Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1837-06-07
BRANDON, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7, 1887:

' tHG OCSI we Call HOpc VI I1'S uIHopH
people, is, that having "sinned without
law, they shall perish without law
Before re-entering the city. we passed
through little village or ward allotted to
lepers. Four men and a woman seated
themselves in row, by the way side, as
we came up, and modestly solicited aims.
Before giving anything, stopped some
ribIe disease. They made no cIamor, did
not repeat their solicitations showed off
no affectations, but were cheerful and en-
tlreIy without pain Much bodily suffer-
ing Is not endured in this disease, except
at the commencement One was not much
affected. Each Of the others had lost all
OF their fingers, and most Of their toes.
They were thin and haggard. The dis
tresSing scene brought powerfully to mind
the gracious cures of our Divine Master
There are about thirty-fve or forty of
these persons in the city, occupying two
villages.
! A couple of hours sail from Prone
with fine wind, brought US to a narrow
pass in the river, lofty hills encroaching
upon 1t on each side. On almost the high
est point Of those on the west side, the IA
nous pagoda Poo-o-dong was visible
! among the trees. Here Gaudama lived,
and here is shown on a rock the print of
his foot eOidently fabulous, for no human
foot was ever of such a shape. Copies
on stone of this great wonder are preserv-
ed in many places, and regarded with
great veneration.
! On every side for some days we have
Seen indigo growing, and the large jars in
which it IS stepped, frcquently stand in
rows beside the river. Both soil and cll-
mate here are said to be eminentlv ia
vorabIe to this plant, and the cultivation
of it in experienced and scientific hands
would certainly prove lucrative Most
! of the product is consumed in this region,
which is particularly devoted to manufac-
lures. Large quantities Of cotton cloth
are daily seen hanging up at the villages,
in the course Of being dyed. Some of it
was of brilliant red, procured from ma
tive woods called nee-pe-zay and soo-ban.
! These are preferred even to the sapan
wood, as yielding as good color, and
much more durable
In every respect the landscape has now
changed. Instead of an interminab!e lev
el, devoted mainly to coarse grass and
paddy, without trees without birds, and
without houses, except in larger villages,
we have every variety Of beautiful land
scape. Fine hills, cultivated in patches,
even to the summit, scattered houses, fenc-
ed fields, noble trees, with horses, cattle,
hogs, fowls, and numerous birds. Among
t the trees the beautiful and state y tamarind
: now begins TO be seen.
The number Of trading boats on the
t river is astonishing We pass scores eve
. ny day, and sometimes hundreds. Ny
t boat being small, in mere ballast trim, and
t we'll manned, we pass everything, and
7 thus have an opportunity of supplying
= numbers OF them with tracts. The larg
), est of them carry ten and twelve thousand
= bushels Of uncieaned rice, the smaller
it three or four hundred. Their chief lad
e ing seemed to be rice, salt, and gmo-pee
: They are, for the most part, drawn by tn,
:, crew with rope from the bank, or pro
= PEELED by setting poles; sailing only whel
l. the wind is fair, and neither too strong no
a too weak. They are generally from thre
U TO four months in ascending from the Del
Y, ia to Ava. The crew of the larges
at boats consists of thirty-fve or forty mer
d. and almost always the owner or captai
Sc has his wife and children ON board
= No one can ascend the river withor
is being impressed with the hardihood, skill
v energy, and good humor of Burmar boa
Of men Thou gh the boats themselves loo
r: awkward to an American, they are ne
E. ill-suted to the navigation, and are we
IT managed. In ascending much of tn
y, way must be accomplished by settin
I'd poles. For these they use straight ban
boos, Of species which is almost soil
We and very strong. The end is applied NJ
TO the front of the shoulder, as with u
but above the collar bone. Bending 70
=. ward till their hands touch the deck, the
II, bring the resistance perpendicular to IN
". spine, and thus possess far greater poW'
- than is possible by our mode. When b
slight exertion is required, the pole is al
piled as with US. On many boatmen az
-. coolies, q cailus is formed on the top
> the shoulder, which looks like sma
swelling. Getting aground is daI
duu
10 day, owing to the continual shifting OF II
a sands, and uncertainty as to the he19ht
en- the water. In such cases the men a
rnt instantly in the water, to shove of.
rs pulling the boat by ropes, we frequent
ads meet streams and nullahs, over wh''
ck, they swim without a moments hesltatlo
ide If bamboo or an oar fall overload, tn
th instantly plunge in and recover IT.
al fact they seem almost am0hiblouss, a
All Burman costume is most happily adapt
led to aquatic exigencies. The strength a
ers energy with which they surmount
its 6culIies, transcends anything ever 81