kakhyen Hills about eight 
 miles distant looked quite close. Everything — hill 
 and plain and rock — clothed in dense bush. I rode 
 along the shore northwards to see what had become 
 of the old residency, but found nothing left to mark 
 the spot but a few charred stakes. The last political 
 agent had been shot dead by one of his own guard, 
 
214 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 and the house was burnt down a year or two ago 
 when a party of Chinese raiders had got possession of 
 the town. Some distance higher up the Taping river, 
 which rises in the Mountains of Yunan and follows a 
 tortuous course westward, empties itself into the great 
 river. The route from Moulmein to Bamo follows the 
 course of this stream. The inhabitants of Bamo are 
 heterogeneous in appearance — Burmese, Shans, Kak- 
 hyens, Yunanese, and Chinese — all rigged-out in 
 their characteristic dresses, may be seen crowding 
 along the main street, 
 
 The head Chinaman — a long, cold, clammy 
 Celestial — seemed to treat the " Coming of the Great 
 Queen " as an event which called for no exceptional 
 comment. " The stage," he remarked, "still remains 
 unaltered ; the actors only are changed," meaning to 
 infer, I take it, that the Chinese inhabitants did not 
 intend to allow our advent to disturb them. They 
 were anxious to know what our plans were, but that 
 was more than we knew ourselves. Theebaw's 
 soldiers, having been relieved of their arms, became 
 loafers about the town. Every effort was made to 
 induce them to work without effect. They absolutely 
 refused, and continued to solicit a free passage to 
 Mandalay. At length, like the importuning widow, 
 they succeeded ; and about 250 of them were shipped 
 on board one of the flats of the Thanbyadine, and I 
 was directed to guard them to Mandalay with what 
 was left of my men, now reduced to eighteen rifles. 
 
 No attempt was made to start the fleet together. 
 Many mishaps were expected, as going down with the 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 215 
 
 current it becomes necessary to crack on all steam in 
 order to steer her through the winding channels, and it 
 is no longer possible to be guided by the appearance 
 of the surface-water. Just as we were starting, a 
 steamer arrived from Mandalay. She brought news 
 that the whole country was "up," and that General 
 White was to all intents and purposes besieged. 
 
 Being of a somewhat sceptical disposition, I took 
 all this, not with the usual grain, but with a whole 
 salt-cellar full of salt. As events transpired, not so 
 much was necessary. 
 
 After many stickings and bumpings we reached 
 Katha, where we found two companies of the Welsh 
 Fusiliers, and the Kathleen. The officer command- 
 ing had been directed to proceed against some chief 
 who was said to be somewhere to the westward ; ac- 
 counts differed as to the distance. I offered my 
 services with ten mounted men, but they were de- 
 clined with thanks, and I once more started south- 
 wards. This expedition never started. There was a 
 difficulty about transport, and it turned out later on 
 that the chief was a Shan Tsaubwa, who has since 
 been recognised as the Wontho Tsaubwa. 
 
 After a journey of nine days, having spent the 
 greater part of the time on sandbanks, we once more 
 sighted the " Hub of the Universe." A more tire- 
 some or irritating period of inaction I have scarcely 
 ever experienced. 
 
 The prisoners of war behaved very well, and were 
 clean and quiet. The " bo " informed me that all his 
 men hated Bamo and that they had been very sickly, 
 
2l6 
 
 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 thirty having died of fever. We used to employ the 
 . sturdiest amongst them for working the capstan. At 
 first they seemed to enjoy it, and shouted lustily, but a 
 little of it went a long way, and we had to go and lug 
 them out from their hiding-places when they were 
 wanted for work. Without the chant I don't suppose 
 they would have put any " go " into the business. 
 
 Their " first tenor," a young lad of about twenty, 
 was always deputed to sing the solo and lead 
 the chorus. He stood apart from the others and 
 threw himself into his work with wild enthusiasm. 
 The song, like all Eastern ditties, consisted in constant 
 repetitions. 
 
 Solo singer. Heelay kyoundy ! heelay kyoundy ! 
 heelay kyoundy ! heelay dar ! 
 
 Chorus. Heelay dar ! 
 
 Solo singer. Tounglan ! tounglan ! heelay dar ; 
 
 Chorus. Heelay dar ! 
 
 Solo singer. Moung yo ! moung yo ! lay, lay ! lay, 
 lay ! moung yo ! lay, lay ! heelay dar ! 
 
 Chorus. Heelay dar !* 
 And so they hauled and howled away for hours at a 
 time. Being kept awake at night by this hideous 
 riot did not improve our tempers, especially as we 
 knew that we were missing a chance of doing good 
 work about Mandalay, where fighting was going on. 
 
 One evening we found ourselves in such a hopeless 
 mess that the question arose as to whether the neces- 
 sary seeds for planting a garden were forthcoming. 
 
 * I have vainly endeavoured to ascertain what this song means, 
 but as the words caught my ear I recorded them in my note-book. 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 217 
 
 About sundown we espied a steamer and two flats 
 stuck on a bank ahead of us. The captain, by the 
 advice of the pilot, determined to attempt to pass her, 
 the latter stating that the channel was to the right. 
 But it happened to be on the left, and we settled down 
 properly on the bank. The worst was yet to come. 
 Our steamer in swinging round got right across the 
 other's bows, and there we were in a fine fix. To get 
 off one steamer was sometimes the work of days ; but 
 what would be the end of this ? 
 
 It was decided that before anything was done, 
 everyone — the hard-worked and most marvellously 
 long-suffering Chittagonians not excepted — should have 
 food and rest. So the captain of the other steamer 
 came across to ours and had dinner. He was a smart, 
 good-looking fellow, and he interested us much by an 
 account of his own experiences on this part of the 
 river when the war first began. 
 
 His steamer was the only one on the river when 
 hostilities commenced, so that his position was not a 
 very pleasant one. 
 
 " I was trading up the river," he said, " as usual, 
 and one morning was alongside the bank at a place 
 called Malay. Not far off was one of the king's 
 steamers, also at anchor. The two Woons of the 
 district were on board my ship taking some breakfast. 
 I noticed nothing unusual until suddenly my arms were 
 pinioned from behind. I tried to free myself, and 
 appealed to the Woons for protection ; but a lot of 
 Burmans now rushed on board, and I was held fast. 
 My chief engineer, the only other European on board, 
 
2l8 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 was also secured. We were then marched, or rather 
 pushed, along to the king's steamer, and shoved down 
 the ' hold,' where it was quite dark, and where there 
 was a fearful stench ! For three days and three nights 
 we remained in chains. Twice we were taken out, as 
 we thought, to be put to death ! The first time I 
 went through all the agonies of death, mentally. We 
 both thought our last hour had come ! We knew that 
 impalement and crucifixion were the most common 
 modes of putting people to death in Burma, and we 
 thought we were in for one of these most horrible 
 deaths. When we got up on deck we saw that the 
 steamer was alongside the bank at rather a lonely- 
 looking place. We were led on shore and taken to a 
 place where there were some trees. It was raining in 
 torrents, and we were soaked to the skin, and nearly 
 famished with cold. Here a consultation took place 
 between our guards and some people on shore. I am 
 quite sure that this was to have been the place of our 
 execution. The suspense was awful ; I shall never 
 forget it to my dying day ! At length they evidently 
 ' funked ' the consequences, and we were led back to the 
 steamer, and pushed down the hold once more. They 
 gave us food and water as before ; but we were in a 
 bad way. When we reached Myadoung, a large vil- 
 lage, we were taken on shore again, and once more we 
 felt anything but comfortable. We were handed over 
 to the Woon of this place, however, who befriended us, 
 and so we got out of the difficulty all right." 
 
 After many hours of pulling and hauling, the other 
 steamer was floated, and matters looked more cheerful. 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 2IQ 
 
 We were equally successful, and went flying down with 
 the current. The three miles of shoals and shallows 
 known as the Henjedee Bar were got over somehow, 
 and on the ninth day after our departure we reached 
 Mandalay. There was a fight going on at Sagaing, 
 and the " boom " of the guns was distinctly audible. 
 I got on my pony and galloped up to the palace for 
 instructions as to the disposal of Theebaw's fallen 
 heroes, and on the way up I met Mr. Bernard, the 
 Chief Commissioner, who I had last seen at Rangoon. 
 He told me he had been some time at Mandalay ; that 
 there were several bands of dacoits about, most of 
 which had been broken up. He looked ill and worn, 
 and very different to the hale, vigorous man of two 
 months previously. His illness then was a mere 
 nothing to what he has since suffered, with a courage 
 and devotion to duty which I maintain has never been 
 surpassed by any man ; he has remained at the helm, 
 and, in my opinion, as a humble soldier, steered his ship 
 through troubled waters for the past year with a wisdom 
 and firmness which do him the highest honour. 
 
 We rode together to Colonel Sladen's office, where 
 it was settled that the Bamo men were to get a small 
 sum of money each — they stated that they had received 
 no pay for several months — to be set at liberty, and 
 informed that if they would report themselves again 
 after a short absence they would receive lucrative 
 employment. So they were discharged, and I never 
 heard of them again. 
 
 I got my men off the steamer, and we went into the 
 same camp which we had occupied before our depar- 
 
220 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 ture. The phoonghees seemed glad to see us, as they 
 said there were many dacoits about, and that shots 
 were often fired into the enclosure at night. 
 
 The question of annexation was now understood to 
 have been settled, and a proclamation was issued which 
 conveyed a somewhat ambiguous meaning in English. 
 "During Her Majesty's pleasure " was an expression 
 which might certainly leave room for hope of our 
 eventual departure in the native mind. My friend, 
 the bishop, came to see me, and said he hoped we 
 would stay until things were settled down and the 
 country quieted ; but when I told him that we would 
 stay until the end of the world, he smiled incredu- 
 lously. 
 
 We found on our return that a squadron of Madras 
 cavalry had arrived and taken up their quarters in the 
 next enclosure to ourselves. We heard a great deal of 
 the expeditions which General White had despatched 
 against the dacoits in different directions, and of course 
 were told that we had missed a fine chance of distin- 
 guishing ourselves by having gone on the expedition 
 to Bamo. The general and headquarter staft, after 
 having experienced many stoppages on the sandbanks, 
 arrived a couple of days later. 
 
 The present would be a suitable occasion for a 
 general review of the strategical situation as it pre- 
 sented itself to Sir Henry Prendergast on his return 
 from his expedition to the Upper Irrawaddy. 
 
 There could be no room for doubt that " Her 
 Majesty's pleasure " meant for ever ; and it had there- 
 fore become necessary to take measures to bring the 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 221 
 
 country under complete subjection with as little delay 
 as possible. 
 
 If we spread out before us a map of Indo-China, 
 we shall see that Upper Burma is, speaking roughly, a 
 rectangle, the long sides of which are five hundred 
 miles and the short two hundred, comprehending an 
 area of a hundred thousand square miles. Except on 
 the south and south-west, it is everywhere surrounded 
 by independent tribal States. 
 
 The Irrawaddy, rising in the mountains far to the 
 northward in the regions of perpetual snow, and having 
 acquired volume from countless streams and rills on its 
 southward path, has assumed the proportion of a 
 mighty river by the time it has reached the upper 
 portion of this great rectangle. 
 
 From Mogoung, which may be said to be the 
 north-easterly corner of Burma, to Bamo, steamer 
 navigation has not yet been effected ; but from thence 
 to the sea, a distance of little less than eight hundred 
 " miles, trading steamers have been at work for years. 
 This river, then, is the great highway of Burma. On 
 its banks dwell a very large proportion of the popula- 
 tion, and, with the single exception of Mootshobo, 
 which is sixteen miles to the westward, all the capitals 
 of the kingdom have been founded on its shores. 
 
 Besides the Irrawaddy, this strip of country is 
 watered by several rivers of no mean importance, most 
 of which, rising in the north, pour their waters into 
 the parent stream. The first in importance is the 
 Chindwin (Kyendweng of the old maps), which, taking 
 a course nearly parallel to the Irrawaddy for some 
 
222 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 hundreds of miles from its source, joins the latter some 
 miles below the present capital. As regards trade and 
 communication the Chindwin taps the north-western 
 portion of the country, and is navigable by small 
 steamers for about two hundred miles of its course for 
 a few months of the year. The principal towns on its 
 banks are Kendat, Mengyen, and Aloun. 
 
 Of lesser importance are the Shweli, which flows . 
 through Western Yunan and the country between 
 Bamo and Momeit ; the Nugit Nge, and Panboung, 
 the former flowing south-west, the latter north-west, 
 and joining the Irrawaddy at Ava ; the Moo, which 
 waters the country between the great river and the 
 Chindwin ; the Munipur, and the Sittang. The latter 
 is of little use as a means of communication north of 
 the old British frontier. 
 
 Throughout the length and breadth of this vast 
 territory, it would not be going too far to say that 
 there are no roads ; certainly not from a civilised point 
 of view. There are tracks more or less marked from 
 place to place, but they are little used except during 
 the dry season. 
 
 There are three great trade routes leading from 
 Burma through the Shan States into Western China, 
 and for centuries these have been the only channels of 
 communication between the two countries. The first 
 of these is from Bamo vii Manwayne and Momein to 
 Tali-foo and Yunan-foo. The second is from Mandalay 
 vii Theebau and Thinni, across the Salween, and 
 thence vii Mainton into Yunan. The third from 
 Kyankse or Yemethen through the Nattick Pass to 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 223 
 
 Nyoungwe and Mone to the Jacaw ferry on the Sal- 
 ween, and via Kiang Tung, across the Cambodia into 
 Yunan. 
 
 As regards inland towns, in the north-western 
 portion of the aforesaid rectangle is Wonthoo — the 
 centre of a semi- independent Shan principality; 
 Momeit, the chief town of the district, wherein the 
 ruby mines are situate. Toungwenghee — a large town 
 about forty miles east of the Irrawaddy at a point 
 seventy miles north of an old frontier, and the centre 
 of an extensive rice-growing country ; Kyoukse, 
 Yemethen, Hleindeh, and Nyngyan, all considerable 
 places on a line from Ava to Tounghoo. 
 
 Such then was the country that was to be brought 
 under our complete control. In order better to be 
 able to discuss the nature of the task before us, let us 
 consider it under three heads: viz., (1) What had 
 already been accomplished towards the end in view ? 
 (2) How much remained yet to be done ? and (3) What 
 were the means available for the task ? Unless I am 
 mistaken, I have heard men say, and have seen in print 
 that up to the period of which I write (the beginning of 
 January) nothing had been done by the army but the 
 "pic-nic" up the river, and the peaceful removal of 
 Theebaw ; and that after this the army slept. Let us 
 see. 
 
 Six weeks after the declaration of war, the capital 
 had been occupied, and the king made prisoner. 
 Strong garrisons provided with one month's pre- 
 visions had been placed at all the important towns on 
 the Irrawaddy from the British frontier to Bamo — a 
 
224 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 distance of five hundred miles. Two thousand cannon 
 of sorts and seven thousand muskets with large quantities 
 of ammunition had been captured from the enemy 
 An expedition had been despatched up the Chindwin 
 as far as Kendat. The country round Mandalay, 
 Mingyan, Pagan, and Minhla had been traversed by 
 our troops, and wandering bands of malcontents had 
 been defeated in a large number of successful actions, 
 and although the — for a time — apparent ubiquity of the 
 insurgents necessitated the employment of very small 
 parties against them, not one reverse had been ex- 
 perienced. 
 
 In the southern portion of the country, frontier dis- 
 turbances had been successfully grappled with, and 
 Ningyan and Toungwenghee and the surrounding 
 districts had been occupied after several successful 
 actions entailing small losses on our side. On the 
 western bank, what has since been known as the " Bo 
 Sheway's country " had been occupied, and traversed 
 from end to end, and dacoit bands broken up. Moot- 
 shobo, a great centre of disaffection, had fallen into 
 our hands, and that district was settling down, owing 
 to the vigour of Major Williamson of the Welsh 
 Fusiliers, who with only two companies completely 
 defeated the enemy in several small fights. 
 
 A force had been posted at Katha to watch the 
 Wontho Tsaubwa, who was threatened with hostilities 
 unless he agreed to come in. 
 
 Civil government had been established at all places 
 which had hitherto been occupied by the army. 
 
 So much, then, for the work which had been done 
 

 
 
 'A 
 
 o 
 
 a 
 
 <■ 
 
 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 225 
 
 during the first six weeks of our occupation of Upper 
 Burma. Let us now see what remained to be accom- 
 plished before we could hope to be able to call this 
 country our own. 
 
 Beginning in the north — it would become necessary 
 to despatch small expeditions to Moyoung and Wontho, 
 in order to explain by the presence of our troops that 
 we intended to permanently occupy the country. To 
 occupy the Ruby Mines district. To place military 
 posts at the more important towns on the Chindwin, of 
 sufficient strength to patrol the country ; and break up 
 dacoit bands. To strengthen Major Williamson in the 
 Mootshobo district. To traverse the country between 
 the Irrawaddy and the Chindwin by movable columns. 
 To despatch a strong force from Ava to co-operate 
 with Colonel Dicken's brigade from Ningyan, and open 
 up the country on that line. To explore the Yan 
 country, which lies to the west of the Chindwin. 
 
 All these military movements would become neces- 
 sary before civil government could possibly be set on a 
 firm footing, even if there were no hostile feeling in the 
 country against us. But this was by no means the 
 case. There was evidently a large portion of the 
 population who were decidedly averse to our remaining 
 in permanent occupation, and were resolved to try and 
 drive us out. 
 
 So the above was the task that lay before General 
 Prendergast ; but let us examine the means at his 
 disposal for its accomplishment. 
 
 Of the three brigades, with two mountain batteries 
 and one light field battery, which had formed his 
 
226 THE COMING OF' THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 original force, one brigade and one battery had to be 
 stationed at the different posts between Thayetmyo and 
 Mandalay. On the Upper Irrawaddy, the garrisons of 
 Mootshobo, Katha, and Bamo had absorbed the second 
 of the three British regiments (minus one company), a 
 mountain battery, and half a native regiment. 
 
 At Ningyan, on the Ava-Tounghoo line, Colonel 
 Dicken had one elephant battery, one native battalion, 
 and half a British battalion. At Toungwenghee Major 
 Law had two guns, one company of British, and two 
 companies of Native troops. In the Minhla territory 
 (Bo Sheway's country) Lieutenant-Colonel Hamilton 
 was operating with one company of British, and one 
 company of Native infantry. 
 
 Thus at headquarters under the immediate control 
 of the general were : — One field battery ; one company 
 sappers ; one squadron cavalry ; one company mounted 
 infantry ; one British battalion ; three and a half Native 
 battalions. But this brigade* which was under Briga- 
 dier-General White, had been fully occupied during 
 the last days of the old year, and first of the new, in 
 coping with the dacoit bands which had appeared at 
 different places in the Mandalay district as if by magic, 
 and, considering the numerous guard duties necessary 
 in order to maintain order and confidence in the city, 
 the troops were, if anything, overworked. The rising, 
 however, had received a severe shock, and the bands 
 appeared to have dispersed, or, at all events, lost con- 
 fidence. From the above it will appear quite clear to 
 the reader that if the country was to be brought into 
 subjection, reinforcements of considerable strength 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 227 
 
 must be despatched to Burma. But General Pren- 
 dergast was not the man to make difficulties, or to 
 suspend his action at a critical time. He resolved to 
 do as much as possible with the troops at his command. 
 In view of the many calls on the Mandalay force, 
 the column which had been previously detailed to 
 move southwards to Ningyan had to be counter- 
 manded. This was a great misfortune, and led to 
 much trouble afterwards ; but there were absolutely no 
 troops available for the purpose. The immediate 
 necessities were faced. Three small columns were 
 despatched into the district south of Ava, and between 
 it and Mingyan, to break up the following of the 
 Myentzein Prince, which was threatening to assume 
 the proportions of an army. Mootshobo, Katha, and 
 Sagaing were strengthened. Two posts were occu- 
 pied in the district north. of Mandalay, and one to the 
 east. Two columns were despatched across country 
 to march to the Chindwin, and form posts thereon. 
 In little more than a week the garrison of Mandalay 
 had dwindled down to fragments of regiments, com- 
 posed of one or two companies, the bands, and 
 colours. But the immediate effect was good : the 
 strengthened posts renewed their exertions ; the 
 Myentzeni Prince narrowly escaped capture, and fled 
 into the Shan country, and there were everywhere in- 
 dications of a tendency to settle down. But of 
 course a considerable portion of the country had yet 
 to be visited and explored. The above, then, 
 was the military situation in the middle of January, 
 1886. 
 
 p 2 
 
2 28 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 I shall now proceed to touch lightly the political 
 side of the question. 
 
 During the early days of our occupation, there 
 existed at the capital of Upper Burma two very diverse* 
 opinions as to the best and surest means of preserving 
 peace and order, pending the decision of the British 
 Government as to whether the country was to be 
 annexed, or a protectorate established. Colonel Sladen 
 held one opinion, and, although his views were logically 
 correct, and backed by his great experience of the 
 country and people, they were acquiesced in by few, 
 and were in direct opposition to those held by the 
 majority. But it by no means follows that they were 
 incorrect. That he was an uncompromising opponent 
 of " half measures" is proved by his expressions on the 
 subject before the outbreak of hostilities. In the paper 
 already referred to, he says : — " It will suffice for pre- 
 sent purposes if I record my honest conviction that the 
 treaty, and resident system on the old lines is no cure 
 for the present situation, and would result sooner or 
 later in the usual fiasco. The alternative course is the 
 compulsory treaty, to be followed by a protectorate. 
 But having got it, what is to be the kind of protection 
 offered, and how is the country to be governed ? If it 
 is to be the Indian system — a state of semi-sovereignty 
 — it cannot and will not answer in Burma. The Burmese 
 people are imbued with an almost superstitious venera- 
 tion for the royal family. As long as the dynasty lasts, 
 this veneration will continue. A protectorate on the 
 Hyderabad system might succeed, if accompanied by a 
 military occupation of the country by British troops, 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 229 
 
 and by the appointment of a Resident, or Chief Com- 
 missioner, who would exercise control over the entire 
 legislative and administrative departments of the State. 
 But even this kind of protectorate would be attended 
 by immense risks and difficulties, owing to the pre- 
 sence on the scene of a de facto sovereign of the 
 reigning dynasty, and the impossibility of getting the 
 people to bury their instincts, or sink their loyalty, so 
 far as to suffer any authority to exist on an equality 
 with a prince of the royal blood. A protectorate, 
 then, of the ordinary kind seems to be prohibited, 
 because it would involve a de facto king with semi- 
 sovereignty under the command of a protecting power 
 — a state of things which I believe to be almost im- 
 practicable as applied to the peculiar conditions of the 
 Burmese constitution and the ultra-loyal susceptibilities 
 of the Burmese people." As a prelude to these argu- 
 ments, Colonel Sladen writes : — 
 
 " I maintain that these objects " — (1) of maintain- 
 ing our political superiority ; (2) of arresting grave com- 
 plications which are imminent at the present time ; and 
 (3) of securing good government in Upper Burma — 
 " can only be successfully and permanently attained by 
 annexing the whole of the country known as Upper 
 Burma." But although the political officer held these 
 views, he recognised that he was only a servant of the 
 great British public with whom "annexation" was an 
 ugly word. He was perfectly willing to try any 
 method which his Government should decide to adopt. 
 From what I understood at the time, he argued thus : 
 " Let us, as far as possible, govern and preserve order 
 
^3° THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 by means of the persons who were in power before our 
 arrival. Do not by any means dissolve the Hlot Dau ; 
 but I will myself preside at its sittings, gradually 
 infusing British influence and power into its -councils. 
 • Make this council responsible for the maintenance of 
 public order, both at the capital, and in the districts, and 
 support their efforts with the troops. To this end let 
 them work with our own civil officers. Deport the 
 Tinedah Menghee ? Certainly not ! He is the strongest 
 man in the kingdom. I propose to utilise this mart as 
 Gordon would have desired to have used Zebehr Pasha, 
 to assist me to control the storm, until the country is 
 thoroughly quieted down, when, if he elects to serve 
 the British, he may be rewarded for his work. They 
 say he is a villain. Perhaps he is ; most men in his 
 position in Burma are little better ; but he is strong, 
 so I will keep him by me." 
 
 Nine-tenths of the military officers, most of the 
 civilians, and all the non-professional classes held other 
 opinions. The majority were for the dissolution of 
 the Hlot Dau, the deportation of the Tinedah and all 
 late king's suspected ministers, and the establishment 
 of martial law. 
 
 The irresponsible civil element, which each steamer 
 from Rangoon fed, loudly demanded violent repres- 
 sive action against malcontents or suspected mal- 
 contents, and, had their suggestions been carried out, 
 the probable result would have been a panic in the 
 city. 
 
 On the arrival of Mr. Bernard at Mandalay in 
 January as Chief Commissioner, he took the reins of 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 23 1 
 
 government into his own hands, and, although one of 
 his first acts was to deport the Tinedah, he was by no 
 means at issue with Colonel Sladen on all points. The 
 latter continued to work under him for twelve hours 
 daily with unabated zeal, and eventually only retired 
 from Burma, the scene of thirty years of distinguished 
 service to his country, because he had reached the 
 age of fifty-five, and thus ended his stewardship. 
 
 The Chief Commissioner had before him a stu- 
 pendous task, but, perhaps, the most interesting that 
 can ever fall to a man's lot in life. He had to make 
 a new country. The Viceroy recognised this, remark- 
 ing, " If I were not Viceroy of India, I should like to 
 be Mr. Bernard." He set himself to work with de- 
 vouring zeal. Finding that the Hlot Dau was a drag 
 on the action of his civil officers, he dissolved it once, 
 and for ever. This must have come sooner or later, 
 so perhaps it was as well that it should be done at 
 once. But the question was, had the Commissioner 
 a staff of officers sufficient to carry on the government 
 of this vast territory, even if the districts were suffi- 
 ciently settled for civil officers to work without immi- 
 nent peril to their lives ? It is easy to be wise after 
 the event, but it is now quite clear that he had not. 
 Still they were all he could get at the time, and not 
 being a man with Oliver Twist's faculty of " asking 
 for more," he resolved to try the experiment. Profuse 
 and generous to a fault in his private expenditure, he 
 was jealous of the public purse, and was, perhaps, over- 
 sanguine as to the prospects of an early settlement of 
 the country. 
 
232 THE COMING OF THE CxREAT QUEEN. 
 
 The police organisation may be said to have been 
 in embryo ; indeed Mr. Fford had been able to make 
 few additions to the fifty mounted Burmans who had 
 originally formed a part of the mounted corps. 
 
 Still the Inspector-General of Police had arrived from 
 Rangoon, and the work had been commenced. It was 
 now clear that we would not budge from this country 
 until the mud which we had stirred up by our sudden 
 advent had settled down, even if it were determined 
 not to annex. There was no doubt on this question 
 in the military mind, and a more lavish expenditure of 
 money was demanded on all hands. 
 
 As regards the attitude of the neighbouring States, 
 the Shans had regarded affairs on the Irrawaddy with 
 no small alarm ; while on the borders of their numerous 
 petty principalities troublesome parties had raided into 
 Burma. 
 
 The Chinese throughout Burma, and in the south- 
 western portion of Yunan, professed friendship to our 
 Government, but, owing to the wild and anarchical con- 
 dition of the tribes in the hill districts between Burma 
 and Western China, little reliance could be placed in 
 their action from day to day. 
 
 With regard to royal aspirants, and dacoit leaders, 
 none of any importance were afoot. The power of the 
 Myentzein Prince, if he ever had any, had already 
 been broken. He was a mere shadow. Bo Sheway 
 was being chased about the Minhla Nepeh country by 
 a small detachment under Colonel Hamilton, and had 
 so far not had the courage to fire a shot. Hla Oo was 
 not known of, and Buda Yaza and the Kerneudine 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 233 
 
 Prince had not made their names in the Nyngyan 
 district. Some outbreaks had occurred in Lower 
 Burma which caused great alarm at Rangoon, and the 
 troops had to be employed against the malcontents in 
 many districts. 
 
 Such was the state of affairs in Burma when it 
 became generally known that the Viceroy was coming 
 in person to Mandalay to form his own judgment on 
 the spot. This announcement pleased all parties, as it 
 was hoped that his advent would put an end to the 
 uncertainty which still- prevailed as to the ultimate 
 outcome of the war. 
 
 To be personal once more, the arrival from India 
 of a fresh consignment of saddles and bridles inspired 
 me with hope that my offspring, the mounted corps, so 
 weakened by reductions, would once more be restored 
 to youthful vigour. So I worried the authorities 
 with the result that rolls were called for all men, 
 European and native, who could ride. Large numbers 
 of men volunteered, more indeed than I had equip- 
 ment for. Many of them had already been trained as 
 mounted infantry. Some commanding officers kicked 
 against letting their already-attenuated battalions be 
 further reduced ; but others, seeing the necessity of the 
 case, fell into it cheerfully, and offered the services of 
 some of their best officers. So I was sent for and 
 requested to state what steps I next proposed to take. 
 I knew my answer would be received with a groan, 
 but it had to be faced. " The next thing to do," I said, 
 " is for you to furnish me with the funds to purchase, 
 say, one hundred ponies." " But," said they, " where's 
 
234 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 the money to come from ? We are already at Our wits' 
 end for money : go and have a talk with the Director 
 of Transport, see if he can buy the ponies out of the 
 grant we have just sanctioned him." I knew what 
 this meant, but I went accompanied by a high staff 
 officer who was as keen as myself to see the movement 
 supported. We found the above referred-to much 
 harried official surrounded by papers covered with 
 figures, and immersed in a problem of how he was to 
 furnish two thousand ponies "for immediate service" 
 as transport animals by the disbursement of a sum of 
 money only barely sufficient to buy half that number. 
 So it is unnecessary to say that I got no change out of 
 my old enemy, and rival, the head transport officer; 
 and had finally to be satisfied with a reply that I was 
 to wait "a dav or two." I waited and waited, but no 
 money could I get : the cash chest was empty, or the 
 key had been lost. 
 
 Meanwhile the press for mounted men became 
 daily greater. The few men I had left, and the handful 
 of Madras Cavalry, had to be employed over and over 
 again, and often our camps consisted of two or three 
 sick ponies, and one private as a guard. The cavalry 
 horses began to give way. The rest of the 2nd Madras 
 Cavalry had been ordered by telegram, but weeks 
 yet must elapse before their arrival. 
 
 Small columns continued to scour the country for 
 twenty or thirty miles, and as a rule met with little 
 opposition. The men were in capital health ; could 
 ride thirty miles a day, and then get off and climb 
 mountains. 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 235 
 
 As the heat of the weather increased and the 
 jungle became more open, the more evident became the 
 efficacy of those mounted troops. But it was finally 
 resolved that in consequence of the resolution of 
 Government to send two more squadrons of cavalry to 
 Burma, which I need scarcely say required no ready 
 money, no further expense could be sanctioned for 
 mounted infantry. 
 
 We had now reached the beginning of February, 
 and, owing to the energy of the military authorities in 
 every direction, things showed signs of settling down 
 in the country. True, several districts had not yet 
 been visited, but these were all more or less remote, 
 nor, judging by our experience in bringing under civil 
 rule Lower Burma, was it thought that it would be 
 necessary, once the main strategical points were occu- 
 pied, to march troops into every village in the land. 
 I maintain that everything was done which it was 
 possible to do with the means at our disposal to 
 guard against reaction, and nip risings in the bud, 
 except, perhaps the organisation of large bodies of 
 mounted infantry, and that the subsequent troubles 
 were due to an unpremeditated effervescence of 
 popular feeling, which it would have been impossible 
 either to foresee or to guard against. The more 
 troublesome and restless of the younger men, egged on 
 by the priests, took advantage of the rainy season, 
 when the jungles were thick and paths impassable to 
 set a " dacoit movement " on foot, in order, I believe, 
 to try and worry us out of the country. It was never 
 really formidable; but unless the Government had 
 
236 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 taken drastic measures, and poured troops into the 
 country, it would [have dragged on for years, and 
 probably upset the neighbouring States. 
 
 At Mandalay itself all was now in preparation for 
 the reception of the Viceroy, and the Commander- 
 in-Chief of India. Thousands of coolies were em- 
 ployed in improving the main road from the shore, 
 and the principal thoroughfares of the city. A sort of 
 young Crystal Palace was getting taller and taller, day 
 by day, on the landing place, and some hundreds of 
 Chinese carpenters hammered away night and day to 
 metamorphise Theebaw's barbarously splendid palace 
 into modern reception rooms for Lady Dufferin and 
 suite. 
 
 A week's work had wrought a magical change here, 
 and if the " King of Kings " and poor Soopyah Lat, 
 could have beheld the scene of their happy honey- 
 moon, they would scarcely have believed their eyes. 
 
 The lofty spire which, less than three months ago, 
 had crowned at once the " centre of the universe " and 
 Alompra's throne, now overshadowed the offices of 
 the field paymaster and chief engineer. The gilded 
 courts — then thronged with white-robed ministers — 
 contained to-day the small tables of the scribbling 
 baboos. Along the mystic passages, and through 
 the mirrored saloons, where princes and princesses 
 had strolled in gentle dalliance, now resounded with 
 the hurried tramp of sunburnt warriors ; while the 
 great hall, wherein the maids of honour had talked 
 scandal, and gobbled up their rice, now re-echoed 
 the laughter of British officers, as they discussed 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 237 
 
 three times a-day the anything but palatable food 
 which the headquarter mess caterer was able to lay 
 before them. 
 
 The great man came at last, and the army at Man- 
 dalay had the pleasure of seeing in the flesh the accom- 
 plished statesman and diplomatist, who had, in times 
 gone by, waked by his eloquence the echoes of the 
 Rocky Mountains ; who had held his own against the 
 wily plotters of the Russian capital ; and who had 
 "bested" the "unspeakable Turk." 
 
 With the Viceroy came our popular chief, " Sir 
 Fred.," whose cheery presence is always welcome in 
 every camp where British soldiers are assembled. 
 
 The bits and scraps of regiments lined the streets, 
 which were gaily hung with flags and bunting, and 
 through the ranks of the soldiers the imposing cortege 
 proceeded from the steamer to the palace. 
 
 Before leaving the shore, the Viceroy addressed a 
 few words to the heterogeneous assembly which 
 thronged the above-mentioned temporary reception 
 hall. He talked a good deal, and said very little. The 
 splendour of the procession ought to have impressed 
 the multitude, who had never previously seen a horse 
 more than thirteen hands or any vehicle larger than 
 a small pony-cart. His Excellency and Lady Duf- 
 ferin rode in a handsome carriage drawn by four 
 magnificent English horses, and all his body-guard, 
 tall, stalwart Sikhs, clad in long scarlet coats and 
 jack-boots, bestrode a like breed of animal. He 
 took up his abode for the next few days in the 
 palace, and held a levee. The ceremony took place 
 
238 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 in the great Hall of Audience, and the Viceroy, stand- 
 ing on the landing at the foot of the throne, bowed to 
 each individual as he passed, whatever might be his 
 nationality. The king's musicians attended, taking up 
 their accustomed places under the arches with as much 
 unconcern as if no change had taken place in their 
 rulers. The music consisted in banging away on gongs 
 and cymbals, and uttering shrill, although not altogether 
 discordant sounds. 
 
 On the following day Colonel Sladen organised a 
 grand pooay in the palace ; and on the platform arranged 
 for the audience, Lady Dufferin received as many 
 Burmese ladies as could be induced to pay her a visit. 
 It was quite a study of human nature to see these poor 
 creatures — many, indeed, loaded with jewellery — squat- 
 ting round, and having a long, long stare at the great 
 Kala lady, whose gentle and kindly, manner seemed to 
 exercise a fascination over them. Meanwhile the play 
 proceeded on the broad stage below, where lovers and 
 parents and murderers and executioners wriggled their 
 bodies about with eel-like pliancy. The musicians 
 chanted their wild songs, and the actors, half singing 
 and half talking, worked out each his or her part in the 
 stirring tale, where love and passion, murder and 
 revenge, enchained in turn the breathless beholders, : 
 
 Some days had passed, and yet no proclamation 
 had been issued by the Viceroy, and, as it was known 
 that he was in communication with Home Government, 
 great anxiety prevailed lest the word " annexation " 
 should choke the Cabinet in the last moment. But 
 we were not kept long in suspense. It leaked out 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 239 
 
 that it was to be all right, and Lord and Lady Dufferin 
 left the palace for the shore, where it was expected he 
 would announce the final resolution of the Government. 
 All the city magnates assembled to hear his parting 
 expressions, including the late king's ministers, to 
 whom he addressed the following words: — "Gentle- 
 men, I bid you good-bye. I thank you heartily for the 
 friendly feeling you have shown me, and I have been 
 very glad to make your personal acquaintance. You 
 have now become British subjects under the rule of Her 
 Most Gracious Majesty the Queen-Empress, and I have 
 no doubt that you will serve Her with loyalty and 
 fidelity. The country having passed under the direct 
 administration of British officers, I must call upon you 
 to give them your hearty support. Their highest 
 desire and endeavours will be to promote the happiness 
 and well-being of Her Majesty's Burmese subjects, to 
 restore tranquillity amongst them, to develop the re- 
 sources of the country ; to respect the customs ; to place 
 its religious property and establishments under protec- 
 tion of the law ; and to advance the well-being of all 
 classes as good citizens. These objects cannot fail to 
 be as dear to you as to them. It is the intention of the 
 Government to make as much use as possible of native 
 officials and native assistants in carrying on the work 
 of administration, and to treat native gentlemen of 
 position and dignity like yourselves-^with all the con- 
 sideration that is your due. Your experience and 
 acquaintance with affairs will enable you to render con- 
 siderable service to the British Government in the new 
 positions which will be offered to as many amongst you 
 
240 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 as can be employed with advantage, in return for what- 
 ever favours may be conferred upon you. I am sure 
 that I shall be able to count upon your rendering faith- 
 ful and effective service to your new Sovereign." 
 
 With the Viceroy departed also His Excellency 
 the Commander-in-Chief, and we were left once more 
 to our own devices. 
 
 The whole of the forces in Burma had been placed 
 under command of Lieut-General Sir Harry Prender- 
 gast, and I found myself once more on the head- 
 quarter staff. The mounted corps thus died for want 
 of nourishment. Had the movement met with sup- 
 port, and been allowed to develop at this time, much 
 trouble which has since occurred would have been 
 prevented. The sluggish marches of our heavily- 
 loaded infantry, through swamps, and along narrow 
 paths, soon proved to all who tried this mode of pur- 
 suing the dacoits that unless the system was changed 
 every village in the country would have to be 
 occupied before any good could be effected. The 
 daily increasing heat came hard upon the men, and 
 many halts had to be made to pick up exhausted 
 stragglers. I say a thousand mounted infantry at this 
 time would probably have nipped the botheration in 
 the bud by seizing the leaders before their petty 
 successes had " got up their names." 
 
 The hope which, some months before, an an- 
 nouncement in the Field force orders to the effect that 
 the Government of India had sanctioned the mounted 
 corps and my appointment as commandant, had in- 
 spired me, was never destined to be realised ; but to 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 24 1 
 
 prove that this was not due to any fault of my own, 
 I will quote my general's opinion of the work I had 
 done. 
 
 On my resuming staff duties, he directed Colonel 
 Bengough, his chief of the staff, to write me the follow- 
 ing letter : — 
 
 " Sir Harry Prendergast desires me to write and 
 express his appreciation of the zeal and ability dis- 
 played by you in personally organising and equipping 
 the mounted corps, and of the tact with which you 
 succeeded in welding into a harmonious whole the 
 somewhat heterogeneous material of which it was 
 composed. The little force has done right good 
 service, and the record of it will not be forgotten by 
 the general." 
 
 When any scheme for organisation, which has 
 been indisputably based upon sound theories, fails in 
 its practical development, few enquire the cause. 
 But everyone asks the question, " Who devised it and 
 carried it out ? and should a second attempt be made, 
 as it has been in this case, to reconstruct the fallen 
 edifice on the old plans, and under more favourable 
 conditions, experience has proved that it is not alto- 
 gether unwise to select a new overseer. So I suppose 
 the Indian Government acted wisely in forgetting my 
 name in the new organisation. As a sequence to the 
 proclamation of annexation, the civil and military de- 
 partments underwent re-organisation. The " Field 
 Force " was amalgamated with the British Burma 
 Division, and the whole army, under the designation of 
 the " Burma Forces," was placed under the supreme 
 
 Q 
 
242 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 command of Sir Henry Prendergast ; Major-Generals 
 Gordon and White continuing to command their re- 
 spective divisions in Lower and Upper Burma. 
 
 Having given directions to General White as to 
 the formation of fresh posts on the Chindwin, and other 
 districts in his command, the lieutenant-general next 
 turned his attention to affairs in Lower Burma, and 
 along the line from Tounghoo to Mandalay, which 
 had so far been only partially occupied by the column 
 despatched thither in the previous November by 
 Major-General Buck, then commanding in Lower 
 Burma. 
 
 A few days in Rangoon, spent in arranging for the 
 suppression of small troubles in the Bassein and Thar- 
 rawaddy District, were all General Prendergast could 
 spare for the Lower Province. He next departed for 
 Tounghoo, rode through to Ningyan, and thence on to 
 Yemethen, inspecting all the posts personally, and 
 forming new ones. His presence gave confidence 
 everywhere, and quite a new spirit was infused into the 
 hitherto rather neglected and isolated force which had 
 done such good service under Colonel Dicken. 
 
 He was preparing for the opening-out of communi- 
 cations with Mandalay, via Kyonkse, northwards, and 
 Myngyan, westwards, when the fatal message of re- 
 call reached him. The Home Government had been 
 unable to endorse the arrangements recommended on 
 the spot by one of the foremost generals of the age, 
 and England's greatest satrap. Sir Henry Prender- 
 gast received this terrible blow to his hopes with the 
 same chivalrous fortitude which had characterised his 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 243 
 
 whole military career. On his return ride by night 
 and day, along a hundred and fifty miles of jungle 
 paths, he never relaxed in his zeal for the public good. 
 He reached Rangoon once more, and, universally 
 regretted by all with whom he had come in contact, 
 civil and military alike, he turned his back for ever on 
 the land where he had so recently reaped fresh laurels 
 and added vast territories to the Empire of the Great 
 Queen. Whatever may have been the causes which 
 thus prompted the Government to remove this dis- 
 tinguished soldier from an important command at a 
 critical time, the effects of his removal have been only 
 too apparent. 
 
 He had been originally selected for the chief com- 
 mand because of his personal knowledge of the country 
 and people, and his tried soldierly instincts. As far as 
 he was allowed to go, he had done his work admirably 
 under very difficult circumstances. Since his occupa- 
 tion of the capital, in November, 1885, after three or 
 four small engagements by the way, until his departure 
 in April, 1886, he had worked incessantly to con- 
 solidate his successes, and the troops under him had 
 been kept constantly on the move. His extra- 
 ordinary physical strength enabled him to remain 
 in the saddle the entire day, and do all his writing and 
 office work at night, without showing any outward 
 signs of fatigue. Always cheerful, cool and self- 
 possessed, never acting on impulse, ever seeking to 
 understand both sides of any question brought for his 
 decision, but very determined when once committed to 
 any line of action ; utterly unselfish as he was entirely 
 
 Q 2 
 
244 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 without fear ; young in years, ripe in experience, and 
 an uncompromising progressist in military art — this 
 noble soldier was no unworthy representative of the 
 British General Officer of our day. Receiving his 
 baptism of fire at the battle of Mohamra in Persia, it 
 was during the dark and fiery days of the Mutiny that 
 young Harry Prendergast made for himself a lasting 
 fame. The fortune of war converted the young 
 "sapper "into a leader of horse and foot. He was 
 twice severely wounded in action, and thrice specially 
 mentioned for " distinguished bravery." Many years 
 of immunity from active service followed, but he was 
 rapidly promoted, and appointed Commanding Royal 
 Engineer to the Abyssinian Expedition, 1867, where 
 his skill and energy once more came into play. His 
 promotion has been, perhaps, too rapid for his interests ; 
 for now, as a man of a little over fifty, he has reached 
 the exalted rank of full general in the army. 
 
