Mexico weekly ledger., 1888-06-07

Burmah and the Burmese--An In.
tensely Interesting Descriptive
Epistle by w. 4. Roberts,
OF Audratn County.

tensely Interesting Descriptive
Epistlo by w. 4. Roberts,
OF Audratn County.
Of the Ledger.
MEXICO, Mo-, May s31.-Among
the sights that will interest the
visiting Rangoon will be
the elephants working at saw mills
in the suburbs, the numerous pago-
das, and native fetes which are of
frequent occurrence. The intelli-
gence displayed by the elephant at
his task shifting, and pillng heavy
teakwood logs and lumber at the
mills, cannot fail to excite admira-
ton in the beholder. The mahout,
(driver) generally a black Madrasse,
is seated on the elephants neck and
gives orders to the animal when
necessary. His orders are given
either by words or by touching the
elephant with his feet, and some
times by the use of a short stick he
carries. Iflogs are being hauled
and piled up, a chain is attached to
harness about the elephants shoul-
ders and this is managed entirely
by the animal, the mahout never
leaving his perch. The elephant
will go to a log, adjust the chain,
roll the log onto it then drag it
away. When he gets to where the
log is to be taken, he turns around,
unhooks the chain and with his
trunk and tusks hoists it upon the
pile. Or if it be too heavy for him
to lift, he will get large block,
which are always kept about the
yards for the purpose, and placing
it in position, lift one end of the
log upon it. Then getting down on
his knees he will slide the log over
the block until it is far enough,
then he lifts one end upon the pile.
He will then go to the other end of
the log, raise it up with his trunk,
and putting his forehead against
it, pushes it along until it is secure
in its place. He is very careful to
keep the end square on the heap
and his logs are laid as evenly as
if men had performed the labor.
These elephants are very patient
and industrious at their tasks, only
taking time occasionally to throw
dust over themselves if it is hot.
The mahout has an easy time of it,
after noddIng in his seat, and only
rousing up when the elephant halts
for instructions. The elephants
are very sensitive to abuse and a
petulant word or stroke from the
mahout will cause them to cry out
in an injured tone.
NATIVE FETEs AND PROFESSIONS.
The Burmese are exceedingly
fond of gaudy display and on their
numerous holidays get up some
novel professions and entertain
ments. In the street parades many
bullock and pony carts will be seen
carrying immense papers and bam-
boo limitations of white elephants,
dragons, griffins, etc., while man.
moth sized mandarins made of the
same material will sometimes be
carried by several men concealed
inside and made to dance and
amuse the onlookers. These paper
limitations of men and animals are
tastefully gotten up and are source
of both alteration and merriment
to the natives. Then there will be
other gaily decorated carts carrying
Nautch dancers, and men in gaudy
and grotesque costumes beating
tom-toms and performing clownish
antics. Like their cousins, the
Chinese, they are fond of the Punch
and Judy shaY, and on the evening
after a holiday many of these exhi.
bition may be seen about the town.
They are free to whoever wishes te
see them, being out on the public
streets, and many natives bring
their bedding along and spend the
night there. The music accompan.
iment consists of tom-toms and {
kind of bamboo flute. Sometimes
these entertainments, which in.
variably have a religious signifi.
canoe, will continue four or five
nights without intermIssion, ant
then the tom-tom pooja becomes
monotonous to the foreign resi-.
dent.
sHoAH DAGoN PAGoDA.
This is probably the largest
Buddhist pagoda in the world and
its erection must have cost an i'm.
mense amount of labor, when the
implements used to build it are
taken into consideration. Its foun.
dation is a great mound of earth
resting upon natural elevation
and its golden dome can be seen
for a distance of many miles. The
huge pile of earth is fattened on
top and convered with a stone
flooring and in the centre stands
the pagoda. The pagoda is about
two hundred feet square at the base
and tapers rapidly upward until it
ends in a large dome. The Bur-
mese pagoda differs from those
seen in China in being broadea at
the base and not SO tall in proper
tiou To breadth The dome and