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 THE LIBRARY OF THE 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF 
 
 NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 ENDOWED BY THE 
 
 DIALECTIC AND PHILANTHROPIC 
 
 SOCIETIES 
 
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 On 
 1897 
 
UNIVERSITY OF N.C. AT CHAPEL HILL 
 
 10003140343 
 
 This book is due at the LOUIS R. WILSON LIBRARY on the 
 last date stamped under "Date Due." If not on hold it may be 
 renewed by bringing it to the library. 
 
 DATE nr T 
 
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7 
 
ON THE IRRAWADDY 
 
MR. HENTY'S HISTORICAL TALES. 
 
 Crown Svo, Cloth elegant, Olivine edges. Illustrated. 
 
 The Cat of Bubastes : A Story of Ancient Egypt. 5s. 
 The Young Carthaginian: A Story of the Times of Hannibal. 6s. 
 For the Temple : A Tale of the Fall of Jerusalem. 6s. 
 BEiilC the Briton : A Story of the Roman Invasion. 6s. 
 The Dragon and the Raven : Or, The Days of King Alfred. 5s. 
 Wulf the Saxon: A Story of the Norman Conquest. 6s. 
 A Knight of the White Cross : The Siege of Rhodes. 6s. 
 The Lion of St. Mark: A Story of Venice in the 34th Century. 6s. 
 The Lion of the North : A Tale of Gustavus Adolphus. 6s. 
 St. Bartholomew's Eve: A Tale of the Huguenot Wars. 6s. 
 In Freedom's Cause : A Story of Wallace and Bruce, bs. 
 St. George for England : A Tale of Cressy and Poitiers. 5s. 
 By Right of Conquest : Or, With Cortez in Mexico. 6s. 
 Bv Pike and Dyke: A Tale of the Rise of the Dutch Republic. 6s. 
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 When London Burned : A Story of the Great Fire. 6s. 
 The Bravest of the Brave: Or, With Peterborough in Spain. 5s. 
 With Wolfe in Canada : Or, The Winning of a Continent. 6s. 
 With Clive in India : Or, The Beginnings of an Empire. 6s. 
 Through the Sikh War : A Tale of the Punjaub. 6s. 
 True to the Old Flag. The American War of Independence. 6s. 
 In the Reign of Terror. The French Revolution. 5s. 
 Held Fast for England : A Tale of the Siege of Gibraltar. 5s. 
 Through Russian Snows : A Story of Napoleon's Retreat from 
 
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 One of the 28th : A Story of Waterloo. 5s. 
 In Greek Waters: A Story of the Grecian War (1821). 6s. 
 The Tiger of Mysore : The War with Tippoo Saib. (is. 
 Through the Fray: A Story of the Luddite Riots. 6s. 
 MAORI and Settler : A Story of the New Zealand War. 5s. 
 By Sheer Pluck : A Tale of the Ashanti War. 5s. 
 For Name and Fame : Or, Through Afghan Passes. 5s. 
 With Lee in Virginia : A Story of the American Civil War. 6s. 
 The Dash for Khartoum: A Tale of the Nile Expedition. 6s. 
 Condemned as a Nihilist : A Story of Escape from Siberia. 5s. 
 
 London: BLACKIE & SON, Limited; Glasgow and Dublin. 
 
■_™v- 
 
 
 M 266 
 
 "STANLEY GAVE A SUDDEN SPRING AND BURIED HIS KNIFE 
 IN THE LEOI'ARD." 
 
34+. 
 
 u 
 
 J A" V 
 
 ON THE IRRAWADDY 
 
 A STORY OF 
 THE FIRST BURMESE WAR 
 
 ' 
 
 BY 
 
 G. A. HENTY 
 
 Author of " With C'live iu India", " In the Heart of the Rockies", " Through Russian Snows" 
 " When London Burned ", " The Dash for Khartoum ", " Through the Sikh War", &c. 
 
