Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-11-26
KING THEBAw,s COUNTRY.
what a British Engineer Saw in Eur
NAH.

NAH.
From tAe 50. james Gdsetss.
1t was my heavy task to DO with the
crop destroying Irrawaddy what Canute
admitted his inability to do with the sea
10 other words was told of to construct
an embankment against a river that de-
stroyed on an average one crop in every
three.
had 10000 Burmese working for me.
men, women and children. The embank-
ment was 20 miles, the swollen water
would have run over IN had IL been less
than 20 feet high; and would have whirl-
"a 1t into the plain IL its base had not been
100 feet broad. Then we could only work
by snatches even in the drv months, and
not at all during the long and dreary wet
season. My wOrkpeOple returned to their
homes tor the wet months. but I stayed on
to see that our foundation was not wash
ed away.
My hest laborers we're the women. The
mass OF them were not from British Bur
nah, but slaves Of the King OF Kings, the
Burmese Of the highlands. II there Ia to
he fighting. il is from these that the King
OF Burmah will draw his army. Had thew
their own way, l am quite certain that
there would be no war. They have not
the practical experiences Of the Envlish,
possessed nv the natives of British Bur-
nah; but they know them by repute and
by their works. In the heat Of the day,
when work was out OF the question. l
have listened with astonishment and pity
10 their talk over the everlasting cheroOt.
1t was evident that such an id a as not
carrying out to the letter the mandates of
the King. was inconceivable to them.
have said that my work people re-
turned to their homes during the wet
season. There was no opinion In the
matter; they had to do it. The King
takes fatherly interest in them, and sees
that they pay for it II thew desert him.
His favorite method is to keep hostages,
and my laborers bad TO cave their fam
lilies In his hands before they came to me-.
Had they failed TO render an account at
tbemse YES nv the stipulated time. the
hostages would have been given over to
the state and II the King desired It,
trampled to d aih by the elephant,
which in Burmah discharges the
duties of public executioner. Out
Of every rupee | pad nv lahorers,
part had 10 b. laid aside for the King.
The + rmese smoke to n man. TO a w.
man, ! might almost saw to child. was
rhysiciar-in chief 10 those under me. and
l soon learned to rely upon IL that when
patient gave IN smoking he or she was
| really Ill. The Burmese ladies' have a
very peculiar cigar case. But there are
two object ons 10 It's ever becomi Q popu-
lar here. OF which the less important IL
hat each cigar case only holds one cigar.
And then the cigar case is the ladv's ear.
Instead of wearing ordinary earrings, the
Burmese women have large hole in their
ears and wear cherOot in it till wantt
The really great advantage OF this cigar
case is that II Is never left behind. The
men would think II beneath their dignity
IL Ca. ry oherOots In this manner, bnt they
do not mind helping Themselves from the
wife's case. When the King OF Kings
wants 10 keep his women folk together or
10 punish them, he strings them, so 10
sp ak, by the ear. A long cane is passed.
through the holes made for cheroots, a
dozen women or even more going to one
cane.
or late years there have been attempts
on a small scale to grow tohacco " Run
nah; but most Of It Is sent from Madras
in monster stacks of tobacco leaf. The
climate is not cold enough for growing
potatoes and other vegetables, and g g
trade in ivory. etc, Is so slight that thu
natives may he said to live almost en-
tirely on their rice. The German sp Gu
latnTs in Rangoon. who are always on the
| spot to relieve the Burmese when IN need
of money. are really their worst fri-rd
| The course OF affairs is this: A flo d de-
stroys The rice crop, and he natives have
no money TO ra 81 another. Then th
German puts in an appearance, offering
ITEM so much for the next crop 10 adj
vance. The rupees they get are nothing
Ike an EQUIVALENT for the crop, but The
native is glad to take III m. So far "a
c uld barn, no respectable En- lish M -
chant lent rupees TO the Burmese on thes
| pr ncipIes.