 Why such a public servant should be permitted to 
 eat out his heart in inaction at a remote Indian 
 hill station, while there are armies to be commanded, 
 and colonies to be governed throughout the length 
 and breadth of our wide empire, passeth man's under- 
 standing. 
 
 His courteous manner, his fine person, his frank 
 and resolute bearing, his intimate knowledge of affairs, 
 single him out as a noble representative of the au- 
 thority of the Crown in some of our colonies where, if 
 accounts be true, so much friction has occurred of late 
 between governors and governments. 
 
 With these words of farewell to my late chief, I 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 245 
 
 bring this simple narrative to a close. It tells the 
 story of the rise, the culmination, and the fall of a 
 succession of kingdoms, and dynasties, during centuries 
 of confusion and anarchy. Of the advent of Western 
 nations, and the gradual diffusion throughout Indo- 
 China of European civilisation and laws. Of the 
 dominance of the Alompras, and their barbarous system 
 of rule and government. Of two successful wars, and 
 the gradual incorporation of successive portions of 
 Burma into our Eastern possessions. Of a third war, 
 the final fall of the house of Alompra, and the supremacy 
 of the British over the whole of Burma. 
 
 To such important questions as the following, I 
 shall now endeavour to reply. 
 
 1. Is the accession of this new territory to our 
 already-extended Empire likely to result in good or 
 evil, profit or loss to ourselves ? 
 
 I reply that the annexation of Burma has been for 
 our good, and, if it be possible to foreshadow human 
 affairs, is likely to " pay." I ground this statement on 
 the following facts : — (i.) Order, and a firm and con- 
 sistent government have been substituted for a chronic 
 state of anarchy, (ii.) By the annexation of Upper 
 Burma, Lower Burma will reap the benefit of there 
 being no longer an Alsatia wherein every brigand can 
 find a safe refuge, (iii.) There is no longer any chance 
 of our finding ourselves at issue with the French in 
 the East, (iv.) Obstructions to trade have vanished, 
 and a new field for mercantile enterprise has been 
 opened up. (v.) By the acquisition of this new country, 
 an opportunity is afforded us of employing large 
 
246 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 numbers of educated Englishmen — the best men on 
 earth — who would probably otherwise be idle. 
 
 2. But how about the dacoits, and when is the 
 country going to quiet down ? 
 
 I say to this that all authorities out here agree that 
 it is simply a question of time. For three or four 
 years there will probably be more or less fuss and 
 movement going on, but it can't last, as there is no 
 longer any fuel to feed the fire. A state of dacoity 
 never more than local will probably continue until 
 some system of employing the young men of the 
 country has been devised. 
 
 3. What about the Shans, and other hill tribes ? 
 Whatever they may have been in the past, the 
 
 present race of Shans are by no means warlike, and are 
 principally traders in a small way. They always dis- 
 liked the Burmese, and profess to be glad to come under 
 our protection. There are about forty Tsaubwaships, 
 all more or less independent, and there appears to be 
 little prospect of any combined action on their part. 
 Their attitude for some years will probably be more or 
 less mistrustful, but under just, consistent treatment 
 there ought to be no trouble from the side of the Shan 
 States. The other hill tribes will in time get accus- 
 tomed to our rule, as the Karens and Chins have 
 already done ; but they will always, from their nature, 
 be wild, and their adherence uncertain. 
 
 4. How will the acquisition of Burma affect our 
 relations with China ? 
 
 I think beneficially ; and that is the general opinion 
 of such men as Bishop Bigaudet, and others who have 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 247 
 
 spent their whole lives in Indo-China. The Western 
 Chinese, although troublesome at times, profess to be 
 glad to have us as neighbours, and as they are keen 
 traders, we shall probably hit it off together. It is to 
 be hoped that at no very distant date the frontiers of 
 the two empires will adjoin. This would, perhaps, be 
 the best means of providing for the future. Geo- 
 graphical buffers, for so long supposed to be in the 
 interest of peace, have been the cause of most of the 
 wars in the world's history. 
 
 To the above material queries, the philanthropist 
 may add one : — 
 
 Will our advent bring blessings and peace to these 
 people themselves ? 
 
 Time can only answer this question. If riches and 
 personal comfort, protection of property, just laws, in- 
 corruptible judges and rulers, are blessings as a set-off 
 against Utopian dreams of freedom, then Jack Burman 
 has a happy future. In the minds of those who, like 
 myself, saw Mandalay, and other towns in Upper Burma, 
 during the rule of the Alompras, no doubt can exist as 
 to our advent being for the benefit of the Burmese. 
 
 Poverty, filth, and serfdom — their baleful conse- 
 quences pervaded all I saw. No law really existed 
 except the law of force. The people cringed at the 
 feet of those who had the power to ruin or condemn 
 them unheard, and no man — outside the governing 
 pale — could call his property, or his life, his own. 
 
 But to-day, notwithstanding many drawbacks, such 
 as a disastrous fire and a still more disastrous flood, 
 Mandalay presents a very different aspect. New roads 
 
248 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 have been made, and are well kept. New houses, 
 many of them pucka, have sprung up all over the city 
 to replace the miserable wooden sheds which had pre- 
 viously existed'. Money seems to have sprung up from 
 the soil, in which it had probably lain hidden for 
 generations. The men and women have a brighter 
 and more independent look, and they dress better. 
 There is a feeling of security in the country which I 
 don't suppose was ever known before. 
 
 One woman — the wife of a great Burman— who 
 had lost almost all her property, which had been looted 
 by dacoits, remarked to me when I asked her how she 
 liked the presence of the English, "Well, at any rate, 
 one is not likely to be murdered in one's bed now." 
 
 This is the result of two years' occupation of the 
 country during a period of unlooked-for trouble and 
 unrest. In a few years Mandalay will be a second 
 Rangoon, and other important centres of trade will 
 spring up on the banks of the great river, and on the 
 line of the railway which is making rapid strides 
 towards completion. 
 
 Let him who doubts that we are ruling Burma for 
 the good of the Burmese visit Rangoon, and see a 
 crowd on a feast-day. Let him see the richness of 
 their dress, and their general air of affluence and inde- 
 pendence. A happier or more well-to-do crowd does 
 not exist on earth. My own belief is that, here as 
 elsewhere, wherever our soldiers and sailors carry our 
 flag, on whatever spot we set our foot firmly, we govern 
 for the material good and prosperity of mankind. 
 
 And it is because this is my rooted conviction that 
 
AN ENTRANCE GATE OF THE INCOMPARABLE PAGODA, MANDALAV. 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 249 
 
 I ever hope and pray that no disastrous scheme for a 
 " stand-still " policy will ever meet the approval of a 
 British Parliament. We cannot halt under the fierce 
 light which beats upon our path ; we must go forward 
 — not recklessly or aggressively, but when expediency 
 demands that we should do so — or else we must fall 
 back. 
 
 Let us advance, then, with unfaltering steps, facing 
 manfully our mighty responsibilities, and thus fulfil our 
 destiny upon the earth, 
 
 " We've sailed wherever ship could sail, 
 We've planted many a mighty State ; 
 Pray God our greatness may not fail, 
 Through craven fears of being great." 
 
 Histoey, Fluctuations, and Future Prospects 
 of Trade. 
 
 From remote periods, and with ever-recurring fluc- 
 tuations, trade has been carried on between Upper 
 Burma, the Shan States, and Western China, and the 
 seaports of Rangoon and Moulmein. 
 
 Most^-but by no means all — of the traffic has been 
 confined to the waterways of the Irrawaddy, Sittang, 
 and Salween. 
 
 Caravans of goods from the above-named countries 
 have long since travelled to the delta ports by land 
 route (1) along the left bank of the Irrawaddy; (2) 
 via Yemethen, Ningyan, and Tounghoo ; (3) via 
 Southern Shan States to Moulmein. Two main 
 causes have been influential in stimulating this trade 
 within the present century — the acquisition of Lower 
 
25O THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 Burma by the British, and the foundation of the Irra- 
 waddy Flotilla Company. 
 
 For the last quarter of a century wonderfully little 
 change has taken place in the quantity of merchandise 
 arriving in Lower Burma from the north and east by 
 the caravan routes. These communications are open 
 only during the dry season and, as the distances are 
 great, more than one trip is seldom attempted in the 
 year. The trade by river has, however, steadily in- 
 creased, with a few bad years, since our annexation of 
 Pegu in 1853, and, under present circumstances, is 
 likely to pake further progress. 
 
 The^principal imports to Lower Burma to be 
 enumerated are : cattle, ponies, lacquered ware, raw 
 cotton, cotton twist of native make, piece-goods of 
 Mandalay manufacture, fruits and nuts, grain and pulse, 
 wheat, cutch, hides, sticklac, metals, petroleum, silk 
 goods, jadestone, sugar, tea, tobacco, timber, and rubies. 
 
 Taking the last few years, this trade is thus re- 
 viewed : — 
 
 Cattle. — Most of this trade comes from Upper 
 
 Burma and the Shan Country. The animals are by 
 
 i po means of a bad type, and decidedly superior to 
 
 ' Indian cattle. The beef in Burma is much appreciated, 
 
 and is of excellent quality. 
 
 During the dry season of 1878-9, 16,000 head of 
 cattle were imported from Upper Burma, and 8,000 
 from the Shan States. Since then the trade has un- 
 accountably fallen off, only reaching a total of 3,000 in 
 1884-5. 
 
 Ponies. — The trade in ponies has, to a great extent, 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 25 1 
 
 kept pace with the cattle trade. In 1878-9 there were 
 3,000 ponies sold in British territory, but subsequent 
 years have shown a marked falling-off. 
 
 By some the decrease in the trade of cattle and 
 ponies is attributed to the bad prices realised by the 
 traders ; but it is more likely to have been influenced 
 by the obstacles thrown in the way of the trade by the 
 late king's government, and by the general feeling of 
 insecurity which has prevailed in Upper Burma of late 
 years. Stallions, or mares, were formerly never im- 
 ported, but many of the latter are now amongst the 
 droves. 
 
 Lacquered Ware. — This trade has shown a steady 
 decrease of late years. It consists of boxes, drinking 
 cups, and articles of household use. From 1880 to 
 1885, -the average value of these imports was 200,000 
 rupees a-year. There is a large manufactory of these 
 articles at Seh-gya in the Shan States. Earthenware 
 and glass of English make have of late years taken the 
 place of this ware in Lower Burma, and thus seriously 
 affected the industry. 
 
 Raw Cotton. — Large quantities have been imported 
 from Upper Burma, the Shan States, and Western 
 China for the decade preceding the late war. In 1880, 
 amounts to the value of 1,160,000 rupees, and 1883 
 of 763,000 rupees, were imported ; but subsequent 
 years show a considerable decrease. 
 
 Cotton Twist of Native Make. — This is made in 
 large quantities in Mandalay and other towns in Upper 
 Burma, and imported by the flotilla down country. 
 It is used for wicks, net-making, &c. 
 
252 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 Piece-Goods of Mandalay Manufacture. — In 1880 
 amounts to the value of 440,000 rupees were imported, 
 but the trade has suffered by the importation of 
 English dry goods, which are readily purchased by the 
 natives. 
 
 Fruits and Nuts. — These consist of tamarinds, 
 limes, mangoes, oranges, bale-fruit, plums, ground-nuts, 
 plantains, and walnuts. This trade is carried on en- 
 tirely by river. In 1879 it amounted to 60,000 rupees. 
 
 Grain and Pulse. — Average last few years 400,000 
 rupees. 
 
 Wheat. — This grain has for many years past been 
 grown in the Irrawaddy Valley. It thrives in the 
 alluvial soil left by the recession of the river after the 
 rainy season. From 1879 to 1885 the value of wheat 
 sold increased from 50,000 to 150,000 rupees. 
 
 Cutch. — There has of late years been a great de- 
 mand for this grain in Europe. The value of the 
 imports in 1880 reached 600,000 rupees, and in 
 1884-5 669,924 rupees, thus showing a slight improve- 
 ment. 
 
 Hides. — This trade has greatly increased of late 
 years — owing, probably, to the relaxation of the Budd- 
 hist law of " Kill not at all " — and it has gone up from 
 200,000 rupees in 1879-80 to 1,000,000 in 1885. 
 
 Sticklac. — A sort of dye, which has been replaced, 
 in a great measure, by English dyes. It is imported 
 principally from the Shan States, and is used for dyeing 
 silk. 
 
 Metals. — Images of Gaudama, bells, knives, bowls, 
 and spoons, gongs, pagoda-crowns, betel-nut cutters. 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 253 
 
 This trade remains pretty steady. There are many 
 manufacturers throughout all parts of the country, so 
 that most things are obtainable locally. Mandalay has 
 been the great centre of this industry. 
 
 Petroleum. — The great wells at Yenangyoung on 
 the Irrawaddy, and at other places, show no signs of 
 exhaustion ; but the demand has fallen off owing to the 
 importation of kerosine, which is vastly superior for 
 lighting purposes. The earth-oil is still much used for 
 preserving wood from the joint effects of weather and 
 white ants. 
 
 Silk Manufactures. — Men's and women's dresses 
 and priests' robes. Much of this work is carried on 
 at Mandalay, and other large towns. The trade has 
 been decreasing of late owing to importation of 
 European silks; falling from 1,500,000 in 1879 to 
 743,500 rupees in 1885. 
 
 Jadestone. — This trade is carried on exclusively by 
 Chinamen. Stones to the value of 400,000 rupees 
 were imported in 1885. 
 
 Sugar and Jaggery. — Jaggery is made from the 
 juice of the toddy palm, and is used in making vinegar, 
 distilling spirits, and preparing sweetmeats. This trade 
 is on the increase. 
 
 Pickled Tea or Letpet. — This is made principally 
 in China and imported into Burma. It is an article of 
 luxury amongst the Burmese. 
 
 Tobacco. — This plant is cultivated in all parts of 
 Burma, and is sold in all bazaars. 
 
 Timber. — Since the Bombay Burma Company has 
 had the working of the king's forests, this trade has 
 
2 54 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 steadily improved. The value of timber floated down 
 the Irrawaddy and Sittang from Upper Burma has 
 been in 1882-3, 2 >o5T,ooo. rupees; in 1883-4, 2 >3 2 °>459 
 rupees; in 1884-5,3,101,039 rupees. The principal 
 teak forests are in the neighbourhood of the Sittang 
 and Chindwin rivers. 
 
 Exports from Lower Burma to Upper Burma, the 
 Shan States, and China. 
 
 Cotton twist, yarn, and piece goods, earthenware, 
 betel-nut, rice, and paddy, manufactured metals, 
 kerosine oil, dried fish, tinned provisions, salt, raw 
 and manufactured silk, refined sugar, and woollen 
 goods. 
 
 Cotton Goods. — Trade has of late years been fair, 
 but last reports, previous to the disturbances, show a 
 slight falling-off, although realising 2,616,776 rupees. 
 
 Earthenware. — The demand has kept pretty 
 steady, averaging about 250,000 rupees' worth per 
 annum. 
 
 Rice. — A complete failure of the rice crop in Burma 
 is unknown, but only sufficient is grown in Upper 
 Burma for consumption. In 1883-4-5, a scarcity in 
 the king's dominions stimulated the inland trade, and 
 large quantities were imported from the Lower Pro- 
 vince. 
 
 Metals. — Sheet brass and copper, bar iron and 
 steel, have always been imported into Upper Burma, 
 to the average value of 200,000 rupees annually. 
 
 Provisions. — European tinned provisions, and enor- 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 255 
 
 mous quantities of dried fish (N. guapti), which with 
 rice, forms the principal food of the people, are yearly 
 imported into Upper Burma. Trade in spices, sugar, 
 and woollen piece-goods has steadily increased of late 
 years. 
 
 Trade with Foreign Countries. 
 {See also Tables on pp. 260-261.) 
 
 The United J£ingdom.-^-lmports building materials, 
 candles, coal, cotton twist, cotton piece-goods, earthen- 
 ware and porcelain, provisions, liquors, machinery and 
 mill work, matches, metals, railway plant, salt, silk 
 piece-goods, woollen piece-goods, &c. In the year 
 1884-5 the imports of coal, provisions, matches, salt, 
 and piece-goods showed an increase ; all others a 
 decrease, leaving a balance decrease of 342,480 
 rupees. 
 
 Exports. — Caoutchouc, rice, cutch, hides, timber. 
 Cutch and teak show an increase ; others a decrease. 
 Balance decrease of 97,474 rupees. 
 
 France. — The imports are silk piece-goods from 
 Marseilles ; and the exports, rice to Rouen and teak 
 to St. Nazaire, both on the increase. 
 
 Germany. — The imports are cement, liquors, metals, 
 and salt, and the exports, teak. The trade with Ger- 
 many shows no increase of late years. 
 
 Holland. — Small quantities of gin imported. Trade 
 almost ceased. 
 
 Italy. — The imports of glass ware, provisions, and 
 silk piece-goods increased, but exports of rice fallen off. 
 
/ 
 
 256 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 South America and Buenos Ayres. — Rice trade on 
 the decline. Ship loads of stones imported for metalling 
 roads. 
 
 Ceylon. — Rice and timber trade fair. 
 
 China. — Carried on by sea via Straits Settlements 
 and via land routes from Western China to Irrawaddy 
 and Sittang rivers. It consists mostly in exports of 
 silk and woollen goods. 
 
 Straits Settlements. — Considerable quantities of 
 silk, piece-goods, sugar, tea, tobacco, silk, seeds, 
 metals, liquors, hardware, fruits, earthenware, coffee, 
 candles, &c, are imported yearly to Rangoon, and 
 show a steady increase. 
 
 Other Countries. — Coal imported from New South 
 Wales, kerosine oil from New York, and cotton goods 
 from Trieste. 
 
 Trade Prospects. — To prophesy on the future of 
 any trade is always mere speculation ; but certain 
 causes may be generally expected to produce certain 
 results. Thus the monopolies placed on articles in 
 Upper Burma by the late king having been removed, 
 the chances are the trade in those commodities will look 
 up. The Burman is, above all Her Majesty's Eastern 
 subjects, the most ready purchaser of European goods ; 
 his vanity, and love of dress inducing him to lay out 
 all his spare cash in decorating his body. Hitherto, 
 the poverty prevailing in Upper Burma precluded the 
 mass of the inhabitants from indulging in luxuries in 
 the way of European silks, &c. ; but, with a secure 
 government and improved commuications, the people 
 will soon become better off, and free, to give rein to their 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 25? 
 
 passion for dress. Lower Burma is still capable of 
 an enormous increase of production. It only wants 
 population, which is yearly increasing. 
 
 The future of the rice trade is a most momentous 
 question. In the last quarter of a century the Ran- 
 goon merchants have had their good years, and their 
 bad. Large fortunes have been made in rice alone, 
 but the less sanguine now say that the days of bumper 
 seasons are gone for ever. Another year like the 
 past, 1885-6, would certainly shake terribly some of 
 the great Rangoon houses, but we must hope that such 
 another will never come. The rice crop, which had 
 been unusually good, had suffered much damage by a 
 fall of rain in February, when the crops were newly 
 cut. In these days of fierce competition it is no easy 
 matter to wait. Accordingly large ship-loads of very 
 indifferent rice were loaded. Furthermore, it was 
 damp when stored, and fermented in the holds of the 
 ships on the voyage. The result was that importers 
 complained, and enormous losses occurred. 
 
 The system of turning out "white rice," that is, 
 preparing the rice for consumption at the Rangoon 
 mills, has lately been tried with considerable success, 
 and the number of mills for this purpose is likely to 
 increase. 
 
 The future of the trade in rubies, since our acquisi- 
 tion of the ruby mines, is a matter for much speculation. 
 The locality where these valuable stones are found 
 is situated in the hill districts of Momiet, about eighty 
 miles north-east of Mandalay. The actual zone of 
 mining operations comprehends only the townships of 
 
258 . THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 Mogouk, Kathay, and Kyapyen. The first is the 
 principal centre of the mining industry, and the two 
 latter are smaller places distant about seven miles 
 from it. The hills vary in height from 1,000 to 6,000 
 feet, and from all accounts the districts are fairly 
 healthy. 
 
 In Theebaw's time the right to farm the mines was 
 leased out to the highest bidder for about two lakhs 
 per annum. In addition to what he could make out 
 of the mines, the lessee was permitted to impose a 
 house tax on the miners. The arrangement was that 
 all rubies of more than 2,000 rupees' value were the 
 king's property, and the consequence was that these 
 were nearly always either broken up, or smuggled away. 
 All rubies found had to be offered to the lessee, who 
 had a right to purchase them at 25 per cent, below 
 their real value, this being fixed by a council of valuers. 
 The rubies when thus purchased had to be packed and 
 sent to Mandalay. The owners had to pay a tax for 
 opening the packets, and commission on the sale of the 
 stones. Even with this system, so plentiful was the 
 supply of rubies that large fortunes were made by the 
 Mandalay ruby merchants. 
 
 There are three distinct methods of mining employed. 
 The first is only used by wealthy men, as it requires a 
 large amount of labour, but it is the most extensive 
 method, and by it the best stones are obtained. Large, 
 deep cuttings are made in the sides of the hills, which are 
 composed of a mixture of red clay and sand, and into 
 these cuttings a stream, of water is led. This is a very 
 easy matter during the rains, but in the dry weather 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 259 
 
 streams, have to be diverted and carried round the hills to 
 the required spots : these diversions are sometimes three 
 or four miles long, and occasionally the water is carried 
 across valleys on most ingenious bamboo aqueducts, 
 sometimes over too yards long. After a time the 
 water is turned off, and the soil over which it has 
 flowed is turned over with spades, and the rubies picked 
 out by hand, the mud having been washed away and 
 the stones remaining. These cuttings are worked for 
 many years, and at last go to a depth of perhaps thirty 
 feet. When they become very deep, the soil is simply 
 dug out and washed in a stream of water at the surface 
 in baskets, the stones being then picked out by hand. 
 
 The second method is digging, out the sand and 
 gravel which is found in the natural fissures between 
 large rocks. These diggings may run in any direction 
 and are sometimes of great length or depth ; and from 
 the sides or end of the original digging, shafts are 
 pushed out in every direction in which the soil is met 
 withj and carried on until rock is encountered. Very 
 fine rubies are got by this method, but it cannot be 
 carried on during the rains on account of the poisonous 
 gases which are met with in the diggings. 
 
 The third method is by digging wells. The wells 
 are generally dug near the beds of streams, and the 
 deep ones are lined generally with straw and timber to 
 prevent the sides falling in. The shallow wells are 
 worked by one family, or even by a man and his wife : 
 they are dug to a depth of four or five feet only, and 
 the gravel raised in a basket on the end of a long 
 bamboo, which is pivotted on an upright stake driven 
 
 R 2 
 
26o 
 
 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 into the ground, and has a counterpoise weight at the 
 other end. The rubies are generally found in a seam 
 of foul-smelling mixture of mud and gravel. 
 
 Hitherto the principal traders have been Panthays, 
 who bring up piece-goods, &c, from Mandalay on 
 pack mules, and return to the city with rubies. 
 
 As the rights of these Shans, who have for years 
 been the hereditary lessees of the mines, are not likely 
 to be interfered with, the question of opening up a 
 trade in rubies will not be settled off-hand. But if the 
 view taken by those who have had the best opportunity 
 of examining the locality, and interrogating the miners 
 be not too sanguine, the trade in rubies ought to be a 
 solid pecuniary gain to the Government. 
 
 The question of starting tea gardens in Burma has 
 lately been raised, and will probably be tried as an 
 experiment before the end of the present year. 
 
 The following statistics from the Government 
 Reports show the state of trade before the late war : — 
 
 A. Trade vid Suez Canal. 
 
 The subjoined table shows the proportion of the 
 foreign trade of the province carried via the Suez 
 Canal during each of .the last five years : — 
 
 
 1880-81. 
 
 1881-82. 
 
 1882-83. 
 
 1883-84. 
 
 1884-85. 
 
 Imports... 
 Exports... 
 
 Rs. 
 
 2,56,76,379 
 2,13,66,940 
 
 Rs. 
 2,08,68,351 
 2,14,01,420 
 
 Rs. 
 2,61,16,499 
 1,84,22,745 
 
 Rs. 
 2,71,18,605 
 2,71,31,853 
 
 Rs. 
 2,36,44,127 
 1,66,22,826 
 
 Percentage of 
 total foreign 
 trade — 
 
 Imports ... 
 
 Exports 
 
 67-65 
 32-57 
 
 63'37 
 32-55 
 
 70-15 
 26-20 
 
 71-22 
 41-27 
 
 6398 
 31-44 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 
 
 26l 
 
 The decline indicated by the export figures for 
 1884-85 is accounted for by the depression in the 
 rice trade of that year. 
 
 B. Merchandise Imported. 
 
 The following table shows the Value of the mer- 
 chandise, both dutiable and free, imported during each 
 of the past five years from foreign countries on private 
 account : — 
 
 Value of Private Foreign Import Trade. 
 
 
 1880-81. 
 
 1881-82. 
 
 1882-83. 
 
 Dutiable 
 Free 
 
 Rs. 
 
 2,97.17.896 
 82,39.037 
 
 Per 
 cent. 
 78-29 
 2171 
 
 Rs. 
 
 2,45,30,181 
 ' 84,02,828 
 
 Per 
 
 cent. 
 
 74-48 
 
 25-52 
 
 Rs. 
 
 26,34,582 
 3,45.95.852 
 
 Per 
 cent. 
 7-08 
 92-92 
 
 Total ... 
 
 3.79,56,933 
 
 IOO'OO 
 
 3,29,33,009 
 
 1 00 00 
 
 3.72,30,434 
 
 ioo-oo 
 
 
 1883-84. 
 
 1884-85. 
 
 Dutiable 
 Free 
 
 Rs. 
 
 25,38,726 
 3,55,36,256 
 
 Per 
 cent. 
 
 6-67 
 93 "33 
 
 Rs. 
 
 27,63,426 
 3,41,1,0,408 
 
 Per 
 cent. 
 7-48 
 92-52 
 
 Total ... 
 
 3,80,74,982 
 
 IOO'OO 
 
 3,69,53,834 
 
 ioo-oo 
 
 In consequence of the change in the import tariff 
 in March, 1882, the figures for only the last three of 
 these five years can be compared. 
 
262 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 Agricultural Implements. 
 
 
 1880-81. 
 
 1881-82. 
 
 1882-83. 
 
 1883-84. 
 
 1884-85. 
 
 From United Kingdom ... 
 ,, Straits Settlements .. . 
 ,, other countries 
 
 Rs. 
 24,318 
 220 
 
 Rs. 
 39,6o4 
 
 325 
 80 
 
 Rs. 
 
 29,859 
 
 508 
 
 20 
 
 Rs. 
 
 9,339 
 
 1,149 
 
 Rs. 
 
 22,263 
 
 860 
 
 25 
 
 Total 
 
 24,538 
 
 40,009 
 
 30,387 
 
 10,488 
 
 23,148 
 
 These consist chiefly of mamooties from the United 
 Kingdom. The increase in 1884-85 is mainly due to 
 large importations made in January, 1885, of over 
 1 1,000 to replenish stocks. Large numbers of reaping- 
 machines were imported. 
 
 Apparel. 
 
 
 1880-81. 
 
 1881-82. 
 
 1882-83. 
 
 1883-84. 
 
 1884-85. 
 
 From United Kingdom ... 
 ,, Straits Settlements... 
 „ other countries 
 
 Rs. 
 3,62,631 
 2,42,791 
 
 573 
 
 Rs. 
 
 3,27,391 
 
 2,00,563 
 
 3,258 
 
 Rs. 
 
 4,17,565 
 3,05,262 
 
 i,37o 
 
 Rs. 
 6,15,068 
 3,57,625 
 
 59,594 
 
 Rs. 
 5,84,165 
 3,70,98i 
 
 48,293 
 
 Total 
 
 6,05,995 
 
 5,31,212 
 
 7,24,197 
 
 10,32,287 
 
 10,03,439 
 
 Notwithstanding the largely-increased importations 
 in 1883-84, the total value of the imports under 
 this head in the year of report showed a continued 
 activity in the trade in finery. 
 
 Arms, Ammunition, &*c. {including Military Accoutrements}. 
 
 
 1880-81. 
 
 1881-82. 
 
 1882-83. 
 
 Fire-arms and parts 
 
 thereof 
 
 Gunpowder, sporting... 
 ,, other sorts 
 
 lbs. 
 25,575 
 
 Rs. 
 
 7,645 
 
 23,575 
 
 9,092 
 
 lbs. 
 40,429 
 
 Rs. 
 
 7,442 
 38,941 
 16,894 
 
 lbs. 
 34,5oo 
 
 Rs. 
 
 16,317 
 38,072 
 26,183 
 
 Total 
 
 
 40,312 
 
 
 63,277 
 
 
 80,572 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA, 
 
 263 
 
 
 1883-84. 
 
 1884-85. 
 
 Fire-arms and parts 
 
 thereof 
 
 Gunpowder, sporting... 
 „ other sorts 
 
 lbs. 
 15.830 
 
 Rs. 
 
 20,768 
 18,768 
 22,156 
 
 lbs. ' 
 32,977 
 
 Rs. 
 
 18,007 
 
 32,977 
 10,287 
 
 Total 
 
 
 61,689 
 
 
 61,271 
 
 The imports of sporting gunpowder during the 
 year were double those of the year immediately pre- 
 ceding, but only were equal to the average of the 
 quantity brought in during the previous four years. 
 Gun-caps, cartridges, and cartridge-cases comprise the 
 bulk of the articles grouped under the head "other 
 sorts." The imports of these were as follows : — 
 
 1880-81 
 1881-82 
 1882-83 
 1883-84 
 1884-85 
 
 Caps. 
 
 No. 
 
 2.603,500 
 
 3> 26 5>5° 
 3.453,75° 
 i.754,ooo 
 
 2 >°39,35° 
 
 Cartridges. Cartridge-cases. 
 
 No. 
 
 3h°5° 
 42,484 
 
 i 2 5,93o 
 22,994 
 71,100 
 
 The firearms received consisted of :- 
 
 1880-81 
 1881-82 
 1882-83 
 1883-84 
 1884-85 
 
 Of the quantity 
 
 Guns. 
 
 52 
 
 87 
 
 249 
 
 311 
 331 
 
 No. 
 66,000 
 90,050 
 96,098 
 126,900 
 83,970 
 
 Revolvers. 
 
 54 
 
 60 
 217 
 256 
 
 97 
 
 imported in 1884-85, ninety-nine 
 guns and fifteen revolvers were the property of private 
 persons, the balance belonging to licensed vendors. 
 
264 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 Candles of all sorts. 
 
 
 1880-81. 
 
 1881-82. 
 
 1882-83. 
 
 From — 
 United Kingdom 
 Germany 
 Straits Settlements 
 Other countries ... 
 
 Rs. 
 3,86,240 
 32,812 
 2,98,201 
 
 Rs. 
 
 1,38,065 
 
 9.438 
 
 95.725 
 
 Rs. 
 7,62,113 
 
 67,188 
 1,98,320 
 
 Rs. 
 
 2,43,038 
 22,680 
 63,928 
 
 Rs. 
 
 6,45,808) 
 
 2,30,818 
 
 Rs. 
 2,24,007 
 
 7W85 
 
 Total 
 
 7,17,253 
 
 2,43,228 
 
 10,27,621 
 
 3,29,646 
 
 8,76,626 
 
 3, 01 ,792 
 
 
 1883-84. 
 
 1884-85. 
 
 From — 
 
 United Kingdom . . . 
 Germany ... 
 Straits Settlements 
 Other countries ... 
 
 Rs. 
 
 8,16,151 
 
 12,848 
 
 16,992 
 
 12 
 
 Rs. 
 
 3,03,685 
 
 6,000 
 
 6,113 
 
 4 
 
 Rs. 
 6,46,186 
 25,782 
 3,686 
 
 Rs. 
 
 2,53,917 
 10,900 
 
 1,393 
 
 Total 
 
 8,46,003 
 
 3,15,802 
 
 6,75,654 
 
 2,66,210 
 
 The unprecedently large importations of kerosine 
 oil, which is now almost exclusively used for lighting 
 purposes in every household, materially affected the 
 trade in candles during the year of report. The Straits' 
 trade in candles, which in former years held the second 
 place, has almost died out — direct importations from 
 Europe showing a better chance of profit. 
 
 Coal (including Coke and Patent Fuel). 
 
 
 1880-81. 
 
 1881-82. 
 
 1882-83. 
 
 From — 
 
 United Kingdom 
 
 Germany 
 
 Australia 
 
 Other countries . . . 
 
 Tons. 
 
 82,340 
 
 2,358 
 
 1,752 
 
 332 
 
 Rs. 
 14,65,629 
 40,081 
 
 3o,743 
 5,201 
 
 Tons. 
 
 68,939 
 
 7.979 
 
 905 
 
 Rs. 
 
 11,83,990 
 
 1,34,348 
 
 15,030 
 
 Tons. 
 
 87,903 
 3,075 
 3,937 
 i,348 
 
 Rs. 
 13,80,817 
 
 46,365 
 58,692 
 20,358 
 
 Total 
 
 86,782 
 
 15.41,659 
 
 77,8i9 
 
 13,33.368 
 
 96,263 
 
 15,06,232 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 
 
 *5 
 
 
 1883-84. 
 
 1884-85. 
 
 From — 
 
 United Kingdom 
 
 Germany 
 
 Australia 
 
 Other countries . . . 
 
 Tons. 
 
 67,727 
 
 890 
 
 13,369 
 442 
 
 Rs. 
 
 10,73,292 
 
 14,540 
 
 1,97,481 
 
 6,887 
 
 Tons. 
 
 82,323 
 
 1,234 
 
 12,762 
 I,006 
 
 Rs. 
 
 14,89,003 
 20,755 
 
 2,12,942 
 
 18,579 
 
 Total 
 
 82,428 
 
 12,92,200 
 
 97,325 
 
 17,41,279 
 
 More coal was imported during the year for railway 
 purposes, and more coke and patent fuel were also 
 received to meet the requirements of the Rangoon 
 Steam Tramway, the total quantity of fuel alone being 
 2i2'27 per cent., and the value 262'22 per cent, in 
 excess of the figures for 1883-84. 
 
 Cotton-twist and Yarn. 
 
 
 1880-81. 
 
 1881-82. 
 
 1882-83. 
 
 From — 
 United 
 
 Kingdom 
 Other 
 
 countries 
 
 lbs. 
 4,402,482 
 21 
 
 Rs. 
 36,96,198 
 
 12 
 
 lbs. 
 3,624,741 
 
 Rs. 
 
 31,75,034 
 
 lbs. 
 4,350,272 
 51,020 
 
 Rs. 
 36,51,040 
 46,884 
 
 Total... 
 
 4,402,503 
 
 26,96,210 
 
 3,624,741 
 
 31,75,034 
 
 4,401,292 
 
 36,97,924 
 
 
 1883-84. 
 
 1884-85. 
 
 From — 
 
 United Kingdom 
 Other countries . . . 
 
 lbs. 
 3.055,803 
 189,920 
 
 Rs. 
 
 25,02,428 
 1,78,300 
 
 lbs. 
 3,012,926 
 281,550 
 
 Rs. 
 
 24,01,081 
 
 2,52,292 
 
 Total 
 
 3,245,723 
 
 26,80,728 
 
 3,294,476 
 
 26,53,373 
 
 There was but little difference in the value of the 
 twist and yarn trade of the year under review and that 
 
266 
 
 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 
 
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HISTORY OF BURMA. 
 
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268 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 of the year preceding it. It is said that a portion of 
 the stocks remaining from the imports of 1882-83, 
 when the trade was apparently overdone, have not 
 even yet been worked off. The bulk of the imports 
 from "other countries" consisted of twist shipped at 
 Trieste. 
 
 Dacoits and Dacoity. 
 
 In common with his half-brother, the Goorka, to 
 whom he bears a remarkable physical resemblance, the 
 most prominent of the Burman's moral characteristics 
 is his predatory instinct. His desire to lay violent 
 hands on his neighbour's property outweighs with him 
 every other consideration, human or divine. Far from 
 being regarded as a disgrace to a lusty young fellow to 
 have been engaged in a raid on a neighbouring village 
 for purposes of loot, one who cannot boast of having 
 done something of the sort is regarded by his friends, 
 male and female, something as we regard a man who 
 as a school-boy was never engaged in a fight, or who 
 has reached middle age without ever having fallen in 
 love — as, in fact, what Carlyle would have stigmatised 
 a " puir sort o' mon.'' 
 
 The Burmese word for dacoity is dahrmia — from 
 dahr, a sword, and mia, many — a band of men armed 
 with swords. Thus it is clear that in the Burman mind 
 this reprehensible pursuit is regarded as a sort of mili- 
 tary display rather than in the light of anything like 
 mean or petty thieving, which is not common amongst 
 the Burmese. My belief is that the dacoit instinct is 
 inborn in every child, whose imagination is stimulated 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 269 
 
 during youth by dacoit stories and dacoit scares which 
 enthral and fascinate his early days. The idle life in 
 the villages where the rice crop is sufficient to feed all 
 and to spare — where the little work that is done gene- 
 rally falls to the women's lot — favours the development 
 of these mischievous teachings. So it happens that 
 when news is brought to a village that some old woman 
 in a neighbouring district has accumulated a bag of 
 rupees — the whereabouts having been ascertained — an 
 enterprising spirit is never wanting who is willing to 
 beat up recruits for a raid. This requires no extra- 
 ordinary courage or leadership. If it is in Lower 
 Burma, there is only one danger — the police — but there 
 is never any resistance on the part of the villagers 
 themselves ; and if in Upper Burma, before the 
 war, the visitors were treated with as much respect 
 and consideration by those who had been unable to 
 " bolt," as Dick Turpin and his followers, or the more 
 modern Australian "bushrangers" were treated by 
 villagers of our own race, when they suddenly appeared 
 at the tavern bar. The dacoits, like the bushrangers, 
 are only inclined to be nasty if opposed, but their 
 demands acceded to, they depart, as a rule, without 
 doing any harm to life or limb. It must be understood 
 that I am now treating the dacoit question from a time- 
 of-peace point of view. Later on I will treat of it, 
 as developed into, what has been from time to time, 
 and especially of late, a state of general upheaval, 
 disturbance, and hostility. 
 
 The ordinary dacoit band often consists of as few 
 as six braves, and seldom exceeds a dozen. There are, 
 
270 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 perhaps," two muskets amongst the party. These are 
 generally discharged in the air as a warning to the 
 villagers that the robbers are approaching, and that all 
 who are wise may make themselves scarce — a hint 
 which is readily taken. With loud shouts, and much 
 waving of dahs, the band then rushes into the village. 
 The women, as a rule, remain to receive them. The 
 money is demanded, and, if obtained, then off they go ; 
 but if any hitch occurs just as likely as not the village 
 is set on fire. The women are never interfered with. 
 
 The news of such a dacoity probably a day later 
 permeates to the nearest police station. In nine cases 
 out of ten, the police — Burmans before the war, but 
 now being mostly supplied from India — instead of 
 acting at once, communicate the fact to the' nearest 
 officer they can find, and measures are taken to sift the 
 matter. 
 
 The officer repairs to the village, partly by jungle- 
 paths, and partly by boat, and proceeds to collect 
 evidence. But what chance has he of getting any ? 
 "The dacoits had come at night." "No one saw 
 them." "They had done no harm." "They were 
 Upper Burmans," and so forth. All this time there 
 are numbers of people in the village who know them 
 perfectly well, and can conduct the officer to the very 
 house in which their leader is exulting over his spoil. 
 But no one dare give information. The mark of Cain 
 would be on his brow. He would have few days to 
 live. On what is known in Ireland as the " informer," 
 the Burman has no mercy. To betray a man into the 
 hands of authority is a sin against religion, not to say 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 27 1 
 
 against morality. In every village there are three or 
 four men who are called Loogyis, or elders. They are 
 generally the oldest, and most looked up to. They are 
 called in to preside at a marriage, or divorce, or to 
 discuss any question of religion or etiquette. They 
 are generally devout Buddhists, and believe that in 
 order to have a good time of it in the next existence a 
 certain number of " merits " must be heaped up. To 
 build a pagoda, give offerings to the church ; to do the 
 bidding of the priests, and so on, are "merits." Now, 
 "demerits" far outweigh "merits" — and to kill, or 
 cause pain directly or indirectly, is a " demerit " so 
 grievous that to atone for it would take many years. 
 
 Thus, if the men who know everything that goes 
 on give information as to a dacoity, some one is caught, 
 flogged, imprisoned, or hung. Pain has been given, 
 and those who have caused it are frowned on by the 
 Heavenly King. 
 
 This superstition, plus the more practical ven- 
 geance of the friends of the betrayed, makes it a 
 matter of extreme difficulty to trace crime in Burma. 
 Furthermore, there is a natural sagacity, and capacity 
 for telling lies, with all the appearance of truth, in 
 the Burmese, which puzzles the most practised dacoit 
 hunters. 
 
 Some little time ago I met a young Assistant-Com- 
 missioner who I knew had been much harried and 
 worried by the prevalence of dacoities in his district. 
 Often entirely alone he had worked for many months 
 through the entire rainy season, riding and walking 
 along jungle paths,, wading through swamps and going 
 
272 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 long distances in country boats. His escort seldom 
 exceeded two Burmese policemen, who might or might 
 not have stood to him at a stress. I said, " Well, you 
 look as if you had been having a bad time of it ; what 
 have you been doing with yourself? "Hunting 
 dacoits," he said ; "steadily at it for nine weary months ; 
 and the worst of it is, I never caught one." 
 
 To illustrate his difficulties in obtaining information, 
 and also as an illustration of the marvellous courage and 
 zeal which has been shown by all the civil officers in the 
 late troubles, I may repeat the following story which he 
 told me : — " It was the middle of the rainy season when 
 I got information that a dacoit leader who had been 
 giving an awful lot of trouble, was at a certain village 
 about twenty miles distant. I determined to go alone 
 this time, but arranged to have a boat waiting for me 
 at a certain creek. I arrived at the boat about mid- 
 night, and getting in directed the boatman to paddle 
 me to the village. Finding that the whole country 
 was under water, I made the man leave the line of the 
 stream and work on through the jungle. A little after 
 daylight we approached the village, and suddenly 
 came upon two men in a boat. On seeing me they 
 abandoned the boat, and tried to escape into the jungle, 
 I let drive one shot with my revolver, and shouted that 
 if they did'nt stop I should shoot them. On this they 
 pulled up short, and came back. One was a middle^ 
 aged man, and the other was still in his 'teens. I suppose 
 I talked to these two for half an hour, and they gave 
 me all sorts of information about the whereabouts of 
 the dacoits, and said that the man I was .in search of 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 273 
 
 had left the district. I could not induce them to accom- 
 pany me to the village. Arrived there ' no one knew ' 
 anything about the dacoit leader. By the merest acci- 
 dent I found out by talking with a child, that that same 
 morning the Bo had left the village, but no one else 
 would corroborate this evidence. I had let my man 
 slip through my fingers. Two months later I managed 
 to communicate by messenger with the ruffian in 
 question. I had been authorised to offer him a free 
 pardon if he would come in. He replied that he would 
 not venture into my clutches, and that I might re- 
 member having shot at him in the rains, and swallowed 
 all the lies 'and deceptions he had practised upon me. 
 So I have utterly failed to get hold of him." 
 