 WITH EIGHT ILLUSTRATIONS BY W. H. OVEREXD 
 
 
 t 
 
 \P 
 
 LONDON 
 
 BLACKIE & SON, Limited, 50 OLD BAILEY, E.C. 
 
 GLASGOW AND DUBLIN 
 
 1897 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 
 in 2012 with funding from 
 
 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/onirrawaddystoryOOhent 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 With the exception of the terrible retreat from Afghan- 
 istan, none of England's many little wars have been so fatal 
 in proportion to the number of those engaged as our first 
 expedition to Burma. It was undertaken without any- 
 due comprehension of the difficulties to be encountered 
 from the effects of climate and the deficiency of transport; 
 the power and still more the obstinacy and arrogance of 
 the Court of Ava were altogether underrated; and it was 
 considered that our possession of her ports would assuredly 
 bring the enemy, who had wantonly forced the struggle 
 upon us, to submission. Events, however, proved the 
 completeness of the error. The Burman policy of carrying 
 off every boat on the river, laying waste the whole country 
 and driving away the inhabitants and the herds, maintained 
 our army as prisoners in Rangoon through the first wet 
 season, and caused the loss of half the white officers and 
 men first sent there. The subsequent campaign was no 
 less fatal, and although large reinforcements had been sent, 
 fifty per cent of the whole died, so that less than two 
 thousand fighting men remained in the ranks when the 
 expedition arrived within a short distance of Ava. Not 
 until the last Burmese army had been scattered did the 
 Court of Ava submit to the by no means onerous terms we 
 imposed. Great, indeed, was the contrast presented by this 
 
VI PREFACE. 
 
 first invasion of the country with the last war in 1885, 
 which brought about the final annexation of Burma. Then 
 a fleet of steamers conveyed the troops up the noble river, 
 while in 1824 a solitary steamer was all that India could 
 furnish to aid the flotilla of row-boats. No worse govern- 
 ment has ever existed than that of Burma when, with the 
 boast that she intended to drive the British out of India, 
 she began the war; no people were ever kept down by a 
 more grinding tyranny, and the occupation of the country 
 by the British has been an even greater blessing to the 
 population than has that of India. Several works, some 
 by eye-witnesses, others compiled from official documents, 
 appeared after the war. They differ remarkably in the 
 relation of details, and still more in the spelling of the 
 names both of persons and places. I have chiefly followed 
 those given in the narratives of Mr. H. H. Wilson, and of 
 Major Snodgrass, the military secretary to the commander 
 of the expedition. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 Chap. Page 
 
 I. A New Career, 11 
 
 II. The Outbreak of War, 28 
 
 III. A Prisoner, 45 
 
 IV. A Ruined Temple, 64 
 
 V. With Brigands, = 82 
 
 VI. Among Friends, 101 
 
 VII. On the Staff, .119 
 
 VIII. The Pagoda, 137 
 
 IX. Victories, 157 
 
 X. The Advance, 176 
 
 XI. Donabew, 196 
 
 XII. Harry Carried Off, 215 
 
 XIII. Preparing a Rescue, 236 
 
 XIV. In the Temple, 256 
 
 XV. The Attack, 276 
 
 XVI. Pejoining, 296 
 
 XVII. The Pride of Burma Humbled, 316 
 
 XVIII. In Business Again, 336 
 
ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 Page 
 "Stanley gave a sudden spring and buried his knife 
 in the leopard", Frontispiece. 82 
 
 Stanley is brought before Bandoola the Burmese 
 General, 47 
 
 "They forced the canoe behind bushes so as to be 
 entirely concealed", 99 
 
 The Burmese make a Great Effort to Capture Pagoda 
 Hill, 152 
 
 "Stanley cut down the man who was about to fire 
 the hut ", 204 
 
 "The great snake moved his head higher and higher, 
 hissing angrily", 252 
 
 "In vain the Burmese tried to force their way into 
 the chamber", 278 
 
 "The old Burmese general was carried from point to 
 point in a litter", 314 
 
ON THE IKRAWADDY. 
 
