Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-12-14
THE BURMESE CAPITAL.
A Description of Mandalay, Now Ocou.
pied by the British Forces,

pied by the British Forces,
From fAs Nss0 YORK. World.
Mandalay, or Mandate, the capital of
Burmah, lies about three miles from the
Irrawaddy river, on rising ground below
Mandate hill. The present capital OF the
land of Ava was founded about 1858 by
the father of the present King of Burmah,
the ancient capital being Ava, situated
some twenty miles below Mandalay. One
of the motives of the late King for select
ing the present site for his capital is said
to have been his desire to remove the pal
ace from the sight and sound OF the Brit
ish steamers, but this is an improbable
reason at best. The city consists of two
concentric fortified squares, the outer be-
ing defended by high brick walls and
earthworks thrown up on the inside. -Four
gates give admittance into the city. over
each of which rises tower with seven
gilded roofs, similar though smaller tow
ers adjoining the walls at intervals. A
moat fifty yards broad and very deep
surrounds the walls, and is patroled dur
ing the night by guard-boats filed with
soldiers,
The first square is inhabited by the Off
cials, civil and military. and the soldiers
of the royal army. The houses of the in
habitants are all in separate Enclosures,
bordering on broad, well-kept streets,
along which is the "King's fence" lat
tIced palisade, behind which the Burmese
hide themselves when the King passes.
The central or royal square is surrounded
by an outer stockade of teak timber, -
feet high, and an inner wall. Two gates
opposite each other are the entrances in
to this enclosure, which contains the gov
eminent Offices and the royal mint on
one side. On the other is another wall
a nc 20 N n L
ace Enclosure. Passing through this
gateway, large open area is seen, and
on the opposite side arises a building,
crowned by nine roofs richly gilded, and
surmounted by golden ''htee," an UNI
brella adorned with a coronal OF tinkling
bells. This marks the audience hail, and,
the royal abode being considered sacred,
all entering that apartment are required
to take off their shoes. To the left can be
seen the abode of the "white" elephant,
this animal being scarcely distinguished
BILE from any other elephant, except that
the skin OF the head is of slightly paler
hue than the rest of the body. To the
right is the royal arsenal, outside of
which there was in recent years com.
pletely armed deck of a vessel, serving as
school for naval gunnery. The royal
gardens and the palace buildings are
situated in the rear of the central hall,
the former being both grand and pictur-
esque,
The suburbs of the city stretch south
ward in broad streets outside the city
walls, converging towards the Arracan
pagOda. Between the city and Mandate
hill numerous khyoungs, or monasteriss
| have been erected by the queens and 9TH
er members of the royal family, their teak
| pillars and rocks being magnlticently
carved and richly gilded. At the foot Of
| the hill is a temple with large seated
statue OF Buddha, carved in white mar
BILE, the hill itself being crowned by gill
! ded pagOda and large statue of Buddha,
| the "Golden King" standing with out
| stretched finger pointing to the golden
umbrella that marks the royal abode. On
| the eastern side the city is skirted by a
| swamp, and the Myit-nge river, six miles
| to the south, almost insulates the enVi-
rOns of the capital.
A few miles from Mandalay is the town
of MengroOn, which is celebrated for It's
! huge ruin of solid brick-work, formerly
| intended for a gigantic pagoda, but
WHEN was left unfinished in consequence
of prediction that lis completion would
be fatal to the royal founder, King Menta-
ragpi. The earthquake of 1889 split the
huge cube of solid brick-wOrk and reduc-
ed it TO ruins. Yule. gives the dimen.
sions of the lowesl of the five encircling
! terraces as 400 feet square. Ifcompleted,
| the edIfice would have been 500 feet high.
Not far from this gigantic ruin IS the
''great bell of NungOOn," cast at the CON-
mencement of this century, and in shape
! and form resembling western bells. Its
height is Is feet, besides feet for hang
ing apparatus. 1t is IL feet in diameter
and from 10 to u inches in thickness,
while its total weight is supposed to ex-
coed 100000 pounds.
The river near Mandalay is dotted with
islands, on one OF which the roy al gardens
are situated. Some miles up the river
is little island called Theehadaw, which
boasts the only stone pagoda in Burmah,
! and is a famous resort for Buddhist pill.
grims. But the most peculiar features OF
| this island are the famous tame fish. The
boatmen Of the neighborhood, pilgrims OF
passing travellers supply themselves with
rice or plantaiDs and leaning over the wa.
| ter call "'Tit-tit-tit." Soon the fish an.
pear, and after repeated calls come along.
side the boats and eagerly devour the
food offering. So tame are some Of these
sacred fish that they suffer themselves TO
be strOked, showing their ugly heads and
| backs, to which ardent devotees some.
times attach patches of gold leaf Fol-
three miles above and below this island
fishing is prohibited by royal order, and
the priests, part OF whose daily duty con.
sists in feeding the fish, claim that the
watery pets never stray beyond these
| boundaries.