 It was told to me at second-hand by an officer who 
 had come from a district of Upper Burma, that the 
 following clever deception was practised upon a very 
 sharp civil officer by a Burman dacoit. The Commis- 
 sioner, accompanied by a small body of troops, was in 
 pursuit of a dacoit leader who evaded him in will-o'-the- 
 wisp fashion. As usual, the officer was accompanied 
 everywhere by a faithful henchman, a Burman, who 
 carried his gun on the march, and did all odd jobs in 
 camp. This man fell sick, and had to be left behind at 
 a certain village. Before the party started on the follow- 
 ing morning, a very smart, active fellow turned up from 
 the village, and volunteered his services as gun-bearer 
 to the officer, and they were accepted. He turned out 
 to be a capital fellow, and was most active in obtaining 
 information, but his " tips " always turned out to be 
 myths. One night he disappeared with the gun and 
 
274 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 twenty rounds of ammunition, and on enquiry it was 
 found that he was the man they were in search of. 
 
 Some remarkable illustrations of the vengeance 
 wreaked by dacoits on the heads of " informers " 
 occurred some time ago in a district of Lower Burma. 
 A villager, very well-to-do, had given information which 
 led to the apprehension of a well-known dacoit. With- 
 out waiting to hear what was the result of his trial, a 
 small party of his friends, seizing an opportunity of 
 the absence of the police, turned up in the village. 
 They dragged the terrified wretch out of his house, and 
 thus addressed him : — 
 
 "You were the cause of being apprehended. 
 
 Now we are going to burn you alive. You can either 
 be burnt in the village or outside ; which will you 
 choose ?" His wife came forward and offered them a 
 thousand rupees in silver if they would spare his life ; but 
 they would not. . He was taken out, and burnt to death 
 without further delay. It is unnecessary to say that no 
 more information could be got out of this village. 
 
 Another instance in the same district occurred 
 almost simultaneously with the above. A villager had 
 been induced by a reward to give information as to the 
 whereabouts of a band of dacoits. He had received 
 for this 250 rupees, a fact which he hoped would not 
 become known. But it soon leaked out, and on the 
 following night half-a-dozen dacoits accosted him. 
 They first of all demanded to know what he had done 
 with the rupees. He tried to deny the charge, but, 
 seeing that it was useless, he produced the money. 
 The dacoits took the money, and, in order to guard 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 275 
 
 against the possibility of further trouble in the same 
 quarter 8 , they cut off his head and stuck it up on a pole, 
 pour encourager les autres. 
 
 Another remarkable story characteristic of these 
 strange people appears amongst my notes. The event 
 took place in British territory. A notorious dacoit having 
 been captured was sentenced to be hung. The district 
 officer, desiring to read a lesson to the population in 
 general, sent messengers round the country to announce 
 that the event would take place at a certain hour at a 
 named village. At the time appointed he himself arrived 
 on the ground to witness a sight which filled him with 
 amazement and concern. The whole country side were 
 assembled en masse, from the old and decrepit to the 
 smallest baby in arms, to witness the event. The thing 
 had been made into a sort of festal occasion. The 
 women were decked out in their gayest colours, and 
 there were musicians, players, &c. 1 1 resembled, in fact, 
 from all accounts, in a remarkable degree the execution 
 scene in "Shasnus O'Brien," without its dramatic finale, 
 " Now," said my informant, with a shrug of his 
 shoulders, " what can you do with these people ?" 
 
 The above stories illustrate the difficulties in the 
 way of those whose duty it is to cope with the normal 
 state of restlessness amongst the Burmans, and to 
 protect law-abiding people from the bands of roaming 
 "ne'er-do-weels." But it must not be supposed that 
 these difficulties are insurmountable. They are by no 
 means so. Wherever our authority has become firmly 
 established, so great is the respect of the Burman for 
 his rulers that very rarely is any attempt made to resist 
 
 s 2 
 
276 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 the district officers. On the news reaching a village 
 that any European, - be he Assistant Commissioner, or 
 police officer, is approaching, all shady characters clear 
 out ; and even in the case of this officer being alone, or 
 escorted by a couple of policemen, seldom, or ever does 
 the boldest band of dacoits venture to attack him. A 
 young Bengal civilian, who has lately left Rangoon 
 for the upper province, owes his life to this respect 
 which even the dacoits have for the goyiaghyi, the 
 great white man, in Burma. Just after his assumption 
 of office in a disturbed district, he started off with some 
 policemen to try and capture a band of dacoits who had 
 become the terror of the district. Arrived at the bank 
 of a forest stream he was fired at from the thick jungle 
 on the opposite bank. He immediately drew, his 
 revolver, and, calling on his policemen to follow, drove 
 his pony through the shallow water. Arrived on the 
 opposite bank, he looked round to collect his men for 
 the attack when, to his horror, he found that he had 
 only his pony-keeper and three policemen with him ; 
 his other brave followers having decamped to a man. 
 The dacoits now rushed forward and fired at close 
 range. The pony-man and the pony and two police- 
 men fell, and the officer was shot in the foot. He 
 turned round, and recrossed the stream, taking up his 
 position behind a tree, his faithful attendant remaining 
 at a respectful distance. The dacoits came all round ; 
 his revolver stuck and would not work, and, as he said 
 to me when telling me the story, " I thought my 
 last hour was come ! " He pointed his revolver at 
 them, and shouted to them to go away. There was 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 277 
 
 nothing to prevent their killing him then and there, 
 but they did not. They allowed him to limp off along 
 ' the ravine without further molestation. It is to be 
 hoped that by no hasty or premature legislation, the 
 outcome of pandering to the shallow clamourings of 
 weak-kneed philanthropists, will this inherent respect 
 for the superiority of the European be removed from 
 these people's minds. As it is a great power for good, 
 and smooths the rocky path of the pioneers of western 
 civilization, it will be well to let it remain as long as 
 possible. 
 
 It is well known to that small fraction of the 
 news-reading portion of the human race who have 
 taken a passing interest in the " Burman business," 
 that ever since the occupation of Mandalay, in Novem- 
 ber, 1885, by General Prendergast's army, in actions 
 small and great which have taken place in the field — 
 and there have been something over two hundred — our 
 opponents have been styled " the dacoits.'' The idea 
 of this term is to produce the impression that the men 
 who shoot at us and fight us are not our enemies 
 alone, but the " enemies of order," and their own 
 people. Many who have had to do with these 
 troublesome a id persistent fellows object to the term 
 "dacoit" as inapplicable, and in their reports of small 
 jungle fights, term them " the enemy," " the rebels," 
 " the insurgents " — according to their bent. That they 
 have not been dacoits in the sense treated on in the 
 early pages of this chapter, must be clear to all. The 
 ordinary dacoit avoids the myrmidons of the law, be 
 they clad in scarlet, karkee, or blue ; but " the dacoits," 
 
278 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 the very name of which makes our wives and sisters in 
 dear old England turn pale, very often attack us, and 
 still oftener await the deadly hail of the breech-loaders, 
 and the bursting shells, until, having put in a couple of 
 volleys, they have laid many a good man low. 
 
 The term " rebel" will scarcely bear universal ap- 
 plication. Some of the leaders in Upper Burma never 
 owed us any allegiance, so they had none to pay. Bo 
 Sheway has fought against us steadily from the outset. 
 He is no more a rebel than Alompra was when he 
 rose and cast off the Talaing yoke. Nevertheless it is 
 perfectly true that he was a *' dacoit " in the time of 
 the late king. 
 
 An "insurgent" is an individual who resists the 
 execution of civil laws, although not necessarily en- 
 deavours to overthrow a government. This term 
 would certainly apply to the disturbers of order in 
 Lower Burma in the spring of 1886. They could 
 scarcely have hoped to upset our rule, but they en- 
 deavoured to plunge the country in anarchy. 
 
 " Enemy " was certainly wrong, for after the date of 
 the proclamation of annexation, the whole Burmese race 
 had become British subjects, nolens volens. So, perhaps, 
 the Government has taken the easiest way out of the 
 difficulty and termed all opponents to order "dacoits." 
 
 There can be no question as to the existence of 
 a strong political sentiment in Upper Burma after 
 the overthrow of Theebaw's government. This 
 was fed by sham princes, discontented courtiers and 
 priests who, as a rule, had ho fixed plans of action. 
 There was a vague notion that they would like to 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 279 
 
 have a successor to Theebaw ; but had one been 
 appointed, they would have been the first to have 
 plotted against him. The Burman in his rude state 
 is the most credulous and gullible of the human kind. 
 You have only to tell him that you are something 
 strange and uncanny, and he will believe it. The 
 sham princes and inspired phoonghees traded on this 
 idiosyncracy. They generally assumed a name 
 indicative of God — inspired royalty. They never 
 fought themselves, but urged others to, and were the 
 first to bolt when things began to look serious. In 
 reverses they were regarded as martyrs, and if the 
 smallest atom of success crowned their plans they 
 became immediately converted into heaven-born 
 geniuses. Bo Sheway's fortunes have varied much. 
 During the first winter and spring he was merely 
 a dacoit, and did not pretend to be anything else. A 
 small column was sufficient to keep him running 
 about from village to village, and for months not a shot 
 was fired. At one time he was reduced to two 
 followers and a goat, and lived in daily terror of being 
 betrayed into the hands of Mr. Phayre, the ubiquitous 
 civil officer of the district. He went so far as to offer 
 to surrender, but that officer refused to accede to the 
 terms demanded, and warned him to give himself up 
 unconditionally The column was withdrawn as the 
 troops were required for work elsewhere. Freed from 
 this incubus he was enabled to assemble a few 
 followers once more. Phayre, hearing that he was 
 beating up for recruits at a certain village, took with 
 him some sepoys and native police, and proceeded to 
 
280 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 attack him. The chief gained here the success which 
 has made his name. No one knows exactly what took 
 place, as natives are never to be believed. Phayre 
 was killed, together with two policemen, and his body 
 fell into the hands of the dacoits. The story went 
 forth that the great Kala governor had fallen a victim 
 to Bo Sheway's skill, and as a matter of course many 
 now nocked to serve him. Some time after this a 
 strong detachment was sent against him with two 
 guns. In a jungle fight of some hours the British lost 
 heavily, and the affair was anything but a success. So 
 the district got into a ferment. The rains came on. 
 Further detachments were sent after the chief, but he 
 gave out that he would never stand and fight again as 
 he might be surrounded, but would harass our marches, 
 and wait for sickness to do the rest. And he has kept 
 his word. After many deaths from sickness, and the 
 chiefs ambuscades, enormous reinforcements have been 
 sent into his country which ought to break up his fol- 
 lowing. It has been very much the same story with 
 Buda Yaza, Hla Oo, and others, and, unless they are 
 actually caught up, they will turn and give trouble again. 
 It is certain that much ingenuity has been dis- 
 played by the Burmese in the war, showing their 
 natural sagacity, and aptitude for jungle fighting. On 
 one occasion a commander, hearing that a body of 
 dacoits were stockaded at a place some miles from his 
 camp, made a forced march in order to surprise them. 
 He was unfortunately encumbered by a convoy. This 
 he left halted under a guard at some distance from the 
 object of his march, and rapidly pushed on with the 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 28 1 
 
 main body of his men. Not a shot was fired at him 
 as he threaded his way through the dense jungles. 
 He reached the stockade which the dacoits, after a few 
 shots, evacuated. He was struck by the feebleness of 
 the resistance, as the position was strong, but bivou- 
 acked his men and sent messengers back with orders 
 to bring up the wagons. As the convoy was dragging 
 its weary way along the muddy path in dense forest, 
 fire was opened on it, mules, bullocks, and elephants 
 went nearly mad, and several men were killed and 
 wounded. Having caused all this turmoil, with a sort 
 of ironic suddenness the devils vanished. On 
 another occasion, knowing that a party of soldiers 
 were approaching along a narrow road in thick 
 bush, they, selecting a bend in the path, laid their 
 muskets so as to sweep the line of our advance. The 
 advanced party were allowed to get quite close, when 
 the hidden marksmen let drive, knocking over five 
 out of the eight, and vanishing shortly afterwards, out 
 of sight. 
 
 Perhaps the greatest difficulty with which through- 
 out the business officers commanding parties have had 
 to contend, is to distinguish on arriving at a village 
 which is known to be a hotbed of disaffection, between 
 the dacoit, and the peaceful villager. A very common 
 stratagem to deceive us has been employed ever since 
 the Burmans discovered that we spared all who we 
 could not prove were dacoits. On our march to a village 
 we would be often shot at by totally invisible marksmen, 
 and, arrived there, our enemies of only a few minutes 
 before, having run round by some bye-path, hidden 
 
282 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 their arms and ammunition, and put on a smiling face, 
 would come out to meet us, carrying water, and some- 
 times milk and fruit for the thoroughly-pumped and 
 savage Tommy. An officer of my own regiment* told 
 me a very remarkable dacoit story. He was despatched 
 with twenty-eight men to attack a body of dacoits in a 
 certain village in Upper Burma. With more daring 
 than discretion, he rode on in front of his men with 
 two Burman police, and found the place strongly 
 stockaded and bushed up, so that, as he described it, 
 " a rat could have scarcely got through." He rode up 
 to one of the gates, notwithstanding the expostulations 
 of his guide. He told the policeman to call on the 
 villagers to open the gates, as the goyiaghyi (the great 
 white soldiers) were coming. A man came forward 
 and tried to open the gate, but was pushed aside by 
 some one inside, and the gate was barred up with 
 stones. Finding this state of things, he rode back 
 and met his detachment. Arrived once more in the 
 village, he surrounded it by his men, placing them in 
 double files at long intervals, and sent back a mounted 
 messenger for reinforcements. After waiting for two 
 hours, his patience gave way. He went once more to 
 the gates of the village, and called on the inmates to 
 open. A long altercation took place inside, and at 
 length the gate was opened. Taking three soldiers 
 with him he walked into the village and moved through 
 several clusters of huts. There were lots of men 
 about, none of them armed, but their attitude was 
 suspicious. Not a word could be got out of anyone. 
 
 * Lieutenant Churchill. 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 283 
 
 At length a very terrified old man sidled up to one of 
 the policemen, and told him that unless the Bo 
 (officer) left the village, he would be shot. So he 
 moved out, and an attempt was made to shut the gate 
 once more, but it was guarded by two of the soldiers. 
 The officer now determined to attack the village, 
 breaking in at the gates, if unopposed, seizing sus- 
 picious characters, and searching for arms. But the 
 dacoits, evidently imagining that something of the 
 sort was going to happen, commenced the action, and 
 a sharp fusillade was opened from the stockade. One 
 of the first shots wounded the young commander very 
 severely in the knee, which has stretched him on his 
 back for many months. He directed the men to rise 
 from their cover and break in at the two gates. There 
 was a general rush and they stormed the village, which 
 was also set on fire. A number of arms were found, 
 and several dacoits were shot and bayonetted, and not 
 improbably some who did not belong to the band. 
 
 This story shows how impossible it has been to get 
 information of the presence of dacoits in villages. 
 Whether this has been due to sympathy or fear, 
 Heaven knows ; probably, as in Ireland, a little of both. 
 In every village and town large numbers of young 
 men have been pressed into the work ; but my beliet 
 is that they seldom want pressing. I remember once 
 questioning an old village Thoogyi as to what had 
 become of the young men of the village. He said they 
 had been pressed to join the gang which we were after, 
 and that his two sons were amongst the number. The 
 dacoits, he said, threatened to kill him unless all his 
 
284 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 guns were given up, and if he dared to give any 
 information of what direction they had taken ; so all we 
 could get out of him was a wave of his skinny hand in 
 the direction of pathless rocky hills and dense bush. 
 
 It is common this side of the Bay of Bengal to 
 talk of the Burmese as a cowardly race, but I don't 
 think that imputation has been justified by our late 
 experiences. Their callousness when brought face to 
 face with the great King of Terrors is incredible. If 
 they find that they are to be shot, or hung, they become 
 at once reconciled to the inevitable. Three men were 
 brought up for execution on a certain occasion, and an 
 unfortunate, and very horrible, accident occurring in 
 carrying out the sentence of one, the other two 
 laughed heartily. I once witnessed a dozen men being 
 flogged. The flbgger was a powerful European, and his 
 "cat-o'-nine tails" was a stout rattan cane — every stroke 
 from which produced visible results on the victim's 
 naked back. They were men of varied ages and pro- 
 portions, but they all took their licking like men — not 
 one wincing or uttering a sound. After my South 
 African experiences of " flogging parades " and the 
 faintings and groanings that accompanied them, I con- 
 fess I was surprised at Jack Burman's pluck. 
 
 My own belief is that these people don't feel pain 
 like a full-blooded European. They live on dried fish 
 and rice, and their blood is thin and sluggish. But 
 this can be only surmise at the best. The fact that 
 they stand punishment manfully shows that they are 
 capable of effective action if well directed. 
 
 Although the dacoits when caught have always 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 285 
 
 met death with fortitude, they have shown great terror 
 at the prospect of imprisonment or banishment. 
 
 It is difficult to determine the origin of this deep- 
 seated dread. It may be that having fallen into our 
 hands, and finding that they are not to be killed, they 
 may think .that a worse fate awaits them. Intensely 
 cruel to their own prisoners, often putting them to 
 excruciating torture, utter brutes in this way them- 
 selves, they may expect that they are being reserved 
 for a like fate. The explanation may be that they share 
 this common dread of the unknown and the unseen. 
 Every Burman has heard that we transport our 
 prisoners to the Andaman Islands, and it is a " black 
 country " in their imaginations. A near relation of 
 Bo Sheway surrendered himself many months ago, and 
 was sentenced to a short term of imprisonment at the 
 Andamans, where he was told he would be set at 
 liberty. He had awaited his trial patiently, and had 
 he been sentenced to death he would probably never 
 have murmured ; but transportation had for him un- 
 seen horrors which he could not be got to face. He 
 refused to move off with his escort, kicking, and 
 even biting everyone within reach, and had eventually 
 to be tied with ropes, and carried along. Some dacoits 
 had been taken red-handed, and been brought into 
 one of our camps. Two or three were shot, others 
 flogged and released, and several were detained for 
 transportation. These were the gloomiest of all, and 
 begged to be killed, or released. One fellow actually 
 succeeded in evading his sentence. He had got hold 
 of a soldier's boot-lace, and with this he strangled 
 
286 THE. COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 himself during the night. I should scarcely have been 
 able to credit this story if the witness to the dead man 
 in the morning with the boot-lace drawn so tight that it 
 had actually penetrated the skin, had not been an officer 
 of my own regiment whose veracity is unimpeachable. 
 
 Because the Burmese would never stand when 
 once the men had been launched at them with the 
 bayonet, is no proof that they are cowards. In the 
 history of European wars there are few authenticated 
 cases of bayonets being crossed in action, and these 
 may be said to have occurred in street fighting. If 
 troops get sufficiently close to a line of defences easily 
 scaled, and charge resolutely with the bayonet, the 
 enemy will probably be driven out. The lines of 
 Tel-el-Kebir would have been carried all the same 
 had they been defended by the best troops in Europe ; 
 but had there been any method in Arabi's soldiering, 
 our front line would never have been allowed to 
 approach to within striking distance unmolested ; and 
 even if such were possible, his reserves in rear should 
 have given our broken troops a bad time of it. It 
 must also be remembered that the Burmans have 
 been only armed with old muskets, which, once dis- 
 charged, take a long time to load again, so they have 
 generally fired one volley, and decamped. 
 
 Attempts will probably be made at no very distant 
 period to organise battalions of Burmans for service 
 over here. It must come to that in time. Is there 
 any chance of such an experiment succeeding ? Those 
 who know the Burmans much better than I do are of 
 opinion that with time and trouble it could be success- 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 287 
 
 fully accomplished. Unless every word of Burmese 
 history be false, the Burmese of past days have done 
 great deeds under leaders in whom they believed. 
 Bureng Myoung could not have extended his con- 
 quests far and wide unless good men were forthcoming 
 to carry his plans into execution, and the story of the 
 successful struggles of the Ava troops against three 
 successive invasions by the Chinese shows that the 
 Burmans, when well led, are game to fight. They 
 are wonderfully active and hardy, can live on next to 
 nothing, and are so free from political sentiment that 
 they could be easily got to keep order by shooting 
 down their own countrymen. For the sort of fighting 
 that they would ever be likely to be called upon to do, 
 they would probably prove themselves very effective 
 material, and with practice make quick shots. 
 
 When these people have thoroughly realised that 
 they are henceforth, and for ever, the subjects of the 
 Great Queen, a wonderful change for the better will 
 come over the spirit of their dream. 
 
 The Burmese Woman. 
 
 Most readers will have heard strange descriptions 
 of the Burmese woman. Like her more civilised sister 
 of Japan, she is certainly a character ; and, in the face 
 of many domestic cares, unjust laws made by men for 
 their own personal comfort and security, and terrible 
 bodily suffering, a more cheery little body is not to be 
 met with on earth. As to her store of that highly- 
 prized, and, as some consider, indispensable attribute of 
 
288 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 her sex — beauty — she has none on't. Her height is 4 
 feet 6 inches, or thereabouts ; she has a bad figure as a 
 rule, with square shoulders, flat breast, angular hips. Her 
 nose is flat, her eyes narrow, her mouth large, her com- 
 plexion muddy. Her movements are ungraceful ; she 
 waddles like a duck as she walks. Thus far great 
 mother Nature has been unkind to her ; but she pos- 
 sesses ample masses of black hair, always carefully 
 oiled and dressed, which she loves to adorn with roses 
 and orchids ; she has a sunny smile and, to those who 
 understand her language, a boundless flow of conversa- 
 tion. She is an admirable housewife ; fertile of re- 
 source, economical, thrifty ; a great bargainer and 
 barterer ; clean and tidy in her ways, and, even in the 
 too many cases, alas ! when she knows full well that 
 she is only the temporary holder of her lord's affections, 
 loyal and faithful in her conduct. But even when cast 
 off she is by no means cast down. A little money to 
 start a little fruit or cigar stall at the market, or in 
 default of this, petty barterings in the bazaar, seems to 
 make her quite happy and contented. Every mother 
 understands that this will probably be the fate of her 
 female offspring ; so from earliest youth they are taught 
 business, the parent often leaving the child entirely 
 alone to run the little stall, while she watches from a 
 distance to see that all goes well. 
 
 Like all womankind, the Burmese woman has a 
 weakness for dress. She loves to decorate her body, 
 and to look as well as she can. Her dress is remarkable 
 for its simplicity, consisting, on ordinary occasions, of a 
 square piece of cotton or silk tied round the waist, and 
 

 
 BURMESE GIRLS. 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 289 
 
 folded tightly across the breast. It is open more or 
 less in front, so that, as she walks, she exposes one of 
 her legs to halfway up the thigh. Some of the richer 
 and smarter women wear an outer dress, which is more 
 decent, and put a silk handkerchief round their necks. 
 Her feet, when she can possibly afford it, are sandalled. 
 It is considered as a great indelicacy for an unmarried 
 woman to expose any portion of her breast, and so 
 particular are they in this regard, that by drawing the 
 dress tightly across the bosom in early womanhood the 
 figure is permanently spoilt. 
 
 The Burmese girl is carefully nurtured and watched 
 by her mother up to a certain age ; she is then sold to 
 the highest bidder, possibly a friend or relation in the 
 same village — possibly a complete stranger. In theory 
 the man thus brings the dower and comes to live in his 
 father-in-law's house ; but of course this is not carried 
 out in practice, as a man with several daughters would 
 soon have to increase his accommodation. The truth 
 is there is little real affection from our high-toned point 
 of view between mother and daughter. The old 
 Burmese woman is as hard in soul as she is parched in 
 body, and whatever affections she may have possessed 
 are dried up at five-and-forty. The common idea is 
 that Burmese women are particularly fortunate as 
 regards their civil freedom in comparison with other 
 Eastern women. In a certain sense this is the case. 
 The Burmese woman is more the companion of her 
 husband than is the Indian. The Mussulmans cover 
 their women up so that they can scarcely be seen ; 
 the Hindoos and "no caste" Indians of the poorer 
 
 T 
 
290 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 classes make their wives work, and care very little 
 what they do so long as a certain amount of money 
 comes into the house, and the rice is properly cooked 
 for their meals ; but husband and wife scarcely ever 
 exchange words unless they be words of anger or re- 
 viling. It is not so with the Burmese. It is quite a 
 common thing to see a man and woman walking 
 together and chatting merrily, the man generally 
 laughing heartily at his companion's jokes. I don't 
 think I have ever seen anything like this in India. 
 Men and women alike are inveterate smokers, and it 
 may possibly happen that the tranquilising, friendly 
 weed may have the effect of mutually stimulating 
 friendly commune between husband and wife. 
 
 But it must not be supposed that the Burmese 
 woman has, from a civilised point of .view, even a fair 
 time of it. On the contrary, she has a very bad time of 
 it indeed, and is much to be pitied. As I have said be- 
 fore, I believe the girls are well brought up ; taught to 
 be busy and useful ; but once they become the property 
 of a man, any little happiness which may have been 
 allotted to them in life is at an end. The reason for 
 this is that the Burman, whenever he finds himself 
 master, is a bully and a tyrant 
 
 Although, according to the teachings of Buddha, 
 polygamy is contrary to law, few men keep only one 
 wife who can afford to maintain two or more. Opinions 
 differ as to the number of wives Theebaw had ; some 
 say twenty, some say two ; but there is no question 
 as to the fact that his father, the Mindoon Meng, had 
 hosts. Dr. Marks, the celebrated missionary and 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 2QI 
 
 founder of St. John's College, once asked the king 
 seriously how many children he had, when the latter 
 replied with quite a bewildered expression on his face, 
 "How can I tell?" It is only natural that his example 
 should be followed by stars of lesser magnitude. The 
 Burmese General, Sheway-Lau-Bo, when arranging 
 for his departure from Mandalay, grumbled at only 
 being allowed to take seven wives with him to his 
 place of temporary exile in Lower Burma, which 
 number the Chief Commissioner considered sufficient. 
 I travelled round the coast with him. He used to count 
 over his male children to me with pride, patting their 
 heads condescendingly. He scarcely seemed to know 
 the names of his wives. He was anxious to know if 
 I was in the habit of bringing my wives with me when 
 I went to war, and shook his head incredulously when 
 I said that I had none to bring. 
 
 Great men in Burma think nothing of women, re- 
 garding them simply as a means to an end, and ordi- 
 nary men, the profanum vulgus, who can only afford the 
 luxury of one' wife, take very good care that she does 
 not remain idle. Once the Burman has reaped the 
 harvest, and stored up sufficient rice for the year, he 
 relapses into utter idleness. All household cares are 
 handed over to his wife, who in sickness and in health 
 is expected to minister to his comforts. He is always 
 an idler and gambler, and often a dacoit ; but if his 
 wife either dares to lose her looks, or health, or shows 
 a passing penchant for a country cousin, she is un- 
 ceremoniously brought before a judge and divorced. 
 
 But it is in child-bearing that these poor creatures 
 
 t 2 
 
292 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 are the greatest . sufferers. If they survive to antici- 
 pate a second offspring, the event is looked forward 
 to with absolute terror; and with good reason. In 
 the first pages of his able paper on Burmese mid- 
 wifery, my friend, Dr. Pedley, thus introduces the 
 subject, to which he has devoted many years of careful 
 study. 
 
 " In Burma, midwifery is far more backward than 
 in some other parts of the East. Astrology, charms 
 and enchantments, curious combinations of lucky 
 numbers and letters, with the use of the more or less 
 active drugs found in all Indian bazaars, form the store 
 of knowledge -of the Burman doctor. He has not an 
 idea of anatomy, physiology, or hygiene. The ordi- 
 nary midwife is a quack whose conceit and ignorance 
 it is difficult to surpass. The procedure and treat- 
 ment during, and after labour have been reduced to a 
 system which is adhered to by the Burmese and the 
 kindred surrounding tribes, and is, as far as I can learn, 
 peculiar to these regions. It surpasses in its severity, 
 and its disastrous results, that of any "other people. 
 The midwives are generally from the poorest and 
 lowest class, often advanced in years, and whose right 
 to practise is chiefly founded on the fact that they 
 have been mothers and grandmothers of many. So 
 long as everything is natural, and the labour rapid, they 
 may not do much harm ; but even then their procedure 
 is such as to do as much harm as possible. 
 
 The expecting mother lays in a large store of fire- 
 wood (one or two hundredweight). If she cannot 
 afford to buy this she collects it during months before 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 293 
 
 her delivery. If the husband can afford it, and there 
 is room near the house, a temporary hut of bamboos 
 and mats is erected, and this is used as a lying-in 
 chamber, and the woman remains there until convale- 
 scent. There is no notion of choice with regard to the 
 sanitary surroundings of the woman) and though it is 
 almost impossible to shut fresh air out of a bamboo 
 hut, every effort in that direction- is made with regard 
 to the lying-in woman, chiefly with the object of pre- 
 venting the entrance of smells of cooking operations, 
 all such odours, according to Burmese notions, being 
 fearfully injurious, illness and death often being attri- 
 buted thereto. 
 
 "In one corner of the room a flat fireplace is pre- 
 pared by putting a layer of bricks on planks and cover- 
 ing these with sand. On this a wood fire is made and 
 water in a large earthen pot set boiling. There is no 
 chimney and the smoke is often stifling." 
 
 Having described the frightful agony to which the 
 patient is unnecessarily put during delivery, the 
 learned doctor goes on to say, " she is then (after de- 
 livery) laid on a low cot or couch of bamboos, or on a 
 mat on the floor near to the fireplace, upon which wood 
 is piled and a smouldering fire kept up, or earthen 
 pans of burning embers, are brought to the bedside. 
 The smoke is often very distressing. Hot bricks 
 wrapped in rags and bags of hot sand are placed 
 about the body, and twice a-day the patient is made to 
 squat over steam arising from hot bricks. The ab- 
 domen is also freely exposed to the fire. The belief 
 is that the heat thus penetrates to the internal parts 
 
294 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 and heals them. Hot water in large quantities is 
 swallowed and all food must be hot. Soap containing 
 a small amount of animal matter and a large amount of 
 garlic, black pepper and salt, are given. The applica- 
 tion of heat is kept up for seven days. On the eighth 
 or ninth day the woman is surrounded with a larger 
 supply of hot bricks and covered from head to foot 
 with thick cloths, the thick curtains are closely drawn 
 round the bed, and she is for some hours submitted to 
 a severe vapour-bath until drenched with perspiration. 
 The heat is then lessened with a large quantity of cold 
 water." This rough treatment, carried on in the most 
 oppressive climate on earth, leaves the patient utterly 
 exhausted, and many a young mother sinks under it 
 to rise no more. And even if she survive such an 
 ordeal she has a dried-up, withered look ever after- 
 wards. 
 
 Burmese native law is founded on the code known 
 as Damasat. It is supposed to have been the joint 
 production of the two brothers Menu and Meno — the 
 Heaven-inspired sons of the Emperor Mahasamata. 
 By these laws women's rights are, in a measure, re- 
 spected ; but justice is meted out to the weaker sex 
 with but a scant hand, the amount of compensation for 
 wrong done to a woman, or the amount of punishment 
 for any fault committed by her, being almost entirely 
 dependent on the wealth and position of her relations. 
 
 The inspired law-givers devote many articles to the 
 relations between husband and wife, but previous to 
 marriage women appear to have no rights apart from 
 those of their parents ; indeed, even after marriage, so 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 295 
 
 slender are the matrimonial bonds that the father and 
 mother may demand back their daughter in the event 
 of the man not paying up her dower. 
 
 " If a girl who has been married to a man by the 
 consent and will of her parents afterwards desires to be 
 separated from him, her husband may take possession 
 of her dower, and even sell her for a slave." 
 
 The idea of betrothal is thus dealt with by the 
 Damasat : "When a girl promised in marriage to a 
 man dies before the solemnisation of the nuptials, the 
 parents ought to use their endeavours to unite their 
 second daughter with their proposed son-in-law, and 
 even to employ menaces to induce her compliance." 
 
 In the case of separation of a husband and wife, 
 the law provides that the sons remain with their father 
 and the daughters with the wife. Should, however, a 
 daughter elect to follow her sire, he can sell her as a 
 slave, giving half the produce of the sale to her 
 mother. 
 
 The laws relating to the division of property in 
 families are elaborately gone • into in the code, and, if 
 adhered to are somewhat reasonable. 
 
 " If it should happen that a woman, after giving 
 birth to seven daughters, should have a son, the in- 
 heritance must be divided in the following manner : 
 The son, although the last born, must have the same 
 as the eldest sister, the second and third daughters 
 have two shares each more than the fourth and fifth, 
 who have a share and a half more than the sixth and 
 seventh, and the latter are to receive one share each," 
 which reads like an arithmetical conundrum. 
 
296 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 The laws are very much down on a girl contracting 
 a love marriage, or marrying without consent of her 
 parents, or — in other words objecting to be sold by them. 
 
 "When a girl contracts marriage contrary to her 
 parents' consent, the property does not go to her 
 husband at her death, but to her parents ; and if a 
 woman has married twice, once with and once without 
 the consent of her parents, her dower then belongs to 
 the children of the first marriage to the exclusion of 
 those of the second." 
 
 " If a man has had several wives and only one son, 
 his goods at his death go his only son, and the surviv- 
 ing wives have nothing." 
 
 The laws provide that the husband should have 
 complete control over his wife, and sanction his admini- 
 stering personal castigation in the event of her mis- 
 conduct. 
 
 " A man may punish his wife in the following 
 cases : 1. if she is accustomed to drink wine ; 2. if she 
 is careless of her domestic duties ; 3. if she encourage 
 any gallant ; 4. if she is fond of running about to 
 other people's houses ; 5. if she is often standing at 
 the door or window of the house ; 6. if she is petulant 
 or quarrelsome with her husband. In like manner it is 
 lawful for husbands to punish those wives who are very 
 extravagant in dress, or in eating ; those who show a 
 disregard for modesty or a too great curiosity in looking 
 about them ; and those who, by reason of their beauty, 
 or of the property they have brought for their dower, 
 are proud and overbearing." k 
 
 The man law-givers having thus disposed of the 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 297 
 
 liberty of the women proceed to frame stringent rules 
 against their fellow-men attempting to meddle with 
 their neighbours' wives. In order to stop the Lothario 
 half-way in his career of mischief, they invent a punish- 
 ment by fine which they term " half the fine of 
 adultery," and which, if introduced into modern 
 society, would create a panic, and produce a powerful 
 effect. 
 
 Says the law : — " If a man touch another's wife 
 with his hands, or if he go to visit her when her 
 husband is not at home, or walk with her in lonely 
 places, or talk much with her, or place himself in the 
 doorway, or on the stairs, or go into her bedchamber, 
 he may be made to pay half the fine attached to the 
 actual commission of adultery. But still it must be 
 observed that there must have been something in the 
 character of the man to excite suspicion." 
 
 " If a man find a person whose character warrants 
 suspicion is accustomed to give betel, and make other 
 presents to his wife, or passes jokes with her, he may 
 bring him before a judge and force him to pay half the 
 fine for adultery." 
 
 " If the husband may command his wife not to 
 visit at certain houses, not to frequent lonely places, 
 &c, and if she will not obey, he may accuse her as 
 guilty of a crime." 
 
 " When a man is guilty of adultery with another's 
 wife, and it is proved to be the first time, he must pay 
 the ordinary fine for adultery ; but for the second time 
 he is only to pay half the fine ; and if he is guilty a 
 third time he is free from all penalty." 
 
298 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 The following law is a species of trial by 
 ordeal : — 
 
 " When a woman accuses a man of having violated 
 her person, and he denies it, he must be made to take 
 the oath. If within seven days after no one of the 
 misfortunes described in the oath befalls him he is 
 acquitted, and the woman must pay a certain sum in 
 punishment for the calumny." 
 
 The following can scarcely be regarded as even- 
 handed justice : — 
 
 " If a rich man violates the wife of a poor man he 
 must pay the ordinary fine ; but if a poor man violates 
 the wife of a rich man, the penalty will be the forfeit of 
 his liberty." 
 
 The only " pull " that the wife gets in these laws, as 
 far as I can detect, is one of doubtful application in 
 real life. 
 
 " It is not reckoned a crime for a married woman 
 to revile, or even to beat a man who, by promises or 
 blandishments, attempts to draw her into sin ; and if 
 the man retorts, he may be condemned to pay the 
 woman the usual fine." 
 
 This is, indeed, a great concession in support of the 
 weak. Yet another law concedes a boon to the maiden 
 whose lover has proved faithless. 
 
 " If a young man, to induce a girl to marry him, 
 gives her a ring or any other pledge, but afterwards 
 marries another woman, he cannot demand back what 
 he has given." 
 
 These articles are extracted from Father Sanger- 
 mano's " Burmese Empire," written more than eighty 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 
 
 299 
 
 years ago, and have undergone no material alteration 
 since our acquisition of the country. 
 
 One noble outlook there is for the Buddhist 
 woman who leads a pure and spotless life on earth. 
 Her faith tells her that in the " next existence " she 
 may be a man ! In this glorious hope she lives, and is 
 enabled by it to bear her burden of sorrow uncomplain- 
 ingly. 
 
 One of the funniest of Burmese fancies is the dread 
 in the minds of the men of women's supremacy. For 
 this reason men have a rooted dislike to sleeping in 
 the lower rooms of a house when there is a woman in 
 an upper chamber. Some years ago a Mandalay 
 prince was on a visit to Rangoon, and was asked by 
 a leading merchant to pay him a visit at his house. 
 The prince arrived with a suitable following, was re- 
 ceived outside by the gentleman, and invited to ascend 
 the stairs to the drawing-room. He could not do this 
 without passing through a lower room which he hesi- 
 tated to enter. Looking up at the house he asked 
 
 Mr. which room the ladies were in, and, on the 
 
 window of the drawing-room being pointed out to him, 
 he ordered three of his servants to form a human 
 ladder of their bodies, and by this means he climbed in 
 at the window. 
 
 History does not relate whether he took the same 
 perilous route on leaving the house. 
 
3°o 
 
 BOOK II. 
 
 Our Neighbours in the Far East. 
 
 O'er these vast regions see a varied throng 
 Of thousand unknown nations crowd the coast ; 
 The Laos both in lands and numbers strong, 
 Avas and Birmahs in their mountains lost. 
 
 Camoens. Las. Can. x, 
 
 The Karens. 
 
 The Shans. 
 
 The Yunanese. 
 
 The Kachins. 
 
 The Chins. 
 
 The Siamese. 
 
 The Annamese and Tonquinese. 
 
 Conclusion. 
 The Indo-Chinese Question. 
 
 The Karens. 
 Of the numerous tribes who inhabit Indo-China, 
 the Karens are, after the Burmese, perhaps, the best 
 known. They dwell in the hill districts bordering the 
 Sittang Valley, and are to be found, here and there, in 
 batches as far east as the Cambodia. There seems to 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 30 1 
 
 be no doubt that they are a branch of the Tai or Shan 
 family, and that they originally hailed from the north. 
 
 Mr. Logan, who has made these people his study, 
 gives it as his opinion that they belong to the Western, 
 or Thibetan branch of the Himalaic alliance. That 
 they have kept apart from the Burmese for so many 
 centuries, in language, tastes and religion is strange, as 
 the natural result of their proximity to so powerful a 
 nation would be their adoption of its language and 
 faith. They have been oppressed and bullied, but have 
 stuck tenaciously to their tribal characteristics. The 
 first to fall under the influence of the missionaries, 
 English and American, large numbers have been con- 
 verted to Christianity, 
 
 Physically, there is no marked difference between 
 the Karens, and other Indo-Chinese tribes. Their 
 average height is probably about 5 feet 4, and weight 
 about 9 stone. They are stoutly-built little fellows, 
 with thick, bandy legs. They are darker than the 
 Burmans, with sharper and harder faces. They have 
 a wild and unkempt look, but their faces are full of a 
 sort of questioning intelligence. 
 
 The women are not ill-favoured, but being short 
 and podgy, have, as a rule, bad figures. 
 
 " The Karen," says Dr. Mason, " is the antipodes 
 of the Burman in every respect. The manners of the 
 Burman are polished and winning, of a Karen cruel 
 and repulsive. Flattery is so foreign to his thoughts, 
 that he has no word for it in his language;" and 
 General McMahon,* who quotes the above great 
 * " The Karens of the Golden Chersonese." 
 
302 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 authority, goes on to remark that the Karen rarely 
 exhibits feelings of surprise, joy, gratitude, or admira- 
 tion, like the more demonstrative Burman, nor is he 
 endowed with a feeling for art like the latter, who 
 decorates his carts, boats, houses, monasteries, &c, with 
 elaborate carvings. 
 
 These differences in tastes are not to be won-, 
 dered at, when we take into consideration the cir- 
 cumstances and surroundings of the two races for 
 centuries, the one rich and dominant, owning a king 
 and a religion ; the other poor, down-trodden, and 
 despised. 
 
 In order to get on comfortably with the Karens, 
 especially those who dwell in the hill districts, it is 
 necessary to have some knowledge of their language, 
 but a good Burmese scholar can generally find his way 
 about amongst them. 
 
 The Karen language was not reduced to writing 
 until so late as 1832, when Mr. Wade, an American 
 missionary, constructed an alphabet of twenty-five 
 consonants and nine vowels. Burmese letters have 
 been used with some success. There are numerous 
 dialects, some so diverse that they almost amount to 
 different languages. 
 
 The Karens at no period of their history seem to have 
 possessed a king, or any settled form of government. 
 Chiefs they have had, and have to-day of more or 
 less local status, but as a rule each village is a miniature 
 republic, with its own little parliament of two or three 
 elders, whose power to do good or harm is very limited 
 indeed. In Karenee, or the country of the Red 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 3O3 
 
 Karens, very much the same system prevails, although 
 the influence of certain chiefs is more powerful. Their 
 hatred for the Burmese is intense, they feign even to 
 despise them ; in retaliation, it must be supposed, for 
 the contempt with which they have always been re- 
 garded by their oppressors. They seldom or never 
 intermarry with the latter, which is strange, when the 
 casual nature of the women of both races is taken into 
 consideration. The women, however, not infrequently 
 ally themselves with Chinamen, and even with Shans, 
 and, as in the case of the Burmese, the male children 
 follow their sires, and the female their mothers in 
 every respect. 
 