 CHAPTEE I. 
 
 A NEW CAREER. 
 
 ^1 PARTY was assembled in a room of an hotel in 
 Calcutta at the end of the year 1822. It con- 
 sisted of a gentleman, a lady in deep mourning, 
 a boy of between fourteen and fifteen, and two 
 girls of thirteen and twelve. 
 
 "I think you had better accept my offer, Nellie," the 
 gentleman was saying. " You will find it hard work enough 
 to make both ends meet with these two girls, and Stanley 
 would be a heavy drain on you. The girls cost nothing but 
 their clothes, but he must go to a decent school, and then 
 there would be the trouble of thinking what to do with 
 him afterwards. If I could have allowed you a couple of 
 hundred a year it would have been altogether different, but 
 you see I am fighting an uphill fight myself, and need every 
 penny that I can scrape together. I am getting on, and I 
 can see well enough that, unless something occurs to upset 
 the whole thing, I shall be doing a big trade one of these 
 days, but every halfpenny of profit has to go into the busi- 
 ness. So, as you know, I cannot help you at present, 
 though by the time the girls groAV up I hope I shall be able 
 to do so, and that to a good extent. I feel sure that it 
 
12 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 would not be a bad thing for Stanley; he will soon get to 
 be useful to me, and in three or four years will be a valu- 
 able assistant. Speaking Hindustani as well as he does, he 
 won't be very long in picking up enough of the various 
 dialects in Kathee and Chittagong for our purpose, and by 
 twenty he will have a share of the business, and be on the 
 highway towards making his fortune. It will be infinitely 
 better than anything he is likely to find in England, and 
 he will be doing a man's work at the age when he would 
 still be a schoolboy in England. I have spoken to him 
 about it. Of course he does not like leaving you, but he 
 says that he should like it a thousand times better than 
 perhaps having to go into some humdrum office in England.' 
 
 " Thank you, Tom," Mrs. Brooke said with a sigh. " It 
 will be very hard to part with him, — terribly hard, — but ] 
 see that it is by far the best thing for him, and, as you say. 
 in a monetary way it will be a relief to me. I think I can 
 manage very comfortably on the pension, in some quiet 
 place at home with the two girls, but Stanley's schooling 
 would be a heavy drain. I might even manage that, for I 
 might earn a little money by painting, but there would be 
 the question of what to do with him when he left school, 
 and without friends or influence it will be hopeless to 
 get him into any good situation. You see, Herbert's parents 
 have both died since he came out here, and though he was 
 distantly related to the Earl of Netherley, he was only a 
 second cousin or something of that kind, and knew nothing 
 about the family, and of course I could not apply to them." 
 
 " Certainly not, Nellie," her brother agreed. " There is 
 nothing so hateful as posing as a poor relation — and that 
 is a connection rather than a relationship. Then you will 
 leave the boy in my hands V 
 
 "I am sure that it will be best," she said with a tremor 
 
A NEW CAREER. 13 
 
 in her voice, " and at any rate I shall have the comfort of 
 knowing that he will be well looked after." 
 
 Mrs. Brooke was the widow of a captain in one of the native 
 regiments of the East India Company. He had, six weeks 
 before this, been carried off suddenly by an outbreak of 
 cholera, and she had been waiting at Calcutta in order to see 
 her brother before sailing for England. She was the daughter 
 of an English clergyman, who had died some seventeen years 
 before. Nellie, who was then eighteen, being motherless as 
 well as fatherless, had determined to sail for India. A great 
 friend of hers had married and gone out a year before. 
 Nellie's father was at that time in bad health, and her friend 
 had said to her at parting: "Now mind, Nellie, I have 
 your promise that if you should find yourself alone here, 
 you will come out to me in India. I shall be very glad to 
 have you with me, and I don't suppose you will be on my 
 hands very long ; pretty girls don't remain single many 
 months in India." So, seeing nothing better to do, Nellie 
 had, shortly after her father's death, sailed for Calcutta. 
 
