New Britain herald., 1917-02-26

elephant is the only original sub- marine, for when submerged his trunk serves as an admirable periseope,-to breathe with, of course,
 X Visit to Rangoon.
 "Rangood is one of the most cos mopolitan cities of the world. The shortest stroll down one of the streets in the center of the city would bring you face to face with 8 loin cloth. Chinese merchants sleek and we'll favored. Sikh soldiers of the emperor, six feet in their own height and one more of gleaming white turban. And now and then a Gurkha, also in the emperors service, with face scared from his single combat with the leopard by which his tribe prove their manhood, Parsees in brocaded caps from Persia. Wild looking mountain eers, Shans or Chins from the regions on the border of China, wearing enormously broad -brimmed hats tied under their chins like sun-bonnets, and with long black mustachios. Be- sides we meet all the European races among the merchants and soldiers.
 The Burmese present the most attractive spectacle in their gally col ored costumes of silk and cotton while the attraction of costume IS heightened in the case of the Burmese ladies by most dignihed and grace ful carriage There is one thing, yea. two on the face of the earth, that are graceful, the movement of the doe, the mate of the deer, and the walk of a Burmese lady. The Burman is glorious sight when he is dressed up on a feast day. He loves color ana vies with his better half in the gor- geousness of his raiment. Rarely does his sense of color harmonles lead him astray; he chooses the various articles of his costume with splendid taste.
 "The Burmans have been described as a people who love beauty and are content to be happy The hustle of the West and the sombre garb of western men are equally disgusting to him. He is fast being crowded out of the marts of the land, and has been called lazy. Climate, religion and his wife conspire to make him so. The climate is decidedly enervating. His religion sets forth as the ideal a life of contemplation. His wife is de- lighted to support the family by 8 little portable stock of wares, just because 1t gives her an opportunity to get the latest news at the bazaar.
 Results of Missions.
 Religion has superficial hold on the people of Burma; but the frip- pery and glitter of pageantry is the largest element of appeal to the ma jority. Expectations are rife. The ' ~A s~iA potent source of discomfort. A moth CT anxious for the life of her fever stricken child pays few coppers to the attendant who dashes some buck cts of cold water over a certain idol. Thus they hope to cool off the fevered form of the little child at home. An other mother rubs the form of an idol to relieve the ache of her child. The superstitions of America are many; but the superstitions of the East are often fatal. If mission work had done no more than to teach hy- giene and introduce medical science into lands like Burma. it would have been worth far more than the in vestment has cost America. Mother and father hearts love children there as they do here
 The Beautiful Pagodas.
 We will turn from the crudity and 1 superstition to look at the shrine of Shwe Dagon itself. The superficial beauty of the religion would, howl ever, be falsely depicted had we not prefaced it with a note of the dark ness in the mind of the devotees The peculiar object of Burman Buddhism is the pagoda. These bell-shaped pyramids crown the hill-tops and adorn the plains of Burma from one end to the other. They are often built by men of wealth as acts of merit, and frequently mark some sa- cred site or cover some relic of a saint The great Shwe Dagon pagoda is said to have built over casket containing two hairs from the head of Buddha hlmself. It crowns the summit of 8 slight eminence and we'll deserves to be called "A pyramid of fire" to use the words of Sir Edwin Arnold One climbs the ascent to the pagoda by covered stairway. Exquisite carv- lngs in brittle lockwood adorn the roof, while the whole structure of the ascent is beautifully covered with vermillion and gold. On either side of the stone steps sit rows of beg gars, many of whom are hideous with running sores and leprous afflictions. At the several terraces tiny shops ex- pose paper flags, tapers, incense Stipkc and otha,, articloc to lo ,,..a