 General McMahon devotes many pages of his 
 book, " The Karens of the Golden Chersonese," to 
 their religion and mythology, and, after perusal of this 
 and other writings on the subject, and some conversa- 
 tions with Dr. Vinton, and other high authorities, I 
 confess to be by no means clear as to what they 
 believe, and what they do not believe. 
 
 McMahon, who for many years governed the 
 Toungoo district, wherein are very many Karen 
 settlements, not satisfied with his own observations, 
 quotes almost every authority who has expressed any 
 views on the subject. He states that they believe in 
 a Supreme Being, God eternal. In ancient times they 
 were in God's favour, but by reason of their sin He 
 had withdrawn His benign influence from them, hence 
 their troubles on earth. 
 
 Dr. Vinton corroborates this statement, and says 
 that they furthermore assert that at a remote period 
 
304 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 they possessed the book of divine law, which was lost 
 or removed by evil spirits, leaving only a few pages. 
 These relate to the Creation, and follow remarkably 
 closely the story of the beginning of the world in our 
 own Bible. 
 
 *Every object of nature, say the Karens, has 
 its lord ; thus, all bodies celestial as well as terrestrial, 
 every human being, all animate beings, as well as 
 things inanimate which can be brought into practical 
 use, have their guardian spirits. The air they breathe, 
 too, is thickly peopled with ghosts of the unburied 
 dead, and the spirits of their departed ancestors crowd 
 round them. They have the God of the Sun, the 
 God of the Moon, the God of the Earth, the mighty 
 ocean, the trackless desert, the lofty mountain, the 
 wide river, or the yawning chasm, which from the 
 natural awe they inspire, demand reverence ; the 
 spreading banyan tree, the rice field, the vegetable 
 garden, or the hill clearing, which minister to their 
 wants, have each and all their tutelar deities, which, as 
 subordinate beings to some greater power must be 
 propitiated. 
 
 As regards their views of the future, McMahon 
 writes : " The spirits of the dead resolve themselves 
 apparently into four classes — 
 
 " The first consists of the Plupho, or inhabitants of 
 Hades. They are the shades of those who have died 
 natural deaths, and have been decently buried. They 
 go to their proper country, and renew their earthly 
 employments. As the North American Indian, with 
 
 * McMahon. 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 305 
 
 his dog and bow, seeks food in the beautiful hunting- 
 ground of the world "of the departed, so the Karen, 
 with his axe and cleaver, may build his house, cut his 
 rice, and conduct his affairs as before.* 
 
 The second are the Sekhahs, or ghosts of infants, 
 or of persons who from accident have not been buried, 
 and, debarred thereby from entering Hades, wander 
 about the earth, and occasionally show themselves to 
 men. These ghosts are supposed to be harmless, and 
 are consequently not propitiated with offerings. 
 
 The third are the shades of those who have died 
 violent deaths, and are known as Tkerets. These 
 vampires are supposed to seize the Las of men, causing 
 mortal disease. Hence they must be appeased to 
 induce them to free the Las they have seized. 
 
 The fourth, known as Tah-mus and Tahkas, are 
 the spectres of wicked men, of tyrants, of unjust 
 rulers, and of those who have expiated their crimes 
 by an ignominious death at the hands of justice. 
 These also remain on earth, and torment the Las of 
 men. After they leave the body, they appear in the 
 form of horses, elephants, dogs, crocodiles, serpents, 
 vultures, and ducks, "t 
 
 It is clear from all this that the Karens have no 
 religion, although many myths and superstitions. 
 They have readily caught at Christianity, and many 
 thousands are Christians. They very rarely embrace 
 the Buddhist faith, indeed, it must be said of the 
 worshippers of Gaudama that little effort, if any, is 
 made to convert souls from the error of alien beliefs. 
 * Mr. Cross. t Dr. Mason. 
 
 U 
 
306 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 Buddhists, on the other hand, never, or very rarely 
 indeed, become Christians. 
 
 Dr. Vinton tells a good story of a Karen who had 
 formed one of a band of armed men whom he had 
 himself led against some dacoits during the late 
 troubles. The man of the gown thought himself 
 quite justified in drawing the sword at a crisis in 
 defence of order, and especially as the dacoit leader 
 was a Buddhist priest. The Karen in question was a 
 brave fellow, but unlike all the rest of the reverend 
 doctor's little army, he was a Buddhist. In the fight 
 which took place, the dacoits were driven off after a 
 severe tussle, and in going round to tend the wounded 
 the reverend gentleman found his refractory friend, the 
 Buddhist Karen, lying groaning on his back in a pool 
 of blood. "What," said he, "you're wounded, are 
 you?" "Yes, sir," said the fellow dolefully, pointing 
 to the deep gash across his naked back, " as I was in 
 the act of shooting a dacoit, the phoonghee cut me down 
 with his sword. That cut," he added, "has taken all 
 the Buddhism out of me." 
 
 As far as can be ascertained from the earliest 
 authorities, both native and European, the Karens, and 
 other wild tribes in Indo-China, the story of the creation 
 of the world has from time immemorial been handed 
 down from father to son. Certain it is that the 
 first missionaries who landed on these shores ascer- 
 tained that the non- Buddhist tribes had a notion of a 
 God over all, a tradition of the beginning, and of a 
 universal flood. Their version of the creation of man 
 follows wonderfully closely the Biblical text. God 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 307 
 
 having created the earth, began by giving life to many 
 millions of creatures all exactly suited to their environ- 
 ments. Finally he created a human couple after his 
 own image. He placed them in a magnificent garden 
 abounding in exquisite fruit and flowers. Only the 
 most beautiful animals were permitted to enter therein. 
 The trees groaned with yellow fruit. All were dif- 
 ferent, and all were apparently equally perfect. The 
 Lord's first act was to conduct his children round the 
 garden, and to explain to them the value and use of all 
 the different fruits ; at length he came to the most 
 beautiful tree of all on which the ripe fruit hung in 
 tempting clusters. "This," He said, " my children, is 
 the tree of death ; he that eateth of it shall surely die. 
 The earth and all that therein is is thine ; only of the 
 fruit of this tree ye may not eat." The Great Spirit 
 then vanished, and the youth and his consort found 
 themselves alone in the midst of this earthly paradise. 
 As they still gazed in spellbound awe on the tree of 
 the forbidden fruit, a python suddenly appeared before 
 them. At first they were terrified, and would have 
 fled, but the serpent spoke softly to them, and appeased 
 their fears. The young couple listened in wrapt atten- 
 tion to his wondrous tale. He told them their own 
 thoughts and hopes, and declared himself to be the 
 equal of God. He explained to them that the Creator 
 feared him because he had discovered the secret of 
 His power, which lay in the. fruit of the forbidden tree. 
 " Eat thereof," he said, "and ye, too, shall be gods." 
 
 On this the man flew into a rage, reviled the 
 serpent, and went away. But the woman remained 
 
 u 2 
 
308 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 gazing in rapture at the magic tree. The serpent at 
 length prevailed.; the woman partook of the tree of 
 death, and fell into the demon's power. Feeling that 
 she was lost, her only thought was to save her lover. 
 She pleaded in vain, but the serpent was inexorable. 
 He determined now to work on their conjugal affection. 
 He caused the wife to draw her husband to the foot of 
 the forbidden tree. But the man refused to eat. 
 Then the serpent assuming fearful proportions, threat- 
 ened to devour his wife, whom he loved with an 
 overpowering passion. On the one hand was his 
 God's commands, stern and inexorable — " Thou shalt 
 not eat thereof : he that eateth thereof shall surely 
 die" — and on the other his love. In his agony he 
 called on his God to save his darling from the power of 
 the serpent, but He heard him not, and his love pre- 
 vailed over the fear of the wrath of God and sin and 
 death, and he ate of the forbidden fruit, and man 
 became mortal. 
 
 It may be that the evil done to mankind on this 
 occasion by his weaker helpmate may account for the 
 rough treatment which she has ever since received at 
 her lord's hands in these wild regions of the earth. 
 
 It would appear inconsistent in a people who 
 believe in a God, or great power for good, to spend 
 their lives and property, as the Karens do, in propitiat- 
 ing evil spirits, but it is not entirely so. 
 
 Their theory is that the good God has withdrawn 
 his favour from them, but they hope for its return. 
 
 They have a legend which neatly illustrates this 
 idea. I find it in my diary as " The tiger story." A 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 309 
 
 man with a wife and several children lived in a lonely 
 jungle place. It was necessary for them to go some 
 distance daily to till the little rice crop which was to 
 keep them going for the year. They had also a sow 
 with a litter. One day during their absence a tiger 
 appeared, and, having eaten a couple of the little pigs, 
 took his departure, promising to call again. This 
 event caused great concern in the little family. If 
 the man and his wife remained at home to protect the 
 house the rice crop would not be reaped, and they 
 would starve ; if they went to the fields the tiger 
 would devour the pigs, if not the children. So they 
 built a high platform between two trees out of the 
 tiger's reach, and arranged that the little ones of both 
 families should remain up there during their absence. 
 The tiger came, and was much disappointed to find 
 nothing for him to eat. Finding his prey out of 
 reach he tried the game of brag with excellent effect. 
 He threatened to spring up on the platform and 
 devour the whole party unless the children threw him 
 down a little pig. Not knowing his power, and fearing 
 that he would effect his purpose, they threw him over 
 a pig, which he ate. He now asked for more, and 
 continued his importunities until the old sow herself 
 had vanished down his capacious maw. When the 
 parents returned they were furious, and reviled the 
 children, but the latter replied, " We continued to feed 
 the tiger because we feared him ; but all the while we 
 kept our eyes on the path." 
 
 So say the Karens, "■ So long as God hides his face 
 from us, we must propitiate the devils." 
 
310 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 It is remarkable that although the unconverted 
 Karens never pray themselves, they believe in the 
 efficacy of prayer. Dr. Vinton gave me a remarkable 
 illustration of this. He had assembled a number of 
 headmen of villages to discuss " matters political," as 
 he expressed it, but really to arrange for a fight against 
 the dacoits. The most influential chief present was 
 not a convert-^he had refused to listen to the teachings 
 of Christianity, but was withal a fine, plucky fellow. 
 As the missionary, in his practical American style, was 
 about to proceed to business, the old chief suddenly 
 stopped him, with the remark, " You have forgotten to 
 open the meeting with a prayer !" 
 
 The Christian Karens, who have fought so well on 
 our side against Burmese rebels for the past year, 
 generally pray before committing themselves to an 
 action. A gentleman who was in pursuit of a body of 
 dacoits with a small force of armed Karens gives the 
 following account of his experiences :— " We came 
 upon the enemy in a dense jungle, and I was getting 
 my men together for a charge, when an old fellow 
 asked permission to say a prayer previous to the action. 
 Down he knelt on the narrow path, and all the rest 
 with him, and prayed thus : ' Great Lord ! strengthen 
 us to fight, that we may kill and utterly destroy our 
 contemptible foes. Steady each man's aim, and 
 sharpen his sword ; for what are their rusty muskets to 
 our quick-firing guns ? what matter their superior 
 numbers against our bravery ? what power have their 
 rotten, wooden gods compared with thine, O Great 
 Jehovah ?' Then he rose, and, with a wild shout, 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 3II 
 
 plunged into the bush followed by the whole party. 
 Each man took his own line, and I lost all control. 
 The dacoits bolted, leaving three of their number dead, 
 their heads being triumphantly laid at my feet." 
 
 The Cromwellian puritanism is probably the out- 
 come of the teachings of the American missionaries, 
 who are almost all Baptists. 
 
 The general status of the women amongst the 
 Karens is scarcely so good as amongst the Burmese. 
 The system of betrothal in early youth is carried to 
 excess and used as a binding power amongst the various 
 clans. The young men, as a rule, do not draw their 
 wives from their own, but from neighbouring villages, 
 so that in the case of "rows" amongst the clans the 
 women are a sort of hostage for the loyalty of the 
 men. 
 
 Some time ago a young Karen who had distin- 
 guished himself as a scholar, and had actually been to 
 Calcutta, fell desperately in love with a schoolmistress 
 at one of the missions. They were about to get 
 married when the lad's father appeared on the scene 
 from some jungle village, and " forbade the banns " on 
 the ground that he had betrothed his son in early youth 
 to a girl in a neighbouring village, and that he must 
 stand to his bargain. The young scholar had to give 
 up his new, love and see his father through. 
 
 The Karens, both male and female, are very blunt 
 and unceremonious in their address. There is no 
 shakoing, i.e., the Burman custom of prostration at the 
 feet of a superior, or bowing and scraping, which is an 
 improvement on the ohsequious humbug of most 
 
312 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 Easterns. I have seen them standing upright and 
 talking frankly with all sorts of officials, from Commis- 
 sioners downwards. On one occasion, when I was 
 sitting with a gentleman who was regarded with great 
 respect by the Karens, a rather good-looking young 
 woman with an infant at her breast, entered ; she 
 prattled out her story laughingly without the slightest 
 sign of fear or doubt on her frank features. It was to 
 the effect that her husband had been wounded by the 
 dacoits and had been taken to the hospital. She 
 wanted to have him released from thence and allowed 
 to be taken home, " for," said she, in an appealing 
 way, " I can cure him much better than the doctors." 
 
 I believe that the present thoroughly loyal and 
 satisfactory condition of the Karens, who dwell in 
 British territory, is due in a very large measure to the 
 work done amongst them by English, French, and 
 American missionaries for the past half century. Before 
 I came to Burma, and saw the Karens, I was to a great 
 extent impressed with the conviction that missionaries, 
 however good their intentions, noble their sacrifices, 
 and unbounded their zeal for doing good, had always 
 been a drag on the political officers all over our great 
 Empire. It has certainly not been so with the Karens. 
 The instruction imparted to them at the mission schools 
 has done much to remove barbarous customs, and open 
 their minds to their best and truest interests. The 
 Americans have been the principal workers, and they 
 certainly do not labour in vain. The nature of their 
 teaching is uncommonly practical. The Karens build 
 their own mission houses, churches, &c, and support 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 313 
 
 them. They are their own to the last nail. The 
 boys and girls get a most practical education — are 
 taught the Burmese and English languages and in- 
 structed in all useful duties. They don't get religion 
 ad nauseam, and are allowed a good deal of liberty. 
 The girls stay at the schools in some cases for as long 
 as ten years, until they are well into womanhood, when 
 they go out as village teachers. The American mis- 
 sionary in this country is no mere philanthropist, he is 
 a man of action — morally and physically. Often alone 
 amongst savage and treacherous tribes, with his life in 
 his hand, he has to act promptly, if he would act at 
 all, and in the late troubles he has more than once 
 not scrupled to cast aside his gown and draw the 
 sword. But, in eulogising the acts of our cousins, the 
 doughty sons of the Great Republic who preach the 
 Protestant religion in Indo-China, it must not be sup- 
 posed that they outshine their fellow- workers, the 
 Roman Catholic missionaries. It is by no means so. 
 For the most part Frenchmen, these latter lead a life 
 of fearless adventure and self-denying toil. At their 
 head is a man whose name is a household word in many 
 languages, from Yunan to Singapore, and from the 
 Irrawaddy to the Cambodia, an honoured name — Mon- 
 seigneur Paul Bigaudet, Roman Catholic Bishop ot 
 Burma. For over fifty years he has laboured, and 
 labours still in the good cause of " peace on earth, 
 good- will toward men " with unflinching courage and 
 devotion. 
 
 Although to-day bent with age, and withered from 
 the effects of half-a-century of exposure to a tropical 
 
3 X 4 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 sun, his deep-set eyes still glow with the fire of 
 enthusiasm, his brain is as clear as a bell, and his 
 words on all subjects, human and divine, are full of 
 weight and wisdom. What a life has this man to look 
 back upon ? Not his the luxuries of friends and home ; 
 not his the comfort and security of a great city and the 
 support of law and order ; not his the invigorating 
 breezes, the blood-making, strengthening diets, the 
 fair flowers and fruits of beauteous France. Fatherless, 
 motherless, wifeless, childless, homeless, this heroic 
 old soldier of Christ has spent his life in the forest, and 
 on the mountain, floating in boats on rivers and lakes, 
 wading through unhealthy swamps. Scorched by the 
 fierce sun by day, wet and half-famished by night, his 
 food has been anything which he could pick up at the 
 little village which he has made his temporary resting- 
 place. Defying all things alike which have crossed his 
 duty's path — savage tribes, wild beasts, disease, threats 
 and warnings, reverses and disappointments, decep- 
 tions and treacheries — his sword, his shield and buckler, 
 his defence and only hope in peril, the simple little 
 cross which hangs upon his breast. 
 
 The Red Karens are an independent tribe of wild 
 hillmen who dwell in the country to the east of the old 
 British frontier. Physically they are not different to 
 the neighbouring hill tribes, but being more inacces- 
 sible to civilised influence, are wilder and more uncer- 
 tain in their action. The best authorities think they 
 are the same family as the other Karens, although 
 there are differences so marked between the languages 
 that some consider them to be altogether distinct. 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 
 
 315 
 
 According to their own vague traditions, they originally 
 travelled westward with one of the many Chinese 
 hordes which from time to time have invaded Burma. 
 When the Celestial wave receded, they remained high 
 and dry upon the wooded heights where they now 
 dwell. They were neither Burman nor Shan, and 
 have had many struggles with both before they were 
 eventually permitted to settle down in their present 
 salubrious abode. They are still barbarous, although 
 by no means so bad as when we first made our appear- 
 ance in the districts adjoining their home. Many English 
 and American missionaries have visited them from time 
 to time, and two British civil officers, Mr. O' Riley and 
 Captain Lloyd, were well received by them. 
 
 According to McMahon, Mr. O' Riley, during his 
 visit to Karennee in 1856-57, ingratiated himself with 
 the Red Karens by his tact and affability. " A treaty 
 of friendship between the two countries," he writes, 
 "as well as a brotherhood of Mr. O'Riley and the 
 chiefs Kephogyre and Kephogue, was ratified according 
 to the custom of the country, on the occasion of 
 O' Riley's visit. 
 
 " The ceremony of interchange of fraternity entails 
 on the performers the necessity of sucking a portion of 
 each other's blood from a puncture in the arm, or by 
 infusing a drop in water and drinking it. And Mr. 
 O'Riley, during previous tours among other tribes, 
 found it necessary to conform to this custom, as with- 
 out it the tribe refused permission to pass their lands, 
 and he should have been necessitated to draw blood 
 by a sharper process, and so closed their chance of 
 
316 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 friendship for ever. Hitherto, in similar cases, Mr. 
 O'Riley had been fortunate in being allowed to nomi- 
 nate a substitute for this process, but on his proposal 
 to follow precedent on this occasion by appointing his 
 native assistant, he was informed that, though such 
 agency might be allowed in the case of inferior chiefs, 
 when such great men were concerned the interchange 
 of each other's blood alone would suffice. 
 
 " To Mr. O'Riley's great relief, ' it was stated that 
 the flesh of a bullock killed and eaten by both parties, 
 each receiving one of the horns of the animal, was a 
 rite considered by them of equal weight with that of 
 the blood-draught, ' and usually performed by them 
 when a number of persons became friends and 
 brothers.' He therefore joyfully consented to this 
 ordeal, which implied that, ' like as they had partaken 
 of the bullock's flesh which had entered their bodies, 
 so might their friendship remain in each other's hearts, 
 and there steadfastly abide so long as the horns con- 
 tinued crooked.' " 
 
 These people are not easily tempted from their 
 mountain retreats, and are poor traders. In this way 
 they are unlike their neighbours, the Shans, with 
 whom they live on anything but amicable terms. 
 They make their own knives, axes, swords, spears, 
 hoes, bangles, silver ornaments, earthenware, bits and 
 bridles, saddles and stirrups. They also weave coarse 
 but durable articles of apparel. 
 
 McMahon extracts some interesting facts relative 
 to the social customs of the Red Karens from the 
 researches of O'Riley, Richardson, Mason, and other 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 317 
 
 travellers who have lived amongst them. A birth, it 
 would appear, is celebrated by a feast to which the 
 neighbours are invited when the mother is conva- 
 lescent. When all are assembled in the house, the 
 mother takes the child on her back and leaves the 
 room, whence she is supposed to go to a paddy field. 
 As a rule, however, she goes a few yards from the 
 house, digs with a hoe, pulls up some grass and returns. 
 By this she pledges herself to work for the child. 
 
 " When the feast is over the relations give presents 
 to the child." 
 
 The marriage ceremonies appear to be somewhat 
 more elaborate than is customary amongst semi-barba- 
 rous peoples. 
 
 "When the augury of the fowl's bones decide on 
 the auspicious time a great feast is made at the bride- 
 groom's house, at which excessive licence as regards 
 eating and drinking appears to be the rule. In the 
 midst of the feasting, and in the presence of the whole 
 company, the bridegroom offers a cup of spirits to his 
 bride, who drinks it up, and then asks her ' is it agree- 
 able ? ' The next day the bride returns home and 
 makes a similar feast, to which the bridegroom and 
 his friends go. It is now her turn to offer the cup to 
 him, and when he replies to her question ' is it agree- 
 able ? ' that ' it is very agreeable,' the two are regarded 
 as married." 
 
 Another funny custom is related on the authority 
 of Mr. Bunker, the American missionary at Toungoo 
 at the present time. 
 
 " During the carouse the bridegroom takes a hoe 
 
3*8 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 and leaves the house followed by the bride. He digs 
 the earth with his hoe for a little, and the bride stand- 
 ing behind him follows his example, thereby acknow- 
 ledging that she must work equally with her husband, 
 and be subject to his orders. 
 
 "After this the bride, attended by the company, takes 
 a small bamboo bucket to a spring and draws therefrom 
 half a bucket full of water, the bridegroom filling the 
 bucket ; the bride then returns to .the house behind the 
 bridegroom bearing the bucket of water. This last act 
 signifies that she will be subservient to her husband." 
 
 The great King of Terrors is generally regarded 
 with more concern by the friends and relations of the 
 dying man than by himself. 
 
 The "undiscovered country " is his own country. 
 He expects to come into a new existence almost at 
 once. But his relations believe that his condition in 
 the new life will depend upon the amount of goods 
 which he takes with him to the grave. He is generally 
 laid in a hollowed-out tree, and buried deep in the earth. 
 A little earth is not thought sufficient. Valuable 
 articles are thrown into the hole, such as rice and pots 
 for cooking it, cloths, guris, swords, knives, axes, hoes, 
 &c, in accordance with the wealth and position of the 
 dead man's relations. Even, say the missionaries, a 
 slave and a pony are sometimes tied outside the grave, 
 but if not required, they generally contrive to free 
 themselves before morning. 
 
 So much property does the dead man take away 
 with him to the other world, that his friends have little 
 left for themselves. 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 319 
 
 Although I have thus treated of the Karens as two 
 tribes, as it were, there is every reason to believe that 
 as the difference in their language, although consider- 
 able, is only dialectical, they are to all intents and 
 purposes the same people. 
 
 The remoteness of Karennee, and the fact that the 
 dwellers in these hill tracts have never had the advan- 
 tages of their brethren in Burma, may be taken as 
 quite sufficient to account for their moral differences 
 which are by no means well marked. 
 
 Like the Karens in our territory, and totally unlike 
 the Burmese, the Red Karens are remarkable for 
 cunning and caution. They are slow at making friends, 
 and very suspicious and silent. But they never forget 
 an injury or wrong, and will wait patiently for years to 
 pay off an old debt. 
 
 Some years ago a party of these wild fellows hailing 
 from some village on the banks of the Salween, turned 
 up at the Karen Mission at Rangoon. Unceremonious 
 to a degree, they walked up the steps of Dr. Vinton's 
 house, and accosted the good man in his own extensive 
 varandah. He was glad to see them, but for the life 
 of him could not ascertain what they wanted. To 
 his numerous questions they gave no reply that at all 
 satisfied him. They never took their eyes off his face 
 for an instant, and were perpetually asking him his 
 name. At length he lost patience with them and tried 
 to bow them out ; but in vain. After a long delay, an 
 old fellow, who was evidently their leader, asked him 
 if he would write his name on a bit of paper. This he 
 did, writing it in English, Burmese, and Karen. The 
 
320 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 old fellow then carefully tore off the paper on which 
 the Burmese and Karen characters were written and, 
 having folded up the bit with the English on it, un- 
 ceremoniously led the way down the steps into the 
 garden. Here they all sat round in a ring, and the 
 old man after much fumbling and unrolling of old 
 cloths, produced a dirty little bit of paper which he 
 proceeded to compare with the signature just given 
 them. A great discussion now arose, and much talk 
 and hilarity. The more they compared the signatures, 
 the more they rejoiced. At length all seemed satisfied, 
 and running up the steps, they each in turn grasped 
 the missionary's hand with the utmost warmth. They 
 then became quite at home, and explained the object 
 of their journey. A Christian Karen had travelled 
 into their village and told them all sorts of wonderful 
 stories about the white men, and more especially Dr. 
 Vinton himself. He had said to them " travel into 
 the white man's territory, but never believe that you 
 have found the great teacher until you find a man 
 whose name is written like this." On saying these 
 words, he had torn off the doctor's signature from an 
 old document and presented it to them. 
 
 There is little doubt that the whole of the Karen 
 country will at no distant date come directly under 
 our Government. It is what the people themselves 
 want. Several missions from West Karennee have 
 waited on the Deputy Commissioner of Toungoo of 
 late years, to beg that the British Government 
 would annex the country, and this will probably soon 
 be done. 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 32 I 
 
 The effect of education on these people has been 
 to remove the more barbarous traits in their character, 
 and to make them a useful and law-abiding people. 
 
 On more than one occasion in the past half-century 
 their credulous nature has brought them into trouble 
 with their masters. Certain prophets, said to be in- 
 spired, declared themselves to he gods, and collected 
 large followings, but were soon suppressed. The 
 probability of any recurrence of this state of things 
 seems now to have vanished. 
 
 At the meeting at Government House only the 
 other dayto celebrate the Jubilee of the Queen- Empress, 
 a large number of Karens were present in the hall. 
 When the Commissioner announced that those who 
 had memorials to Her Majesty would be. good enough 
 to read them, a very pompous little Karen stepped 
 forward with a large parchment spread out before him. 
 He had a face like the portraits of the elder Robespierre, 
 and he read the following memorial in as good English 
 as any in the room could muster : — 
 
 "To Her Most Imperial Majesty the Queen- 
 Empress of India. 
 
 "THE HUMBLE MEMORIAL OF THE UNDERSIGNED 
 KAREN INHABITANTS OF BRITISH BURMA ON 
 BEHALF OF THEIR NATION. 
 
 "May it please your Majesty: — 
 
 "Your Majesty's loyal subjects, the Karens of Burma, 
 rejoice with your Majesty in this the year of Jubilee, 
 and praise the Almighty Father for his manifold mercies 
 
 x 
 
322 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 in vouchsafing to your Majesty to behold this fiftieth 
 year of your Majesty's beneficent reign. 
 
 " Your Majesty's reign has been for the full fifty 
 years one of prosperity and progress to the Karens in 
 a greater degree even than to the other races in Burma. 
 They therefore heartily rejoice that the Almighty 
 Father has led your Majesty even to the year of 
 Jubilee, and they heartily pray that the same loving 
 hand may grant to your Majesty length of days, to bless 
 the human race, as in the years gone by. 
 
 "Your Memorialists remember with thanksgiving 
 the years of the British rule over them, beginning from 
 the year 1826, when some of them came under British 
 protection, and from 1853, when nearly their whole 
 race came under the just rule of your Majesty. These 
 years have been to them years of blessing and of peace 
 as a race. Before, these years their people were 
 ground into the dust by oppression and wrong, and in 
 these years their people have been freed from bad 
 government and from religious persecution. Under 
 your Majesty's reign their people have been peculiarly 
 benefited in a two-fold manner both temporally and 
 spiritually. 
 
 " As regards the temporal benefits of this transitory 
 life, the hearths and homes of your Memorialists' race 
 have been safely guarded and protected. Equal rights 
 have been granted to them in common with the other 
 races subject to their Great Queen. For the further 
 advancement of their race, your Majesty's Government, 
 which has much at heart their well being, has in 
 common with many European and American mission- 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 323 
 
 aries, who are labouringjfor their advancement, founded 
 schools for the common education of their race in arts 
 and sciences. 
 
 " As regards spiritual benefits, your Majesty's loyal 
 subjects, the Karens, have by tens of thousands em- 
 braced the Christian faith, and they now worship without 
 hindrance the Lord Jesus Christ. Your Memorialists 
 are grateful also for the religious toleration granted 
 now to all, even those of their race still left in the 
 ancestral faith. 
 
 " Your Memorialists' ancestors foretold to them by 
 tradition that such a reign of prosperity and advance- 
 ment would once more be accorded to them, the children 
 of the wild, the children of the despised. In such ex- 
 pectation your Memorialists' fathers awaited its coming, 
 and when it came across the sea in 1852, their race 
 stood shoulder to shoulder with your Majesty's soldiers, 
 and freely shed their life-blood to bring your Majesty's 
 just and benign rule to be enjoyed by their children. 
 The story of the past year will show that now, as then, 
 your Memorialists' people do not shrink from sacrifices 
 made to assist your Majesty's good government, and 
 even from shedding their blood for it. Your Me- 
 morialists' people do this not from hatred for other 
 races, but from loyalty to your Majesty, based on 
 gratitude for the good government established by your 
 Majesty's authority in Burma. 
 
 "Your Memorialists' people endeavour to teach their 
 sons and daughters to lisp your Majesty's name with 
 love and deep reverence, in order that when they attain 
 manhood and womanhood, they may be loyal to your 
 
 x 2 
 
324 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 Majesty's name, and stand as firmly as their fathers 
 and forefathers have done, and freely sacrifice all, even 
 to their lives, in return for the deep debt of gratitude 
 for the many benefits they have received under your 
 Majesty's reign — a debt which a nation's life-blood 
 would not fully repay. 
 
 " Your Memorialists would humbly pray that they 
 may again be permitted to express as a race, their joy 
 in this year of Jubilee of your Majesty's reign, and to 
 express also their earnest prayer to God the Jehovah, 
 that he would graciously establish your Majesty on her 
 throne for many years to come, and that He would 
 grant that these coming years may be Happy Years 
 of Prosperity and Peace. 
 
 "And your humble Memorialists, as in duty bound 
 
 " Will Ever Pray. 
 
 " Dated at Rangoon, Burma, in the year of Jubilee of 
 Her Most Imperial Majesty the Queen-Empress of 
 India, on the sixteenth day of February, in the year of 
 Our Lord one thousand eight hundred and eighty- 
 seven." 
 
 The Durbar at an end, a long stream of gentlemen 
 of several nations, castes, and colours was threading its 
 way along the garden path which led to the gates 
 outside which the carriages were drawn up. I was 
 walking between a brother officer and a very tall 
 gentleman in civilian garb. I remarked that the 
 Karens were close to us, drawing attention to the 
 "side "of the little man with the Robespierre face' 
 who strutted on ahead of his admiring followers in the 
 
MAP OF BURMA AND THE SHAN STATES 
 
 IN 1887. 
 
 TaUFoo 
 
 
 § 
 
 3 
 
 e 
 
 -. or/- AKiangKheng 
 
 Hamson 1 .Sone.IiHi.S:Marii^ Lane/WC 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 325 
 
 full consciousness of having made an effective speech. 
 My tall companion seemed more amused than impressed 
 by his self-important bearing, and, addressing him 
 somewhat brusquely, said, " Hullo ! old chap, did you 
 write all that fine speech yourself, or did some one do 
 it for you ?" The little man made no reply, never even 
 deigning to raise his eyes. " Speak loud, Sir," said 
 one of the Karens, in excellent English, "he is deaf." 
 The tall man repeated the question in a louder and, 
 perhaps, a little more diffident tone. The little man, 
 after a short pause, said very deliberately, without 
 regarding his questioner, " Well, if I did'nt write it, 
 I wonder who did ?" "Of course he wrote it," said 
 several Karens at a breath, "wasn't he eleven years in 
 America ?" 
 
 The Shans. 
 
 The Shans or Tais* are the most numerous of the 
 Indo-Chinese races. They people in a more or less 
 degree the vast tracts of country to the north, north- 
 east, and east of Burma. 
 
 They are found from the confines of Assam to the 
 borders of Yunan, and from the south-western borders 
 of the latter province of China away down to the 
 south of Siam. Indeed, according to many ethno- 
 graphers, both the Siamese and Cambodians are Shans 
 in race and origin. Perhaps their only distinctive 
 mark is their language, which is identical throughout, 
 with a few dialectical differences. 
 
 From the north and north-west of the Burman 
 
 * The term Tai simply means "free." 
 
326 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 boundary, the Shans have of late years gradually but 
 steadily been receding before the wave of Kakyen 
 influence — the latter people virtually being in posses- 
 sion of all this part of the country to-day. From the 
 south the growth of the kingdom of Siam has been of 
 late steadily absorbing the lesser Shan States, and it is 
 probable that this same power will work further north 
 unless checked by either China, or ourselves. 
 
 The Shanland of which I propose to treat may be 
 said to be an almost square tract of country inter- 
 cepted between Yunan on the north, Siam on the south, 
 Burma on the west, and China (Yunan), Annam, and 
 Tonquin on the east. 
 
 Roughly speaking, this country may be estimated 
 at comprehending 80,000 square miles, with a popula- 
 tion of 3,000,000 or thereabouts. 
 
 Before proceeding to describe the various petty 
 States herein enclosed, let me refer cursorily to the 
 history of the Shans. 
 
 Mr. Holt Hallett, in his " Historical Sketch of the 
 Shans," quotes La Couperie as an authority that the 
 cradle of the Shan race is the Kinlung Mountains, 
 north of Tsu-chiian and south of Shenshi in China 
 •proper ; while McMahon,* referring to the great river 
 system of these regions, says, " These rivers and their 
 valleys were evidently the primeval highways by which 
 the peoples of Farther India came down from the 
 dreary and inhospitable margin of the great central 
 plateau to their present dwelling-places." 
 
 In B.C. 400 the Shans seem to have reached as far 
 * " The Karens of the Golden Chersonese." 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 327 
 
 south as the present capital of Upper Burma, for we 
 learn that at this time they founded the principalities 
 of Theebaw, Thinni, and Mone, and spread them- 
 selves over the country on both banks of the Shemeli 
 River. From thence they appear to have spread 
 eastwards and southwards, over-running the whole 
 eastern portion of Indo-China. 
 
 About 1220, the principal northern Shan States 
 were ruled by one sovereign, known as the Man 
 Emperor. Much of the province of Yunan, which has 
 since become attached to China, was under Shan 
 control at this time, and, at the end of the thirteenth 
 century, their influence was firmly established as far 
 south as Bankok. 
 
 About the middle of the sixteenth century, the 
 Man Empire split up, and the royal influence was 
 confined to Zimme alone. 
 
 Disintegrating influences, gradually increasing, seem 
 from this time forward to have set in, and for centuries 
 the country, weakened by want of any central power, 
 a prey to the inroads of Burmese from the west, 
 Chinese from the north and east, and torn by internal 
 dissensions, became broken up into a number of petty 
 principalities whose existence depended on the good 
 will or apathy of their all-powerful neighbours. 
 
 Such are the Shan States to-day. Yule, writing in 
 1855, divides them into twelve States. A re-arrange- 
 ment has, however, recently taken place, and instead of 
 twelve there are more like forty States under separate 
 rulers. Yule's arrangement of dividing them into 
 Trans-Salween and Cis-Salween States still holds 
 
328, THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 good. That great river, rising in the mountains of 
 Tsu-Chuan, tears its stormy path through the centre 
 of the Shan country. About the Trans-Salween States 
 little is yet known, but since our establishment at Fort 
 Stedman in the south-west portion of the Cis-Salween 
 States, much information has come to light about the 
 Shans. 
 
 It has been determined to hold this portion per- 
 manently, and from our position here to make some 
 attempt to extend our influence amongst the Shans. 
 
 So far, the States opened up are the Tsaubwaships 
 of Mobye, Naung-yewe, and Myelat, The plateau of 
 Naung-yewe, on which the residency is situated, is 
 about 3,000 feet above sea-level, and forms the basin 
 of a fine lake, fifteen miles long by five broad. The 
 plateau is open and rolling, but its sides are steep and 
 covered with forest. The lake is fed by a broad and 
 sluggish stream, which enters at its northern extremity. 
 The direction of the valleys in this portion of the 
 country is north and south. Some of the peaks reach 
 a height of 7,000 feet. 
 
 The tribes inhabiting this country generally are 
 described as Shans, Danus, Darraws, Taungthus, and 
 Taungyohs. The Danus resemble the Karens, and so 
 do the Darraws, although their language is different. 
 The last -mentioned tribes — the Taung-thus and 
 Taung-yohs — claim to be distinct tribes, but from all 
 accounts there is little to choose between them. 
 
 The Shans proper avoid mixing with the hill tribes 
 with whom they are not always on the best of terms, 
 and stick to the valley of the great lake. 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 329 
 
 The clothes worn by the men of this portion of the 
 Shan States consist in dark-blue cotton jackets and 
 trousers. The hair is interwoven with a gaudy silk 
 kerchief, and when out of doors the usual big straw 
 hat is worn. The women dress very like the Burmese, 
 but the colours are more sombre. Below the knee 
 they generally wear a brass garter, and sometimes 
 when at work in the fields a cloth gaiter, which is kept 
 up by the garter. 
 
 The manner of cultivation resorted to by these 
 primitive agriculturists is thus described by an eye- 
 witness of the other day : — " To prepare the soil for a 
 dry crop, about an acre is ploughed up in ridge and 
 furrow by one man driving and guiding a single-shod 
 plough, drawn by a buffalo. The plough consists of 
 a well-trimmed naturally-bent handle and body in one 
 piece ; the share is of wrought-iron about five inches 
 broad, and made to cut three or four inches into the soil. 
 By the end of three weeks the ground has been cross- 
 ploughed three times ; after this the women break up 
 every clod with long-handled wooden mallets ; the couch 
 grass is then either raked or harrowed together. All the 
 mould is then collected by women with hoes into little 
 heaps of two feet diameter, and on the top of each 
 heap are put some couch grass and cow dung. This 
 is then covered by a few of the coarser clods ; the 
 ashes and mould are scattered and left till the first 
 shower of rain, when the crop is sown." In this way 
 rice, tobacco, and wheat are grown. The dwellers 
 around, and on the lake, do little in the way of cultiva- 
 tion. They subsist to a great extent on fish and wild 
 
33° THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 fowl, at securing both of which they are most clever. 
 Fruits and vegetables are much cultivated in these 
 southern Shan States, such as pine-apples, tomatoes, 
 beans, plantains, papai, &c. The people are keen 
 traders, and are less apathetic than the Burmese in 
 their desire for gain. 
 
 A young staff officer* of my own regiment, who is 
 with the Shan column, thus airs his views of things in 
 general in the southern Shan States. His letter 
 gives a simple but interesting account of the spot 
 chosen as the centre of British power amongst the 
 Shans : — 
 
 " To commence with, I do not believe we are 
 within miles of the proper thoroughbred Shan at Main- 
 sauk, the fort where our troops are. The people are 
 not nearly as fair-skinned as one has been led to sup- 
 pose Shans are, and I can't help fancying they are the 
 descendants of the different Burmese armies which 
 from time to time have invaded the Shan States and 
 intermarried with Shan women. The fort and resi- 
 dency of Mainsauk are situated on the lower slopes of 
 the hills.. It is about half-a-mile from the Enlay lake, 
 a large piece of water fifteen miles long north by south, 
 and five miles wide east by west; and taking up the whole 
 of the valley. The water is clear, but full of weeds, 
 on which the people contrive to build small floating 
 villages. The chief amusement, or rather trade, of the 
 villagers is fish-spearing — a game at which they excel. 
 The fort is of earthwork, 150 yards square, with a 
 reduiL There are two block-houses on the peaks to 
 * Lieutenant Scudamore. 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 33 1 
 
 the eastward. The residency is in the centre — a tem- 
 porary wooden structure of most primitive construction. 
 The situation is pretty, the scenery on the spurs resem- 
 bling that in Surrey or Hampshire. 
 
 " The Shans, if they are Shans here, are not up to 
 much, and just as great cowards as the Burmans. I 
 think the Dunoos and Thungthoos are much better 
 men than the inhabitants of the valley. Every 
 village in this country has a reduit on a neighbouring 
 hill to fly to in case of an alarm. Blood feuds appear 
 to be common amongst these tribes. The fighting is, 
 however, not of a very bloody character. They open 
 fire with their rusty old matchlocks at impossible 
 ranges, and approach very cautiously. Should anyone 
 get hurt by accident, the battle at once ceases and the 
 contending parties become friends once more. One 
 of our little columns came across two clans fighting as 
 above. They acknowledged to having been at it for 
 thirteen days with a total of one casualty. They were 
 glad to take the British officer's advice to stop the war, 
 and the chiefs on both sides joined in a big carouse. 
 I think the men in the Myoungwe district welcomed 
 our advent. This part of the country has been in a 
 very disturbed state, several Tsaubwas having set 
 against the Myoungwe Tsaubwa for not joining the 
 Limbin Prince ;* in fact the old gentleman was almost 
 besieged on our arrival. I had two long talks with 
 the old man. He appeared to be a shrewd, long- 
 headed ruler, and is certainly respected about here. 
 His palace is a mixture of ruin and oriental splendour 
 * This man is now a prisoner in Rangoon. 
 
33 2 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 — this Durbar hall being a fine, boarded room, sup- 
 ported by pillars. Within a railed enclosure is a 
 gilded throne, and all the walls and pillars are hung 
 with spears, gilt shields and bows and arrows ; while 
 all the rest of the building is tumbling to pieces. His 
 armoury consists of a number of useless muskets and 
 two or three good guns — one an elephant gun of 
 Dickson's — while a lot of Ely's green cartridges are 
 lying about. 
 
 " The old man welcomed the troops most hospi- 
 tably, always had a table covered with Shan delicacies 
 ready for the officers in his hall, and treated me to 
 mixed biscuits and tea with condensed milk. He 
 built bamboo houses for the men, and did everything 
 he could to help us. 
 
 " Want of supplies has been our great difficulty. 
 No crops appear to have been planted last year owing 
 to the disturbed state of the country, and there is 
 nearly a famine in the district." 
 
 The above is surely a satisfactory description of 
 the attitude of the southern Shans towards ourselves, 
 and would appear to verify the prophecies of certain 
 of Our advisers who said that our difficulties in that 
 direction were not formidable. 
 
 My information ab.out the northern Shan States is 
 in some degree fragmentary. It is principally com- 
 piled from personal descriptions given to me by 
 officers who have accompanied the little columns 
 which have lately penetrated to Tounze and Theebaw, 
 and from a series of letters on the subject which have 
 appeared in the " Pioneer." In December last year, 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 7,33 
 
 the Theebaw Tsaubwa visited Mandalay with a large 
 following, and was well received by the British au- 
 thorities. His district lies to the north-east of Manda- 
 lay, and is the most important of the northern Shan 
 States, after Thinni. The Tsaubwa had been to 
 Rangoon, and knew all about the English, and it is not 
 improbable that he may have been pushed forward by 
 some of his brethern to try and find out our plans and 
 intentions with regard to Shans. 
 
