The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-01-27
Another Entertaining Letter Telling of
the Trip Around the Globe,
Which is Now Almost
at An End.
OVER EQUATOR ON DEC. II
Beautiful Java Where the Americans
Were Given Most Royal Well
come by the Many
Natives.

IGate City Special CORES pondence.l
RANGOON, BURMA, Dec. 4, 1870
Rangoon the capital of Burma is
large important and interesting city
situated thirty miles from the sea,
on the Rangoon river with its many
pagodas, monasteries, bazaars and ma
tive life. The lumber yards are noted
to tourists on account of the many
elephants employed in handling the
lumber. This part of Asia abounds IN
wild animals The buddhist which is
the controlling religion here consider
it a very wicked act to kill any kind
of an animal so the birds are not
afraid to eat from your hand. The
Baptist missionaries are making in
roads on the Buddhist religion here
under the direct supervision of
trusted supervisor of John D. Rock
Teller who pays the missionaries for
what they do. it is not out OF the
way to say the Baptist make a better
showing here than in any city of this
size in the United States, $1,000 faith
full church believers and $1,000 Sun
day school children as earnestly de-
voted to the cause as these Burmeise
people show the effect of system
The currency here is the same as in
India, however. India paper notes are
subject to discount as all other
money except English and French
gold. Rice is the main food and pro-
.7,,c4 - pr,ry,,a AIillinpc of acres now
being harvested with hand sickles. The
thousands Of other food products and
fruit make it seem strange to read OF
famine in India but the much needed
improvements are rapidly going on to
transfer products from one section to
another and soon these famine condi-
tions, we read so much of, will be eli
minated by the railroads. Our next
stop at Singapore, Malay Peninsula
proved to be an interesting city, but
we spent the most of our time visit
ing the palace of the Sultan of Johore,
10 miles up the Peninsula and across
the Straits of lahore to the main land.
The ride through the tropical forest
was a sight seldom seen by tourists as
this railroad was built by the English
for the special benefit of Johore
whose reign ends at his death. The
government then goes to the English,
who in reality have control at pres
ent. The Sultan receives from the
English a million and half dollars
per year and the English government
collects it together with many other
usury salaries for their own Royal
Ribs" by an internal revenue and in
come tax. They use the French sys
tenn of stamps. Every purchase of Sc
or more must be accompanied by a
bill and must contain a two cent
stamp. Every glass of beer, whisky
or other intoxicants must be accom-
panied by a bill representing two
cents. Every laborer whose wages
amount to SIS per year or more ant
all foreign missions are taxed five pei
cent on the whole, so one can readily
see how the money is raised
On December - at Z a. m. we land
ed at TandjongPriok, where We tool
the train to Batavia, Java, for a two
days visit on this beautiful Island
justly termed the Pearl of the Orient
and is among the most charming Is
lands in the world and is seldom visit
ed by Americans, because it is off the
beaten track. Although only 7 degrees
south of the equator, the heat is MOI
oppressive, and the nights are cool
The products are coffee, rubber, rice