 Lieutenant Brooke was also a passenger on board the 
 Ava, and during the long voyage he and Nellie Pearson 
 became engaged, and were married from her friend's house 
 a fortnight after their arrival. Nellie was told that she 
 was a foolish girl, for that she ought to have done better, 
 but she was perfectly happy. The pay and allowances of 
 her husband were sufficient for them to live upon in com- 
 fort, and though, when the children came, there was little 
 to spare, the addition of pay when he gained the rank of 
 captain was ample for their wants. They had been in fact 
 a perfectly happy couple — both had bright and sunny dis- 
 positions and made the best of everything, and she had 
 never had a serious care until he was suddenly taken away 
 from her. 
 
14 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 Stanley had inherited his parents' disposition, and as his 
 sisters, coming so soon after him, occupied the greater por- 
 tion of his mother's care, he was left a good deal to his own 
 devices, and became a general pet in the regiment, and was 
 equally at home in the men's lines and in the officers' bun- 
 galows. The native language came as readily to him as 
 English, and by the time he was ten he could talk in their 
 own tongue with the men from the three or four different 
 districts from which the regiment had been recruited. His 
 father devoted a couple of hours a day to his studies; he did 
 not attempt to teach him Latin, which would, he thought, be 
 altogether useless to him, but gave him a thorough ground- 
 ing in English and Indian history and arithmetic, and in- 
 sisted upon his spending a certain time each day in reading 
 standard English authors. 
 
 Tom Pearson, who was five years younger than his sister, 
 had come out to India four years after her. He was a lad 
 full of life and energy. As soon as he left school, finding 
 himself the master of a hundred pounds, the last remains of 
 the small sum that his father had left behind him, he took 
 a second-class passage to Calcutta. As soon as he had 
 landed he went round to the various merchants and offices, 
 and finding that he could not, owing to a want of refer- 
 ences, obtain a clerkship, he took a place in the store of a 
 Parsee merchant who dealt in English goods. 
 
 Here he remained for five years, by which time he had 
 mastered two or three native languages, and had obtained 
 a good knowledge of business. He now determined to start 
 on his own account; he had lived hardly, saving up every 
 rupee not needed for actual necessaries, and at the end of 
 the five years he had in all a hundred and fifty pounds. 
 He had long before this determined that the best opening 
 for trade was among the tribes on the eastern borders of 
 
A NEW CAREER. 15 
 
 the British territory, and had specially devoted himself to 
 the study of the languages of Kathee and Chittagong. In- 
 vesting the greater portion of his money in goods suitable 
 for the trade, he embarked at Calcutta in a vessel bound 
 for Chittagong. There he took passage in a native craft 
 going up the great river to Sylhet, where he established his 
 head-quarters, and thence, leaving the greater portion of his 
 goods in the care of a native merchant with whom his late 
 employer had had dealings, started with a native, and four 
 donkeys on which his goods were packed, to trade among 
 the wild tribes. 
 
 His success fully equalled his anticipations, and gradually 
 he extended his operations, going as far east as Manipur 
 and south almost as far as Chittagong. The firm in Cal- 
 cutta, from whom he had in the first place purchased his 
 goods, sent him up fresh stores as he required them, and 
 soon, seeing the energy with which he was pushing his 
 business, gave him considerable credit, and he was able 
 to carry on his operations on an increasingly larger scale. 
 Sylhet remained his head-quarters, but he had a branch at 
 Chittagong whither goods could be sent direct from Cal- 
 cutta, and from this he drew his supplies for his trade in 
 that province. Much of his business was carried on by 
 means of the waterways and the very numerous streams 
 that covered the whole country, and enabled him to carry 
 his goods at a far cheaper rate than he could transport 
 them by land, and for this purpose he had a boat specially 
 fitted up with a comfortable cabin. He determined from 
 the first to sell none but the best goods in the market, and 
 thus he speedily gained the confidence of the natives, and 
 the arrival of his boats was eagerly hailed by the villagers 
 on the banks of the rivers. 
 