 He stayed for a month at the capital of Upper 
 Burma, and appears to have made the most of his 
 time in observing all things. He was particularly 
 struck with a Gardner gun which he saw worked, and 
 remarked on the futility of making war on a people 
 who had such terrible instruments of destruction. He 
 possessed a keen sense of his own importance, but 
 appeared to fear making any promises, or taking any 
 responsibility on himself, insisting that all his ministers 
 and assistants should be present at all the conferences 
 he had with the authorities. He confessed that he 
 feared lest his people should think that he was not 
 representing their interests properly. He was ac- 
 companied back to his capital by a small British 
 column. The place contains about 1,000 houses, but 
 there are ruins which point to former greatness ; in- 
 deed it is said that a former Tsaubwa became King of 
 Ava. The climate is salubrious ; slight fevers and 
 eye diseases alone being talked about. 
 
 It was remarked that although the chief seemed to 
 be a real power in the State, there was little outward 
 respect shown him like that shown to all royal persons 
 
334 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 amongst the Burmese. He had a rough-and-ready- 
 way of administering justice, which appeared to be 
 quite understood by his people. 
 
 All this country is still suffering from the effects 
 of some years of disturbance and internecine strife, 
 and provisions are almost unattainable. Thinni, the 
 largest of the Cis-Salween States, lies between the 
 Thebaw district and Yunan. The country consists 
 for the most part of mountain and forest, but the 
 occasional patches of cultivation in the neighbourhood 
 of the villages are a test of the fertility of the soil. 
 Thinni, like Theebaw, has seen better days, and the ruins 
 of the ancient city cover a space equal to that which 
 Mandalay occupies to-day. But by the petty squabbles 
 of the last quarter of a century, and the continuous and 
 increasing troubles from Kakhyen inroads, the State has 
 become broken up into several small Tsaubwaships. 
 This appears to have been the work of the late King 
 of Burma's father, who found that a single power 
 was a menace to the central authority at Mandalay. 
 At present the eastern portion of the State is ruled by 
 a member of the old ruling dynasty — Nawpwa. 
 Thinni proper is under his son-in-law, Kun San Tan 
 Hon, who is described as a man of ability. 
 
 Central Thinni is divided into twenty-four small 
 States, while in the south are more small semi-indepen- 
 dent districts. Of late years, a struggle has been 
 going on between the followers of the old Tsaubwa 
 and his son-in-law, the object of the former being to 
 break up all the small Tsaubwaships and concentrate all 
 authority at his own capital. To this Tan Hon and many 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 335 
 
 others object, and fighting is still going on. Which- 
 ever side gains the day it does not seem likely that 
 this part of the country will be quieted down for some 
 time to come unless we lend a hand, which would be a 
 doubtful policy until the Shans get accustomed to us 
 as neighbours, and begin to regard us as their new 
 masters. The worst of it is, the only trading route 
 from Western China direct on Mandalay passes through 
 the heart of the Thinni State. Besides Thinni and 
 Theebaw there are amongst the northern Cis-Salween 
 States, Toungbain, which consists of lofty highlands of 
 from 6,000 to 7,000 feet in elevation. This little State 
 appears to have escaped the devastation which has 
 befallen its larger neighbours, owing, no doubt, to 
 its inaccessibility ; but its population, composed of 
 Paloungs, with a strong Kakhyen element, which is 
 yearly increasing, are not likely to prove very agree- 
 ' able neighbours just at first. If treated with patience 
 and good sense, and shown consideration like that 
 extended to the Theebaw chief and his followers, they 
 will soon come willingly under our wing. This is a 
 great tea-producing State, and silver mines exist at a 
 place called Bowdwingyi. 
 
 A writer, giving his opinion on the spot, says that 
 however undesirable it may be to interfere with the 
 affairs of the Shan States, the force of circumstances 
 must alone compel us to take an active interest in their 
 affairs ; and leaving aside all political considerations, 
 commercial interests alone would compel us to ensure 
 peace and security in a territory through which a large 
 amount of Upper Burma trade must pass. 
 
336 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 It is probable that the authorities are in possession 
 of still more recent information about the northern 
 Shan States, and it will most probably transpire that 
 the presence of a settled and strong government at 
 Mandalay has already had a pacifying effect upon the 
 " Kilkenny cats " of Thinni ; and our offer to come in 
 and make friends, will be accepted by the principal 
 rivals for power. 
 
 Of the Trans-Salween States the most northern is 
 Kaingma. This State paid tribute to Ava, but not 
 annually. It it much under the influence of China, 
 and will not improbably become Chinese in the new 
 arrangements. 
 
 Next comes Maing-leng-gyi, about which little is 
 known. Some of the hill tribes are wild and ungovern- 
 able, and no attempt has been made to approach them. 
 The hills are said to be rich in ore. This State is in 
 the habit of paying tribute to China triennially. 
 
 The second largest town, and centre of Govern- 
 ment in the Shan States, is Kaing-Hung. It is situated 
 on the right bank of the Cambodia, and is as much 
 Chinese as Shan. It sends tribute to Ava triennially. 
 Under the Kiang-Hung, chief were twelve petty 
 Tsaubwas, some of them in Chinese territory. The 
 city is not walled, nor is there any fort. The palace is 
 a prominent and important building. 
 
 The tribute paid to Ava was an honorary one, con- 
 sisting of a gold cup and silver flower, with pieces ot 
 silk and tinsel, a pair of shoes ; salt, tea, and gilt 
 candles from each of the twelve feudatory Tsaubwas. 
 The Tsenwifua's homage is of the same sort, with 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 337 
 
 the addition of two ponies. Kiang-Tung is the 
 most extensive and important of the Shan States. 
 The town is situated midway between the Mekong 
 and the Salween, and the territory extends right 
 across this tract of country, embracing several petty 
 Tsaubwaships which were once independent. Kiang- 
 Tung is fortified by a brick wall and moat. 
 Altogether the town is described as by no means 
 populous or imposing in appearance, and even the 
 palace of the governor is outwardly the reverse of 
 splendid. 
 
 The proposed railway from Moulmein to south- 
 western Yunan would probably pass through Kiang- 
 Tung. The last of the Tsaubwaships enumerated by 
 Yule is Kiang-Khen. The town is on the right bank 
 of the Mekong, and is small and unimportant. It is 
 said that some years ago the people of this State 
 begged to be taken under Chinese protection, but the 
 offer was declined, 
 
 " The Tsaubwas of all these principalities," says 
 Yule, " even where most absolutely under Ava, retain 
 all the form and appurtenances of royalty. They 
 assume to themselves a multiplicity of wives, like their 
 lord at Ava ; like him they espouse their half-sisters, to 
 preserve the purity of the blood-royal, and doubtless 
 would justify the practice by a claim of descent from 
 the house of Sakya ; they have their Ein-she-Men, or 
 Caesar, their AtwenWoons.Thaudautseus, Nakhangyis, 
 and other officials of the court. Their palaces have 
 the reiterated roof, the pyathat, or storied spire and 
 sacred htee. They have also the yajapalen or kingly 
 
33^ THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 throne ; the white umbrella, with the rest of the five 
 ensigns of royalty. But these latter they possess only 
 as the Vicar of Wakefield's daughters possessed their 
 crown pieces — they are theirs, but they must not be 
 made use of. The existence to this day of these 
 numerous Reguli with all the paraphernalia of royalty, 
 explains, and to a certain extent justifies, the state- 
 ments of the old travellers that Tshenbyo-Myayen, 
 the King of Pegu, had six-and-twenty kings for his 
 vassals. 
 
 All these States are under the real or nominal 
 supervision of the Bo-mhoo-mentha, whose presidency 
 or seat of administration is at Mone. He generally, 
 however, resides at Ava, only visiting Mone occa- 
 sionally. His duties are conducted in his absence by 
 a deputy who is obliged to leave his family at court 
 as pledges for his loyalty. The Tsitke-dangyi (deputy) 
 has various subordinate officials under him at Mone, 
 and either one or two inferior Tsitkes are posted at 
 the court of each Tsaubwa, in the capacity of residents. 
 
 The amount of authority exercised over these 
 States by the Burmans varies nearly with their 
 distance from Ava. Over those nearly in contact 
 with the King's it is — or used to be — exercised with 
 oppressive vigour. Over Kiang-Hung and Kiangma 
 it cannot be more than the peaceful policy China 
 permits. The tribute from these remoter States is, as 
 we have seen in the case of Kiang-Hung, little more 
 than an honorary token of fealty. Similar presents 
 are made by all the other princes at the Kadan or 
 Beg-Pardon festivals, with more or less frequency, 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 339 
 
 according to the custom established in each case; 
 those near the Burman border offering them twice 
 a year, viz., at the new year and at the end of the 
 Wa, or Buddhist Lent, but these nearer States are 
 also subject to arbitrary exactions of unlimited amount, 
 and are saddled with a number of hungry Burmans, 
 who make such spoil of the natives as they can. 
 
 All the travellers whose journals I have consulted, 
 speak in unconscious unison of the bitter feeling with 
 which the Burmese are regarded by all the alien 
 tribes which are in any way subject to their authority. 
 And they speak with a like unanimity of the high 
 character which was ascribed to the Chinese for 
 justice, moderation, and good faith. The domestic' 
 administration of the Tsaubwas themselves appears to 
 be generally of a milder and more paternal character 
 than that of Ava. The princes and nobles show much 
 more of breeding and refinement, as distinguished from 
 the commonalty, than it is usual to see in Burma, 
 where there is little distinction of this kind to be 
 observed. The blind Tsaubwa of Kiang-Tung is 
 described by Macleod as a very noble gentleman. 
 The Tsaubwaship is hereditary in the royal family of 
 each principality, but the individual successor to the 
 throne is appointed from Ava. He is generally 
 designated beforehand as Ein-se-Men, a dignity con- 
 veying considerable powers to the prince as a sort of 
 Caesar in the State. In the principalities of Kiangma, 
 Muang-lem, and Kiang-Hung, there is some joint 
 arrangement between Ava and China, the successor 
 being named by one government and confirmed by 
 
 Y 2 
 
34° THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 another. Sometimes, however, the two governments 
 have granted their nomination to different individuals, 
 and wars of succession have ensued. Indeed, such 
 feuds and petty wars seem to have been very common 
 among all these little States, and have doubtless 
 tended greatly to throw them under the power of their 
 more united neighbours. 
 
 " As in all the Indo-Chinese countries, there seem to 
 be traces over these States of greater wealth and 
 population than now exists. Deserted cities are fre- 
 quently spoken of ; and all the apparatus of royalty 
 about the faded courts of the princes seems to support 
 a bygone period of greater opulence and power than 
 the present." Although this was written thirty years 
 ago, it is quite new now. As regards character, 
 manners, and customs, and present condition of the 
 independent Shans, my information is in bits and 
 scraps. Dr. Anderson has given an interesting 
 account of the Shans of the Hotha Valley, in Yunan, 
 and Mr. Colquhoun and others have written about the 
 Siamese Shans of Zimme, but no traveller, it would 
 appear, has seen much of the Shans, so lately tributary 
 to Burma, and who will henceforth be under our pro- 
 tection. Crowds come to Burma every year as traders 
 in ponies, cattle, &c. ; they all appear to be a quiet, 
 inoffensive people — curious, silent, and observant. 
 They are distinguishable from the Burmese by their 
 wild and unkempt appearance, and the enormous 
 straw hats which they wear. Dr. Cushing, who paid 
 three -visits to their country, moving right across to 
 the Cambodia, on two of which he was accompanied 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 34 1 
 
 by his wife, speaks in the highest terms of their 
 civility and the hearty welcome with which his little 
 party were greeted. He does not think that there 
 is much fight in the Shans, or that they are likely 
 to be troublesome neighbours. He did not gather 
 from the men of power with whom he conversed at 
 Kiang Tung and other Trans-Salween cities, that 
 there was any desire on their part to become Chinese 
 subjects. They loved not their masters, the Burmese, 
 and still less their would-be masters, the Siamese. 
 To remain independent would appear to be their 
 desire. As regards colour, and general physique, writers 
 whose journals I have read are by no means at one. 
 The tendency is, of course, for the colour to deepen as 
 the south is approached, although it is certain that the 
 Mons, or Takings, are fairer than the Upper Burmans, 
 and Colquhoun talks of some of the women of Southern 
 Yunan and Zimme as being almost as fair as Euro- 
 peans. I noticed people in the streets of Bamo with 
 distinct colour in their cheeks, but this was the case 
 with only a few, evidently immigrants from Yunan, or 
 Tsu-Chiien. 
 
 Anderson, writing of the Shans of Yunan, says : 
 " The Shans proper of these valleys are a fair race, 
 somewhat sallow, like the Chinese, but of a very faintly 
 darker hue than Europeans, the peasantry, as a rule, 
 being much browned by exposure ; they have red 
 cheeks, dark-brown eyes, and black hair. In young 
 women and children the waxy appearance of the 
 Chinese is slightly observable. The Shan face is 
 usually short, broad, and flat, with prominent molars, 
 
34 2 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 a faint obliquity and contraction of the outer angle of 
 the eye, which is much more marked in the true 
 Chinese. The nose is well formed, the bridge being 
 prominent — almost aquiline, without the breadth and 
 depression characteristic of the Burman feature. The 
 lower jaw is broad and well-developed, but pointed 
 chins below heavy protruding lips are not infrequent. 
 Oval faces, laterally compressed, with retreating fore- 
 heads, high cheek-bones and sharp retreating chins are 
 not infrequent : and the majority of the higher classes 
 seem to be distinguished from the common people 
 by more elongated, oval faces, and a decidedly Tartar 
 type of countenance. The faces of the women are 
 appropriately broader and rounder than those of the 
 men, but they are more finely chiselled, and wear a 
 good, natural expression, while their large brown eyes 
 are scantily adorned with eyebrows and eyelashes. 
 They become much wrinkled by age, and, judging 
 from the numbers of old people, appear to be a long- 
 lived race. 
 
 In their ordinary attire the Shans are almost uni- 
 formly dressed in sombre dark-blue, the dye being 
 obtained from the wild indigo. In full dress, how- 
 ever, the women display an appreciation of colour 
 which would delight an artist. The peculiar head- 
 dress, like an inverted cone, has been alluded to. It 
 consists of a series of long blue scarves a foot broad, 
 and of a total length of forty or fifty feet, wound round 
 and round the head in a huge turban towering upwards, 
 with a backward slope, like that of the Parsee head- 
 dress. The folds are arranged in a crescent over the 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 343 
 
 forehead with most exact precision ; the free end 
 embroidered in gold and silk, and sometimes adorned 
 with silver pendants, hangs gracefully down the neck. 
 The hair, left uncovered in the hollow of this structure, 
 is adorned with silver hair-pins, the heads of which are 
 richly enamelled to represent flowers and insects. The 
 jacket of blue, or green, and sometimes pink, is short 
 and loose, with a narrow and erect collar. Thin square 
 plaques of enamelled silver fasten it at, and below the 
 neck, to which are sometimes superadded three rows of 
 large round silver bosses enriched with birds and 
 flowers enamelled in various colours. The loose sleeves 
 are folded back from the elbow, displaying massive 
 silver or silver-gilt bracelets. A tight thick shirt of 
 cotton cloth, deeply bordered with squares of em- 
 broidered silk or satin, close-fitting leggings, and 
 embroidered shoes, complete the toilette — a richly 
 variegated cloth being sometimes worn as a girdle. A 
 Shan lady thus attired is incomplete without a silver 
 flask-shaped scent-bottle, about three inches across, 
 adorned with silver studs and pendants, terminating in 
 round silver bells which jingle as the wearer moves. 
 Silver chdtelains are also worn, and a needle-case 
 formed of a silver tube, enamelled and studded, en- 
 closing a cushion which is attached to the waist. Silver 
 neck-hoops, ear-rings, and rings which deserve particu- 
 lar description complete the adornments of a Shan 
 belle who, however, is seldom seen without her long- 
 stemmed pipe with its small bowl of glazed clay. Two 
 essentials of a Shan's equipment are his dahr and 
 tobacco-pipe." 
 
344 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 The Shans are Buddhists, but, from all accounts, 
 not devout ones. Most travellers speak of their laxity 
 in their religious duties. Large sums are not spent on 
 the temples, as in Burma ; and amongst the priests 
 immorality is said to exist. The converse of the 
 saying that " the nearer to the church the farther from 
 God " appears to be the case in Indo-China; for, most 
 certainly, the farther you go from the headquarters of 
 the church, which hitherto has been the seat of the 
 " King of Kings " and his bishops, the slacker, less 
 numerous, and less zealous are the priests. 
 
 As regards ceremonials of marriage, burial, and 
 other manners and customs, the Shans differ little from 
 the Burmese, who have apparently set the fashion in 
 these matters for some centuries. 
 
 In Shanland, as elsewhere, John Chinaman works 
 steadily on — marries his local wife, accumulates his 
 pile, and often, but by no means always, returns home 
 to spend it in peace and comfort. 
 
 I now propose to speak on later Shan politics as 
 the outcome of recent developments of events in 
 Burma. No sooner had Theebaw ascended the throne 
 of the Alompras— which auspicious event took place in 
 the autumn of 1878 — than troubles began in the Shan 
 States ; indeed, so universal was the discontent and 
 restlessness of the Shans that a general armed rising 
 was apprehended by the Mandalay authorities. Fortu- 
 nately, however, the States had too long been dis- 
 united, and, being mistrustful of each other, no 
 general movement could be set on foot. All the tribes 
 were at one as regarded their hatred of the Burmese 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 345 
 
 and their rule, but they had not the power effectively to 
 throw off their yoke. The Burmese authorities appear 
 to have acted somewhat promptly on this occasion. 
 Troops were marched into the States of Thinni, Thee- 
 baw, Mone, Mobye, and other Tsaubwaships, and the 
 risings were suppressed, the Tsaubwas being ousted, 
 and Burmese governors placed in power, so that the 
 position of the tribes was now worse than before. The 
 sole aim of the corrupt governors was to enrich them- 
 selves at the expense of the peasantry, and to send all 
 surplus " takings " to Mandalay. For some time, 
 things quieted down ; the troublesome Tsaubwas fled 
 across the Cambodia, determined to bide their time 
 and seek an opportunity of re-establishing themselves 
 in power. Accordingly, no sooner did the news spread 
 of the fall of Theebaw, and the advent of the British, 
 than they resolved to once more make a bid for office. 
 The news of our arrival at Mandalay, and the sudden 
 and effective way the power of the king had been 
 broken was received almost as soon as it occurred. As 
 the waves of rumour spread eastwards from village to 
 village the simple and credulous Shans were transfixed 
 with wonder and alarm. Our little force of eight thou- 
 sand men was magnified into some millions, and our 
 ships and boats were said to cover the great river for 
 hundreds of miles. Theebaw was down, the Burmese 
 ministers were at the feet of the English general, and 
 the excited Tsaubwas were sharp enough to see that 
 their time for action had arrived. Several returned 
 and seized their former seats of government, where 
 they were, as a rule, welcomed by the people. This 
 
34^ THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 state of things only took place in the Cis-Salween 
 States, the great Tsaubwas of Kiang Hung and Kiang 
 Tung remained firm throughout and, probably- 
 strengthened by their Chinese connection, suffered the 
 changed circumstances to influence their action not a 
 whit. 
 
 One of our first acts on reaching Mandalay was to 
 despatch messengers to the Shans, assuring them of 
 our good will, and on the proclamation of annexation 
 being issued in the following February, envoys were 
 sent to all the Tsaubwas, defining our policy towards 
 themselves, and inviting them to place themselves 
 under our protection. Autonomy was promised to 
 them, provided that an annual tribute was paid as a 
 hostage for their good behaviour, and in return for 
 our protection and support. We begged them to 
 renew trade relations with Burma, and promised at 
 an early date to send a friendly mission into their 
 territory. 
 
 To these expressions of good will and protection, 
 I understand all the Tsaubwas of the Cis-Salween 
 States replied in terms of gratitude and friendliness. 
 They expressed their willingness to pay whatever 
 sums had been demanded by the Burmese Court, to 
 afford protection to all caravans, and to cultivate 
 cordial relations with their new masters. 
 
 The Trans- Sal ween chiefs had not replied up to 
 my last news, but it is possible they never have 
 received the messages, or, more probably, are biding 
 their time. In these more remote regions there pro- 
 bably is, and will continue to be for some time, con- 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 347 
 
 siderable mistrust as to our actions and motives, and it 
 will take time to restore confidence. 
 
 The visit of Theebaw Tsaubwa to Mandalay, and 
 the friendly reception he met with there, will not 
 improbably produce a good effect, and one by one it 
 may be expected that the leading chiefs will come in. 
 But all this will take time. The task before us is 
 difficult and delicate ; but the prospect is not alarming, 
 and the obstacles in our path will melt away by contact. 
 This is our task : to influence and bring under control, 
 without the employment of physical force, and without 
 actual contact, a vast population of semi-barbarians, 
 under a multiplicity of rulers, whose several interests 
 and ends are by no means identical. But, judging 
 from our past experiences, this work will be speedily 
 and successfully accomplished. 
 
 The Chins or Khyins. 
 
 This word is applied to the most numerous and 
 important of the cognate Mongolian tribes who dwell 
 in the hill districts, from Assam in the north to Cape 
 Negrais in the south and eastward ; according to some 
 authors,* into Yunan and the borders of Annam. 
 
 They have given their name to the second largest 
 of Burmese rivers — the Chindwin — and possess marked 
 characteristics which distinguish them from other 
 tribes. 
 
 * It may be concluded that the Chins are a West Irrawaddy 
 tribe. 
 
34-8 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 The majority of these people have now become 
 our fellow-subjects, but many are still beyond the pale 
 of our immediate influence, having their home on the 
 southern slopes of the Himalayas, about the head 
 waters of the Irrawaddy and Chindwin rivers, which 
 country is said to be the cradle of their race. They 
 have no written language, but the following quaint 
 tradition accounts for their appearance in this vale of 
 tears : — * 
 
 "In the beginning of the world, after the sun and 
 the moon and the stars had appeared, the earth by its 
 own inherent power of productiveness brought forth a 
 woman, who was called Hlee-neu. She laid one 
 hundred eggs ; these eggs she hatched in cotton-wool, 
 and from them sprang one hundred human beings, the 
 progenitors of different races of men. She then laid 
 yet another egg which was exceedingly fair to see, 
 being coloured and variegated as if by the hand of a 
 skilful painter. In her affection for the last-laid egg, 
 instead of placing it in cotton-wool she preserved it in 
 a metal vessel. Here it failed to hatch ; so thinking it 
 was addled she threw it on to the roof of the house, 
 saying, " If it is destined to be hatched, let it go and 
 take its chance of finding a protector." The egg fell 
 from the roof on to some rubbish in the gutter, and 
 with it was carried away the eaves-droppings into 
 a stream, down which it floated until it lodged in a 
 yanlik tree. There it was seen by a bird called by the 
 Khyins ashe-enu, who, taking a fancy to it, sat upon it 
 and hatched it. It produced a male and female, who 
 * " History of the Thayetmyo District." Col. Horace Browne. 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 349 
 
 are the progenitors of the Chins. After the boy and 
 girl were born they were separated. When the boy 
 grew up, as he had no mate he made a bitch his wife. 
 The Chin girl also grew up by herself, and was carried 
 off by a bear, who placed her in a tree and kept her 
 there. From this captivity she was delivered by a 
 bee, who came to her and directed her to tie a piece of 
 cotton to his tail, by means of which he guided her to 
 where the male Chin was living, in the valley of the 
 river called by the Chins Ashe-eu, by the Burmese, 
 Khyinweng (Chindwin). In commemoration of this, 
 when children are born a piece of cotton is tied to 
 their hands. The man wished to make this woman 
 his wife, but the woman objected because the bee had 
 told her that they were brother and sister. To settle 
 the dispute they went to their mother, Hlee-neu. Her 
 order was that, as the man had married a bitch, the 
 bitch should be sacrificed and the man should marry 
 the woman ; that their sons and daughters also should 
 intermarry, but after that the brothers' daughters 
 should marry the sisters' sons. Then arose the Chin 
 customs of offering up a dog to the household spirits, 
 and of giving the daughters of brothers in marriage to 
 brothers' sisters' sons. Hlee-neu loved her youngest- 
 born son, but before she found him she had already 
 partitioned off the world amongst her other children, 
 and there was nothing but inhospitable mountain 
 ranges left for the Chin. Those she assigned to him, 
 and she gave him also elephants, horses, and cattle, 
 and directed her Burman brother to look after his 
 education. This Burman brother, however, turned 
 
35° THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 out to be a very wicked and unscrupulous guardian. 
 He pretended to educate Chin-yaing-ba, but he showed 
 him nothing but the blank side of his slate, so that he 
 never learnt a single letter. Before he put him on an 
 elephant, he rubbed the elephant's back with cowhage, 
 which so sore tickled the poor Chin's bare skin that he 
 refused to have anything to do with such animals in 
 future, and gave them all to his elder brother, the 
 Burman. The buffalo, too, the Burman managed to 
 deprive him of. When he tried to ride it the Burman's 
 wife put herself in the way and got knocked down. 
 The Burman complained to Hlee-neu, who decided 
 that the buffalo should be given over to the Burman 
 in compensation for injury done. Ultimately, of all 
 the animals which had been given to him, goats, fowls, 
 and pigs were the only ones which remained in his 
 possession. 
 
 " The grasping Burman did not even permit his 
 brother to remain in undisturbed possession of his 
 mountain home. When the boundaries of the different 
 countries were marked out, the Burman took care to 
 mark his with permanent objects ; but the Chin set up 
 no marks save some twisted knots of grass. These 
 were burnt up by the jungle fires, and then, as the 
 Chin had no marks to show, he was ordered to live 
 wherever the Burman allowed him. Thus his race has 
 never had a country of its own, and wanders still over 
 the mountain ranges of Burma." 
 
 Although in many respects resembling in a remark- 
 able manner most of the wild tribes in this part of the 
 world, the ■ Chins have a language and mode of life 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 35 1 
 
 peculiar to themselves. It is quite possible that these 
 tribes may at some period have spoken a common 
 tongue, but as must be the case with all unwritten 
 languages, where everything goes by the ear, they 
 became in the lapse of time entirely different, and 
 to all intents and purposes separate tongues, though 
 the differences at first were dialectical only. 
 
 Dr. Forchhammer, the well-known Pali scholar, 
 says that the wild Chins who inhabit the country north 
 of Mogoung — and between Assam and Yunan — are 
 divided into thirty-six clans, and that each clan occu- 
 pies a mountain tract separated from the neighbouring 
 clan by an intervening valley or river. Those valleys 
 are the debatable ground, and the tribes are in a per- 
 petual state of warfare with each other. The strong 
 for the time being live in the valleys ; the weak take 
 to the hills, until possibly a successful descent reverses 
 the positions. Each of these clans is divided into 
 families, and has a chief or head, but his office is 
 only temporary for defensive or aggressive warfare. 
 In personal appearance the Chins very much resemble 
 the more rough type of Burman. The men never 
 tattoo their legs and bodies, which custom is universal 
 amongst the dominant race. There is, however, an 
 abominable custom of tattooing the women's faces. 
 The origin of this barbarity is said to be due to a 
 desire on the part of the men to retain their own 
 women by rendering them too hideous for the harems 
 of the wealthy Burmans, as well as to be able to 
 recognise them from the Burman generally. The 
 custom strangely enough is not in vogue amongst any 
 
35 2 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 of the other hill tribes about. The men are some- 
 what small, but wiry and hardy. They are silent and 
 suspicious, and, like all crushed races, fearful of com- 
 mitting themselves. The description given by writers 
 who have lived amongst them of their quaint ways and 
 suspicious bearing would answer equally well for the 
 wilder of the Karen tribes. 
 
 The Chins are, it may be said, exclusively culti- 
 vators of the soil. They cultivate rice and other grain 
 in small quantities, only sufficient for their own con- 
 sumption ; but their principal energies are driven into 
 the , production of Khaung, an intoxicating fermented 
 drink. This, according to Colonel Browne, is the 
 essential feature of Chin oblations, and, indeed, of 
 Chin life generally. For this blessing the Chins con- 
 sider themselves indebted to their great mother, Hlee- 
 neu. During the infancy of her numerous progeny, 
 Hlee-neu made a tank of milk for their sustenance. 
 When the milk dried up, there sprang up in this tank 
 paddy, the thitkhyo plant, pepper, bringal, the paitetni, 
 and garlic. In the neighbourhood of this tank there 
 lived a porcupine. He drank some of the milk, and in 
 consequence thereof his hair did not grow like the 
 hair of other animals, and he became covered with 
 quills. When their mother's milk dried up, it was 
 feared by the Chins that the strength they had derived 
 from it might decrease. To prevent this, they were 
 directed to prepare from the products of the tank a 
 decoction to resemble the milk it had contained. The 
 result was Khaung — the orthodox receipt for the pre- 
 paration of which is : — " Take the bark of the thitkhyo, 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 353 
 
 the root of the bringal, the bean of the paitetni, 
 peppercorns, garlic, and the entrails of a porcupine, 
 mix them up in rice-flour and make into balls. Cover 
 these up for three days, and then expose to the sun 
 until they become wort. Then take parboiled rice and 
 mix the wort with it. Place in a pot, bury the pot in 
 a heap of paddy, and uncover after several days. Then 
 add water according to taste, and the divine khaung 
 is ready to be sucked up through tubes. In taste it 
 resembles. Hlee-neu's milk, and by drinking it a man's 
 strength is increased.. On account of its excellence, it 
 must be always offered to the nats." 
 
 The system of cultivation adopted by the Chins 
 and others of the Arakan hill tribes is described by 
 Colonel Hughes as most wasteful.* " A piece of rich 
 virgin soil is selected on which there is a growth of 
 timber or bamboo jungle, the latter being preferred, as 
 when the bamboo grows luxuriantly the soil is said to 
 be the best. Except, perhaps, the larger trees, which 
 are girdled,, the jungle is all cut down by January and 
 allowed to dry under the hot rays of the sun in 
 February, March, and part of April j it is then set fire 
 to, and on the rich surface thus formed are sown — or 
 rather scattered — paddy, a few pumpkins and other 
 vegetables, and cotton seed. If the rains are favour- 
 able. and set in early, all the seed sown germinates, and 
 by the end of November this miscellaneous crop will 
 have been gathered, the paddy or rice being reaped in 
 September, and the cotton later on." 
 
 But of late years the Chins, like the Karens, have 
 
 * " Hill Tribes of Arakan." Colonel Gwynne Hughes. 
 
 Z 
 
354 THE COMING OF THE &REAT QUEEN. 
 
 been gaining confidence, and slowly but surely 
 descending from their inhospitable hills to the more 
 fertile valleys, where they have taken their share of 
 good and bad with the Burmese. Our advent has 
 set free many thousands of Chins, who hitherto were 
 confined to the hills by their dread of their Burmese 
 oppressors. 
 
 Amongst the Chins, women are little respected, 
 and are made to do all the hard work. Whatever laws 
 there are exclude poor weak woman from any share in 
 the good things of this world. If nature has been un- 
 kind in denying them beauty, man has been unkind in 
 seeking to render as short-lived as possible the in- 
 estimable gift of woman — youth. 
 
 Hughes says that constant labour makes them 
 soon grow old, and that they are coarse and uninterest- 
 ing, with painfully-ugly high shoulders, which is the 
 result of carrying up-hill heavy loads of paddy, cotton, 
 firewood. The loads are fastened round the fore- 
 head by a string. This practice makes them knock- 
 kneed and anything but graceful movers. They are 
 said to be faithful wives, as long as the connection 
 lasts, but that is generally not for long, as divorce is 
 easily obtained — a desire for a change, or incompati- 
 bility of temper, being a sufficient cause for separation. 
 A woman has no appeal against the infidelity of her 
 lord. In the case of a woman becoming a widow she 
 may be claimed by her late husband's brother. A 
 woman is not supposed to share any of the rights in 
 the benefits accruing from family oblations to the spirits 
 — at all events, only indirectly through her male re- 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 355 
 
 lations. The female members of a family have no 
 share in the property of the family. 
 
 The ordinances of Hlee-neu with regard to 
 marriages are these :* — Chin girls are given in mar- 
 riage by their brothers — not by their parents. When 
 a girl is born she is specially assigned to one of her 
 brothers, or if she has none, to one of her father's 
 sisters' sons, whose consent has to be obtained by any- 
 one who aspires to her hand. Even after marriage 
 her husband has to treat his wife's brother with in- 
 ordinate respect. If the husband visits the brother- 
 in-law, he has to take with him a present of khaung 
 and when the brother-in-law visits him he must treat 
 him to khaung and pork. If his circumstances do 
 not enable him to do this, he has to make the most 
 profound apologies. Girls are affianced early to one 
 of their cousins — the correct thing being to marry into 
 one's own family. Should this engagement be broken 
 off, which often happens, the man, if he is in fault, for- 
 feits to the girl five pots of khaung, a bullock worth 
 thirty rupees, a pig three feet in girth, a spear, a fork, a 
 bag and a piece of cloth ornamented with shells. If the 
 girl is in fault she forfeits a brass dish, worth fifteen 
 rupees, a silk cloth worth five rupees, a silk belt worth 
 five rupees, and a silk turban worth eight annas. 
 
 When a marriage is contemplated, whether the 
 parties have been previously affianced or not, their 
 friends are invited to drink khaung at the man's house. 
 A pig is then slaughtered, and a liver placed on a brass 
 dish for the inspection of the wise men. If there are 
 * Colonel Horace Browne. 
 
 Z 2 
 
356 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 any marks upon the liver the marriage is postponed, 
 and the ceremony has to be gone through on another 
 occasion. Should the signs be unpropitious on the 
 third occasion, the marriage is broken off, and the man 
 who has undergone the expense receives from the girl's 
 parents, in order to wipe away tears from their eyes, 
 a turban, a dress, and a girdle. Marriages are cele- 
 brated in the bride's house. The bridegroom's friends 
 bring pork, and the bride's friends provide fowls. The 
 bridegroom provides the pot of khaung over which 
 the marriage ceremony is performed. A bamboo 
 having been neatly peeled is slit at the top, and a 
 cross-stick inserted. This is fixed in the pot of 
 khaung. On each side of the cross-stick the parties 
 seat themselves — the bridegroom's on one side and the 
 bride's on the other. The two parties are bound to 
 drink fair, i.e., no one must cross over to the side 
 allowed to the other party. If anyone does so he 
 forfeits a pot of khaung to the company. 
 
 Before the khaung has had its effect upon the 
 company, an elder on the bridegroom's side proposes 
 that the marriage be performed according to the 
 commands of Hlee-neu. The elder on the bride's 
 side then recites the decision of Hlee-neu on the 
 application made to her by the first Chin man and 
 woman. The bridegroom then has to make presents 
 to the brother of the bride, and the one to whom she 
 specially belongs, and to ascertain that he is satisfied. 
 If he is not satisfied the points of difference are sub- 
 mitted to the elders. As soon as the brother has 
 signified his satisfaction by eating of the pork provided 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 357 
 
 by the bridegroom, the celebration of the marriage is 
 complete, and the bride belongs to the bridegroom. 
 The marriage presents are then bestowed. The 
 orthodox portion to be provided by the bride's parents 
 consist of a gong, a brass dish, a brass bowl, and dresses, 
 bullocks, and household implements according to their 
 means. The presents which should be given to the 
 bridegroom are cloth and bags ornamented with shells, 
 a dhalwe, a spear ornamented with tassels, and a cross- 
 bow, with quiver and arrows. Presents of turbans are 
 made to the marriage guests, who are also feasted on 
 pork, fowl, and khaung. None of the bridegroom's 
 party are allowed to touch the pork, and the bride's 
 party must not eat the fowls. If this rule is broken 
 by any of the bridegroom's party, the offender has to 
 forfeit a pig and a pot of khaung to the company. If 
 broken by the bride's party, the offender forfeits a fowl 
 and a pot of khaung. 
 
 After the marriage has been consummated, the 
 husband gives security to his wife's brother that he 
 will treat her properly, i.e., that he will not beat her so 
 severely as to break a bamboo over her, to draw blood 
 or maim her, nor will he cut off her hair. If she 
 misbehaves herself, he is permitted to chastise her 
 moderately. Should he afterwards chastise her im- 
 moderately, he has to go and make peace with her 
 brother. The brother, if he is not satisfied, can take 
 his sister away from her husband. The woman also 
 gives security that she will behave to her husband as a 
 wife should do. In evidence of the compact a notch 
 is cut in a tree. Should the wife afterwards desert the 
 
35§ THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 husband, her sureties have to find him another wife. 
 If she commits adultery she forfeits the whole of her 
 property to her husband, and the adulterer forfeits two 
 gongs worth thirty rupees, a bullock, a brass dish, a 
 dhalwe, and a piece of blue cloth. If a man takes a 
 second wife he has to obtain the consent of his first 
 wife's brother, who if he is not satisfied can deprive 
 him of his first wife." 
 
 The above, then, are the general unwritten laws 
 which, in theory, govern the relations between the 
 sexes, but of course they are by no means of universal 
 application. 
 
 In what is called " The Customary Laws of the 
 Chin Tribe," written by the Burman author, Maung- 
 Tet-Pho, there are many laws referring to women. 
 This code not only propounds the law but gives the 
 reason, each proposition being followed by the query, 
 "Why is this?" 
 
 In the case of there being an equal number of 
 brothers and sisters in a family, each brother has the 
 right of control over each sister respectively ; and even 
 if there be only one son and a number of daughters, 
 he exercises control over all his sisters. 
 
 " On the death of a woman, the widower has a 
 right of marrying his deceased wife's younger or elder 
 sister. Why is this ? Because this rule is intended 
 to preserve the blood relationship as well as to protect 
 the children from being placed under the control of a 
 strange woman, and to prevent the property of the 
 deceased being alienated to a stranger." 
 
 " On the death of a son after marriage, if the father 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 359 
 
 has no more unmarried sons, or he himself has no 
 wife, he has the right of marrying his daughter-in-law 
 provided he obtains her consent." 
 
 The laws relating to marriage, betrothal, and 
 divorce are numerous and lengthy. 
 
 If a married woman misbehaves, her husband has 
 the choice of chastising her with a rattan, cane or 
 divorcing her, retaining all her property. " Why is 
 this ? " asks the law. " Because she breaks her formal 
 promise made at the time of their marriage not to be 
 unfaithful to her husband." 
 
 If a wife is disobedient or troublesome, her husband 
 has the right of chastising her three times with a 
 rattan cane, and the wife shall not say that her husband 
 beats her severely. " Why is this ? Because she is 
 disobedient to her husband and quarrels with him so 
 that he cannot forbear." 
 
 Each family is supposed to have a " family nat " 
 or " evil spirit," and when a woman marries she comes 
 under the " family nat " of her husband, and once 
 under his control it is a very difficult matter for her to 
 emancipate herself ; hence so many family marriages. 
 
 " The hard-working Chin women," writes Dr. 
 Forchhammer, "do most to increase the amount of 
 family property ; so far they are considered a useful 
 acquisition ; but they have no account with the manes ; 
 no transfer of property to the latter can be made 
 through women. A suitor must give presents to 
 the brother protector of the girl. These presents 
 cannot be considered as a bribe ; they are only com- 
 pensation for the loss of a hand in the household 
 
3&0 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 which helped to increase the family property. At the 
 giving of a girl in marriage, the compensation paid 
 for the girl is in proportion to what her family will 
 lose in the future acquisition of property through her 
 departure, and what the family of her husband will gain 
 through her labour. 
 
 Since they have come directly under our control 
 the Government have been exerting themselves to 
 ameliorate the condition of women amongst the Chins. 
 For example, the custom of tattooing their faces is 
 much discouraged. 
 
 Death and burial amongst the Chins is made an 
 occasion of feasting, if not of rejoicing. Bullocks, 
 buffaloes, pigs, and fowls are slain for the feast, and as 
 a sacrifice to the spirits in order to make secure the 
 deceased's journey to the paradise of " Gna-thein." 
 The corpse is placed on a stretcher and carried to the 
 burning place with a fowl tied to its big toe. The 
 fowl's business is to peck at and frighten away a large 
 tanktai (gecko) which infests the road to " Gna-thein." 
 At the burning ground the fowl is killed and burnt 
 with the corpse. 
 
 The bones of the deceased are afterwards plucked 
 out of the embers, washed in kkaung, rubbed over 
 with turmeric, and placed in a pot, where they remain 
 for some time — a year or more — until they can be 
 taken to the family burial-ground where they are 
 finally deposited. These burial places are few in 
 number, and great reserve is shown by the Chins 
 with regard to their localities. There is a very ex- 
 tensive one in Pudien in Upper Burma, to which 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 36 I 
 
 the relics of many Chins who die in British Burma 
 are carried. The removal of the relics to the burial 
 ground is made the occasion of a second wake. Many- 
 animals are slaughtered and much khaung is made. 
 Any particular animal which may have been a special 
 favourite of the deceased is sacrificed on this occasion. 
 At the burial place a substantial wooden post is fixed 
 on the ground, and this is rudely carved with effigies 
 of Chins, elephants and horses."* 
 
 The Chins have no religion, at least they do not 
 believe in the existence of a Supreme Being who 
 controls their actions, and metes out to them reward 
 and punishment in a future life. Like the Buddhists 
 they believe in a future state, but not in a hell, only in 
 a heaven, where they will join their departed friends in 
 an abode of eternal bliss. Their idea of this is a 
 plentiful supply of khaung and pork, and freedom 
 from disease, pain and death. They are /zatf-worship- 
 pers. Each family has their private nat, or spirit, 
 whose power to do evil is unlimited, and whose 
 rapacity is without bounds. It must therefore be 
 propitiated, hence the continual sacrifices and offer- 
 ings. In addition to the family nat there are nats 
 of the trees, hills and houses, all of whom claim their 
 share of the good things of this life under pain of 
 death and earthly calamity. Every sickness or mis- 
 fortune is attributed to their influence, and fires, floods, 
 and pestilences come and disappear at their bidding. 
 The self-denial exercised to load benefices upon the 
 nats may be regarded as other-worldliness, as the 
 * " History of Thayetmyo District." 
 
362 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 Chins firmly believe that in the happy land of Gna-thein 
 they will receive it all back with interest. Although 
 there are many converts to Christianity amongst the 
 Chins, they have not shown the same readiness to 
 lend an ear to the teaching of the missionaries as their 
 cousins the Karens. 
 
 Slavery, in that form of the evil prevalent through- 
 out the whole of Indo-China, exists amongst the Chins. 
 It is, according to Hughes, of three kinds :— 
 
 War captives, or those taken in raids. Debtor 
 slaves. Slaves who have become so voluntarily, or 
 who have been made over as slaves by their relatives 
 in payment of gambling debts. 
 
 The war captives have the worst time of it, and are 
 bought and sold from tribe to tribe, until many of them 
 have forgotten their original owners, and who their 
 parents were. In some cases these are ransomed 
 by their friends, who pay— according to the wealth 
 or status of the latter— from 100 to 1,000 rupees. 
 Muskets, spears, cattle, &c, are also received as 
 ransoms for war captives. 
 
 From all accounts the Chins are remarkably honest 
 in matters of debt, and this is especially the case in 
 their gambling transactions, it being no uncommon 
 thing for a man to mortgage himself, or one of his 
 family, for a term of years. Defaulters in this respect 
 are regarded with great contempt, if allowed to live at 
 all amongst the Chins. 
 
