Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-12-03
The Situation in Burmah.
Tho Soudan News.


The Soudan News
The Burmese frontier is about 200
miles from Rangoon-that is, taking
the line Of the Irrawaddy. Our from
on the eastern bank Of the river, and
about six miles within tie boundary
hue. From there TO Mada1ay is some
thing over another 300 miles. Steam
ers now go as far upas Bhamo, which
is we'll On 10 300 miles above the CAPT
tai. The importance Of the river may
be estimated when it is stated that in
some places 1t is, in the month of
August, as much as three or four
miles wide, and even the narrowest
parts are 1900 or 1,300 yards from
bank to bank. In some places the
current is rapid, but there are no
cataracts like those on the Nile, to
cause difficulty and danger. If King
Thebaw has had the precaution to lay
in supply of torpedoes, he may be
able to give the expedition some
trouble, but the chances are that the
authorities of Rapgoon may have had
an eye on such kind of hardware, :"
and that none have been allowed to
past; for it must be understood that
Burmah has no seaport, and can only
import war material through British
territory. There is plenty of sulphur
in the country, and SO far as that in
gredient of explosive is required King
Theebaw will not be in want. Every
thing In Burnaah is in very prima-
IL
might rank WITH the ships Of Xerxes
at the battle Of Salam. At least this
was their character about thirty years
ago as seen and described by
Col. Yule, They were immense ca
noes with long, sharp bows, and Aigh
recurring sterns they had two banks
Of rowers, about twenty or thirty on q
side, the whole exterior of the hull as
well as the oars being gilt. A feet Of
this kind would, in an artistic sense
be very magnificent in appearance.
bat of small account In war. Many of
these boats still exist, but the king
has now had steamers for some years
back. aud no doub5 these will be arm
ed, and may attempt something, but
they will be harmless.
The objective point upon which our
troops Will be directed will be Manda-
lay the capital. This is an entirely
new town, and was founded in 1888.
Mandaiay is about three miles from
the river and SO it will be rather far
away for anything like an effective
fire from our gunbosts, should they
get up to it. There is a massive brick
wal with q battlemented parapet all
round the four sides; each wall has a
gate and over the gates are towers,
with seven roofs all Of them with gild
ing. At regular intervals there are
smaller towers, which serve the pur-
pose of guard houses. The walls are
surrounded By q deep ditch $50 feet
wide.
The great point to be gained in Bur
NAH is the opening up of that noble
river the IRA waddy, to commerce. It
IS not for the trade oil Bamah that
this is required; proper development
of the resources of that country, which
is all impossible under such rulers as
Theebaw, would in itself be a great
thing, but the IRA waddy is recognized
now as the best and MOST accessible
route leading to western China The
Irrawaddy gives water carriage from
the sea to Bhamo, distance of about
$50 miles. and there is then slightly
less than $50 miles more of land car
riage to Tali-fu the principal town of
the great Chinese province of Yunan.
Is will be recollected that it was while
on journey to- report on this SIS a
trade route that Mr.. Margery was
at Manwyn-, Ga his way
from Tali-fu to Bhamo This has
bsen the path of commerce between
China and Burmah as we'll as India,
from time immemorial. The great
rebellion of the Pan hays in Yunan
some years ago Interrupted the trade
of this line; and the obstructive action
of the Burmese government has also
stood in the way The great object
of treaty of commerce with Burmah
is to open up this great highway. If
the IRA wady was perfectly free, and
confidence existed in the government
OF the country, railway from Bhamo
to Tali-tu Or at least to the Chinese
frontier, would not be long in being
realized The importance of this line
of commuR ication with China will be
hest understood by recalling the fact
that it was to reach Yunan by means
OF the Sonka, or Red river, the French
embarked on the war in Tonquin.
The distance to Tali-fu from the sea
at the Gulf of Tonquin and the Gulf
of Martaban, into which the Irrawad-
dy flows, is very nearly the same, but
then the Red river is not another
Irrra waddy, and that makes all