Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1925-12-30

prepared by the National Geographic So
ciety, Washington. d. CO.
NHE recent arrangement for the
liberation of several thousand
l. slaves in remote corner of
Burma serves to show how lit
tie is known of this country, almost
as big as Texas, which is governed
with India and yet is in many ways
a country apart The average tourist
landing at Rangoon, rushing by train
up to Mandalay, down the Irrawaddy
river by boat, and back to his Ship
sees practically nothing of the real
Burma and its people His guide is
probably Hindu Of low caste; all
the gharri drivers are Indians; and
many shop-keepers are from India or
Armenia. Some Burmese there are
Gin the small shops you find their
women), but they are quite up to
date
The commercial development of
Burma has been for the most part
Scottish. 1t is British but not Eng
llsh, and therein lies a distinction
familiar to all who know England
and the English One arrives in Bur
ma only via English settlements and
by English steamers, and usually
without that enthusiastic interest
which disposes one to incur dlscom-
fort and to overcome difficulties
Burma is governed as a department
of India, since her taxes are all paid
into the Indian treasury; and her
Scottish residents complain bitterly
of the policy which doles out such
funds as are appropriated for local
improvements and the development
OF the country. Nothing has been
done in the way Of road building ex-
cept FOR a few miles around RangOon.
There are no good roads in fact and
no spring wagons outside the large
towns. For conveyance in the coun-
try there are only the bullock carts.
The Burmese have not reached the
stage of development requiring hotels /;
hence there are no Burmese hotels.
Those In the large towns, for for
eigners and supported by foreigners,
are bad and very dear.
How to See the Real Burma.
Yet Burma is a country of sur
passing interest, and once outside the
tourists triangular path, bounded by
Rangoon, Mandalay md Prone (none
Of which is typically Burmese), one
may journey at will among simple,
happy, kindly people, still very young
and wholly uhSpoiled by contact with
the West. 1t Is a country of mystery,
where mats (nature spirits) still dwell
In mountains, trees, streams and
temples; a country inhabited by many
tribes, widely diverse in customs and
physical characteristics, living as they
lived 1000 years ago; tribes among
which the Burmese are only one, but
happened to be in the ascendant at
the moment of England's conquest of
the country.
Much of ghis country may be reached
by the Irrawaddy and its estuaries,
where g. comprehensive service is es-
tablished. For such a journey only a
single servant is necessary, as in In
dia OF Ceylon.
For more extended journey, in
voiving the necessity of leaving the
waterways, some provision must be
made. A bedding outfit will be need
ed, as well as cooking utensils and
some supplies.
Thus equipped, an extremely inter-
esting Journey may be made-for in
stance, through the Shan states north
, vGrd to the ruby mines or the oil
fields, thus passing through the coun-
try Of several interesting peoples. The
weather, except for a few rainy days
at Christmas time, is good for the
most part from December to March.
Oak bungalows are to be found
nearly everywhere, though often only
shelters and not always provided with
croekery and cooking utensils. There
are many very comfortable Circuit
houses" built for and used by the gov
eminent officials, who are very cour-
teous to any properly accredited trav-
elers.
On the other hand. though on land
one must travel in the saddle or by
sn'lo"G cart. the Irrawaddy river and