 The laws of inheritance are treated on most ex- 
 haustively by Maung-Tet-Pho. They are rendered 
 frightfully complicated by the quaint relationships 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 363 
 
 which result from the system of marrying " in and in." 
 The following conundrum is one of many cases : — 
 
 Article no. A widower with sons and a widow 
 with daughters marry and beget children. The husband 
 dies and the widow marries her deceased husband's 
 son by a former marriage. The law of partition is as 
 follows : the separate marriage property belonging' to 
 the deceased father shall be divided into two parts ; his 
 sons by the former wife shall have one part, and the 
 other part shall be given to the sons by the second 
 wife. The daughters of the latter by a former husband 
 shall not be entitled to a share in the said property. 
 No partition of the step-mother's separate marriage 
 property shall take place during her lifetime. After 
 her death, and if partition of the shares in the estate 
 between the daughters and parents had already been 
 made on her taking a second husband, the said pro- 
 perty shall be divided equally between the step-mother's 
 daughters by the former marriage and the sons by the 
 subsequent marriage. If no such partition had been 
 made on her re-marriage, the property shall be divided 
 into four shares, three shares being given to the step- 
 mother's daughters by the former husband and one 
 share to the sons by the latter. The step -father shall 
 not claim a share in this partition. 
 
 And so the Article goes on to provide for every 
 conceivable contingency as the outcome of such family 
 connections. 
 
 The most peculiar law in the code is that which 
 provides that in a family of sons it is the bounden 
 duty of the youngest to stay at home and watch over 
 
3^4 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 his parents ; all others may go where they please. As 
 a reward for his filial affection he receives at the death 
 of his parents an extra share of the family estate as 
 well as all the personal property of his father, such as 
 guns, spears, pipes, cymbals, cups, &c, and in addi- 
 tion his mother's jewelry. 
 
 In addition to the Chins there are several other 
 tribes of lesser importance who dwell on the extensive 
 mountain range known as the Arakan Yomas. They 
 are Looshais, Shandoos, Konesows, and others. 
 These are all more or less of the same type of 
 mankind ; wild, raiding, restless clans. The Looshais 
 we punished in 1870, and since that time they have 
 kept pretty quiet ; but between a line drawn from, say, 
 Chittagong to Mandalay, to as far north as the 
 Brahmaputra, there are a multiplicity of semi-indepen- 
 dent hill tribes who, by the annexation of Upper 
 Burma, have come under our control. But, judging 
 by our experience of the Arakan tribes, they are not 
 likely to give any very great trouble. Colonel 
 Hughes, and other officers with whom I have conversed, 
 say that they are not difficult to manage, and very 
 grateful for small favours. They have a great reve- 
 rence and respect for the white man, and hail with 
 delight the advent of their rule, vice that of the much- 
 hated Burman. They are, habitually, the reverse of 
 treaty-breakers ; and stick with great fidelity to 
 their promises. 
 
 The following is their mode of vowing eternal 
 friendship : a bullock is tied by two ropes, the con- 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 365 
 
 tracting parties hanging on at the end of each. The 
 individual who has been appointed to administer the 
 oath now calls upon the parties to keep their vow, and 
 prays that whoever shall first break it shall suffer death 
 and torment like the victim between them. He then 
 plunges his spear into the bullock, slaughters it, and 
 taking some of the blood, sprinkles it on the foreheads 
 of the parties. Like the somewhat similar ceremony 
 of drinking one another's blood as a sign of friend- 
 ship amongst the Karens, the contracting party on the 
 British side has, on some occasions, begged to be 
 allowed to name a deputy for this last phase of the 
 ceremony of taking the oath. 
 
 By a process of steady, firm, and good government, 
 all these new neighbours will gradually come under our 
 control. But it will take time to do all this ; and if in 
 the immediate future petty squabbles and differences 
 arise, necessitating minute punitive expeditions, the 
 public must not take these as an indication that in an- 
 nexing Upper Burma we have not done the right 
 thing. 
 
 The Kakyens or Kachins. 
 
 The country of the Kakyens intervenes between 
 Upper Burma and the Western Chinese province of 
 Yunan. Originally dwellers on the southern slopes of 
 the Himalayas, they have during the present century 
 been gradually gaining ground southwards, until they 
 are now in possession of all the mountainous districts 
 to the north-west of the Upper Irrawaddy. The Shans 
 have given place to them ir these hills. Neither war- 
 
366 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 like nor enterprising, they are a fidgety, troublesome 
 tribe, and know only two persuaders — a good thrashing 
 or bribes. 
 
 Physically resembling the Karens and other hill 
 tribes, they are distinguished by a separate language 
 and claim no relationship with other cognate Mongolian 
 tribes. There are two types of Kakyens described by 
 Dr. Anderson, and these may be observed in the 
 streets of Bamo during the trading season ; the one 
 with pointed chin, aquiline nose and prominent molars 
 — the other, and more common type, with the eyes 
 wide apart, broad nose, thick lips, and broad square 
 chin ; the hair and the eyes dark brown and the com- 
 plexion a dirty buff. The specimens which I saw at 
 Bamo answered the latter description. They were for 
 the most part sturdy thick-legged fellows. The men 
 were dressed in blue jackets and wide trousers of a 
 like material. Some of them wore bangles round 
 their legs. They had a variety of head-dress, and all 
 looked dirty and unkempt. The women wore jackets 
 like the men with a sort of skirt secured round the 
 hips and extending only to the knees. Round their 
 waists, which were bare, they wore girdles of slit 
 bamboo. Their dresses were trimmed with bits of 
 metal, shells and beads. Some of the young women 
 cut their hair quite short and wear no head-dress, but 
 the older ones wear turbans of sorts. 
 
 The Kakyens have no regular religion. They have 
 certain superstitions regarding evil spirits or nuts, 
 which resemble very much the notions entertained by 
 all the wild non-Buddhistic races in Indo-China. 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 367 
 
 Strange to stay, unlike the Chins, Karens, &c, they 
 have not taken to Christianity, and Buddhism is rare, 
 if known at all, amongst them. 
 
 " The objects of worship," says Anderson, " are 
 the nats, benign or malignant ; the first, such as 
 Sinlah, the sky spirit, who gives rain and good crops ; 
 Chan and Shitah, who cause the sun and moon to rise. 
 Cringwan is the beneficent patron of agriculture, but 
 the malignant nats must be bribed not to ruin the 
 crops. When the ground is cleared for sowing, 
 Masor is appeased with pork and fowls, buried at the 
 foot of the village altars ; when the paddy is eared, 
 buffaloes and pigs are sacrificed to Cagat. A man 
 about to travel is placed under the care of Muron, the 
 toomsa, after due sacrifices requesting him to ' tell the 
 other nats not to harm that man.' Neglect of Mowlain 
 will result in the want of compraw, or silver, the great 
 object of a Kakyen's desire, and if hunters forbear 
 offerings to Chitong, someone will be killed by stag or 
 tiger." 
 
 At every season of the year, therefore, and under 
 every imaginable pretext, some spirit — nearly always 
 an evil spirit — is propitiated with offerings to keep evil 
 afar off. The similarity of these superstitions to those 
 of the Karens would point to a common origin for the 
 two tribes, although the complete difference in their 
 languages would be an argument against this con- 
 clusion. 
 
 As regards the relations between the sexes, the 
 women are treated worse by these barbarians than is 
 the case with any of our new neighbours. They are 
 
368 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 made to do all the manual labour, are not allowed to 
 feed with the men, and are accounted as beasts of 
 burden. Notwithstanding these hard facts there is no 
 lack of formalities to be undergone on such festive 
 occasions as births, marriages, &c, &c. 
 
 *The day after the birth of a child, the household 
 nats are propitiated by offerings of sheroo (an in- 
 toxicating drug), and by the sacrifice of a hog. The 
 flesh is divided into three portions, one for the toomsa, 
 another for the slayer and cook, and the third for 
 the head of the household. The entrails, with eggs, 
 fish, and ginger, are placed on the altars, all the 
 villagers are bidden to the feast, and sheroo is handed 
 round in order of seniority. After all have drunk, the 
 oldest man rises and, pointing to the infant, says, 
 " That boy, or girl, is named so and so." 
 
 The same authority gives the following graphic 
 account of a death and burial which is of special 
 interest : — 
 
 " When a Kakyen dies the news is announced by 
 the discharge of matchlocks. This is a signal for all 
 to repair to the house of death. Some cut bamboo 
 and timber for the coffin, others prepare for the funeral 
 rites. 
 
 "A circle of bamboo is driven into the ground, 
 slanting outwards so that the upper circle is much 
 wider than the base. To each a small flag is fastened, 
 grass is placed between the circle and the house, and 
 the toomsa scatters grass over the bamboos, and pours 
 a libation of sheroo. A hog is then slaughtered, and 
 * " Mandalay to Momien." 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 369 
 
 the flesh cooked and distributed, the skull being fixed 
 on one of the bamboos. 
 
 " The coffin is made of the hollowed trunk of a 
 large tree, which the men fell with their daks. Just 
 before it falls a fowl is killed by being dashed against 
 the tottering stem. The place where the head is to 
 rest is blackened with charcoal, and a lid constructed. 
 The body is washed by men or matrons, according to 
 sex, and dressed in new clothes. Some of the pork, 
 boiled rice, and skeroo are placed before it, and a 
 piece of silver is inserted in the mouth to pay ferry 
 dues over the streams the spirit may have to cross. It 
 is then coffined, and borne to the grave amidst the 
 discharge of firearms. The old clothes of the deceased 
 are laid on the mound and skeroo is poured on 
 them, the rest being drunk by the friends around. In 
 returning the mourners strew ground rice upon the 
 path, and when near the village they cleanse their legs 
 and arms with fresh leaves. Before re-entering the 
 house all are lustrated with water by the toomsa 
 with an asperge of grass, and pass over a bundle of 
 grass sprinkled with the blood of a fowl, sacrificed 
 during their absence to the spirit of the dead. Eating 
 and drinking wind up the day. Next morning an 
 offering of a hog and sheroo is made to the spirit of 
 the dead man, and a feast and dance are held until 
 late at night, and resumed in the morning. A final 
 sacrifice of a buffalo in honour of the household nats 
 then takes place, and the toomsa breaks down the 
 bamboo fence, after which the final death dance 
 successfully drives forth the spirit which is believed to 
 
 2 A 
 
2,7° THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 have been still lingering round its former dwelling. 
 In the afternoon a trench is dug round the grave, and 
 the conical cover already described is erected, the 
 skulls of the hog and buffalo being fixed to the posts. 
 
 " The bodies of those who have been killed by- 
 shot or steel are wrapped in a mat, and buried in the 
 jungle without rites. A small open hut is erected 
 over the spot for the use of the spirits, for whom also 
 a dak, bag, and basket are placed. These spirits are 
 believed to haunt the forest of munla like the Burman 
 tuhsais, or ghosts, and to have the power of entering 
 into men, and imparting a second sight of deeds of 
 violence. 
 
 " Funeral rites are also denied to those who "die of 
 small-pox, and to women dying in childbirth. In the 
 latter case the mother and her unborn child are 
 believed to become a fearful compound vampire. All 
 the young people fly in terror from the house, and 
 divination is resorted to to discover what animal the 
 evil spirit will devour, and another into which it will 
 transmigrate. The first is sacrificed, and some of the 
 flesh placed before the corpse ; the second is hanged, 
 and a grave dug in the direction to which the animal's 
 head pointed when dead. Here the corpse is buried 
 with all the clothes and ornaments worn in life, and a 
 wisp of straw is burned in its face, before the leaves 
 and earth are filled in. All property of deceased is 
 burned on the grave over which a hut is erected. The 
 death-dance takes place to drive the spirit from 
 the house in all cases. The former custom appears to 
 have been to burn the body itself, with the house and 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 37 1 
 
 all the clothes and ornaments used by the deceased. 
 This also took place if the mother died during the 
 month succeeding childbirth, and, according to one 
 native statement, the infant also was thrown into the 
 fire with the address, ' Take away your child ;' but if 
 previously anyone claimed the child, saying ' Give me 
 your child,' it was spared, and belonged to the adopting 
 parent, the real father being unable at any time to 
 reclaim it." 
 
 The ceremony of marriage amongst the Kakyens 
 is as elaborate as if the tie was dissoluble, and as if the 
 bride was to be the happy and petted consort of her 
 lord. The "go-between," who we hear of amongst 
 most Indo-Chinese tribes, does not appear in the 
 arrangements for Kakyen marriages ; but young men 
 seem to be used to carry out the theatrical side of the 
 courtship, if such a word can be applied to the pre- 
 liminaries to the nuptial tie. 
 
 According to Malthus, women are treated brutally, 
 or with respect, in direct proportion to the savagery or 
 civilisation of the nation or tribe to which they belong. 
 Thus amongst the South Sea islanders, who are sup- 
 posed to be the lowest type of mankind, when young 
 men want wives they make a raid on a neighbouring 
 village. A man having determined upon his choice, 
 begins by half killing her with blows and ill-treatment, 
 and when she is thoroughly exhausted and reduced to 
 submission, he bears her off in his arms to his own 
 hut. Amongst the Kakyens, strange to say, this idea 
 of abduction exists, although only the idea. 
 
 " The ceremony of marriage," says Anderson, 
 
 2 A 2 
 
37 2 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 " besides the religious rites, combines the idea of pur- 
 chase from the parents with that of abduction so fre- 
 quently found to underlie the nuptial rites of widely- 
 separated races. An essential preliminary is to get the 
 diviner to predict the general fortune of the intended 
 bride. Some article of her dress or ornaments is pro- 
 cured and handed to the seer, who, we may suppose, 
 being thereby brought en rapport with her, proceeds 
 to consult omens, and predict her bedeen or destiny. 
 If suspicious, messengers bearing presents are sent to 
 make proposals to the girl's parents, who specify the 
 dowry required, and agreed to by the envoys. All 
 being adjusted, two messengers are sent from the 
 bridegroom to inform the bride's friends that such a 
 day is appointed for the marriage. They are liberally 
 feasted and escorted home by two of her relatives, 
 who promise to be duly prepared. When the day 
 comes five young men and the girls set out from the 
 bridegroom's village to that of the bride, where they 
 wait till nightfall in a neighbouring house. At dusk 
 the bride is brought thither by one of the stranger 
 girls, as it were without the knowledge of her parents, 
 and told that these men have come to claim her. They 
 all set out at once to the bridegroom's village. In the 
 morning the bride is placed under a closed canopy 
 outside the bridegroom's house. Presently there 
 arrives a party of young men from her village to 
 search, as they say, for one of the girls who has been 
 stolen. They are invited to look under the canopy, 
 and bidden, if they will, to take the girl away ; but 
 they reply, ' It is well, let her remain where she is.' 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 373 
 
 WHile a buffalo, &c, are being killed as a sacrifice, 
 the bridegroom hands over the dowry and exhibits the 
 trousseau provided for his bride. A wealthy Kakyen 
 pays for his wife a female slave, ten buffaloes, ten 
 spears, ten dahs, ten pieces of silver, a gong, two suits 
 of clothes, a matchlock, and an iron cooking pot. He 
 also presents clothes and silver to the bridesmaids and 
 defrays the expense of the feast. Meanwhile the 
 toomsa, or officiating priest, has arranged bunches of 
 fresh grass, pressed down with bamboos at regular 
 intervals, so as to form a carpet between the canopy 
 and the bridegroom's house. The household nats are 
 then invoked, and a libation of sheroo and water poured 
 out. Fowls, &c, are then killed, and their blood is 
 sprinkled on the grass path, over which the bride and 
 her attendants pass to the house, and offer boiled eggs, 
 ginger, and dried fish to the household deities. This 
 concludes the ceremony, in which the bridegroom 
 takes no part. A grand feast follows. Besides the 
 ordinary fare of rice, plaintains, dried fish, and pork, 
 the beef of the sacrificed buffalo and the venison of 
 the barking deer, all cooked in large iron ports, im- 
 ported from Yunan, are the viands. Abundant supplies 
 of sheroo and Chinese samshu prepare the guests for 
 a dance. 
 
 " The orchestra consists of a drum formed of a 
 hollowed tree-stem, covered at both ends with the skin 
 of the barking deer, a sort of jew's-harp of bamboo, 
 which gives a very clear, almost metallic tone, and a 
 single or double flute with a piece of metal inside a 
 long slit which the performer covers with his mouth ; 
 
374 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 he also accompanies the strain with a peculiar whirring 
 noise produced in the throat. The marriage feast 
 ends, like all their festivities, in great drunkenness, 
 disorder, and often in a fight." 
 
 On a husband's death his widow becomes the pro- 
 perty of his eldest brother. Chastity is not a promi- 
 nent feature of the Kakyen woman's moral attributes. 
 Great licence is winked at before marriage, and immo- 
 rality among young girls is not regarded as a disgrace. 
 Should, however, a husband find his wife going wrong 
 with another man, he is quite justified in killing them 
 both. 
 
 The Kakyens, when wandering about, have a 
 gipsy-like affection for their neighbour's children, and 
 they are adepts at kidnapping. For this reason the 
 Burmans and Shans are shy of letting them approach 
 too near to their villages. 
 
 The Kakyens, although wild and nomadic, have a 
 great reverence for their hereditary chiefs or Tsaub- 
 was. In this way they resemble the Shans. Districts 
 are under the rule and government of chiefs who are 
 little despots in their way. Their office is rigidly 
 hereditary, the successor being invariably the younger 
 son, as is the custom among the Chins. Each family 
 pays a certain tax to the Tsaubwa, such as a bag of 
 rice each season, and, on any festive occasion, a present 
 of meat or fowl. As a rule these chiefs interfere little 
 with their flocks, provided these offerings arrive regu- 
 larly ; but if not, they hear of it. 
 
 Some of these Tsaubwas are great traders, and are 
 very well to do. They levy blackmail on all caravans 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 375 
 
 and travellers, and, should either the one or the other 
 fail to salute the chief and pay tribute, a different 
 return route would be advisable, as the omission is 
 never forgotten. 
 
 The above, then, are the people whom it is above 
 all things our interest either to propitiate or bring 
 under control at the earliest possible date. 
 
 The re-opening of the ancient trade-route from 
 Bamo to Western China has been for years the subject 
 of much talking and writing. It passes through the 
 heart of the Kakyen hills. Many English travellers 
 have passed along it, and two or three Government 
 expeditions have penetrated almost to the Chinese 
 frontier. Margery, Cooper, Baber, Gill, Colquhoun, 
 Sladen, Browne, and others have passed along this 
 route. Margery was murdered ; Sladen effected 
 nothing ; and Browne had to turn back. Bamo was 
 occupied permanently by British troops in January, 
 1886, and of course it has been the object of the 
 Government of India to carry on successful negocia- 
 tions with the Kakyens. One or two small expeditions 
 started into the hills last rainy season (1886), but were 
 far from being a success, and everyone was prostrated 
 by fever on their return. So the hill tribes have since 
 been left alone, and encouraged to come into Bamo, and 
 trade. Things here are looking up. Many come in 
 and, tempted by the high pay given for labour, hun- 
 dreds are employed in road-making and other occupa- 
 tions where skilled labour is not required. It is 
 doubtful if the " let-alone " policy is not the best with 
 
376 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 the Kakyens for the present ; at any rate, until the 
 Burmese malcontents are settled. The chiefs might 
 then be subsidised and an arrangement come to with 
 China that a similar policy be adopted towards those 
 on the Yunan border. This would probably settle the 
 matter, and the trade would gradually reopen itself. 
 
 The Yunanese. 
 
 Yunan, about which I now propose to write, is the 
 south-eastern province of the Chinese Empire, but the 
 majority of its inhabitants are Chinese neither in tastes, 
 feelings, or traditions. It has been the scene of inter- 
 necine strife for many centuries, and is still suffering 
 from the effects of the " Panthay Rebellion " which 
 lasted from 1862 till 1876. 
 
 Information about Yunan ought certainly to interest 
 the general public, as it is through this province that 
 we now hope to open trade relations with Central 
 China. True, a buffer still exists between the two 
 mighty engines : it consists of Kakhyen and Shan 
 tribes, without organisation or regular government, 
 who, at no very distant date, must inevitably merge 
 into one or the other of their all-powerful neighbours. 
 
 As regards its position, physical features, &c, Mr. 
 Colquhoun writes :* " The Province of Yunan is the 
 most south-western of all the provinces of China. It 
 forms an extensive, uneven highland plateau, in which 
 the main ranges have a trend north and south. 
 Between these ranges, which vary in height from 
 
 * "Across Chrysb." 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 3 J J 
 
 twelve to seventeen thousand feet in the north, to 
 seven or eight in the south, are numerous deep defiles 
 through which run some of the largest rivers in Indo- 
 China. Amongst these the most notable are the 
 Mekong or Cambodia, the Salween, and the Sheweli. 
 There are lakes of considerable extent. Fertile plains 
 and valleys are numerous. 
 
 " In the north the country is wild, broken, and 
 almost uninhabitable on account of heavy mists, fogs 
 and rains. In the tangle of mountains there are few 
 valleys to arrest the eye ; the population is wretchedly 
 poor and sparse, living chiefly on maize, for the 
 country is too mountainous for the production of rice. 
 The south and south-west are altogether different. 
 The mountain ranges which in the north and north- 
 west rise above the snow-line, towards the southern 
 borders subside greatly, and give place to undulating 
 tracts and plains which increase in their extent and 
 level character towards the Gulf of Siam. 
 
 "The country at first presents to the untrained eye 
 the appearance of a confused sea of mountains, amongst 
 which it is hard to detect any general trend of the 
 ranges or the existence of table-lands, but a more 
 intimate acquaintance shows, that the leading or main 
 ranges have one fixed bearing, namely, north and 
 south. From east to west mountain ranges are crossed, 
 but between these lie. large plateaux and valleys parallel 
 to the main ranges, and contiguous to these are smaller 
 valleys and plateaux. The climate of the south is very 
 different from that of the north. The season of the 
 rains lasts for three or four months, from the end of 
 
37% THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 May till the middle of September, but the monsoon is 
 not heavy. In the dry season a steady breeze prevails 
 except in the lowest valleys. The temperature may be 
 characterised as agreeable and healthy." 
 
 Gamier,* Gill,t and Baber.J who directed their 
 researches more to the northern portion of this pro- 
 vince, do not describe Northern Yunan and Ssii-ch'uan 
 as being so hopelessly barren and unfertile as this. 
 Gill talks of "smiling Ssu-ch'uan," and says the wild 
 mountaineers of this country are content and well-to- 
 do. The poverty which existed at the time of his 
 visit, 1878, he attributes mainly to the effects of the 
 rebellion of the Panthays or Mahomedan Yunanese 
 which had devastated the country. 
 
 Colonel Yule's description of the physical geography 
 of Ssii-ch'uan and Yunan is somewhat picturesque : 
 "The great plateau of Thibet," he says, "here (at Ta 
 Chien) droops south v/ard as far as lat. 23°, and below 
 that sends out a great buttress or lower terrace, still 
 ranging 6,000 feet and upwards above the sea, which 
 embraces — roughly speaking — nearly the whole of 
 Yunan. In the descent from the higher to the lower 
 terrace, and for a long distance both above and below 
 the zone of most southern declivity, this region of the 
 earth's crust seems in a remote age to have been 
 cracked and split by huge rents or fissures all running 
 parallel to one another from north to south : for, not 
 only the valleys of those great rivers of which we have 
 
 * " Voyage d'Exploration en Indo-Chine." 
 
 t " River of Golden Sand." 
 
 j " Travels and Researches in Western Climes." 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 3/9 
 
 said so much, but the gorges of their tributary streams 
 exhibit this parallelism." 
 
 The upper waters of the great Yang-Tsu-Chaing 
 which takes its rise almost as far west as Calcutta, 
 rushes through one of these mighty gorges on its way 
 to the Pacific. Unlike its lesser brethren, the Irra- 
 waddy, the Salween and the Mekong, it turns eastward 
 in the neighbourhood of Yunan-fu. In this portion of 
 its course it is called the Kinsa, or Chin-sha-Chaing, 
 which Captain Gill interprets as "the River of Golden 
 Sand." 
 
 As regards the history and populations of Yunan, 
 Gamier and Yule are the only authorities that have 
 gone into the subject at all thoroughly. It would 
 appear from the former's elaborate volumes that, on 
 the fall of the Han dynasty, during the second century, 
 the Chinese Empire was broken up into three king- 
 doms. The western one comprehended the provinces 
 of Chen-si, Siii-ch'uan, and D'y-tchou. The Emperor 
 Heout-tchou gave the government of this last province 
 to Prince Tchou-Konolang, of which Yunan was the 
 capital. 
 
 This part of the country was then, as now, com- 
 posed of diverse races, and rebellion and troubles 
 followed. The original Mongols of the mountains 
 were driven northwards, and founded new States. It 
 was during the third century that the Laotian princi- 
 palities were formed in North China ; in the seventh 
 century there being no less than six in Yunan alone, 
 and it was as much as the central authority at Pekin 
 could do to keep them in order. About the ninth 
 
380 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 century internecine strife in the heart of China was 
 taken advantage of by these tribes to shake themselves 
 clear of the Celestial yoke ; but in the following century 
 a Chinese army over-ran the country and subdued it. 
 This was accomplished with no small difficulty, but 
 the real task which presented itself to the Pekin 
 authorities, was to govern the conquered people. 
 
 "In 1319," says Gamier, "in spite of the admini- 
 strative reforms of the Yuens in the province of.Yunan, 
 the people of this province proved so difficult to govern, 
 that the Court at Pekin allowed them to elect their 
 own chiefs." This system, however, was short-lived ; 
 and, after a few years, the country had to be conquered 
 over again. During the fifteenth century constant 
 wars desolated Yunan, and it was not till 1448 that 
 this province finally resigned itself to the domination 
 of the Chinese. 
 
 As regards the origin of the Mahommedans of 
 Yunan, Bishop Bigaudet is of opinion that they are the 
 descendants of the followers of Genjhis Khan, and his 
 son Kublai, who invaded this country in the thirteenth 
 century. Yule says they are as much Shan as Chinese 
 in blood, and other writers seem to agree, that except- 
 ing their abhorrence of pork, they have none of the 
 characteristics of the followers of the Prophet. Baber 
 tell us that they are precisely the same race as their 
 Confucian or Buddhist countrymen, that they never 
 practise circumcision, that they do not observe the 
 sabbath, are not acquainted with the language of Islam, 
 do not turn towards Mecca in prayer, and possess none 
 of the fire-and-sword principles of propagandism. 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 38 1 
 
 Dr. Anderson,* who paid two visits to Yunan in 
 1868 and 1874, interested himself to discover the 
 origin of the Mahommedan population therein. 
 
 During his visit they were still supreme in the 
 country. The Chinese yoke had been successfully 
 cast off, and Sultan Suliman reigned at Tali-foo. He 
 collected in conversation with the Nadji and the 
 Governor at Momien that their forefathers came from 
 Arabia to China 1,000 years ago in the reign of the 
 Emperor Tung-Nuontson, who had sent his chief 
 minister, Kharzee, to Tseeyoog to implore help against 
 the rebel Oung-loshan. Three thousand men were 
 accordingly sent, and the rebellion was crushed by 
 their assistance. Their former compatriots refused to 
 receive them back, as having been defiled by a re- 
 sidence among pork-eating infidels, so they settled in 
 China and became the progenitors of the Chinese 
 Mohammedans. The same authorities informed the 
 inquirer that these events had not taken place in 
 Yunan, but in the provinces of Shensi and Kansu, 
 from whence the Mohammedans had migrated to their 
 present quarters at no very remote period in the past. 
 Marco Polo mentions encountering many Mahom- 
 medans during his travels in China. 
 
 " How strong a position this sect has obtained 
 under the reign of Kublai," says Anderson, " appears 
 from Marco Polo's statement that the provincial 
 governments were entrusted to Tartars, Christians and 
 Mahommedans. The invasion of Burma and the 
 sieges of Singan and Fun-ching were entrusted to 
 * " Mandalay to Momien." 
 
382 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 Mahommedan generals. The story of Bailo Achmed, 
 the great minister of finance, is the most striking illus- 
 tration of the Mahommedan influence, although the 
 discovery of his crimes brought the Khan's anger 
 upon the Saracens, and led to their being prohibited 
 the practices as to marriage and slaughter of animals 
 enjoined by their religion. This check could only 
 have been temporary, and as we find Mahommedans 
 filling high places of trust, both civil and military, it 
 can be fairly conjectured that, after the conquest of 
 Yunan, these enterprising soldiers and traders estab- 
 lished themselves in the colonies planted in the new 
 province." ' 
 
 This appears to be a very sensible conclusion as to 
 the origin of what are now called the Panthays. In 
 the country about which I am writing they appear 
 to have found pleasant pastures, for they have con- 
 tinued to increase and multiply, bringing with them, in 
 religion and customs, no inconsiderable portion of the 
 indigenous population. They have on several occa- 
 sions been embroiled with their much-despised, but all- 
 powerful lords of Pekin, and a little success appears to 
 have egged them on to ruin. Their last and — most 
 assuredly — final attempt to throw off the Celestial yoke 
 was for many years successful ; and many persons well- 
 informed were of opinion that the Chinese Govern- 
 ment was determined to suspend hostilities and leave 
 them to themselves. Had the Panthays treated their 
 beaten foes, and the people who tacitly resisted their 
 aspirations, with less brutality they might have had a 
 chance ; but their barbarities enraged the Chinese, and 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 383 
 
 Yunan was retaken and over-run, thousands of the 
 faithful were slaughtered, and mosques and temples 
 were reduced to ashes. Chinese authority is now 
 firmly established in the province, although it is said 
 the irrepressible followers of the Prophet still retain 
 their aspirations of freedom. 
 
 " As far as appearance goes," says the above - 
 quoted writer, " there are strong traces of descent from 
 a non-Chinese and, we may say, Turkish stock visible 
 amongst the present Mahommedans of Western China." 
 Gamier remarks that " the Mussulmans of Arab 
 origin are tolerably numerous, and many are to be met 
 with who manifest very markedly the principal traits of 
 Arabs, some preserving the ancestral type in great 
 purity. But the majority cannot be readily distin- 
 guished from Chinese, except by their superior stature, 
 greater physical strength, and more energetic physio- 
 gnomies. Although they only contract matrimonial 
 alliances with those of their own creed, they commonly 
 take Chinese women as concubines. Hence a large 
 infusion of Chinese blood, notwithstanding which they 
 have preserved almost all the warlike qualities of their 
 ancestors." 
 
 Mr. Cooper describes a merchant who called upon 
 him as a " splendid specimen of the Yunan Mahom- 
 medan standing over six feet ; his countenance was 
 singularly haughty and noble, and his manner pecu- 
 liarly gentle and dignified. His long black moustache 
 and hair, hanging in a huge tail almost to the ground, 
 are also particularly noticed. The leading men met 
 with by us at Momien were well-made, athletic, and of 
 
384 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 a goodly height, the governor standing six feet three 
 inches. They were fair-skinned, with high cheek 
 bones and slightly oblique eyes, their cast of counten- 
 ance being quite distinct from the Chinese. In fact, 
 the general type of face recalled that of the traders 
 who come down to Calcutta from Bokhara and Herat. 
 They generally wore moustaches, but depilated the 
 rest of the face, while their long hair was coiled in the 
 folds of huge white turbans. The only other distinc- 
 tive article of dress was a bright, orange-coloured 
 waistband which usually supported a silver-mounted 
 dagger. As a rule they abstained from intoxicating 
 drink, and and also from the use of opium or tobacco ; 
 but some were lax in these particulars. Our strict 
 Mussulmans rather despised them for laxity in worship 
 as well, and the native doctor, who was a fanatic, 
 declared that they were not true believers at all. 
 
 " On the whole, the conclusion which may be fairly 
 arrived at as to their origin is, that to the descendants 
 of a possibly Arab stock have been added a consider- 
 able number of Turkish immigrants, who, in truth, 
 constitute the main origin of the Mahommedan popu- 
 lation of Yunan. A number of Chinese proper have 
 from time to time been added to this community, 
 which in all places seems to have included the 
 wealthiest and best class of the population.'' 
 
 A large proportion of the population of Southern 
 and South- Western Yunan are slaves, pure and simple, 
 and generally quiet, fairly industrious, and law-abiding 
 peasants. 
 
 The Kakhyens are a power in the hill tracts of 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 385 
 
 Western Yunan, and, unlike the Shans, are idle, 
 restless, and difficult to control. 
 
 About three months ago, when the dacoit move- 
 ment was at its height, a large caravan of Yunanese 
 traders arrived after dark on the bank of the Sittang 
 opposite to Toungoo. Their appearance soon cleared 
 the neighbouring villages, and news was brought 
 across the river that a large band of dacoits fully 
 armed, had taken up a position on the left bank. 
 Luckily Colonel Hughes, the Deputy Commissioner, 
 was not a very " scary " individual, and before order- 
 ing out the troops, sent reliable messengers to recon- 
 noitre the enemy's position. The messengers reported 
 that the dacoits were there right enough, two hundred 
 in number, with three hundred mules. As a bag of 
 rice tied round the loins is the only impedimenta of 
 the most luxurious dacoit, the Commissioner concluded 
 that they must be traders, and gave no alarm' to the 
 military authorities. Early next morning, a party of 
 these travellers from afar arrived in cantonment and 
 proceeded to take stock of everything and everybody. 
 Their manner was fearless, cordial, and cheery. They 
 said they had passed through many dangers during 
 their journey from Tali-fu, but that now they knew 
 they were safe under British protection. 
 
 We paid them a visit in their camp a day or two 
 afterwards, and as I had then commenced to collect 
 information about Yunan, I fear I pumped the head 
 "boss" most unmercifully. Their interpreter spoke 
 Burmese only, so poor Colonel Hughes had to trans- 
 late for my edification. The interpreter had an Arab 
 
 2 B 
 
386 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 face, and an, acute, intelligent look. He said he, and 
 almost all the caravan, were Mahommedans. They 
 had, in previous years, been in the habit of going to 
 Mandalay, but, hearing of the war, were afraid to take 
 that route. They had come to load up their mules 
 with English goods, and had brought some twenty 
 thousand rupees in cash for payment. A more hete- 
 rogeneous crowd I never beheld. There was the 
 thorough-going opium-eating Chinaman of the great 
 cities ; there was the Tartar, flat-nosed, narrow-eyed 
 and thick-legged ; there was the tall and fair-skinned 
 Panthay, the silent, watchful Shan — all were sturdy, 
 powerful fellows, with muscular limbs, and devil-may- 
 care, fearless expressions. They all crowded round 
 our little party, and examined us minutely, though by 
 no means rudely. Many of them looked for the first 
 time into the frank and fearless eyes of Englishmen, 
 and saw nothing to displease them there. They ap- 
 peared much interested at the sight of the one lady 
 who had joined our party, and regarded her, from a 
 respectful distance, with undisguised admiration. 
 
 We can picture to ourselves these wild moun- 
 taineers, returned to their wives and their little ones 
 midst the snows of Seii-ch'uan, relating the story of 
 their travels to the banks of the Irrawaddy. How 
 they had seen and talked with the subjects of the 
 Great White Queen ; how the men were friendly arid 
 frank and honest in their dealings, and how the women 
 were all tall and graceful, gentle-voiced and soft- 
 eyed. The mules of this caravan, although they had 
 been on the march for many weeks, were all in excel- 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 387 
 
 lent condition. There was not one sore back amongst 
 them. The pack-saddles were kept on entirely by- 
 balance, there being no girths, and were prevented 
 from getting too far forward by a species of kicking 
 straps which passed round the animals' flanks. To 
 every division of mules there was an appointed leader 
 selected generally for his size and strength. His head 
 was profusely adorned with feathers and ornaments, 
 not forgetting, as Gill remarked on a similar caravan, 
 a bit of looking-glass in the centre of his forehead. 
 Bells were slung round his neck which tinkled merrily 
 as he trotted along. We saw a couple of these beasts 
 loaded. The load being carefully balanced, was 
 flopped on to his back in an instant, and no amount of 
 kicking and backing on his part moved it an inch. 
 
 The various tribes which inhabit the western 
 frontier of China are classed by the Chinese writers as 
 Lolo Man-tyu, Sifan and Thibetan, but these are for 
 the most part north of Yunan. Even Colonel Yule, 
 the most intelligent and patient of living ethnographers, 
 is shy of giving his opinion about the peoples of these 
 regions, in consequence of the want of material to go 
 on, and different travellers propound their own theories 
 on the subject. In Southern Yunan, Colquhoun talks 
 of Lolos, Yeou-jens, Pou-las and Pais, each tribe 
 having a distinguishing dress. The women, he says, 
 are in many cases very good-looking, with straight 
 noses and fair faces.' The ladies, like the Burmese, 
 Shans, &c, are allowed to do pretty much as they 
 please and are not bullied and crushed. The report 
 of gallantry towards the poor little things on the part 
 
 2 b 2 
 
388 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 of their lovers is not, however, verified by Colquhoun's 
 researches. " On asking an old gentleman," he says, 
 " for information regarding the Lolo custom of tree- 
 climbing undergone by the bridegroom to gain his 
 bride, the old cynic smiled, shook his head and said — 
 " There is no such custom here : our young men would 
 not take the trouble : they get their wives easier than 
 that." What all travellers remark on, and what is 
 strangely conspicuous in this — and throughout the 
 whole Indo-Chinese States— is how little the Chinese 
 appear to have inter-bred with the aboriginal tribes. 
 
 In the absence of their own countrywomen, the 
 Chinese condescend to ally themselves with ladies of 
 alien races, but never intermix with their relations. 
 There is always a Chinese quarter to every town in 
 Burma. The male progeny follow in the steps of 
 their sires and are Chinamen to the backbone, but the 
 poor little girls are not very highly regarded. Agri- 
 culture in Yunan has never been very much developed. 
 The crops consist principally of rice, as elsewhere in 
 the East. In the north, buckwheat is grown in con- 
 siderable quantities ; also maize, sugar, tea, and tobacco 
 in small quantities. The southern and western portions 
 are, however, most rich and fruitful. The plains are 
 thickly populated, and rice, maize, peas, beans, opium, 
 tobacco and sugar are cultivated. In the beautiful 
 valleys abound many English fruits and flowers, such 
 as apples, pears, plums, peaches, chestnuts, roses, 
 rhododendrons and camellias of great variety and 
 beauty. Quite one-third of the land under cultivation 
 is devoted to poppy. In the east and south-east the 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 389 
 
 country is thinly populated, and by no means rich and 
 fruitful. The principal towns of Yunan have been 
 visited by a variety of European travellers from the 
 time of Marco Polo to that of the brave and adventu- 
 rous, but ill-fated Captain Gill. 
 
 Yunan-fu,* the capital, is situated in the centre of 
 the north-east portion of the province, on the northern 
 shores of the great sheet of water known as the Tien- 
 Chi Lake. Although nominally the chief town in 
 Yunan, it is neither rich nor important, a fact which is 
 doubtless due to the sterile and unproductive nature of 
 the surrounding country. The route from Yunan-fu 
 to the town of next importance in Northern Yunan, 
 Tali-fu, is described in Margery's journal as moun- 
 tainous and difficult to traverse. The hills are covered 
 with pine trees, and the population sparse and miser- 
 ably poor. The city of Tali-fu, which is interesting 
 as the seat of power and principal stronghold of the 
 Mahommedan rebels, who kept their old masters the 
 Chinese at bay for fourteen years, lies on the western 
 shores of another extensive lake, thirty miles long and 
 five or six broad. It is said to have been once a rich 
 and populous place, but much is now in ruins. Yule is 
 of opinion that its position is strategically important. 
 "It is," he says, "a focal point from which many roads 
 converge, and for ages has been the base of operations, 
 military and commercial, from Western China to 
 Burma." Before the tide of Chinese conquest spread 
 so far west, it was the capital of the Shan kingdom. 
 
 * The present Viceroy of Yunan, Sen, is said to be a man of 
 character, and hostile to the English. 
 
39° THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 Mr. Grosvenor, who visited it after Margery's 
 murder, describes the city as picturesquely situated in 
 the midst of a plain three miles in length, " the lake at 
 its feet, the snowy mountains at its back." Like other 
 cities in this country, it is built in squares, the main 
 wall being about five miles round. It is supplied with 
 provisions from the rich valley which lies between the 
 mountains and the lake, while the latter contains an 
 abundance of excellent fish. From Tali-fu, there is a 
 fair road direct on Bamo. The principal towns on this 
 line are Yung-chang-fu, Momein, and Manwyne. They 
 are all square towns, and are situated in valleys of 
 more or less fertility. These places are still suffering 
 from the effects of the Panthay rebellion : the popula- 
 tion being poor and sparse. Manwyne is the border 
 town between China and the Shan States. It was the 
 scene of Margery's murder. 
 
 In Southern and South-western Yunan there are 
 many fine towns : Kui-hua may be cited as a typical 
 one in this part of the province. Colquhoun tells us 
 that the streets are paved and broader than in most 
 Chinese cities, that the houses have stone foundations 
 and tiled roofs, and flowers are placed in the windows 
 
 and doorways. The inhabitants are of divers races 
 
 Lo-los, Yeou-jens, Pou-las and Pais, each with their 
 quaint and original national costume. Linnan, Yuan 
 Kaing and Puesh are all considerable towns, the latter 
 being celebrated for its tea, which is the choicest and 
 most expensive in China. 
 
 The mineral wealth of Yunan is universally 
 acknowledged to be immense. Copper is found in 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 39 1 
 
 large quantities in the neighbourhood of Yunan, and is 
 sold in the markets of Kouang-tong, Kouang-se, Du- 
 hou-pe, Du-hou-nan and Kong-tcheon. The mine of 
 Uan-pao-chen furnished in 1870 271,500 lbs. of 
 copper. Other great copper mines exist in other parts 
 of the province — twenty-one in number, according to 
 Gamier — but some of them are little worked. Silver is 
 also plentiful in the province of Yunan, but the mines 
 are but indifferently worked. Gamier dwells much on 
 the difficulties of discovering the metal, and says : 
 " L'argent est de sa nature un metal tellement secret 
 qu'on ne parvient a le trouver que par de grands 
 travaux." 
 
 The principal mines are to be found in the depart- 
 ments of Lin-ngan, Ioug-tchouen, Tchoo-tong, Li- 
 kiang, Gun-tchang, Chunning, Tchou-hiong, and Tali. 
 Gold has been found in small quantities in some of the 
 river-beds of Yunan, which would indicate its presence 
 elsewhere ; and Gamier mentions mines at Kin-cha- 
 Kiang, Ma-Kang and Houang-tsao-pa, but no Euro- 
 pean seems to have been permitted to visit the locality 
 of the precious metal. Lead and iron are found in 
 great quantities in the mountain of Yunan, but the 
 mines are little worked. 
 
 Colquhoun informs us that the Chinese officials are 
 not in favour of extensive mining operations, and no 
 mine may be opened without an express edict from the 
 Government. The ostensible reason given for this 
 want of desire to develop the mineral wealth of the 
 country, is the turbulent characters who assemble in 
 the vicinity of new mines, but there is little doubt that 
 
39 2 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 it is really due to dread of an influx of Europeans and 
 the international complications arising therefrom. 
 
 Let us now approach the important subject of trade 
 in this province. As has been already pointed out, 
 the exports are by no means extensive, and except in 
 the west and south-west, little trade is carried on with 
 the outer world. This is mainly due to the want of 
 proper communications. The wants of the people are 
 great, and they eagerly purchase European goods 
 where opportunity offers. The principal export is 
 opium, which is transported in large quantities to 
 Eastern China. The only import of any importance 
 are cotton goods of European manufacture, which 
 arrive in caravans from Burma, through the Shan 
 States, or from the east up the great rivers. 
 
