The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-12-04
UP THE IRRAWADDY
AND THROUGH BURMA

the end and sucks. am not referring
20 old women. or few women. but to
girls and matrons alike. and. in fact.
TO the whole feminine Burmese world.
Plenty OF Crows.
I never saw so many crows as in
fest this country. They are in drOves
and I'm pairs. on houses. on trees, in
the rice fields. on the idols-every-
where. their cav is the first sound OF
the morning and the last of the even
ing. We have been surprised at the
scarcity Of bird life I'm China, japan.
the Philippines and the Malay islands.
But here we have crows TO beat the
band
We struck Burma on a religious
festival day. and found all the pagO-
das all the Buddhas and the various
fetishes (used to assuage the VEN
geance OF the gOds) going at full blast.
The Burmese girls. who are good
looking naturally and made more at
tractive by their bright silk robes.
were all out i'm gala attire. closing
Lent i'm way to court the favor OF
the gods and at the same time win the
attentions OF the young men. With
] several thousand natives ! climbed the
/ long stairs OF the principal pagoda
and sought TO do my share toward
winning favor COT the gods-nOt the
girls).
First. 7 pounded the bells, a process
I that attracts the attention Of the pre-
| siding deities. Then ! lighted several
\ dozen candles and pasted some gold
/ leaf on the pagoda. The Burman
/ does not resent your taking part in the
/ exercises or making all the noise you
want-for the noise attracts the gods.
/ over i'm Japan the worshiper always
claps his hands TO draw the attention
| OF the deity. but here pounding the
bell takes first place as a means Of at
| tracing notice. Against one has
passed around the world and seen the
part played by religion, each trying
20 evangelize the world. and all con-
sumiug millions Of money IN trying 20
convert the others. there is consid-
cradle room for reflection
But I am not writing or worrying
about religion. The pagOdas average
about twenty 20 the mile as we steam
day after day up the Irrawaddy. and
| give picturesque effect to the land
| scape. Speaking OF the Irrawaddy. il
anyone had mentioned the name be-
J fore leaving home I would have put II
down as the name Of an Uncompahrge
chief over on the Uintah reservation.
Yet here it is a river as big as the Mis-
sissippi, the source OF which has never
been reached by white men. It is
wide, muddy and has caving banks
after the manner of the old Missouri
| IL runs through country as rich as
the central states, populated by an
easy going. happy, INDECENT popula-
ton. The Burman woman earns the
living-and the man spends IT. Beine
very discerning creatures, a lot OF
these Burmese women have picked
out Cinnamon for husbands. since the
! blond fe G
! splendid one and results very salts
factorily Such OF the children as are
boys are brought up as Chinese-pig
tail and all Such as are girls ar,
| reared as Burmese. The Burmese are
] about OF the complexion Of the Amer
lean mulatto. Everyone goes bare
footed.
The walters at my table wear tur
bans. with a crest. and have red ant
| black sashes across the waist.
would take them for members Of tn,
Legion Of Honor but for the fact tina
they 60 bare-footed. Men and womeT
alike wear jewelry In profusiOn. AS
| pen this a Burmese woman sits before
me who has three rings in her nose
two chandeliers from her ears. half
dozen arm bracelets. heavy belt o
silver cncircling her waist. four brace
lets around her ankles. and rings OF
three toes OF edcn loOt NOT IS I'M
jewelry Of n cheap variety. but OF sOli'
gold and silver. with rubies. sapphires
emeralds and diamonds. The holes il
her ears are large enough to pass
cigar She is one Of the wealthy. o
course. The ear-boring ceremony.
am told. is a great family event; cor
responding with the formal debut Of
young woman in society at home
] In my last letter I told OF my neV
servant. Judgment Of this personag