Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-11-26

had summoned a marine force from Promek One morn
ing thirty of these glded craft he Quartermasters Off
Ger has described them well down the river and
approached the town in single file Red flags hutered in
the bow and stern of each spears gtered and Innocent
looksg muskets. hundred paddles, welded by hun
dried vigorous arms, swept the water one sfang in
cadence with the monotonous songs of the steersmen
hundred triumpha gongs banged as though they
about to sit down to simultaneous dinners hun
dred Burmese Astor Houses. hundred trumpha
dances were executed by hundred indecent gentlemen
in Terpsichorean gymnastics and the burden Of their
war-song was something in this sort
! Burmah man strong man.
| Hum, hum, hah
Kumpny-m no CAN'T
! Hum, hum hnh
Burmah man run fast;
Hum, hum hah
| kumpny last,
/ IAN innocent compiment;j
| Hum. hum hah -
! With each "hah" a vigorous plunge of every padde
into the brine in strictly musical time and the low sen-
der craft shot through the water like feathered shaft
her bow half-hid beneath pile of foam. Presently the
Tnasserim, which had been hourly expected with de-
spatches from Calcutta rounded the point approach
ed her anchorage under I" full power" and with rapid
current She was not the Governors programme for
the day, and neither her back-water which being
a phenomenon for which the Burmese steersmen were
wholly unprepared, caught the boats broadside on"
half way between the ship and Shore and throwing
for instant ridiculous disorder and their
into panic, capsized them without exception. In n
moment every gong silent every singer dumb every
dancer parayzed every flag struck and every
surrendered and arms and ammunition speedily enough
expended las the companys pursers say Of stores
which cannot be accounted for) Poor wretches their
dismay was complete, their establishment ludcrous
enough, and their songs of triumph converted
into voclferous amenation and all would have been
premey dro but for the thought that more than one
head must pay for the fun.
Later in the progress Of the war superb specimen Of
these war-boats sent to the Queen 1t discover
ed by of men hauled high and dry into the
jungle on the left bank of the river were descend
ing from Rome Some idea of its dimensions can be
formed from the fact that it seated hundred rowers
The stern was spread out like the tail of some graceful
bird The sides, above the water-ne, were chastely
carved IN style of art nnapproachabe in Burmah
where skill in wood carving is the most esteemed and
cratiye Of the crafts The whole was elaborately pded
within and without and the carved were left in their
places dashed to pins with thongs of osier no row Jocks
| being used.
But all this while the Phegethon' is padding to
Moulmein As we approached that picturesque village
the pleased expression the faces of the officers the
urbanity Of the skipper, and the aacrity with which
the men went about their work. all told plainly enough
that our lot about to fall among pleasant places
Grog and girls" was egble enough on Jacks weather
beaten phz and dinners and pic mics and elephant
excursions could be read under every gold band On
the gadn as the landing places Of Indian ports are call
ed we could descry among the crowds of ghqrs and
rdnchus pdthuS dnghee raqh servants of the custom
house and post office of the regiments Jew
Armenian shopkeepers and the agents of the various
rival shp-chandlers the countenances of our
friends from the environments with here and there some
fair daughter Of the regiment perched in her poney
phaeton or reclining in her paee swung upon the shout
dcrs OF four athletic poems News of the sockade affair
had already reached them and all Moumen was on the
qm ere Then came baskets of plantans and guavas
with now and then the first dorans mangoes of the
season for some lucky dog of from some adu-
ants sister commissarys cousin whom had render
ed wretehed for life at last visit Next all the in
rcacies OF longshore toilet to be woven from
sailors simple kit, amid much anathemazing of Hindu
BARRIERS and bodyseryants who nothing better than
"suai and banehs (a) and jungle raahs for that day
at least epithes ingenously conriyed to insult their re-
How md olo
ttions at the captains door Permission to 20 ashore
sir!-that gentleman himself most eager for the fun
preserving an attitude OF dignifed indifference to such
puerile exctements. Last of all the hurry and
confusion and noisy contention in babel of dialects of
shore-boats alongside, sir reported by the quarter
master, and variety of novel experiments often attend
ed by most udcrous mshaps to the great gee of the
dhe wddhs Of balancing oneself in their tipsy canoes
the cautious men, especially old stagers" tendery pre-
serving the boats aud their centre of gravity by
humDy squatng in the bottom the rash and especially
the greenhorns, insisting upon standing and srik
ing attitude, until ducking fatal to all their pretty
arrangements explains the futty of the effort And so
we reach the ghdu Tor, rather, the mud when the tide
low through which born baby-l in the arms
OF the bearers. The dinghee-waahs being paid net with
out much exhortaon to generosity their part and
some striking arguments, addressed 10 their extortion on
ours we switch our way through the motley crews, di-
Josephs coat satisfy the curiosity Of our pa
tent friends and accept their congratuatory greetings
Conyeyances must be provided for excursion The
fast man, with eye speed and all sailors fond
ness for riding, selects gharse the old Indian ha-
buated to luxury and azness, prefers pqLkee. This
last is obong box three feet high three wide and
six feet long, panneed and vanished like the body Of
carriage provided with sliding doors and curtains on both
sides, and small window in each end and by of
stout pole at either extremity parallel to its ongitu
dna axis borne the shoulders of four stout bearers
Within il is furnished with light mattress OF some fine
description of straw and pillow Of the material
besides small shelf and drawer to receive various par
cells. In this the passenger extends his full length in
dolenty enough and in agreeable privacy, smokes
reads sleeps he travels The paice raLahs the
bearers are called naked to the waist in the
rainy season Their lons grit up in ample breech
cloth of white linen, and turban of the material
protects the head, having end long and pendant
left shoulder Their legs and feet uncovered These
pdtkees which, to an inexperienced person, when
empty, offer hopeless weight, are conveyed by them
with heavy passenger within the Of twenty
thirty miles day with but slight distress Their mode
of travel in short rot having the free elbow sharply
crooked, and marking time with strange monotonous
song drone To stranger at first this is unpea-
sympathy ii excites in behalf of the struggling bearers
but that weakness is lost in the process of accma
ton In Calcutta the pdLe is popular vehicle Of fir
taon for which purpose lis successfully employed In
the most crowded horoughares it is not uncommon to
meet what to uninstruced eye, appears to be double
pdiee with eight bearers and he doors enclosed The ar
rangement is simple, but ingenious and immensely con-
vcnient Two single pditecs brought side by side
One, Of course, contains lady, the other gentleman
The outer doors closed the inner open the vehicles
aThis old gentleman had fatal fondness for brandy and
whenever his supplies low accustomed dispatch
circular bulletin to the Armenian merchants of Rangoon
the effect that his favorte elephant sick Brandy
the specific and brandy be forthcoming forthwith
Whenever the Governors elephant ill., old bont-