 The question of trade routes has been exhaustively 
 gone into by Colquhoun, but has only been lightly 
 touched by the other travellers whose works have been 
 quoted in this book. For many years it was held 
 that the only available route through Burma to West- 
 ern China was from Bamo, via Manwyne to Tali-fu, 
 &c, but recent investigations prove otherwise. Col- 
 quhoun points out that there are five trade routes 
 available : — 
 
 i. By the Yang-tse-tang from Shanghai. 
 
 2. By the Canton river from Canton. 
 
 3. By the Songca river from the Tonquin gulf. 
 
 4. By Bamo route. 
 
 5. By some route from British Burma. 
 
 The object of his expedition was to penetrate 
 through the country which lies between South-western 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 393 
 
 Yunan and Moulmein, but circumstances compelled 
 him to abandon this design. He is still convinced that 
 this is the best and most practicable line by which to 
 tap the richest portion of Western China. The itine- 
 raries of Baber, Gill, and Gamier point to the diffi- 
 culties of the Bamo line, and the unfeasibility of 
 attempting to construct a railway thereon ; firstly, by 
 reason of the physical difficulties to be overcome, and, 
 secondly, because of the want of population, and the 
 unproductive nature of the country. 
 
 The physical difficulties to be faced in constructing 
 a line from the southern portion of British Burma 
 through the Shan country to South-western China 
 would assuredly be formidable but, in Mr. Colquhoun's 
 opinion, by no means unsurmountable ; and by its 
 means communications- would be opened with a rich 
 and thickly populated country. But such projects, 
 however feasible, can scarcely, we fear, be accomplished 
 in the immediate future. We must first subdue, bring 
 into order, and civilise our newly acquired province of 
 Upper Burma before we can have leisure to look to 
 wider fields of enterprise. A railway is always a 
 civilising influence. It unites rulers and ruled into 
 a common bond of union. The same iron horse 
 whisks them along to their destinations, and puts forth 
 his mighty strength, no less for the rapid transit of the 
 poor peasant than for the Judge, the General, or the 
 great High Priest. Contiguity engenders mutual con- 
 fidence, and the wild hillman soon finds that he has 
 nothing to fear from the dwellers in the cities of the 
 plains. 
 
394 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 One step further have we gone towards the confines 
 of the Flowery Land. Perched on the highest peaks 
 of the' mountain, only a few miles from Bamo, our out- 
 posts may fancy they discern to-day the mystic land of 
 China, with its teeming peoples, its mighty cities, its 
 golden temples, its fabulous history, its learning, its 
 wealth, and its power. Yet another eastward stride, 
 and John Chinaman and John Bull will shake hands 
 across the rugged line of demarkation which separates 
 the Celestial Empire from the Empire of the Great 
 Queen. 
 
 The Siamese. 
 
 To the ordinary English reader, the term " Siam- 
 ese " is not altogether unfamiliar ; not indeed, I fear, 
 because he or she knows on what portion of the earth's 
 crust these queer people dwell, but because once upon 
 a time two creatures were being exhibited in our great 
 cities known as the " Siamese Twins." But the king- 
 dom of Siam is, nevertheless, now that Burma is no 
 more, the most important factor in the Indo-Chinese 
 question. 
 
 All ethnologists are agreed as to the Siamese 
 being of Tai or Shan origin. The word " Siam " is 
 simply a corruption for the word " Shan." It would 
 appear that the Portuguese and French settlers who 
 first established themselves on these shores, called 
 them " Sian," hence the term " Siam." 
 
 The Siam of to-day consists of a square block of 
 mountainous, well-watered country, from the southern 
 portion of which a long tongue of land known as the 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 395 
 
 Malay Peninsula, extends southwards for several 
 degrees of latitude. 
 
 Only a portion of this peninsula, however, is 
 under even the nominal rule of the Siamese Govern- 
 ment, their influence extending along the eastern 
 portion only as far south as the 5 th degree of latitude, 
 or level with the British settlement of Penang. 
 
 Siam has an area of about 300,000 square miles 
 with a population of 6,000,000, or thereabouts.* 
 
 On the north are the independent Shan States, 
 lately tributary to Burma ; on the west British Burma; 
 on the east, intercepted between Siam and the China 
 Sea, are Cambodia, Annam, and Tonquin. 
 
 The population of Siam is from the nature of the 
 locality heterogeneous, being composed of Chinese, 
 Shans, Laos, Cambodians, Karens, Malays, and Mons 
 or Talaings. Bangkok, the capital, is situated at the 
 mouth of the Menan River, and is a prosperous place 
 of 250,000 inhabitants. The distinguishing charac- 
 teristic of Bangkok is that much of the city is built on 
 rafts on the water securely anchored to the bottom. 
 This unique mode of house-building is said to have 
 been originally resorted to by the inhabitants to escape 
 a pestilence, and certainly the town has escaped such 
 visitations of late years. The revenue and expendi- 
 ture of Siam are each about ,£1,200,000. There is at 
 present a British Consul at Bangkok, and we have 
 also got a representative as far north as Zimme, on the 
 northern border. 
 
 The chief products of the country are rice, gums, 
 * This is mere conjecture, for no reliable estimate has been made. 
 
396 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 teak, sandalwood, rosewood, fruits, and precious stones. 
 The annual value of exports is about ,£40,000, and of 
 imports, .£50,000, which latter consist in shirtings, 
 linen, glass, hardware, cutlery, &c. 
 
 The system of government in Siam is an absolute 
 monarchy with what is styled a " second king,"* 
 whose functions are not very clearly designated. He 
 is supposed to be the head of the army, but from all 
 accounts his interference in military affairs ends with 
 the supposition. 
 
 The whole country is divided into forty-one States, 
 each ruled by a governor whose power is more or 
 less absolute. 
 
 The Siamese own a history and tradition, of which 
 they profess to be proud. From this it appears that 
 she dates her birth as a kingdom to as far back as the 
 middle of the fourteenth century. Previous to this 
 date the Cambodians, now effete, held sway in this 
 portion of Indo-China. Certain tribes say they being 
 much harried by wars and troubles to the north of 
 Zimme, migrated south, and built a city which they 
 called Thep-maha-makhon. This town was soon after 
 abandoned because of a pestilence, and Arguthia 
 founded. Both these places were on the Menam 
 River, and not far north of the present capital. 
 
 To Arguthia flocked the many-tongued peoples of 
 Indo-China — Laos, Cambodians, Peguans (Talaings) 
 and Indians. Fifteen kings reigned here in regular 
 succession. The monarchs successfully repelled all 
 foes and extended their own territories until, in 1556, 
 
 * Office is now abolished. 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 397 
 
 an invasion from Pegu successfully over-ran Siam, and 
 Arguthia fell into the hands of the enemy. This 
 disaster was mainly due to the treachery of the king 
 of Northern Siam, who joined the Peguan hosts in an 
 attack on his southern colleague. As a reward for 
 this service rendered, the Peguan conqueror placed 
 the northern king, Maha-thammaraja on the throne 
 of Siam, as a sort of viceroy. The deposed king 
 and the whole of the royal family were taken prisoners 
 to Pegu, with whom went also Prince Naret, the 
 Viceroy's eldest son, as a hostage for his father's 
 loyalty. On the death of the King of Pegu, Naret 
 took advantage of the confusion consequent on a 
 change of sovereigns to effect his escape, and 
 reached Arguthia in safety. This was made a casus 
 belli by the Peguans, and an army was once more 
 despatched to Siam. The expedition proved a dis- 
 astrous failure, however, and the Siamese remained 
 masters of the situation. Naret succeeded his father, 
 and became, according to the royal chronicler, ." one 
 of the mightiest and most renowned rulers Siam ever 
 had." 
 
 In 1767 the Burman King, Alompra, having 
 broken the Taking power, and destroyed Pegu, 
 extended his conquests into Siam. He captured 
 Arguthia, which was partially destroyed, placed a 
 garrison therein, and returned home, which he was 
 never destined to reach alive. A deliverer from 
 the Burman yoke arose in the person of one Pin Tat, 
 a Chinaman, who, having first made his name as a 
 successful robber, assumed the rdle of patriot, retook 
 
39^ THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 Arguthia, swept the Burmans from Siam, and was 
 proclaimed king. He seems to have resembled his 
 great contemporary, Alompra, in almost every 
 particular. 
 
 He shifted the capital to Bangkok for strategical 
 reasons. His right hand man was one Constantine 
 Phaulkon, a Greek, who is said to have constructed 
 many useful public works. But the latter's success 
 and popularity caused the envy of court rivals. He 
 was accused of intriguing to hand the country over to 
 the French, and was assassinated, it is supposed, by a 
 royal order. 
 
 Pin Tat, having shown much aptitude for states- 
 manship and war, and extended his conquests far and 
 wide, appears to have gone off his head and put many 
 persons to death. He was succeeded by two of his 
 generals, one of whom ruled supreme, the other as a 
 second king. These were the ancestors of the present 
 dynasty. 
 
 Sir John Bowring having applied to the late king for 
 some account of his family, received the following reply, 
 which I quote for the benefit of those of my readers 
 who may have a fondness for solving conundrums. 
 
 " His Excellency Sir John Bowring, Knighted Doctor 
 of Laws, the Governor of Hong Kong, &c, &c. 
 
 " Respected Sir,— In regard to the particular narra- 
 tive or ancient true occurrence of the present , royal 
 dynasity reigning upon Siam, I beg to say what I knew 
 from statement of our parents and ancestors, and other 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 399 
 
 tolerable and corresponding families whom I have been 
 present of in considerable space of time when they 
 have been living or alive. 
 
 " The first family of our paternal ancestors, it is 
 said, have been inhabitants of the city of Hanswatty 
 (proper Sanscrit name), the capital of Pegu, written by 
 Bishop Pallegoix in corrupted sound or pronouncing of 
 Sanscrit name Hongsawadi, upon the time of reign of 
 the king of that city Pegu, named Jumna-ti-cho by 
 Peguan name, and ' Dusadr Sawijay ' by Sanscrit 
 name (marked in book of the Bishop Pallegoix, with 
 figure 1). This family became officers of State; em- 
 ployed as a part of military service to that king who 
 has conquered Argudia on about Christian era 1552, 
 have placed the Siamese king of Northern Siam, who 
 has been alliayed to him, upon the throne of whole 
 Siam, at Argudia, in name of ' Phra Maha Dharmma- 
 ragatdhiraj " (marked 2 in the book in which the 
 corrupted name printed) ; and the king marked 1 has 
 taken the son of the Siamese king marked 2 to Pegu 
 for security. As Siamese king promised to be de- 
 pendant of the Pegu on that time, the royal son 
 accompanied the king marked 1, named Phra Naresr 
 (printed in book Phra Narit, and marked 3), who has 
 been or was at Pegu during the living time or reign of 
 the conqueror, in demise of whom he observed the 
 Governments of Pegu, being in great distress in com- 
 plex opinion to establish the successor of the expired 
 king for about half a month, has concilliated many 
 families of the inhabitants of that city in his power 
 and took them with him, plied from thence, returned 
 
400 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 to his native land, Siam, and proclaimed independency 
 to the Pegu again, the aforesaid family or party of 
 military officers of State then have alliayed with king 
 Phra Naresr, marked 3 ; on his returning to Siam has 
 accompanied him and took their residence at Argudia, 
 which was bestowed them by that king. 
 
 " A large Buddha's image was constructed at a 
 place of worship near their residence ; remained until 
 the present day with some ancient inscription. 
 
 " After the time of the King Phra Naresr, marked 
 3, the particular narative statement of this family is 
 now disappeared to us until the time of reign of Phra 
 Naraya (printed in book Phra Narai, marked 4), 
 reigned at Argudia and Lawoh about the Christian 
 year 1656 to 1682. On the reign of this king two 
 brother, extraordinary persons, have been descendants 
 of the said family ; became most pleased to the king 
 who has appointed the older brother in place or office 
 of the lord of the foreign affair, in name or title of 
 ' Chan Phya Phra Khlang,' who has been at presence 
 of the receipt of the French embassy visited Siam 
 upon that time, and the younger brother Phya Phra 
 Khlang, named Mr. Pal, was appointed head of 
 Siamese embassy to France, of return of friendship 
 with the French Government, and met with the being 
 wrecked, lost of the ship at Cape of Good Hope, when 
 he with his suit remained during considerable while, 
 and afterward became to France, met with favorable 
 treatment of the French Government upon that time, 
 and returned to Siam, when his older brother was died. 
 The King Phra Naraya has appointed him (Mr. Pal) 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 4OI 
 
 the head of embassy in the office of his elder brother, 
 the lord of foreign affair, ' Chan Phya Phra Khlang ; ' 
 from this person extraordinary our ancestors were said 
 to be descendants ; but their office and affairs in royal 
 service were not continued in generations during a 
 few reign of their Majesties Siamese King who suc- 
 ceeded his Majesty the King Phra Narayn, until 1 the 
 time of his Majesty Bhumindr Ragatdhiraj, marked 5, 
 reigned upon Siam since the Christian era 1706 to 
 1732, in which the first person being father of the 
 first king and grandfather of the royal father of the 
 present king (myself) and late king (my late brother) 
 of Siam was an extraordinary son of a family descended 
 from aforesaid lords of foreign affairs, who removed 
 their situation at Argudia for happiness of lives, and 
 situated their place at Sakutrang, a port in small river, 
 being branch of great river, at the connected realms of 
 Northern and Southern Siams at about latitude 
 N. 1 3 15' 30" more little, and long. 99 90' E. : the 
 said extraordinary person was born there, and became 
 man of skill and knowledge and ability of royal ser- 
 vice, came from Saketrang to Argudia where he was 
 introduced to the royal service and became married 
 with a beautiful daughter of a Chinese richest family 
 at Chinese compound or situation within wall of city 
 and in south-eastern corner of Argudia, and became 
 pleased of the kings marked 5 and 6, and appointed 
 in office of the preparer of royal letters and com- 
 munication for northern direction (i.e., for all states 
 or regions of both dependencies, and in dependency 
 to Siam at northern direction), and protector of the 
 
 2 c 
 
402 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 great royal seal for that purpose being ; his title was 
 His Excellency Phra Acksom Sundom Smiantra. 
 
 " He has five children : his first wife who after- 
 wards was died, and has secondly married with the 
 younger sister of his late wife, with whom he has a 
 single daughter. 
 
 "In particular of the aforesaid five children — the 
 first was a son became man in service of the second 
 king upon the time of the King of Siam, marked 6, 
 and leaving a sole daughter was died before Argudia 
 was conquered by Burman army ; the second and third 
 were the daughters, their descendants many remained 
 until the present day (the royal mother of the present 
 major and second Kings of Siam, myself and my 
 younger brother, was a daughter, being third child of 
 the latter) ; the fourth was an extraordinary son, became 
 the first King of Siam in the present dynasity, marked 
 in the book 8, who was born in March, 1736, of 
 Christian era, and of whom the present and late Kings 
 of Siam (myself and my late brother) are grandchildren ; 
 and the fiveth was the person who was born in 
 September, 1 743 of the Christian era, and who became 
 finally the second king upon the reign of his elder 
 brother here, and died before his brother's death six 
 years. The firstly said ancestor, His Excellency Phra 
 Acksom Sundom Smiantra, has also another illegiti- 
 mate son, being youngest-born from a maid-servant 
 whom he (H.E. or ancestor) has take with him, went 
 to Northern Siam upon the time of the Argudia being 
 seiged by Burman army, on the Christian years 1765 
 and 1766, to obtain new situation or station for refuge, 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 403 
 
 leaving here all above said legitimate sons and 
 daughters who were married, and live with their 
 own families, for the consequences of difficulty in 
 going with large party in very hurricane and hindering 
 manner of journey. 
 
 "He, on his arrival at Phitsanulok, the great city 
 of Northern Siam, became regent or superintendent of 
 supreme governor of that city, who proclaimed King 
 of Siam after burning of Argudia was in hand of 
 Burman army, and who died by structing of fever 
 after a few month of the royal proclamation. 
 
 "In his duties, H. E. our ancestor took refuge at a 
 town out of that city, where he was died of fiver, and 
 burn by his maid-servant, wife, and the son born of 
 her. His relicks were brought here by them, and 
 were delivered to his legitimate children here, and 
 remained in our royal house of worship of royal 
 ancestors until the present day. 
 
 " And his two extraordinary son on lossing of 
 Argudia, took refuge at various places, and afterward 
 became combined with the King Phya Tarksing, first 
 of Bankokese kings, marked 7 in book ; finally the 
 elder was appointed the supreme general Chau Phya 
 Chukkry, the lord regent of the country, and afterward 
 styled in name or title and dignity of Maha Krasutesuk, 
 id est, ' the king of war,' who has resisted Burman 
 armies, came to take station of Siam every year upon 
 that time. The younger was appointed the King of 
 Northern Siam, governing at Phisnuloke, where his 
 father has been and died ; he bore the name of Chau 
 Phya Surasint. 
 
 2 c 2 
 
404 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 " So, upon that time there were three kings pre- 
 sented in Siam, viz., Supreme King, ' Phya Tark, 
 King of War, or grandfather, and the latter said King 
 of Northern Siam. 
 
 "On the year of Christian era 1781, when two 
 brother kings were sent to tranquil Cambodia, which was 
 in distress or disturbance of rebellion, the King Phya 
 Tarsing, marked 7, remained here. He came mad or 
 furious, saying he is Buddh, &c, and put many persons 
 of innocents to death, more than 10,000 men, and 
 compeled the people to pay various amounts of money 
 to royal treasure, with any lawful taxes and reasonable 
 causes ; so here great insurgents took place, who 
 apprehended the mad king and put to death, and 
 sent his mission to Cambodia, and invited two Kings 
 of War and of Northern Siam to return here for 
 the crown and throne of whole Siam and its de- 
 pendancy. 
 
 " Our grandfather was enthroned and crowned in 
 May, 1782, in name of ' Phra Budyot fa chulatoke,' 
 marked in book 8 ; his reign continued twenty-seven 
 years ; his demise took place on the year 1 809 in which 
 our father has succeeded him. 
 
 " His coronation took place on August, 1809; his 
 reign continued happily fifteen years ; his expiration 
 took place in the year 1824, in month of July. 
 
 " His royal name ' Phra Budh Lord Suh nobhaluy,' 
 marked 9 (names of these two kings were printed in 
 book, by Bishop Pallegoix, Pheen din ton' and Pheen 
 din klang). These names improper as they were very 
 popular and vulgar, are Pheen din ton', i.e., former or 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 405 
 
 first reign ; Pheen din klang, i.e., middle or next reign 
 only, not royal tittle. 
 
 " Our elder brother, the late king, succeeded our 
 royal father; his coronation took place on August, 
 1824. His name was Param Dharwik rajahdhiraj 
 (proper Sanscrit), and in Siamese name Phra Nang- 
 klau chau yu Acca. His reign continued twenty-six 
 year; his demise took place on 2nd April, 1851 ; then 
 my succession of him concluded, and I was crowned 
 on May 15th of that year. My name in Siam is Phra 
 Chomklau chau yu Nua, and I bear the Sanscrit name 
 as ever signed in my several letters — 
 
 "S. P. P. M. Mongkut, 
 " in contact that are 
 
 "Somdetch Phra Paramenor maha Mongkut. 
 
 "Rex Siamensium." 
 
 The writer of the above lucid historical sketch died 
 in 1878, and was succeeded by his son, the present 
 king. 
 
 The office of second king has ceased to exist in 
 Siam since August, 1886, when it was abolished by 
 royal proclamation. 
 
 As regards the character of the Siamese, Sir John 
 Bowring quotes a M. Brugriere, a French missionary 
 who lived amongst them for many years. " The 
 Siamese character," he says, " is gentle, light, incon- 
 siderate, timid, and gay ; and they are fond of cheerful 
 persons. They avoid disputes and whatever produces 
 anger or impatience. They are idle, inconstant, fond 
 of amusement ; a nothing excites, a nothing distracts 
 
406 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 their attention. They are great supplicants ; every- 
 thing attracts them, and they unhesitatingly ask either 
 for trifles or articles of value. This characterises all 
 classes ; a prince of the blood will ask for snuff, for a 
 pencil, a watch, a jug ; but they are quite willing to be 
 supplicated in return." And yet another authority, 
 who says, " they are gentle, cheerful, timid, careless, 
 and almost passionless. They are disposed to idleness, 
 inconstancy, and exaction. They are liberal alms- 
 givers, severe in enforcing decorum in the relations 
 between the sexes. They are fond of sports, and lose 
 half their time in amusements. They are sharp and 
 even witty in their conversation, and resemble the 
 Chinese in their aptitude for imitation." 
 
 The Siamese, in common with all Buddhists, eat 
 little flesh, living principally on fish, eggs, rice, &c. 
 They seldom touch strong drink, but take quantities of 
 tea and coffee. 
 
 Like the Burmans, they are perpetually either 
 smoking or chewing betel nut, both of which habits 
 they acquire in extreme youth. The tobacco is usually 
 rolled in a leaf, and smoked thus, but some of the 
 opulent smoke long pipes. They are cleanly in their 
 habits, spending much of their time in the water. The 
 women love to array themselves out in gay colours, 
 and adorn their hair with flowers. The ladies do not 
 appear any more free to marry the men of their choice 
 than the Burmans. " Marriages," says Bowring, " are 
 the subject bf much negociation, undertaken not 
 directly by the parents but by 'go-betweens' nomi- 
 nated by those of the proposed bridegroom, who 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 407 
 
 makes proposals to those of the intended bride. A 
 second repulse puts the extinguisher on the attempted 
 treaty ; but if successful, a large boat, gaily adorned 
 with flags, and accompanied by music, is laden with 
 garments, plate, fruits, &c. In the centre is a huge 
 cake or cakes in the form of a pyramid, painted in 
 bright colours. The bridegroom accompanies the 
 procession to the house of his father-in-law, where the 
 lady's dowry, and the day for the celebration of the 
 marriage are fixed. It is incumbent on the bridegroom 
 to erect, or occupy a house near that of his intended, 
 and a month or two must elapse before he can carry 
 away his bride. No religious rites accompany the 
 marriage though bonzes are invited to the feast, dura- 
 tion and expense of which depend upon the condition 
 of the parties. Music is an invariable accompaniment. 
 Marriages take place early. I have seen five genera- 
 tions gathered round the head of a family. I asked 
 the senior Somdetch how many of his descendants 
 lived in his palace. He said he did not know, but 
 there were a hundred or more. It was indeed a fre- 
 quent answer to the inquiry in the upper ranks, ' What 
 number of children and grandchildren have you ? ' 
 ' Oh ! multitudes : we cannot tell how many.' 
 
 " Although wives and concubines are kept in any 
 number according to the wealth or will of the husband, 
 the wife who has been the object of the marriage 
 ceremony called the Khan-mak, takes precedence of 
 all the rest and is really sole legitimate spouse, and 
 she and her descendants are the only legal heirs to the 
 husband's possessions. Marriages are permitted beyond 
 
408 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 the first degree of affinity. Divorce is easily obtained 
 on application from the woman, in which case the 
 dowry is restored to the wife. A husband may sell a 
 wife whom he has purchased, but not one who has 
 brought him a dowry. If the wife is a party to con- 
 tracting debts in her husband's behalf she may be sold 
 for their redemption, but not otherwise. On the whole 
 the condition of women is better in Siam than in most 
 oriental countries. The education of Siamese women 
 is little advanced. Many of them are good musicians, 
 but their principal business is to attend to domestic 
 affairs ; they are as frequently seen as men in charge of 
 boats on the Meinam ; they generally distribute alms 
 to the bonzes and attend the temples, bringing their 
 offerings of flowers and fruit. In the country they are 
 busied with agricultural pursuits. They have seldom 
 the art of applying the needle, and the Siamese gar- 
 ments almost invariably consist of a single piece of 
 cloth." 
 
 The torturing process of roasting the patients in 
 child-bearing, referred to in the chapter on the 
 " Burmese Woman," is in vogue in Siam, and seems 
 to be universal throughout the whole of Indo-China. 
 
 The ceremony of burial is thus treated on in 
 " Siam," the author quoting Bishop Pallejoix as an 
 authority. 
 
 " When a Thai is at the point of death the tala- 
 poins (priests) are sent for, who sprinkle lustral water 
 upon the sufferer, recite passages which speak of the 
 vanity of earthly things from their sacred books, and 
 cry out, repeating the exclamation in the ears of the 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 409 
 
 dying — ' arahang ! arahang ! ' (a mystical word im- 
 plying the exemption of Buddha from concupiscence). 
 When the dying has breathed his last breath the 
 whole family utter piercing cries, and address their 
 lamentations to the departed. ' Oh ! father benefactor ! 
 Why leave us ? What have we done to offend you ? 
 Why depart alone ? Oh ! misery ! Oh ! inconstancy 
 of human affairs." And they fling themselves at the 
 feet of the dead, weep, wail, kiss, until grief has 
 exhausted its lamentable expressions. The body is 
 then washed and enveloped in a white cloth ; it is placed 
 in a coffin covered with gilded paper and decorated 
 with tinsel flowers ; a dais is prepared, ornamented 
 with the same materials as the coffin, but with wreaths 
 of flowers and a number of wax lights. After a day 
 or two the coffin is removed, not through the door but 
 through an opening specially made in the wall. The 
 coffin is escorted thrice round the house at full speed, 
 in order that the dead, forgetting the way through 
 which he has passed, may not return to molest the 
 living. The coffin is then taken to a large barge, and 
 placed on a platform surmounted by a dais to the 
 sound of melancholy music. The relations and friends, 
 in small boats, accompany the barge to the temple 
 where the body is to be burnt. Being arrived the 
 coffin is opened and delivered to the officials charged 
 with the cremation of the corpse, having in the mouth 
 a silver tical (2s. 6d. in value) to defray the expenses. 
 
 " The burner first washes the face of the corpse 
 with cocoa-nut milk ; and if the deceased has ordered 
 that his body shall be delivered to the vultures and 
 
4-IO THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 crows, the functionary cuts it up and delivers it to the 
 birds of prey which are always assembled in such 
 localities. The corpse being placed on the pile the 
 fire is kindled. 
 
 " When combustion is over the relations assemble, 
 collect the principal bones which they place in an urn 
 and convey them to the family abode. The garb of 
 mourning is white, and is accompanied by shaving of 
 the head. The funerals of the opulent last two or 
 three days ; there are fireworks, sermons from the 
 bonzes, nocturnal theatricals, when all sorts of monsters 
 are introduced. Tents are erected within the precincts 
 of the temples, and games and gambling accompany 
 the rites connected with the dead." 
 
 The Siamese are very ceremonious, and the 
 relationship between the powerful and the weak and 
 the rich and the poor is that which is supposed to exist 
 between the master and slave — the one cringes at the 
 feet of the other. There is one law for the rich, and 
 another for the poor. The king and the royal family 
 receive almost worship. 
 
 Like the Burmese, both men and women are 
 passionately fond of finery, jewelry, &c, and spend all 
 their money in adornments. There is no very great 
 difference in their dress from the Burmese. From all 
 accounts the women are more careless than the latter, 
 and it is quite customary for married women to go 
 about without any covering whatever above the waist. 
 This is very rare in Burma. 
 
 The Siamese are Buddhist in religion, but by no 
 means so devout as the Burmese. So countless are 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 4 1 I 
 
 their supersitions and fancies that any fixed faith is not 
 very conspicuous. They believe in amulets, charms, 
 talismans, in certain dates and numbers ; in magicians, 
 demons, ghosts, and so forth, although belief in these 
 things is strictly against the teachings of Gaudama, 
 
 Colquhoun mentions the laxity of the monks in 
 Siam, and says he constantly saw them in company 
 with women, and saw women about, and in the 
 monasteries. I have never seen this in Burma. 
 
 The education of the people is in the hands of the 
 monks, who are not so devoted to their work as the 
 Burmese. 
 
 As regards marriage and divorce, the Siamese 
 have four classes of wives, viz. : i st, the wife of royal 
 gift who takes precedence in rank. 2nd, the legal wife 
 who has been married according to legal form. 3rd, 
 the wife of affection. 4th, the slave wife. Sir John 
 Bowring, however, remarks that he only observed 
 two kinds, the first wife, and subordinate, or subsidiary 
 wives. 
 
 " Marriage," he says, "is only allowed beyond the 
 seventh degree of blood affinity : a widow may marry 
 her deceased husband's brother, and a widower his 
 deceased wife's sister. The opprobrium of incontinence 
 attaches to a woman after her fourth marriage ; and 
 her rights of inheritance are limited to the dowry she 
 brought her husband and property personally acquired. 
 The age of marriage for men is twenty, and women 
 fourteen. As regards sovereigns they may marry 
 sister or daughter to preserve the race. A wife may 
 be pawned by her husband as a security for debt." 
 
412 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 Siam is a country, so to speak, of slaves and 
 slavery, but the chains of the victim are not made so 
 tight as to eat into the flesh. Slaves in Siam are only 
 slaves in an oriental sense. Even if they are " bought 
 with a price," this slavery consists in the hardship of 
 having to work for their daily bread. 
 
 In their amusements the Siamese much resemble 
 the rest of the Indo-Chinese races. They love cock- 
 fighting, kite-flying, plays, shows, processions, boat- 
 races, and so forth. Of the other races referred to 
 above, viz., the Chinese, Laos, Karens, Takings, or 
 Peguans and Malays, who go to make up the popu- 
 lation of Siam, it would be well to make a passing 
 reference. Of these, the Chinese are the most nume- 
 rous and wealthy ; indeed, they monopolise the greater 
 part of the trade in the country. Here, as elsewhere, 
 they are the same thrifty, hard-headed, hard-working 
 passionless John Chinamen of all times and places. 
 They do not, as a rule, bring their women from China, 
 but marry local wives. They keep much to themselves, 
 and almost always have their " quarter " in every 
 town. The Laos are simply Shans, who dwell in the 
 valleys of the Cambodia. They are said to still retain 
 certain idiosyncracies which distinguish them from the 
 Southern Siamese. Bishop Pallejoix and also Sir John 
 Bowring speak highly of these people. They are a 
 docile and inoffensive tribe, and given to much practice 
 of music. "The Laos organ," says Bowring, "is a 
 collection of sixteen fine and long bamboos, bound by a 
 circle of ebony, where there is an opening for expira- 
 tion and inspiration of the breath, which causes the 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 413 
 
 vibration of a number of small silver tonguelets placed 
 near a hole made in each bamboo, over which the 
 fingers run with great dexterity. I have seen the 
 Laos women of the highest rank sent for by their lords 
 to gratify my curiosity. They have crawled into the 
 presence, and with bowed heads waited tremblingly for 
 the commands of their husband. Their dress is more 
 graceful than that of the Siamese women, especially 
 their mode of arranging and adorning their hair, which 
 was sometimes ornamented with fragant white flowers. 
 They wore the paque, which is the universal costume 
 of Siam : a sort of light scarf passed over the shoulders 
 and covered the breast, and a handsome silk tissue 
 encircled the waist. No shoe or sandal was on the 
 feet and the legs were uncovered to the knee, though 
 there seemed to be an anxiety to conceal the feet 
 beneath the knees when they crouched down. Almost 
 all the opulent nobles have wives from Laos, many of 
 whom would be considered pretty. They are of dimi- 
 nutive stature, singularly meek expressions, liquid 
 eyes, and graceful movements. They have the art of 
 obtruding the elbow forward, which is deemed an aris- 
 tocratic accomplishment among the Siamese ladies, 
 who frequently take occasion to exhibit the subtile 
 action of their arms, and which could only be produced 
 by very early training." 
 
 The Malays are a race quite distinct from their 
 neighbours in language, religion, and pursuits. They 
 dwell all along the peninsula from which they take their 
 name. They are bigotted Mussulmans, and are uncer- 
 tain and difficult to manage. As regards their history, 
 
414 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 there seems to be little doubt that they have an Arab 
 origin. Bishop Bigaudet, who lived amongst them for 
 many years, assures me that there be no doubt on this 
 point. He says they are the descendants of Arabs of 
 Yenam, who appear first to have landed on the Island of 
 Sumatra, and from thence made their way to the main- 
 land of the peninsula. They are silent, industrious, 
 obstinate, and revengeful. They make excellent sailors, 
 and are much employed on British ships. They have 
 intermarried with the Chinese and Siamese, the progeny 
 being always followers of the Prophet. This people 
 gave us some trouble fifteen years ago in Perak, and 
 are fighting the Dutch to-day in Acheen in a war 
 commenced at the same time as the Ashantee expedi- 
 tion, and which has dragged on ever since. They are 
 generally under the control of local rajas. 
 
 The once great and glorious kingdom of Cambodia 
 occupies to-day only a little corner of Indo-China. 
 Overshadowed on the west by Siam, and on the east 
 by the French in Cochin China, this little State can 
 barely be said to exist. That it was once a great 
 centre of power and wealth is testified by the remains 
 of the ancient capital of Angkor which is amongst the 
 wonders of the world. 
 
 Mr. Vincent who visited this place in 1871 writes 
 of the principal temple thus : " In style and beauty of 
 architecture, solidity of construction, and magnificent 
 and elaborate carving and sculpture, the great Nag 
 Kon Wat has no superior, certainly no rival standing 
 at the present day. The first view of the ruins is 
 almost overwhelming, one writer says. The ruins of 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 415 
 
 Angkor are as imposing as the ruins of Thebes or 
 Memphis, and more mysterious ; and another, M. 
 Mouhot, " one of these temples (Nagkon Wat), a rival 
 of that of Solomon, and erected by some ancient 
 Michael Angelo, might take an honourable place beside 
 our most beautiful buildings. It is grander than any- 
 thing left to us by Greece or Rome.' At a first sight, 
 one is most impressed with the magnitude, minute 
 detail, high finish and elegant proportions of this 
 temple, and then to the bewildered beholder arise 
 mysterious after-thoughts, Who built it ? When was it 
 built, and where now are the builders ?" 
 
 The Cambodians are now completely effete, and 
 know nothing of art or industries. 
 
 The people of Cambodia much resemble the 
 Siamese, and the king and court take their " form," to 
 a great extent from the Bangkok magnates. The 
 "Madras Officer," who Bowring quotes, talks of the 
 king's 300 wives as " the best looking girls he had 
 seen in the country." Many of them, he said, had soft 
 regular features, and were it not for the disgusting 
 habit of blackening their teeth and shaving their heads, 
 only leaving a small tuft of hair on the top of the head, 
 they would be called pretty. They had fine figures 
 with graceful lines and plump developments. 
 
 The following is a description of a Cambodian 
 marriage, given by Mr. Vincent, a young American 
 whom I came across on his "globe-trotting" tour in 
 1871, in the pages of "The Land of the White 
 Elephant." 
 
 The marriage was a " swell " one, and took place in 
 
416 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 the king's palace. "The bride," he says, "was not 
 particularly interesting as regards personal charms : 
 she was young, however, and dressed richly and in 
 good taste. Besides her silk panoung, she wore a gold 
 embroidered scarf upon her shoulders, also gold rings 
 upon her fingers, bracelets upon her wrists and armlets 
 above her elbows. The bride took up her position 
 near the bridegroom, both sitting on the floor, but not 
 looking towards each other, in fact throughout the 
 entire ceremony they both were passive and nonchalant. 
 The marriage ceremony proper now began. A number 
 of wax candles were brought on a salver and then 
 lighted by one of the nobles. The silver waiter was 
 then passed round before the company eight times, 
 each one in turn saluting the couple and wishing them 
 good fortune by waving or blowing the smoke towards 
 them, thus expressing something like the old English 
 custom of throwing the slipper after a newly married 
 couple, the band of string and reed instruments playing 
 the meanwhile. 
 
 " Two large velvet cushions having been previously 
 placed before the bride and bridegroom, and upon 
 them a large sword, the leader of the lacon (theatricals) 
 now came forward and went through, for a few 
 moments, a most fantastical sword exercise. Dishes 
 had been placed before the unsusceptible couple upon 
 the floor with covers upon them, which latter the lacon 
 man removed during his flourishes, disclosing to view 
 some cooked fowls and ducks : nothing was eaten, 
 however. Next the hands of the expectant couple 
 were bound together and to each other with silken 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 417 
 
 threads by the women attendants, probably some near 
 relations. Thus were they truly joined together in 
 Buddhistic wedlock. 
 
 The Cochin Chinese and the Annamese are one. 
 In what is now known as French Cochin China, 
 the natives are rapidly acquiring French ways and 
 habits, and adopting not only their virtues but their 
 vices. 
 
 The Annamese and Tongkinese. 
 
 Annam occupies the southern, and Tongking* the 
 northern portions of the eastern littoral of the Indo- 
 Chinese peninsula. On the northern boundary is 
 China ; on the west and south-west the Shan States of 
 Burma, Siam, and Cambodia. The territories of both 
 States cover an area of little less than a hundred and 
 fifty thousand square miles, of which Annam is by far 
 the larger portion. Hanoi, the capital of Tongking, is 
 situated on the Song-Koi river at about eighty miles 
 from its mouth in the Gulf of Tongking, and contains 
 150,000 inhabitants. It was founded in a.d. 767, and 
 was at one time the capital of all this portion of 
 Indo-China. The native population of Hanoi is 
 swelled by Chinese, Manillamen, and Malays. 
 
 Hue, the capital of Annam, is described as a 
 purely native city, and the seat of royalty. It was the 
 capital of the ancient Ciama Kingdom of Marco Polo, 
 and is situated on an arm of the sea about twelve miles 
 inland. The French captured the city in 1882. The* 
 
 * The French call the province Tonquin. 
 
 2 D 
 
41 8 THE COMING OK THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 king fled, and a puppet was set up pledged to " pull " 
 with the French Resident. So Hue is now the head- 
 quarters of the French Protectorate in Annam. ' There 
 are other towns of more or less importance along the 
 coast and in the delta of Tongking, but the country 
 inland is by no means thickly populated, and little 
 attempt is made to govern or influence the wild tribes. 
 There are no great rivers in Annam ; but the country 
 near the coast is well watered by countless little 
 streams which, descending from the mountains inland, 
 empty themselves into the China Sea. The principal 
 river in Tongking is the Song-Koi, or Red River, 
 which, rising in the mountains of Yunan, flows by 
 many mouths into the Gulf of Tongking. It is 
 navigable for steamers for no great distance above the 
 capital. 
 
 By a cursory glance at the map of Indo-China, it 
 would certainly appear that the French, by the acquisi- 
 tion of Tongking, have now got the key to the trade 
 of South-western China, and are better posted to tap 
 the markets of Yunan than we are at Bamo ; and yet 
 they do not seem by any means satisfied with their 
 new enterprise, nor unanimous in their approval of 
 the policy which prompted it. Although the Annamese 
 can scarcely be said to be our immediate neighbours 
 in the Far East — being separated from us by Siam 
 and other independent States — they might at any time 
 become so. Furthermore, they complete the long roll 
 of Indo-Chinese tribes, and interest us as being to all 
 intents and purposes the subjects of our friends and 
 rivals — the French. 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 419 
 
 The Tongkinese claim to be the elder branch and 
 ancestors of the Annamese, who, previous to the arrival 
 of the French, ruled the roost. They begin their 
 annals as far back as B.C. 2879. They appear to be a 
 race of bastard Chinamen, and were called Giao-chi by 
 the latter, because their big toes were strikingly sepa- 
 rated from the others. For the first thousand years of 
 the Christian era, all this country was under Chinese 
 rule and government, but in the beginning of the 
 fifteenth century a deliverer arose in the person of one 
 Le Loi, whose fabulous strength and valour are sung to 
 the present day. He cast off the Celestial yoke, and 
 drove all the Chinamen out of the country. He 
 founded the great Le dynasty, and made Hanoi his 
 capital. This kingdom lasted — with a few changes in 
 the dynasties — from Les to Macs, from Macs to Trinhs, 
 until the end of the seventeenth century, when it split 
 up into two — Tongking and Annam. The Les ruled 
 at Hanoi, and the Nguyens established their royal city 
 at Hue. The northern province soon fell under the 
 influence of China, and was forced eventually to accept 
 her suzerainty. The southern province followed the 
 example of the northern, and both remained under 
 the influence of China, but were hostile to each 
 other. 
 
 This state of things continued throughout the 
 eighteenth century. Meanwhile Europeans, principally 
 French and Spanish, gradually began to obtain a foot- 
 ing in the country. The French Roman Catholic 
 missionaries were the pioneers of the movement, and 
 
 2 d 2 
 
420 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 boldly preached the Gospel throughout this vast tangle 
 of forest, mountain, and morass with great success. 
 Many thousands became converted to Christianity. 
 But here, as elsewhere, they found themselves mixed 
 up with the strife of contending factions. 
 
 On one occasion we hear of a French Bishop, 
 Monseigneur Pigneaux de Behaine, advocating the 
 cause of a runaway prince, and demanding French 
 bayonets on his behalf. But the young Republic had 
 her hands full at this time, and nothing much was done. 
 Then followed a persecution of the fathers. Many 
 were murdered, aud their followers fled panic-stricken. 
 As a punishment for these crimes, a French fleet 
 was despatched to Annam. Saigon was captured, and 
 several ports along the coast of Annam were bom- 
 barded. 
 
 This was in 1858, at which time France was also 
 at war with China, and only a small garrison was 
 placed in the captured city which had no small difficulty 
 in holding its own against surrounding foes. 
 
 In 1 86 1 the garrison was reinforced, and what is 
 now known as French Cochin China was annexed. 
 But Hue, the Annamese capital, remained unmolested, 
 and King Tu Due sat firm upon his throne. 
 
 The French next turned their attention towards 
 Tongking. Their new acquisition was separated from 
 it by some hundreds of miles of sea coast, rocky and 
 surge-lashed, which could at no time be a very desirable 
 or accessible possession ; but with Tongking it was 
 different. Posted here, France was on the confines of 
 China, and a new field for commercial enterprise was 
 
HISTORV OF BURMA. 42 1 
 
 open to her. But the opportunity could not yet be 
 seized. The great war with Germany had broken out, 
 every available man was required, and the project had 
 to be postponed. 
 
 In 1872, under pretext of suppressing piracy, a 
 frigate bearing a French flag steamed up the river to 
 Hanoi. The mandarins were furious, and called upon 
 the commander to withdraw. But he declined ; and 
 things began to look serious. 
 
 The authorities at Saigon now directed Lieutenant 
 Gamier, who had distinguished himself as an explorer 
 in Yunan to proceed from Hong Kong to Hanoi on 
 a special mission. He arrived in November, 1873, 
 and, finding the mandarins hostile, resolved to use 
 force to stamp out all opposition. He seized the 
 citadel by a coup de main, and proceeded to attack 
 several other neighbouring strongholds. His fire 
 and dash paralysed the slow-thinking, slow-acting 
 mandarins, and all went down before him and his 
 handful of troops. But the whole affair was a flash 
 in the pan. The mandarins called on the aid of the 
 Black Flags, Gamier was killed, and his party met 
 with reverse. 
 
