Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-07-18
ON THE ROAD TO MANDALAY.

Burma. once forbidden. has become
attractive to tourists. Steamships
from Liverpool run direct to Rangoon,
the great city OF the country, and a
book has been published for the use
of travellers for pleasure. There is much
to see that is novel in Burma aud visi-
tors have only to plan their journey
for the cooler months between Novem-
bor and March to have good time
Travellers are cautioned not to make
personal remarks about the Burmans
they may meet The more intelligent
natives probably understand English.
and in any case they are very sensi-
tive to ridicule.
The women OF the country are very
charming at distance. but do not bear
close inspection. They are quite as naive
as the japanese and far more free In
their ways, but they greatly resent IA
miliarity.
They are the merchants of the mark
ct places, and the traveller must have
his wits about him or he win be over
reached in trade. The government has
found it necessary to warn all white
corners against the intelligence and
business capacity of these women
merchants.
You may travel by rail or steamboat
I'm the majestic Irwadi to Mandalay.
the capital Of Upper Burma, II, the
heart Of the country, You can steam up
that river to Bhamo. far above Man
daluv. on the splendid steamers that
ply from Rangoon 10 the head of navi-
CATION.
Rangooon has become a great COM
rnercial city, as much European as
Burmese. so that is does not offer the
surprises that are found further IN
land. though its pagodas are among the
most magnificent In Asia. For massive
grandeur the Shwe Dagon pagoda, with
its huge dome overlaid with gold ieat
has few equals in the world, and the
burmese take special pride In 1t.
For $40 miles up the river from RAN
COON the country may he said to be one
vast rice field. Burma lis the largest
| producer of rice, and for several months
| during the shipping season tourists see
| at every railroad and steamboat station
| long lines of rice bags piled UP eight
| feet high awaiting transport to the rice
mills and the docks of Rangoon.
The greatest object of in terest at
MandaIay are King Thebaw's palaces.
where lived that weak ruler and his
handsome queen, who controlled MIN
ana melted the bloody deeds that made
him Infamous. The palaces stand in a
walled Enclosure four miles square,
pierced with guard gate and surrounded
By moat Thebaw and his queen now
live IN India, prisoners of the British
government.
Today there is not an article of
furniture in any of the palaces. A part
Of the queens palace was used for
while as club for Europeans. but Lord
Curzon ordered il TO be given up. as all
the buildings are of teak and fire might
easily destroyed everything.
Nearly every building has its curious
history, One of the structures is a
watch tower of solid wood started and
completed in one day by Thebaw's ia
Their who told the builder that unless
ne completed the structure In twenty
four hours he would be beheaded.
All visitors have a talk with Captain
Reoman. who was imprisoned with
other Europeans by Thebaw. For a
every day to be beheaded but for some
reason We're remanded TO prison. They
were all released when the British
forces came up. but the strain was
too great for one of the unfortunates,
who went mad in that week.
II was Thebaw who, melted by his
wife. put to death under circumstance
Of great brutality between seventy and
eighty princes. princesses and high Off,
Gals In February. 1879. The outburst
OF horror and indignation which these
mussacrcs caused led soon after to the
overthrow of Thebaw and the occupa-
ton of his Coutry by the British,--New
York sun