St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-02-28
IN THE HOT ANT|PoDEs.
Carter Harrison Describes the Pagodas
of India.
THE WOMEN OF BURMAH.
The Mountain of Gold---The Marriage
Law---Converting the Heather
king Fhebaw.

Palitana, splendid, large boat, lighted
by electricity, writes Carter Harrison
from India. There are no fair qOtelS in
India except at Calcutta and Bombay.
Elsewhere there are only sort of rest
houses, where one can sleep and get toll
cradle food, with no facilities for writ
ing; not even bedding, except what the
traveller takes with him.
Rangoon is the capital of British or
lower Burmah, which fell into Eng
lands lap in 1852. At that time it was
poor place, Oaly celebrated for its
great pagoda. In rice expectation 1t
stands TO the world as Odessa did, and
Chicago does, in wheat, and sent abroad
last year not much under 4 million of
tons. 1t also exports vast quantities of
"kutch,,' the brown dye which is sup
posed 10 preserve nets and sails from
rot. This is a sort of gum obtained by
boiling down the heart wood of 4 Spe-
cieS of acacia. There are about 400
Europeans residing here. They have
handsome bungalows and good grounds;
move IN considerable style, and do their
business in fine business houses.
THE GOLDEN PAGoDA.
The Golden PagOda of RangOon
stands upon a hill in the edge of the
tONIl. AOOul laO 1SGl up lllc Hill HIS
been leveled off into platform about
500 feet square. In the center of this
stands the main structure. 1t is octag-
Onal at its base, with diameter of over
$50 feet. This runs in, by succession
of terraces, or high steps, 100 or more
feet, giving it bell shape. From the
shoulder of this bell springs another
member, circular. also in the bell form.
but more steep; then another. On this
lifts tall, thin, four-Sided lantern on
which rests the 'htee," or open work
metallic receptacle for sacred memen-
tOS. This is then surrounded by half
open metallic umbrella. The whole
height from the platform is so feet
Around the base are fifty-siX small
pagodaS about thirty feet high. The
whole of this vast structure is solid, of
well-burned brick, covered over with
cement, plaster, and gilded from found
alton TO pinnacle.
The upper half is freshly gilt, the
scaffolding being removed while we
were there. At distance the whole,
when the sun is sinking. looks like a
mountain of gold. The ''htee' is said
TO be of solid gold and studded with
real gems. 1t was erected by late
king at cost of $3.50, coo. To repair an
ordinary pagoda does not work merit,
INERT" is relegated to the original
founder. But any repairs to this pa
coda and to three others in the king
dom availS for merit to the repairer
Around the platform are a number of
smaller pagodas, and many chapels and
'kyOungS," or temples for worship.
These are filled with statues of Buddha
in gilded plaster or white alabaster
Many of them are much larger than
life.
A STRANGE TRADITION.
The tradition is that ali old prophecy
taught that if 10000 pagodaS should be
erected at Pagahn, it and the ruling
dynasty would be eternal. But when
new ones were erected and a count was
had, it invariably turned out that as
many old had cIumbled into decay as
new ones had been erected. The ten
thousandth pagoda could never be
counted. One of the kings became
alarmed. He thought the demons had
cOnspired against the then capital. and
so moved it away. But the pagodas re-
main, and Pagahn is to the Buddhist as
sacred as Jerusalem is to the Christian.
By the way, the capital of Burmah has
been many times changed. When was
boy, Ava" was its capital, and even a
month Or two ago, had been questioned
on the subject, l would have said
Ava" "Mindoon" Thebaw's father.
twenty-nine years ago, conceived his
capital to be unlucky; so he packed up
and moved his palace, the people and
the town to Mandalay, and to-day there
is nothing to show that Ava was ever
a city. A large number of pagodas are
about its old site, but that is all. And
Mandalay grew in twenty-Seven years
to be city of over 100000 inhabitants.
THE BURMESE WOMEN.
The Burmese man works with great
energy while getting his drop in. After
that is done he passes his time in visit
ing padOgas and praying, and in Cos
Siping with his neighbOrS and PLAYING
chess. A wide strip of cotton cloth
about the lOins is his everyday dress.
One of silk and bright handkerchief
for his head makes him an elegantly
dressed gentleman. He works lust
enough to get these and his rice. and his
task is done.
His wife, however, is industrious. She
attends the shop, gets the meals, and
does fully half the outdoor work. leay-
ing the man to play the idler or to take
care of the children. She is not hidden,
as i'll most Oriental lands. She goes
about town; rules her husband and the
household; drives the best bargains
when selling the produce of their fields:
wears of evenings or when visiting re-
hglouS places gay-cOlOred silk sta
meins" generally of some shade of red
and has a scarf of bright yellow
figured silk over her shoulders:
dresses her coal-black hair in most be-
coming style, rarely failing to have a
pretty sprig of flowers in her chignon:
covers her arms and fingers with brace
lets and rings; encircles her ankles
with silver anklets, and fills her ears
with gold and jewels. When number
of them are together they make a CAV
and pretty picture. The colOrs used by
a single individual do not seem to
harmoniZe, but when several are i'm
group they make most harmonious
whole.
The women are far from being ill-look-
ing, and many are not only pretty but
really beautiful. They do not fade and
grow old as in Japan and Siam, but con-
nnue fair when fat at forty. When look
ing into their full faces one sees decided
beauty. The profile, however. is de-
fective. They all have the Monaghan
cast of face-high cheek bones. short
noses and fiat visage. These make a
bad side view. They are self-possessed.
without boldness, Easy and graceful
IN department, without either coyness
or coquetry. You will ask how / can
form an opinion on so short an acquaint-
ance. l will reply / saw many women
at the various pagodas visited: in the
shops and attending the baZaars, and
have fortified the result of my own OBJ
servatiOns by information gained from
men and women who have resided here
for many years. Europeans have OPP
portunities for studying this people not
given anywhere else in the East-for
the intercourse between the sexes is
quite as free as anywhere in christen-
dom.
THE MARRIAGE LAW
Marriage is simply a civil contract.