Chapter I: Preface

This is not a guide-book, or a history, or a study of manners and customs. It is a plain story of official life for more than thirty years. It does not compete with any of the books already written about Burma, except, perhaps, the monumental work of General Fytche. While pursuing as a rule a track of chronological order, I have not hesitated to wander into by-paths of dissertation and description. I could not write without attempting to give fragmentary impressions of the people and their character. As far as possible I have limited my narrative to events within my own knowledge; my judgments are based on my own observation.

I have to express my acknowledgments to the friends who have given me photographs to illustrate the book. My special thanks are due to Mr. A. Leeds, I.C.S. (retired), for a large number of characteristic and charming pictures.

H. T. W.

_September, 1913._

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I. INTRODUCTORY: A RETROSPECT AND SOME COMPARISONS 1

II. EARLY YEARS AND FIRST IMPRESSIONS 16

III. THE FIRST SUBDIVISION: THE SECRETARIAT 36

IV. SOME ASPECTS OF BURMESE LIFE AND CHARACTER 55

V. ON THE FRONTIER 73

VI. THE SECRETARIAT: THE LAST SUBDIVISION 90

VII. THE TAKING OF MANDALAY 99

VIII. EARLY DAYS AT MANDALAY 114

IX. LORD DUFFERIN’S VISIT--MANDALAY ONCE MORE 137

X. THE FIRST YEAR AFTER THE ANNEXATION 154

XI. A FEW WORDS ON BUDDHISM 183

XII. UNDER SIR CHARLES CROSTHWAITE, 1887-1890 201

XIII. A VISIT TO THE SHAN STATES 225

XIV. RANGOON--MANDALAY 235

XV. LOWER BURMA ONCE MORE 256

XVI. MANDALAY: THE BOUNDARY COMMISSION 266

XVII. THE CHIEF COURT--LAST YEARS IN BURMA 285

GLOSSARY 307

INDEX 309

NOTE

Burmese words are spelt according to the Government system of transliteration. Consonants have the same power as in English. _Y_ after _g_ combines to form a sound approximating to _j_: _gyi_ = “jee”; after every other consonant it is short--_my̆o_. _Yw_ is pronounced “yu.” Vowels and diphthongs have the sounds given below:

_a_ = _a_ in “Ma.”
_e_ = _a_ in “bane.”
_è_ = _e_ in French “père,” without any sound of _r_ following.
_i_ = _ee_ in “feet.”
_o_ or _ô_ = _o_ in “bone.”
_u_ = _oo_ in “fool.”
_au_ = _ow_ in “cow.”
_ai_ = _i_ in “line.”
_ei_ = _ei_ in “vein.”
_aw_ = _aw_ in “law.”

Every letter, except _y_ after _g_, is sounded separately, including final vowels. Thus, _lu-gale_ is pronounced “loo-ga-lay.” These instructions are crude and unscientific, and may excite the derision of purists. They will enable anyone to pronounce Burmese words with some approach to correctness. In the case of Shan names I have as a rule adopted the Burmese forms rather than the Shan forms in official use, which no one who does not know the language can pretend to pronounce properly.

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

BUDDHA’S FOOT (_Photograph by A. Leeds_) _Frontispiece_

FACING PAGE

BURMESE HOUSES (_Photograph by A. Leeds_) 48

CHIN-LON (_Photograph by E. G. N. Kinch_) 58

THE POTTER (_Photograph by E. G. N. Kinch_) 64

THE MY̆O-ÔK-GADAW (_Photograph by A. Leeds_) 64

SNAKE PAGODA (_Photograph by A. Leeds_) 70

BURMESE GIRL WORSHIPPING (_Photograph by A. Leeds_) 70

WHEN THE FLOODS ARE OUT (_Photograph by A. Leeds_) 84

THE CITY WALL, MANDALAY (_Photograph by A. Leeds_) 120

ROW OF BUDDHAS (_Photograph by A. Leeds_) 128

RELEASING TURTLE (_Photograph by A. Leeds_) 128

A BURMESE FAMILY (_Photograph by A. Leeds_) 162

THE SAWBWA OF THIBAW (_Photograph by London
Stereoscopic Company_) 174

MONASTERY WITH CARVING (_Photograph by A. Leeds_) 184

THE THATHA-NA-BAING (_Photograph by Watts and Skeen, Rangoon_) 190

A MONASTERY (_Photograph by E. G. N. Kinch_) 200

PAGODA AT MONE (_Photograph by Sir J. G. Scott, K.C.I.E._) 226

THE PAUNGDAWU FESTIVAL (_Photograph by Sir J. G. Scott,
K.C.I.E._) 232

BO CHO AND HIS SONS 260

ERRATUM.

Page 12, footnote *, _for_ “Admiral,” _read_ “General,” and _delete_ “naval.”

A CIVIL SERVANT IN BURMA