 He soon found that money was scarce, and that to do a 
 
16 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 good business he must take native products in barter for his 
 goods, and that in this way he not only did a much larger 
 trade, but obtained a very much better price for his wares 
 than if he had sold only for money; and he soon consigned 
 considerable quantities to the firm in Calcutta, and by so 
 doing obtained a profit both ways. He himself paid a visit 
 to Calcutta every six months or so, to choose fresh fashions 
 of goods and to visit the firm, with whom his dealings 
 every year became more extensive. But though laying the 
 foundations for an extensive business, he was not, as he 
 told his sister, at present in a position to help her, for his 
 increasing trade continually demanded more and more 
 capital, and the whole of his profits were swallowed up by 
 the larger stocks that had to be held at his depots at Sylhet, 
 Chittagong, and at the mouths of the larger rivers. Twice 
 since he had been out he had met his sister at Calcutta, 
 and when she came down after her husband's death and 
 heard from Tom's agents that he would probably arrive 
 there in the course of a fortnight, she decided to wait there 
 and meet him. He was greatly grieved at her loss, and 
 especially so as he was unable to offer her a home; for as 
 his whole time was spent in travelling, it was impossible for 
 him to do so; nor indeed would she have accepted it. Now 
 that her husband was gone, she yearned to be back in 
 England again; it was, too, far better for the girls that she 
 should take them home. But when he now offered to take 
 the boy, she felt that, hard as it would be to leave Stanley 
 behind, the offer was a most advantageous one for him. 
 
 The boy's knowledge of Indian languages, which would be 
 of immense advantage to him in such a life, would be abso- 
 lutely useless in England, and, from what Tom told her of 
 his business, there could be little doubt that the prospects 
 were excellent. Stanley himself, who now saw his uncle for 
 
 ( M 266 ) 
 
A NEW CAREER, 17 
 
 the first time, was attracted to him by the energy and 
 cheeriness of manner that had rendered him so successful in 
 business, and he was stirred by the enterprise and adventure 
 of the life he proposed for him. More than once in the 
 little-frequented rivers that stretched into Kathee his boats 
 had been attacked by wild tribesmen, and he had to fight 
 hard to keep them off; petty chiefs had at times endeavoured 
 to obstruct his trading, and when at Manipur, he had twice 
 been witness of desperate fights between rival claimants for 
 the throne. All this was to a boy brought up among soldiers 
 irresistibly fascinating, especially as the alternative seemed 
 to be a seat in a dull counting-house in England. He was 
 then delighted when his mother gave her consent to his 
 remaining with his uncle, grieved as he was at being parted 
 from her and his sisters. The thought that he should in 
 time be able to be of assistance to her was a pleasant one, 
 and aided him to support the pain of parting, when, a week 
 later, she sailed with the girls for England. 
 
 " I suppose you have not done any shooting, Stanley 1 ?" 
 his uncle asked. 
 
 " Not with a gun, but I have practised sometimes with 
 pistols. Father thought that it would be useful." 
 
 "Very useful; and you must learn to shoot well with 
 them and with fowling-piece and rifle. What with river 
 thieves, and dacoits, and wild tribes, to say nothing of wild 
 beasts, a man who travels about as I do, wants to be able 
 to shoot straight. The straighter you shoot, the less likely 
 you are to have to do so. I have come to be a good shot 
 myself, and whenever we row up a river I constantly 
 practise either at floating objects in the water, or at birds 
 or other marks in the trees. I have the best weapons that 
 money can buy. It is my one extravagance, and the result 
 is that to my boatmen and the men about me my shooting 
 
 £, (M266) B 
 
18 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 seems to be marvellous; they tell others of it, and the result 
 is that I am regarded with great respect. I have no doubt 
 whatever that it has saved me from much trouble, for the 
 natives have almost got to believe that I only have to point 
 my gun, and the man I wish to kill falls dead, however far 
 distant." 
 
