Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-09-26
A SIMPLE PEOPLE.
A TRAVELLER TELLS OF THE TRAITS
OF THE BURMESE.
Good Natured and Kind to Stranger
Kite Flying a Favoritc Amusement


Kite Flying a Favorite Amu~emcnt-
Peculiaritie, of the Lsnguage-rictur-
esque Costume.
The Burmese are very good naturcd
people and kind 10 strangers. Being natair
ally free and independent IN their nature,
they do not cringe and bow down before the
white men, as most Asiatics do They look
with contempt, mingled with pity, upon the
servile Bengalee and Madrassee. The Bur
mese are by far the finest race physically
have met with during my residence In the
east Although not, as rule. tall, they are
models Of manly form and grace. They are
very athletic and strong, and excel IN all
manly sports. They are fine arestlers. TAX
ing delight In such games OF strength. When
a Burnan talks 10 you he looks you straight
in the face, and bears himself altogether IN u
manly way. Like most Orientals, they are
not overload OF work, and take every advan-
tage of the numerous holidays in their cal
endar
On these holidays during the dry mon
soon, the men play ball and other games
During the rainy season all outdoor work has
to be suspended. The game Of ball somewhat
resembles football with the kicking left out
The game commences by one of the players
running as far he with the ball toward
the goal He does not carry it far before he
is caught up with, the ball wrested from him
and tossed from one side TO the other, until
finally it is thrown or carried between the
two poles which are set up at the ends of the
ball ground.
FAvoRITE AMUSEMENT.
Another favorite amusement of tho Bur
mese, not only saints days and holidays,
but on oil evenings when a delicious breeze
permits is kite ing These kites are made
of the thin rice paper common in the coun-
try, pasted over split bamboo frames and
shaped into the forms OF various birds and
beasts, the kalons agon being preferred
figure. They believe that the dr> gon At ono
period was q common animal, by ths. IL has
now become extinct. These Counterfeit
presentments" very corrical and fantastic
in appearance, being colored with frcs
hand and liberal allowance Of the brightest
and gaudiest shades
Very few Burmese outside Of the seaport
towns and large stations in the interior Of
the country, care to learn TO speak English,
SO that all who desire TO know anything
about the country must learn 20 read, writo
and speak the language Of the land The lat
ter is the most difficult, as there are many
words spelled alike but which have different
recommendations and meanings II takes
months before tho learner can hit the right
infection or information. Some never learn
TO speak Burmese properly, although they
may have resided for years Ia tbs country.
The writing appears simple, being composed
of circular ana somi-cIrcular letters, but the
very simplicity Of form makes the letters
more difiicuk to reooilect, many being
comparatively alike. Every consonant ends
with "a - The vowels arc attached 70 tho
top or bottom Of the consonants. In writing
the words are placed cioN together, no
space being left between each word. This
adds To the difficulties aud perplcIitis~ thu
learner has TO encounter.
The more know these kindly people the
better Ike them Our discussions upon re-
ligion 5000 end, for theirs h such simple
faith that / can show them no advsntags
tney could obtain by booming Christians.
They live moral and simple lives; they lock
forward IN ths course OF time 20 becoming
Fart Of the essencs of their supreme spirit,
the Buddh Gandana. az q reward Of such
pure lives that confess / never attempt 10
convert them TO my own faith.
PICTURESQUE COSTUME.
The costume Of the Burmese. male and
female. is picturesque, IL somewhat scaDty.
The usual carmen. for men is a long piece IL
silk or cotton cicsh, OF plaid pattern, ia
which reds Of various shades pred0nina,e.
This body cloth IL about tsrce-qaarters II a
yard vide, and 10 ieng enough 70 be wocnd
around tire loinz and upper portions Of Tho
legs several times ors end falling Ia 'front.'
over the left shoulder. leaving the muscular
throat and portion Of tie ctsest bare. They
wear their blue black BAR long Ike Q woman,
unlike most Ors.n.als who shave thesr keapds
In Buruaah only the Posngysas have shaTsn
beads rope like vis2 q white or eolossd
calico Il interlaced with their lIsariant locks
and wound round their heal Al have solss
Silt in tie leb~s of their carr 70 hold q cigar
cite or any small trlss- Thssr bodies are
tatto<ed frsfa their IONS down 10 nine inekss
above tire KEGS With figures from their
mythology; also, t-oee Of b>asss, birds add
Ysct.l~s no. 70 onsji tie snsy!tAbLs KAsoDx.
dragon. Taeif srrns AID chests are a4-o
ta.toosi with figures a women .nd aaislsaa
The better sort afDong tss people. who are
weather. tAan thar working brs:Arsl, scar
q velvet Or elo;s jsckst u sonss dark eolcr.
blns being e lsySriss color. eA-ssd a. iriss-
God buttons os.en crsAzssn: tais JACKET
For .ss lover psrssss II shs body . looaSyss
Urea. rsund u vora Tk4s Il usually Il
taics s4lk, Of pad passern snd from yasd
20 q yard and bali Ia vt4.k A ieag-h u
at,ou. t~o ara . hAif yaszs b CT. OF ;As
pseos and tssasd a. sAs efsda A EzrHaezs
sons~hss lies pssascsss without va@s.-
hanA b shs formed Il b warn sncked In
peculiar nsanner ro1zsd tss vasse ssz1 falling
10 fssAs te tas ankles Tns sees are Sod n .
kind 81 ssnzal ssics zszss b. very sseess-
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smaller ssa A hastssns pAru ookor~d
surtAa vessd AHs4 tns ieas sA.y. ~xa
iarrs ssxsSsse sksn sosh sack "a tse back
yortssu. ssd GsnArsIss lAsss sAs 81 Ia
aans Eaassr1ai tArze ssr0zSa .ks thea sskz.
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try r~ss5smas ~ ss<rchAs. J emitted 70
s.ats ssss sssek5axs Ass nos vera BY ssts<1
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ius;y es~ss. sin Ito aA4s e<s~fsiiy r&rrd
ana srinrpsA On sz:srtnx kozns lie ssa-
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