The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-10-13
LIFE In A WET LAND
HOUSES BUILT ON PILES FROM ONE
TO TWELVE FEET ZIG
A Curious People who Are Rapidly
Themselves to, the Civ
ilized Notions of the English.

If a rising country has the privilege OF
being left alone, then Burmah pre-eminent-
ly enjoys that distinction. Some people
know that Akyab lies north, Moulmein
south. and Rangoon in the middle. Most
people don't even know that. 1t is sup
posed generally that the chief productions
of Burmah are pineappies, ponies and pa
godas, some OF the latter growing TO a
considerable size; that the women walk
about in silk petticoats Of a peculiar cut;
that there are white elephants wandering
about or other: that there is
an abundance OF rice and Of rain in the
country, and that the surplus revenue is
found very useful to the government of
India. This very fairly represents the av-
erage geographical, antiquarian. sanitary
and sociological knowledge that the out
side world has of Burmah, and it seems
very contented, withal. 1t would be as
well to undeceive II.
. Burmah is the rising province of the East
"a trifie out OF the way, perhaps. but none
the less an entity not to be ignored. That
old, old story of the difference between
Rangoon and Hades is worth telling again,
IL only for an illustration of the climate.
"Hades and Rangoon are so similar that,
If 1t were not for the abundance of water
at the latter place. they might be one and
the same 81 non e vero. e ben trovato.
Rangoon is hot. When you have to take
your bed-or have 1t taken for you for you
never do anything for yourself in these hot
climates)-on to the roof, and sleep there,
surrounded, OF course, by mosquito cur
tains. the heat in New York seems In
signincant. Taking off your clothes-and
taking off your skin would be infinitely
preferable. Your Burmese servant, if you
are lucky enough TO have a Burman, Is a
whisky and soda and tell the .boy" out
side to work the punkah a little faster
fhat is The 4 you pa,s slsct to sleep inside side the
suit your every little fad. Now and then
you may run across a ground floor, but as
from one to twelve feet high. This is rem
dered necessary by the rainfall, which
often registers one Kindred inches a year.
of destruction. Books and clothes are rem
dered useless in a very short time unless
they are carefully looked after, and your
photographs are covered With mildew.
DOMESTIC ARRANGEMENTS.
The first floor Of your house is the house
itself. 1t comprises your drawing room,
your dining room and your bedrooms.
Your kitchen is situated away in the ''com-
pound" the term used for garden" and
your servants s~leep-well, goodness knows
where they do sleep. You make no pro-
vision for them. AS long as they are at
your beck and call. what matters It? Your
bearer" Anglice, valet) sleeps outside your
door on a mat. and the rest of your estab-
lishment may take their rest in Jerusalem
for what you know. They seem, however,
to be always on the spot. You do not pay
for their board: They live on two or three
rice, which they throw into their mouths.
eschewing a spoon or a fork, as IL 1t were
a part of their religion to do so. And.
truth TO tell, this religion, or rather
caste is a terrible nuisance. A modestly
sized household will require a dozen or
more servants. Your bearer" will attend
at your table, and stand behind your chair
when you go out 10 dinner, but he will do
nothing mental The man who grooms
| your pony won't bring the grass or water
to the stable, and so on from high to low.
| They all seem to be OF a different caste"
and will only perform those duties which
what makes living so expensive. Their in
dividual wages are not excessive, but,
taken in a lump sum, they mount up to a
respectable figure.
AS a rule, you rise at 6 a. m, or, at all
events. you are called .punctually at thai
hour by your bearer" or boy" who
buttered toast. This is called 'chota
hazree," or little breakfast" You then
| don a negligee shirt-the older the better
and are driven down town to business; or.
Al " ~
cares of life in that direction, you go for
a drive, or a ride on one of your Pegon
ponies. There are, IL may be mentioned,
very few horses in Rangoon; most of the
locomotion is provided by ponies from the
Shan village: At 9 o'clock or thereabout
you return home. strip yourself and in
| dulge in a cold bath, and then dress prop
erly for the day. A substantial breakfast
follows, after which you again drive down
town for the business of the day. You may
s'tifhn,' as it is called, at l o'clock, and
from that hour till 5 o'clock you devote
yourself to ,l business in 5Se d Tnen T fPme Ses sae Of most tst
| sun is relaxed, and you drive home, only
| to take another cold bath and dress your
| peal to your mood. As there are two regi-
| ments-an English and a native-stationed
in Rangoon, the amusements are various.
Afternoon dances in me cool weather;
January, are a distinguishing feature, and
the regimental bands play every evening
for the edifcation of music lovers. There
is. too, a gymkhana, where-always sup
posing you are a decent MEMBER OF society
| with a big S)-you can devote yourself to
amy amy sport you y SIne fancy an 7 'o' IlS% e and 90 to to f bed
| any time from 9 to II o'clock, the earlier,
perhaps, the better. Thus ends your day.
BURMESE ETIQUETTE.
The social side of a life in Rangoon. is
| amusing in its rigidity. The etiquette that,
| for instance, has to be observed in choos-
ing the guests for a Inner party would
| seem foolish to an American, but so strict
are the laws of the boudoir cabal that the
| ARRANGEMENT is a task which tries the fac
ulties and discernment of a hostess to a
| ridiculous extent. To see the mistress Of
the house busying herself round a fioriburd
dinner table with fourteen or sixteen little
| pieces of paper in one hand and an army
| list and other official publications in the
other is a treat for 4 republican, but so
sure as the least error or deviation in
| precedence is made, so surely will that
particular household suffer in its reputa-
ton. And so all the way through. There
is a want Of honesty and sincerity, as a
rule, in the depths of this provincial So
| ciety, and even when those qualities are
With difficulty discerned they are prosti-
| tuted and made subservient to a false sense
| OF dignity which is puerile in the extreme.
Life in the jungle Is, or course, entirely
different. You will probably have TO put
up with three or four servants, and in
some places will not have the opportunity
of seeing a white face for months. If you
delight in sport, there are ready to your
h3nd the elephant, the rhinoceros, the ta-
Dir. the buffalo. the deer, the hog, the til
| ger. ct hoe genus onne- Ii you prefer the
| beautiful, you may chance across the large
and gorgeous peacock: or should you have
| a predilection for snakes, you can take your
choice from the python. cobra and ana
| conda downward. Or insects there are
| myriads. and il is no uncommon occurrence
| to sit down to dinner IN the jungle with a
tablecloth absolutely covered with varieties
which a naturalist would find some trouble