 As the outcome of all this, the government at 
 Saigon got alarmed, and M. Philastre, a civilian, was 
 despatched to Tongking with orders to " square " 
 matters somehow and, if possible, peaceably. This he 
 did ; but scarcely " with honour." He yielded at every 
 point to the mandarins, and ordered the evacuation of 
 Tongking by the French troops. A treaty was 
 eventually concluded, by the provisions of which France 
 
422 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 was allowed to have a Resident at three places in 
 Annam and Tongking, free commerce was agreed to, 
 and France in return promised to assist in the suppres- 
 sion of piracy. 
 
 For ten years after this treaty was signed, Tong- 
 king was never heard of in the great world. Mean- 
 while, the Residents had a bad time of it, and had to 
 bear a great deal. 
 
 In 1882 another expedition was decided upon. As 
 has been the case in so many of our own little wars, 
 the first expedition proved too weak for the work to 
 be done, met with reverses, and had to be strongly 
 reinforced. With an honest desire to confine her 
 aggressive measures to Tongking, the Republic, to 
 her ineffable disgust, found herself steadily drifting 
 into a war with China. The Chinese Ambassador at 
 Paris expressed the utmost friendship for his French 
 friends, but he assured them that China had no con- 
 trol over the Black Flags. He said plainly that should 
 the Republic persevere in pursuing them northwards, 
 she wOuld have to break a lance with the " Middle 
 Empire." 
 
 Meanwhile the French troops fought gallantly and, 
 capturing city after city, approached the Chinese fron- 
 tier. Numerous Chinese regular troops had already 
 enrolled themselves in the ranks Of the Black Flags, 
 and their numbers were daily increasing. The question 
 was taken up by the Paris press, and in the Chamber's, 
 with the utmost bitterness. The Ferry Ministry was 
 dismissed; artd it was resolved to put a stop to the 
 campaign in Tongking j so certain points in the 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 423 
 
 country were occupied, and the majority of the troops 
 withdrawn. 
 
 At Hue, the Annamese capital, things had been 
 very nicely arranged by the French. A small naval 
 expedition had taken possession of the city after an 
 unimportant engagement. The forts which guarded 
 the approaches were bombarded by the gun-boats, and 
 the great men of Hue came out to meet the French 
 admiral, and tender their submission. King Diic Due 
 fled, and the conquerors placed his nephew on the 
 throne. A Resident, with an escort of five hundred men, 
 remained at Hud. The French claimed the protec- 
 torate of Annam, and this state of things prevails 
 to-day. But of course the Annamese are every year 
 coming more and more under French influence, and 
 the people of Annam and Tongking seem quite to 
 have recognised that the white men are in virtual 
 possession of the country. 
 
 The French capital of Tongking, Haiphong, 
 situated near the mouth of the Song-koi river ; is said 
 to have made rapid strides since the French Residency 
 was established there only four years ago, and many 
 fine buildings have sprung up. There is a good system 
 of drainage, and the wharfs and warehouses are con- 
 structed on the newest principles. The Chinamen, 
 however, monopolise the greater portion of the trade 
 of the place, and here, as elsewhere, are a drag on 
 the commercial prosperity of the European merchants. 
 Having thus given the above little historical sketch 
 of what the French now love to call their " Eastern 
 Empire," I will return to the characteristics and 
 
424 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 peculiarities of the native. It would appear to be a 
 splitting of straws to draw any marked distinction 
 between the Tongkingese, Annamese, and Cochin- 
 Chinese. Mentally, morally, and physically — they are 
 much of a muchness. 
 
 The Tongkingese, according to the author of 
 " France and Tongking," belong to the yellow race, 
 the Indo-Chinese stock of the Annamese family which 
 occupies a place midway between the Chinese and 
 the Malayan branch. " Like their brethren of the 
 south, they are brachycephalous, with a low forehead ; 
 this being always the narrowest part of the skull. 
 The facial angle is, however, fairly good. The ex- 
 terior angle of the eye is certainly not so much tilted 
 as the Chinaman's. The cheek-bones, on the contrary, 
 are much higher than the Celestial's. The nose is a 
 very bad feature ; it is very broad, and the depression 
 above is so great that there is practically no bridge 
 at all. One cannot avoid the idea, in fact, that an 
 Annamese nose is the sort of thing one might make 
 with three fingers and a piece of bread. There is a 
 slight tendency to prognathism, but not so strongly 
 marked as in Cochin-China. This appearance is often 
 fortuitously exaggerated amongst the women of the 
 lower class. In order to prevent their huge hat from 
 blowing off on a windy day, they pass the ribbon 
 across their under lip and throw the jaw downwards 
 and forwards. Constant habit often makes them do 
 this, even when they have no hat on, and the result is 
 a semi-idiotic and altogether hideous appearance, espe- 
 cially when the teeth are black, and the gums red with 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 425 
 
 betel juice. The chin itself is usually short and well 
 shaped, but the ears are very large and project in a 
 most unsightly way. The teeth are large and, as 
 already hinted, are dyed black with a kind of lacquer 
 by almost all, except the children and unmarried women. 
 The effect is singularly disgusting, and from a little 
 distance suggests the idea that they have no teeth at 
 all. The limbs are well shaped, but the feet are very 
 ugly. There is absolutely no instep ; they are large 
 and apparently the same thickness all over, as if they 
 were cut out of a plank of wood. The hands are also 
 very long and narrow, and the finger joints are obtru- 
 sively knotted. As with the Chinese and Siamese, it 
 is a mark of rank to allow the nails to grow long, and 
 the women very often tint them rose colour with far 
 from comely results. Like almost all Eastern nations, 
 the set of their legs is altogether spoilt by the way 
 they are carried in childhood by their mothers, strad- 
 dled across the hips. This, with a peculiar wide setting 
 of the hip joints, and the size of their feet, make 
 them walk in a very ungainly way — the feet being 
 very much turned out. The chest and stomach are 
 very much thrown forward ; the legs are not bent, 
 and the feet scarcely lifted off the ground. In the 
 men this gives the idea of a kind of swagger ; in 
 the women a lack of modesty. The men seldom 
 manage to grow a beard before the age of thirty, and 
 then it is but a poor thing. The moustache is very 
 scanty, and the bristles which grow on the chin and 
 underlip could be counted without any extraordinary 
 effort of patience." 
 
4^6 THE COMING OF THE GREAf QUEEN. 
 
 The above minute description of the physical 
 attributes of the Eastern Indo-Chinese has, it is 
 hoped, brought them vividly before the eye of the 
 reader. The mental qualities of these people are 
 described as of a low type, for education is confined, 
 in a great degree, to the privileged classes. In this 
 respect the people of Annam and Tongking bear a 
 marked contrast to the Burmese and Chinese, amongst 
 whom education is almost, if not quite, universal. 
 
 The system of competitive examinations for all the 
 Government billets prevails, but the mandarins con- 
 trive to confine the competitors to their own class, 
 more or less. Where their own interests are concerned 
 the Annamese are cunning and sagacious enough, and 
 are not unwilling to Work, but there is little private 
 enterprise amongst them. Dwelling for centuries 
 under the overpowering shadow of an all-devouring 
 neighbour, they possess no confidence in themselves, 
 and even the mandarins, who are accustomed to 
 authority and power, are timid and unstable in their 
 actions. Morals are at a low ebb amongst the An- 
 namese. The girls of a family are regarded as of 
 such and such value to their parents in accordance to 
 their beauty and attractiveness, and great licence is 
 allowed both before and after marriage. Religious 
 Ordinances are little regarded, except perhaps that of 
 ancestor worship, which will be referred to hereafter. 
 To say they are Buddhists is to insult that renowned 
 belief ; but they claim to be such. Without education 
 and with slack religious principles, the mass of the 
 people have degenerated into flocks and herds of 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 427 
 
 human beings, with little interest in life. So the man- 
 darins rule, and the people cringe and bend. " The 
 mandarins," says Scott, "are terribly dissolute, and 
 the ordinary villager, when he gets a chance to drink 
 at a feast, goes on until he can drink no more, or until 
 the supply of shum-skum, or rice arrak, runs out." 
 The men are idle, as a rule, and the women are made 
 to do the lion's share of the work ; but notwithstand- 
 ing this disadvantage, these ladies are extraordinarily 
 prolific, and the population is much congested in many 
 portions of the country. 
 
 Men and women dress very similarly, wearing 
 blue trousers and coats, and small turbans. When 
 out of doors both sexes wear hats made of straw or 
 palm-leaf, resembling candle-extinguishers, which are 
 supposed to serve the double purpose of protection 
 from sun and rain. They seldom change their clothes, 
 and generally sleep in their day dresses, hence the 
 growth of skin diseases and vermin. 
 
 Ceremony is much attended to in the social gather- 
 ings of the people, and many grotesque formalities are 
 in vogue. 
 
 There has never in modern times been a military 
 spirit amongst the Annamese, nor has any attempt 
 been made to organise trained bands of fighting 
 men. 
 
 At Hue -and Hanoi certain bodies of men, gro- 
 tesquely clad in bright-coloured uniforms, with won- 
 drous helmets on, have done the duty of guards to 
 the State functionaries for centuries, but they seem to 
 have been indifferent as to whom they guarded, and 
 
428 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 unwilling to make any sacrifices for their masters for 
 the time being. 
 
 Their military exercises consist in a succession of 
 grotesque gyrations, and in much flourishing of spears 
 and muskets. Their spear fights are always a centre 
 of interest, and attract vast crowds, but the gladiators 
 fight with buttoned weapons, and no harm is possible. 
 
 Money transactions are carried on in Annam 
 mainly through the instrumentality of a little rubbishy 
 zinc coin, with a hole in it, called the sepeque. " They 
 are cast, and not struck like European coins. Sixty 
 of them make a Tein, ten tein make a quan, and when 
 one has the whole six hundred they are only worth 
 nine pence. These are tied together in a string with 
 a bit of bamboo which has an unhappy knack of break- 
 ing, and then it takes half an hour to gather a franc 
 off the floor. Ten quan are tied up in a bundle like a 
 brick to form a chuc, and when one has this it becomes 
 necessary to hire a coolie to carry seven and sixpence. 
 The coolie gets a bamboo pole, fastens the chuc to one 
 end and the brick to another, and carries it over his 
 shoulder. In addition to this the dismal sepeque is, — 
 absurd as it may appear, — liable to most extraordinary 
 fluctuations in value as compared with silver. If we 
 had had a small fleet of ships, it would have actually 
 been impossible to have passed a small sum through 
 the exchange. Latterly, copper has been, very seldom 
 introduced into the sepeque's composition. The con- 
 sequence is that to its other drawbacks, the Annamese 
 coin adds the objection of being very brittle. One 
 cannot pile any number of quan on one another with- 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 429 
 
 out the certainty of breaking some of the detestable 
 little coins. Then the bamboo strings have all to be 
 undone and fresh sepeques strung on. It is small con- 
 solation to be told after all this that they are made on 
 a perfect mathematical system, and that twenty-seven 
 of them, placed edge to edge, make up the Annamese 
 limit of measure." 
 
 As has been already remarked, the Annamese are 
 very slack in their religious observances. They build 
 few temples, spend little in alms and offerings, and 
 seldom dedicate their lives, and property to the church. 
 In theory they are Buddhists, but appear to follow that 
 form of the faith known as Shamanism. Their heads 
 are crammed with fancies and superstitions, and they 
 believe in all sorts of omens and signs. Two men- 
 tioned by Mr. Scott are worth noting. On a baby 
 sneezing, his relations call out Coim Ca / — " rice and 
 fish " — the idea being to call back its spirits. To sneeze 
 once means wealth ; twice, trouble.* Another funny 
 notion : — if a cock crows at mid-day it is an indication 
 that the young ladies of the household are going 
 wrong, and causes great confusion and flutterings 
 amongst them. 
 
 As the Annamese firmly believe in the power of 
 the spirits of the departed, and are regular ancestor- 
 worshippers, death and burial are ceremonies of great 
 solemnity. The ceremony of burial is an elaborate 
 performance, often extending over weeks. Coffin 
 
 * The significance, malign or otherwise, of sneezes is not con- 
 fined to the Annamese. Irish peasants, for instance, always call 
 down a protective benediction on the sneezer. 
 
43° THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 making is reduced to a science in Annam, and no 
 expense, or time, or art are spared to encase the de- 
 ceased in a secure resting-place. One of the quaintest 
 acts on the part of the relations is the manner in which 
 the certainty of death is ascertained. A mite of 
 cotton-wool is suspended by a silk thread before the 
 mouth so that the slightest breath will move it. If it 
 does not move, death is regarded as certain. Cloths 
 are then placed over the mouth to prevent the en- 
 trance of evil spirits, who, where death is, are supposed 
 to "stalk abroad." The dead appear to be kept for 
 long periods before burial, although it is not quite 
 clear how this is managed. A tremendous parade is 
 made of the funeral. Relations, friends, and priests, 
 with bands of musicians, accompany the deceased to 
 his last resting-place. This is anywhere on the 
 property of the relations which may be chosen, as 
 there are no public graveyards, and, in the case of a 
 poor man, it is by the roadside. On the Tet, or first day 
 of the new year, all the populations of the towns and 
 villages turn out, en fite, to visit the tombs of their 
 departed friends, and a day of half rejoicing, half 
 mourning, ensues. As the ordinary clothes worn are 
 black or blue, mourning is white in Annam. It is 
 said to be worn religiously for two years after the 
 death of a parent, when it is burnt, and the mourner is 
 free to be a worldly being once more. 
 
 The ceremony of marriage is also very elaborate 
 in Annam and Tongking, although it would not appear 
 any very heavy responsibilities, mental or moral, are 
 entailed thereby. Where there has been no betrothal, 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA, 43 1 
 
 marriages are arranged by a third party, or " go-be- 
 tween," who undertakes, for a consideration, to make 
 all the arrangements. It is a matter of no importance 
 whether the bride and bridegroom have ever set eyes 
 on each other or not. Even the happy pair seem to 
 regard this as a matter of very secondary considera- 
 tion, and to fall into any arrangement which the " go- 
 between" proposes. The lad knows that his. bonds 
 are no bonds at all, and the lass is simply an auto- 
 maton. But the ceremony itself is very interesting, 
 and unlike that of any of the tribes I have already 
 referred to. 
 
 After describing the preliminary negociations, Mr. 
 Scott thus tells us all about a marriage ceremony : — 
 " At length the marriage day comes. There are more 
 presents, among which must be a white goose and 
 gander. The Mai Dong has also to deliver over 
 to the girl's father the ' marriage money,' usually 
 amounting to about £^. Parents who value their 
 daughters higher are supposed to draw down bad 
 luck upon the couple. Then the marriage contract is 
 drawn up on red paper. It is signed by the chief 
 parties, by the parents, and is also, in cases of re- 
 spectable burgessess, embellished with the village seal. 
 The actual ceremony is not very impressive. It takes 
 place in the bride's home. Candles are placed on the 
 family altar along with the usual plate of betel. The 
 girl's father delivers a speech, in which he announces 
 to his forefathers that he is marrying his daughter, 
 Hugen-Tran (the Pearl of Jet), aged so many years, 
 to Ngiiii, the son of Doan-nhu-hai. He invokes an- 
 
43 2 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 cestral approbation, and long life for the happy pair, 
 and then, with the young man's father, prostrates him- 
 self four times before the altar. The two mothers go 
 through the same prostration. Then it is the turn of 
 the bride and bridegroom ; but after they have shown 
 due regard for the ancients of the family they have to 
 " knock their heads" before both the fathers, both the 
 mothers, and a goodly number of their more elderly 
 relations. Then the ceremony is over. 
 
 All then go in procession to the bridegroom's 
 house, the newly-married couple at the head, under 
 festive umbrellas, the bridegroom with his two best 
 men, the bride with her two maids, and the box with her 
 trousseau. The road is barred by children with a red 
 thread, reminding one of the " gold and silver cord " 
 of Burma. As in Burma, its safe removal must be 
 paid for. The entrance to the town is sprinkled with 
 red dust. Inside, the ancestral altars are reverenced 
 as in the bride's home, and the unfortunate pair have 
 to " knock their heads " again. After this they are 
 conveyed into the nuptial chamber, which has been 
 carefully prepared and garnished beforehand with 
 red candles, incense-sticks, tea, wine, sweet-stuff, and 
 finally, thirty-six quids of betel. Their conductor is 
 an old gentleman who has been selected because of the 
 luck he is supposed to bring. He lights the candles 
 and the joss-sticks, pours out a libation and invites the 
 favour of To Ba Nguyet, the spirits of the red threads 
 (symbolising the marital bonds) and of the lady of the 
 moon. Then they drink wine together. The bride 
 offers a cup to her husband, and says " Drink that our 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 433 
 
 union may last a hundred years. In everything I 
 must obey you, and I will not venture to contradict 
 you." The husband drinks and returns the compli- 
 ment, saying " Drink this wine. May we live a hun- 
 dred years together. You must obey my father and 
 mother, and live on good terms with my relations ; be 
 faithful to me in everything, and never deceive me." 
 Then they set to work to get through the betel and 
 the jam and the tea, after which formidable task they 
 go out to the marriage party, who have been regaling 
 themselves outside. That finishes the matter, but for 
 the next three days neither husband nor wife may 
 leave the house, nor separate for any length of time. 
 Then the wife goes to work, and the husband takes it 
 easy." 
 
 Accounts differ as to the effect on the Annamese 
 of association with the French. Some have become 
 corrupted, but the majority must have changed for the 
 better. 
 
 The commercial prosperity of the country has in- 
 creased, but then the natives enjoy little of this ; it is 
 mopped up by the Chinese. 
 
 The imports are English cotton goods, opium, 
 Chinese medicines, tobacco and tea. The exports, 
 rice, raw silk, tin, lacquer, oil, &c. A very beautiful 
 description of inlaid mother-of-pearl work is manu- 
 factured in Tongking. and exported to Europe. Trade 
 so far has not been quite so brisk as was hoped. 
 
 The " Black Flags " who made their name in the 
 Tongking affair, are an organisation of Chinese free- 
 lances, who, it would appear, have no existence offici- 
 
 2 E 
 
434 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 ally. They are one and all Celestials, but the Pekin 
 authorities profess ignorance — or indifference — to their 
 action. A late arrival from Yunan states that many 
 of those who fought against the French in 1 884, were 
 sent to the scene of hostilities by Sen, the new 
 Governor of Yunan, who is described as being bitterly 
 hostile to Europeans. In the war they really did 
 not do much, and, except in the case of the disaster 
 when Riviere was killed, kept at a very respectful 
 distance from the French troops. The accommodat- 
 ing nature of their patriotism is illustrated by an event 
 which took place late in the campaign. A batch of 
 two hundred, finding themselves entrapped, unhesi- 
 tatingly laid down their arms and surrendered. They 
 were asked if they would serve on the side of the 
 French, and they consented at once. A young 
 French officer was put in command of them, and 
 they are said to have done their duty right well. 
 
 The native regiment which had some time pre- 
 vious to the late war been raised at Saigon, and is 
 known to-day as " Les Tirailleurs Annamese," received 
 its baptism of fire in the war, and was always well to 
 the front. On one occasion, when attacking a town 
 in brigade, the " Tirailleurs " got in first, and opened 
 the gates for the Turcos. The corps is well supplied 
 with good officers, and is in process of expansion. The 
 little, squat, yellow soldiers have quite assumed the 
 airs of their masters, and strut about the streets of 
 Saigon, and in and out of the cafes, chatting, smok- 
 ing, and drinking absinthe with the infanterie de 
 marine. 
 
MAP OF INDOCHINA IN 1887. 
 
 - H I B E T 
 
 INDIAN 
 
 OCEAN 
 
 SocJb of JEnglisk, Miles 
 
 50 tOO 
 
 1 
 
 unison '■ 3onc\ lath, 3' Martins Lane.TT. C 
 
history of burma. 435 
 
 The Indo-Chinese Question. 
 
 When the dense clouds which to-day overhang 
 Eastern Europe shall have melted away, the attention 
 of Englishmen will not improbably be turned to their 
 interests in Eastern Asia, with a view to the settle- 
 ment of what may be termed the Indo-Chinese 
 Question. It has been with the object of throwing 
 light on the path of those amongst my countrymen 
 who desire to know something of our doings in the 
 Far East, that the foregoing pages have been written. 
 We have seen that after over half-a-century of 
 complicated negociations with the Court of Ava, entail- 
 ing three wars, the Burma question is at an end. I have 
 endeavoured to show that this consummation is for the 
 material welfare of the Burmese themselves, as well as 
 for the glory, and commercial prosperity of the British 
 Empire. The incubus of the sham power which sat 
 enthroned at Mandalay, with its rotten, crumbling 
 government, its corrupt ministers, and its oppressive 
 and retrograde laws, has been removed ; and a strong 
 and stable government has replaced it. By this step 
 we have escaped the danger of a collision with a great, 
 and at present friendly European Power, and our rela- 
 tions with China have been put on a firmer footing. 
 As the result of less than two years' continuous activity, 
 the enemies to order in the new province have been 
 induced to settle down, and the " dacoit movement " 
 is virtually at an end. Two most important questions 
 have at length been put at rest in the minds of the 
 Burmese : firstly, that we are so much stronger than 
 
 2 E 2 
 
436 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 they that further resistance is useless ; and secondly, 
 that it is our determination to stay, and administer 
 their affairs for ever. These two facts established 
 without doubt, my belief is that no further trouble need 
 be expected, either from the side of the malcontent 
 Burmese, or from the Shans. With respect to the first 
 of these, the influx of enormous bodies of troops, British 
 and representative of almost all the races of India ; a 
 number far exceeding all the dacoits in the country, 
 thoroughly disciplined and armed with breech-loaders, 
 can have left no atom of doubt in the minds of the 
 people that resistance must be vain ; while of the 
 second, the appearance of permanent barracks, spring- 
 ing up all over the country, the material for the con- 
 struction of which is brought from afar, clearly indicates 
 our intention to take up our quarters for good and all 
 amongst them. 
 
 The promptitude of the Government in setting on 
 foot the railway to Mandalay, and the activity displayed 
 in road-making and the laying down of telegraphs, has 
 already borne fruit. The greatest blessing of all, and 
 the most effective preventive of crime — the employ- 
 ment of the people, has been thus begun, and, while it 
 lasts, will do an infinity of good. 
 
 The question has lately been raised of colonising 
 Upper Burma. Of course the great obstacle to the 
 commercial prosperity of the country, both Upper and 
 I Lower Burma, is the paucity of the population. Many 
 thousands of natives of India have gravitated to Lower 
 • Burma during the last quarter of a century, but they 
 have received little encouragement, and have generally 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 437 
 
 crowded the " slums " of the principal seaport towns. 
 That an extensive scheme of colonisation for Upper 
 Burma could with advantage be set on foot, few seem 
 to doubt. My belief is that if encouraged with small 
 grants of land, thousands of Punjaubis and Sikhs 
 would flock into Upper Burma ; then settle down with 
 their families in a climate very much resembling their 
 own, and be a great support to Government in the 
 fixture 
 
 Whenever there is anything to be got cheap, 
 depend upon it John Chinaman will not be far off ; 
 indeed already, having sniffed advantage from afar, 
 he is beginning to appear on the scene. The wretched, 
 weak-kneed Madrassees are no use for colonising our 
 new province : they have no stamina, and are too 
 home-sick to remain any time away from their beloved 
 paddy fields in the Southern Indian peninsula. 
 
 That there are " bumper years " yet to be realised 
 by some of the great Rangoon houses, few outsiders 
 doubt. The acute southern Scotchmen who direct 
 them, however, are by no means sanguine. The days 
 of rice in Burma are, they say, gone for ever, and the 
 prospect of making fortunes by the sale of dry goods 
 is still remote. 
 
 They have had a bad time of late, and although 
 the past rice season has been a marked improvement on 
 the two previous ones, there does not appear to be any 
 immediate prospect of a return to the old state of things. 
 
 Let us now glance cursorily at the condition of the 
 tribes on our new frontiers. 
 
43& THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 Of the Chins and other tribes of the like charac- 
 teristics which dwell in the hill tracts on the old 
 frontier between India and Upper Burma, I have 
 nothing to add to what has been stated in the chapter 
 on this subject. The great success which has attended 
 the efforts of our political officers to gather the Arakan 
 hill tribes — mostly Chins — into our fold, and to make 
 them loyal subjects, gives reason to hope that a few 
 years will see us in peaceful occupation of all this 
 country, and on friendly terms with the hill tribes. 
 
 Turning to the east and north-east of our new 
 province, we find the Kakhyens or, as they are called, 
 the Kachins. As has been already pointed out, they 
 are a wild and predatory race, with gipsy, kidnap- 
 ping propensities. They are persistent robbers, and 
 can only be propitiated by bribes. The worst of it is 
 that they are an increasing race, and, although never 
 likely to be strong enough to do more than perpetrate 
 petty raids, it is to be feared that they may give much 
 trouble from time to time, and it may become necessary 
 to give them more than one severe lesson. The dis- 
 advantage of sending expeditions eastward from Bamo 
 consists in the proximity, and at present undefined 
 position, of the Chinese frontier. If it be true that 
 Governor Sen, of Yunan, is hostile to us, complications 
 with China would not unlikely be the outcome, as was 
 the case with the French in Tongking. Should it 
 happen that the trade route through the Kachin hills 
 cannot be re-opened in consequence of the disturbed 
 state of the tribes, something will have to be done. 
 Joint action with China would be the first plan to sug- 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 439 
 
 gest itself ; but whether such an arrangement would 
 be feasible or not, must be left to the judgment of 
 those who know best the oily and slippery Celestial 
 diplomatists at Pekin. 
 
 The Shans and their future, their manners and 
 customs, their actual numbers ; powers of concentration 
 and real attitude towards us, are the most common 
 topics of discussion, and the most "threshed out" in 
 our local papers in Burma. So much diversity of 
 opinion is there on this subject amongst men who 
 ought to know, that the collator is driven to dread his 
 own conclusions after hearing the evidence for and 
 against. When we first went up to Mandalay in the 
 winter of 1885-6, if a little stand was ever made 
 against our troops, it was always attributed to Shans. 
 The common idea in the army was that the Burmans 
 were cowards, but that the Shans were good men and 
 true. My own belief was at the time that this was an 
 error. If there was any warlike spirit abroad in the 
 country, it was amongst the Burmans, and not amongst 
 the Shans, who were not a nation, and had no national 
 pride. Subsequent events have, I think, proved that 
 the Shans are a peaceful, trading, simple people, and 
 are the reverse to warlike. As a proof of this they 
 have for years been receding before the Kachins in the 
 north, while in the south they live in bodily terror of 
 the little hostile hill tribes known as the Red Karens. 
 All accounts go to prove that the country west of the 
 Salween is in a state of desolation owing to the general 
 anarchy which has been created by the squabbles of 
 rival chiefs, who appear to have been wandering about 
 
44° THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 with bands of men living on the wretched villagers, 
 and carefully avoiding a collision of any kind lest some- 
 one should get hurt. Already our appearance in the 
 western portion of Shanland has had a quieting and 
 reassuring effect, and many of the bands have - dis- 
 persed to their homes, and commenced looking after 
 their crops. 
 
 The Shans from time immemorial have been 
 accustomed to look to some great controlling power, 
 either from Burma on the west or China on the east ; 
 but the influence for good exercised over them in either 
 the one case or the other was nil. 
 
 It is not being too sanguine to hope and prophesy 
 that these poor people will be glad to look to the Great 
 Queen as their mistress and protectress. 
 
 As for the Karens they are at present the " pets " 
 of our Government. At the commencement of the 
 late disturbances they applied for arms, and asked to 
 be led against their old enemies the Burmans ; but as 
 the Chief Commissioner did not rise so readily to the 
 idea as some of the Karen supporters seemed to think 
 he ought, there was a great complaint made at the 
 supineness of the Government in thus hesitating to use 
 so useful a weapon. Arms were issued later on, and 
 no doubt the Karens justified all confidence placed in 
 them, and did good service in suppressing dacoity. 
 The hesitation manifested at the outset in distributing 
 large quantities to the Karens was most probably due 
 to a desire on the part of the Commissioner to avoid, 
 as far as possible, intensifying the bitter feeling which 
 already existed between the two tribes, and to his 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 441 
 
 resolve of putting down the insurrection by the em- 
 ployment of troops and police. The Karens have 
 suffered a severe loss in the death of their best friend 
 and most enthusiastic defender, Dr. Vinton. His father 
 was their teacher and champion, and the son was a no 
 less enthusiastic advocate of Karen rights. 
 
 As far as it is possible to foresee Indo-Chinese 
 politics, we ought always to be able to reckon upon 
 the Karens to stand by us in any trouble which may 
 from time to time crop up on our eastern frontiers ; but 
 to be too free in issuing arms to so excitable and un- 
 certain a people would scarcely be a very wise policy. 
 As a reward for their loyalty, many might be enrolled 
 in the police, and there is no reason why a battalion or 
 two might not be raised for military service. But the 
 success of the latter scheme would certainly fail unless 
 the thing was taken up in a business-like way, i.e., 
 unless the men were trained and instructed by regular 
 officers and non-commissioned officers. Any attempt 
 to do the thing on the cheap, and from a civilian point 
 of view, by putting six or seven hundred half-savages 
 under a single police officer who has not himself been 
 educated to train and command men, must of course 
 end in a fiasco. In order to give a chance of success 
 to an experiment of forming an Indo-Chinese battalion 
 for military service, there ought to be an officer, and 
 five or six specially selected non-commissioned officers, 
 to every hundred men. The language question would 
 soon be got over. Only offer the inducement to young 
 officers now serving in Burma, of extra pay and 
 chances of promotion in the new battalions, and the 
 
44 2 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 language tests will be got through in a very few- 
 months. 
 
 The French declare that they have made a capital 
 corps out of the Annamese, who were said to be the 
 most cowardly and degraded of the Indo-Chinese races, 
 so there can be no possible reason why we should not 
 do still better with the Burmans and Karens. 
 
 The Siamese, and other tribes who own their suze- 
 rainty, number almost a third of the Indo-Chinese 
 peoples. As has been pointed out in the chapter on 
 the Siamese, they have no marked characteristics. 
 They are neither warlike nor enterprising, which 
 accounts, no doubt, for the absence of the many dis- 
 turbing influences which have for centuries agitated 
 their western and northern neighbours. 
 
 It is difficult to understand how they have increased 
 their territory both northward and eastward, unless it 
 is due to the complete anarchy which has existed for 
 years amongst the various Shan tribes who inhabit 
 these regions, and who are more or less indifferent to 
 whom they pay their yearly mite of tribute ; be it to 
 China, Burma, or Siam. 
 
 For the present Siam is quiet and shows outward 
 signs of remaining so ; but she is impotent for either 
 offence or defence, and would fall an easy prey to any 
 Western nation. 
 
 The French have for many years mixed "their 
 mouths " for the acquisition of Siam, but they are at 
 present farther off than ever. The king leans much 
 more on the British Government for succour and advice 
 than on the French ; and unless we deliberately throw 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 443 
 
 him and his successors over, Siam will become more 
 and more British, and should her people find them- 
 selves at any time threatened by a great Power, such 
 as China or France, they would, without doubt, put 
 themselves under our protection. 
 
 The power of Siam in the Malay Peninsula is almost 
 nil; while year by year the Malays are becoming 
 more civilised, and the native Rajas more friendly 
 towards Europeans. 
 
 We have a consul at Bankok, and also a political 
 officer at Zimme, so that British interests are well 
 represented on the Menan River. 
 
 On the Mekong, or Cambodia, the greatest of Indo- 
 Chinese rivers, it is otherwise. French influence is 
 undoubtedly in the ascendant here, and there is every 
 prospect of an attempt being made ere long to make 
 this river the boundary line between the French Pro- 
 tectorate and Siam ; thus considerably reducing the 
 young king's responsibilities. This arrangement, if it 
 is ever brought about, will still leave the Siamese 
 government much more country than they can make 
 any pretence of looking after ; but as the influence of 
 the French over the great extent of sea-board and 
 inland tracts which are coloured blue on the map is little 
 more than nominal, the addition of this new slice will 
 not mend matters. 
 
 Notwithstanding the somewhat precipitate aban- 
 donment of the campaign in Tongking which followed 
 the overthrow of the Ferry ministry, the French have 
 continued to keep a firm hold on that province, as well 
 as on Annam. The local chiefs have not in all cases 
 
444 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 been interfered with, but as there is really no military 
 spirit, and only a very faint and conditional patriotism, 
 amongst the mandarins, European ascendancy is 
 steadily increasing. 
 
 It would be a wise man who could foresee the 
 future of the French " Eastern Empire." Successive 
 governors have held very diverse views as to the best 
 means of developing the resources of the country, 
 and infusing ideas of European progress into the 
 Annamese. 
 
 The policy of repression which was inaugurated at 
 the outset has long since been abandoned, and has 
 given place to a much more liberal system of govern- 
 ment. Paul Bert did not live to see his schemes for 
 a modern Utopia take any real form, and from all 
 accounts, the men who had to apply his theories to 
 actual government in Indo-China had a bad time of it. 
 It is not an uncommon thing to find good, if not 
 great men, who have spent their lives in European 
 political and philosophical life, and who suddenly find 
 themselves transplanted to the uttermost parts of the 
 earth to govern half-savages, holding delightful views 
 on equality amongst colours and castes, and on the ap- 
 plication of European methods of government to, well, 
 say, the more uncivilised Asiatic tribes. Rules and 
 laws are most easily framed, but Lord help the un- 
 fortunates whose duty it is to see that they are not 
 transgressed every day, and all day long ! Every 
 Eastern State must undergo three processes before there 
 , is much chance of its being ruled on a European 
 i system. Firstly, it must be subdued by force of arms, 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 445 
 
 and this work should be most thoroughly complete ; 
 secondly, the people should be ruled and controlled by 
 the conquerors, substituting civil for military authority, 
 and employing, as far as possible, the people of the 
 country as preservers of the peace ; thirdly, a judicious 
 selection from amongst the people themselves should 
 be installed in positions of authority, and if found to be, ' 
 reliable, promoted to high offices. But this must take 1 , 
 time : it cannot be rushed, as we may see by the 
 perusal of the history of our own eastern colonies. 
 
 With respect to the present state of the French 
 colonies in Indo-China, accounts differ in a remarkable 
 degree. 
 
 The more sanguine of the visitors whom I have 
 met say the country is steadily going ahead, and 
 compare Saigon favourably with Rangoon. 
 
 In Tongking, they say, much has been done, and 
 that a swamp at Haiphong has in three years become 
 the site of a smart town, wherein a brisk trade is 
 going on. Other travellers take a pessimist view of 
 the colony. Saigon, they assert, is merely a military 
 cantonment, and there is nothing going on in the way 
 of trade. Tongking is in a poor way. 
 
 One fact only seems certain, that the French by 
 their usual policy of imposing heavy import duties are 
 doing their best to strangle the commercial prosperity 
 of the country in its infancy. 
 
 The important question of the opening up of the 
 trade between Western China and Europe is greatly 
 affected by the acquisition by the French of Tongking, 
 and by ourselves of Upper Burma. 
 
446 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 It may thus be put : Who are best placed to tap 
 the markets of Yunan, and open up new fields for trade 
 in European goods — the French at Tongking or the 
 British at Mandalay and Bamo ? 
 
 Were the Songkoi, which rising in the heart of 
 Yunan, empties itself into the China Sea at Haiphong, 
 a river anything like the Irrawaddy, the French would 
 win at a walk, and we should not be in it ; but it is 
 far otherwise. It is not navigable for steamers for 
 many miles north of Hanoi, and its upper waters are 
 checked by shoals and rapids which render even boat 
 navigation a slow and dangerous process. 
 
 Furthermore, pirates abound along its banks, and 
 the Chinese authorities in this portion of the country 
 show little inclination to encourage trade enterprises 
 on the scale which Europeans desire. 
 
 Still, as a matter of actual distance, the French 
 have the advantage, and based on the sea there would 
 appear to be a fine chance of carrying on a brisk trade 
 with the interior. But somehow things are not look- 
 ing up in the colony. M. Georges Lieusson, a French 
 gentleman, writing about Tonquin, talks of the Chinese 
 swallowing up all the business of Haiphong, and says ; 
 " II se passera au Tonkin ce qui a lieu deja en Cochin- 
 Chine 011 seuls la modiste, le coiffeur, le cabaretier et 
 le photographe francais parviennent a lutter avec 
 avantage." 
 
 It is to be hoped that Tonquin has a better future 
 before it than this. It would indeed be a misfortune 
 if the colony should be allowed to languish and collapse 
 after all the trouble that has been taken to subdue it, 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 447 
 
 and establish European influence therein. Something 
 is now being done to cheer the place up, and some 
 good buildings are making their appearance both at 
 Haiphong and Hanoi. So it would appear that our 
 activity in Upper Burma is making the French in 
 Tonquin " sit up." 
 
 The question of our trade with China from the 
 valley of the Upper Irrawaddy is still open, and will 
 remain so until an arrangement with China is come to 
 on the subject. 
 
 The French are working heaven and earth to cut 
 us out with the " Heathen Chinee," and their envoy at 
 Pekin is at work negociating a fresh treaty. 
 
 The arrangements proposed by China after the 
 downfall of the Ferry ministry were dead against 
 French interests in every regard, and were not agreed 
 to by the Republic. 
 
 The opium trade was prohibited ; only a slight 
 reduction of duties imported into Tonquin was agreed 
 to ; and only two places on the Chinese frontier were 
 opened up for trade, one in Kwangsi and one in 
 Yunan. On the other hand, almost every village in 
 Tonquin had its Chinese consul, and Chinese traders 
 mopped up all the business there was going on. The 
 new French proposals aim at an improvement in this 
 state of things. 
 
 The following are their demands : — 
 
 i. That the consuls be removed on the dual 
 grounds that they are the head centres of secret 
 societies, and that they are not permitted in the British 
 Empire. 
 
448 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 2. The removal of the salt monopolies. 
 
 3. The removal of the law prohibiting trade in 
 opium between Tonquin and China. 
 
 4. That goods passing through Tonquin should be 
 admitted without delay into the Chinese ports. 
 
 5. That two additional places on the Chinese 
 frontier be opened up for trade with Tonquin. 
 
 It would appear that the Chinese authorities have, 
 after much pressure, acceded to two of these five 
 demands, viz. : that the opium trade be permitted, and 
 that the desired two places be opened up. 
 
 The latter is undoubtedly an important concession, 
 and if the French are able to take advantage of it, 
 ought to give them the pull over us in this part of the 
 world ; but as the production of opium in Tonquin is, 
 so far, nothing to speak of, the former boon is some- 
 what remote. Furthermore, it is not expected that 
 even should the opium be grown more extensively, it 
 will equal in quantity or quality that produced in India. 
 
 So as matters stand at present the French have, as 
 I have said before, scored clearly by the provisions of 
 the new treaty. It is for us to ask for a corresponding 
 concession. China cannot refuse it. It is to our 
 mutual interest to keep friends with each other. John 
 Chinaman well appreciates this fact. He may not 
 love us at heart, but he loves other foreigners less. 
 We are strong and we are useful to him ; and that is 
 enough. 
 
 Mr. Colquhoun and other writers who have for 
 years zealously watched affairs in China, are now of 
 opinion that increased trade advantages should be con- 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 449 
 
 ceded to us by China without delay. They seem to 
 propose that we should demand the port of Nanning, 
 a town seven hundred miles up the Canton river, from 
 which point we could tap the markets of South-eastern 
 Yunan, in addition to those of the extensive provinces 
 of Kwangsi and Kwee-chan. The aboVe-named ex- 
 plorer also covets Wu-chan, a city of 30,000 inhabitants 
 situated at the junction of the Fu and Canton rivers, 
 which, if occupied as a treaty port, would give us a 
 clear advantage over the French in Southern China. 
 The great obstacle to trade all over China are the 
 exorbitant duties levied on goods ; from these the 
 native traders suffer in common with the foreigners. 
 As time goes on, they must be lightened. They are a 
 twofold nuisance to us ; they stifle us in China, and 
 they drive millions of Chinese traders into our empire, 
 where they threaten to eat us up like locusts. 
 
 Our present position in the Far East cannot be 
 better summarised than in words of Mr. Colquhoun's 
 recent letter to the " Times" : — With France already 
 possessing one-third of Indo-China and eagerly seeking 
 to oust our trade from the south of China ; with Russia 
 rapidly pushing forward her railway across the Sibe- 
 rian wastes in the north, intending by branch lines to 
 attract the trade of the northern provinces ; with 
 Germany, France, and America striving their utmost 
 to anticipate us in the introduction of railways and 
 other industrial enterprises into China, containing half 
 the population of the world, it is surely time for us to 
 bestir ourselves and use the vantage-ground we possess 
 in Burma and its Shan States. The execution of a 
 
 2 F 
 
450 THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN. 
 
 railway to Ssu-mao would not only enable us to com- 
 pete with France in Yunan and Ssu-chuan, but would 
 insure the commencement of a Chinese system of rail- 
 ways from Ssu-mao, which would eventually permeate 
 the western half of China and tend enormously to the 
 expansion of British commerce. Such railways, having 
 I their origin at Ssu-mao, would naturally draw the 
 materials for construction from British markets through 
 our port of Moulmein, and thus greatly benefit our 
 home industries. Unless British energy is dead, we 
 shall push on our connection with China. Otherwise 
 we must make up our minds to see the trade of 
 Southern China drawn to French ports where pro- 
 hibitive protective tariffs are enforced with the avowed 
 object of excluding our trade." 
 
 Whatever may be said to the contrary, there is no 
 room for doubt that our late acquisitions in Indo- 
 China have improved our relations with the Celestial 
 Empire. For many hundreds of miles our frontiers 
 are contiguous, and day by day our interests become 
 more and more identical. The common enemy 
 threatens us both from his geographical position. He 
 stretches his octopus claws over thousands of miles of 
 land and water from the Baltic to the Pacific Ocean. 
 He looks down on India and China alike with covetous 
 eye. If the long-looked-for Muscovite hordes ever 
 resolve to measure their strength with that of the 
 Eastern armies of the Great Queen, from whence will 
 they come ? Through Southern Afghanistan to break 
 themselves on the rocks, and to confront a great 
 British force in the Peshin Valley ? Never. Or to 
 
HISTORY OF BURMA. 45 1 
 
 entangle themselves in the passes between Cabul and 
 Peshawar ? No more likely. If they ever come, they 
 will come from the north. They will have to impinge 
 on China to do this, and with China and England 
 hand-in-hand they will never come, or, if they do, it 
 will only be to meet inevitable ruin and disaster. 
 China has plenty of arms, and she has the money to buy 
 any amount more. She has half the populations of 
 the world. But she is hard up for leaders in war. 
 With a thousand British officers to command her 
 soldiers, and one Chinese Gordon to direct their path, 
 what a mighty engine of destruction she could bring 
 into the field ? 
 
 John Chinaman thus addresses John Bull : " Me 
 very glad you come too near us, Johnny. Now we 
 coming plenty friend. Each help other to make plenty 
 money. Each help other to fight all de world. Shake 
 hands, Johnny !" 
 
 THE END. 
 
HARRISON AND SONS, 
 
 PRINTERS IN ORDINARY TO HER MAJESTY, 
 
 ST. MARTIN'S LANE. 
 
"THE COMING OF THE GREAT QUEEN," 
 Drawn by Lieut. A. G. Baird-Smith, Royal Scots Fusiliers. 
 
 §1s^^pN 
 
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