The morning call., 1890-06-29
Graphic Description of Thrilling
Exhibition at the Court of
an Indian Prince.
SKILL OF A YOUNG HUNTER,
His Successful Encounter in the
Arena With a Hungry Bengal
Tiger-The Infatuated Animal
Literally Hacked TO Pieces With
Murderous Looking Dhaw.
written for THE SUNDAY CALL.

NEFORE the capture of Mandelay and
kEg previous to King Thebaw of Bur
10y nah mounting the throne, l hap
pened to be at the then capital city of the
Burmese Empire, which was Omarapoord,
near the old capital Avail. a Major Phayre,
the representative of the Governor General
of India, was there with some companies
of British soldiers and two fat-bottomed
sloops-of-war. l happened to meet him
while both Of US were out on tiger-hunt-
ing excursion in a part of the dense for
est or jungle. He told me that he was
up from Rangoon for the purpose of
having ratified the treaty for the cession Of
the enormous Province of Pegue, where the
immense teakWood forests flourish. He in
vited me into the capital and TO his beauti-
fully situated bungalow. l accepted the
invitation, and was present on one OF the
days Of his ceremoniOus visits to the King.
The sports prepared for the amusement
and establishment of the British Envoy and
his attendants we're something to be re-
membered. will relate the circumstances
connected with one Of the number. About
10 o'clock in the morning, after q most
sumptuCus Eastern breakfast, consisting of
the most delicious fish that l ever had
the good fortune to taste-caught in
the beautiful lake formed by an in
flow from the great and magnifcently
wooded Irrawaddy River-peeled, sliced
and frosted pineapple of the most juicy and
appetising kinds-Burmah is the home of
the pineapple in its perfection-fresh eggs,
batter, sweetmeats, curried lamb and fresh
rolls, all furnished from the Kings palace,
Major Phayre came to my rooms, dressed in
his gorgeous plenipotentiary' uniform, and
invited me on to the balcony or veranda.
1 went with him and witnessed
AN INSPIRING SIGHT.
In the near distance was the beautiful
lake, surrounded with grand outrageous
teakwood trees; the quiet. calm and de-
lightful bosom of the water was dotted here
and there with small, thickly freed and
grassy Islands, the trees being reproduced
in the calm waters, and there rode the two
sloops in all their grandeur and panoply of
war, reminding one Of the strength and dan
ger that can exist amid the most beautiful
and peaceful scenes of nature. just below
where we stood, 100 British sOldiers-the
pick Of the regiments then stationed at
RangOon and Ihyatmeau-Yere drawn up
in line as q guard of honor for the envoy.
Two feld-guns, one on each flank, with
their crews were also present. They
looked fine and added attraCtiveneSs TO the
scene with their spotlesS white TUNES,
trousers and cap-cOvers. The slOping,
grassy bank of the lake was thickly dotted
with gorgeously colored tropical flowers,
the like of which l had not seen in any
other part Of the tropics that had been
in. At the back of tie soldiers were
the peaceful waters of the lake, the
two war-vessels, with every spar, stay,
block and flag faithfully imaged in
ha
sailed boats darted from time to time from
the senior officers ship to the shore with
messages to aud from the Envoy, and occa-
sionally 10 the immense forty-siX-Oared,
high-beaked, htgh-sterned and heavily gold
gilt boat of the Burmese Admiral, who was
in attendance with his fleet to salute and
do honor to the representative Of the Gov
ernOr-General of India. At the far side of
the lake some 1900 or 1900 Burmese soldiers
were drawn up, with their picturesque
semi-Eastern dress and arms glinting and
corruscating in the grand effulgence of the
forenoon Eastern sun, while beyond them,
in the far distance, arose the copper-cov-
cred, gold-gilt
BONES OF THE PALACES
And great dagon pagodas. From these
stretched away the North Burmah great
teak forests as far as the eye could range
or indeed almost the imaginatiOn-till they
reached the southern boundary of China
The scene was grand, delightful and impress
sive to look upon.
at signal from the senior naval officers
ship the British and Burman flags were
hoisted, the Envoy stepped down to the
grassy shore of the lake, mounted his horse
and uncovered his head in salute to the
dipped flags. The Burmese feet of large
boats commenced firing salute
of nineteen guns from their and 4
FOUNDER gingalls, while their heavy
mi oY
salute, their troops firing fusillades, the
- whole being very creditably carried out
Then the British guns on shore and aflOat
opened thunderous salute, the troops
presenting arms. The Envoy moved and
the procession was formed and marched
over strong, well-built bridge of masonry
of six arches and three-quarters of a mile
across, into the thickly populated and gala
dressed city.
Although treachery was not suspected,
noticed that the soldiers and guns were
wheeled behind the bungalow, where the
men were ordered to load their firelocks
and the guns were loaded with canister
The guards left behind were also ordered
TO load. AS the European guard of honor
with their field pieces debOuched from the
head OF the bridge, the officer commanding
the Burman soldiers divided his men into
two columns, one of which was to march
In our rear and the other in front
few words from the officer commanding
the Europeans to the Envoy, and from hin
to one of the Kings mobiles who rode neal
him, caused an alteration and all vert
marched in front in sections, quar-
ter distance, leaving their artillery
behind on the banks of the lake.
As we marched through the broad, well
kept street leading to the palace the people
were out IN thousands, dressed in their bes
bamboo silk cummerbunds, pongee sill
Jackets and gorgeously eolored turbans
every man, of course, carrying his kris
OF dhaw, which looked
ANYTHING BUT COMFORTABLE
To the comparatively few whites or Euro
peans present. but trepidation, or symptoms
of fear, or uneasiness, must never be shown
when thrown into such situations among
Eastern people, and none was shown. Aftel
slow, dignified march of about mile anC
a half we came in sight of the palace
gates, which were high, broad, beautifully
Vanished and massive, made of the dura
Bile and beautiful teak wood of the con.
tiguous forest. They were thickly studded
with heavy iron bolts, the sugar-loafed
heads of which, on both sides of the gates
were heavily gilded with gold. On ouI
nearer approach, six heavy, old-fashioned,
Eastern brass guns on the ramparts to the
night and left of the gateway belched forth
their contents Of thick smoking, ill-smell.
Ing bad powder, by way of Offering the
salute OF nineteen guns. At the same time
an awful blood curdling hoarse roar -
ASs"tlcs do not cheer-rent the air. There
was scarcely breath of air stirring and the
smoke OF the vile, bad powder completely
enveloped, chung to, and nearly smOthereC
US, as the guns were nearly, if not quite
over our heads.
In the midst Of the murkiness and noise
heard dreadful howlings, some half artic
ulated English words and SCREENINGS to IN,
right and beneath me. Erode little to tn,
right and rear Of the Envoy, spurred up t.
him and called his atten ton to the howl
ings. He consulted one Of the mobiles peal
him who could speak Hindostanee, and ht
replied that the place from whence thu
noise came was
THE CITY PRISON,
Quite close to the palace gates, and tina
many prisoners we're confined therein, ant
among them three white men, deserter
from the British Army, who had been here
tofore drill instructors to the Burman sol
dIers, but were thrown into prison and pu
In chains some two months back, when
was known that the Envoy was expected t,
arrive. The thick smoke having somewha
cleared away, the Envoy and myself
accompanied by some of his staff
went down the slope to the iron
horrpd vindnwq NJ the urieon and lnoka,