 Two days after the departure of Mrs. Brooke her brother 
 and Stanley started down the Hoogly in a native trader. 
 
 "She is a curious-looking craft, uncle." 
 
 "Yes; she would not be called handsome in home waters, 
 but she is uncommonly fast, and I find her much more con- 
 venient in many ways than a British merchantman." 
 
 "Is she yours, uncle?" 
 
 "No, she is not mine, and I do not exactly charter her, 
 but she works principally for me. You see the wages are 
 so low that they can work a craft like this for next to 
 nothing. Why, the captain and his eight men together 
 don't get higher pay than the boatswain of an English 
 trader. The captain owns the vessel; he is quite content if 
 he gets a few rupees a month in addition to what he con- 
 siders his own rate of pay; his wife and his two children 
 live on board. If the craft can earn twenty rupees a week, 
 he considers that he is doing splendidly. At the outside 
 he would not pay his men more than four rupees a month 
 each, and I suppose that he would put down his services 
 at eight, so that would leave him forty rupees a month as 
 the profit earned by the ship. In point of fact I keep him 
 going pretty steadily. He makes trips backwards and 
 forwards between the different depots; carries me up the 
 rivers for a considerable distance ; does a little trade on his 
 own account, — not in goods such as I sell, you know, but 
 purely native stores ; takes a little freight when he can get 
 it, and generally a few native passengers. 
 
A NEW CAREER. 19 
 
 " I pay him fifteen rupees a week, and I suppose he earns 
 from five to ten in addition, so that the arrangement suits 
 us both admirably. I keep the stern cabin for myself. As 
 you see, she has four little brass guns which I picked up 
 for a song at Calcutta, and there are twenty-four muskets 
 aft. It is an arrangement that the crew are to practise 
 shooting once a week, so they have all come to be pretty 
 fair shots, and the captain himself can send a two-pound 
 shot from those little guns uncommonly straight. You 
 will be amused when you see us practising for action. The 
 captain's wife and the two boys load the guns, and do it 
 very quickly too; he runs round from gun to gun, takes 
 aim, and fires ; the crew shout and yell and bang away with 
 their muskets; I take the command, and give a few pice 
 among them if the firing has been accurate. We have been 
 attacked once or twice in the upper waters, but have always 
 managed to beat the robbers off without much difficulty. 
 The captain fires away till they get pretty close, and I pepper 
 them with my rifles ; I have three of them. When they get 
 within fifty yards, the crew open fire, and as they have 
 three muskets each, they can make it very hot for the 
 pirates. I have a store of hand grenades, and if they push 
 on, I throw two or three on board when they get within 
 ten yards, and that has always finished the matter. They 
 don't understand the things bursting in the middle of them. 
 I don't mean to say that my armament would be of much 
 use if we were trading along the coast of the Malay Penin- 
 sula or among the Islands, but it is quite enough to deal 
 with the petty robbers of these rivers." 
 
 " But I thought that you had a boat that you went up 
 the rivers in, uncle 1" 
 
 "Yes; we tow a row-boat and a store-boat up behind this 
 craft as far as she can go, that is, as long as she has wind 
 
20 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 enough to make against the sluggish stream. When she can 
 go no further, I take to the row-boat; it has eight rowers, 
 carries a gun — it is a twelve-pounder howitzer that I have 
 had cut short so that it is only about a foot long. Of course 
 it won't carry far, but that is not necessary. Its charge 
 is a pound of powder and a ten-pound bag of bullets, and 
 at a couple of hundred yards the balls scatter enough to 
 sweep two or three canoes coming abreast, and as we can 
 charge and fire the little thing three times in a minute, it 
 is all that we require for practical purposes; it is only 
 on a few of the rivers we go up that there is any fear of 
 trouble. On the river from Sylhet to the east and its 
 branches in Kathee, or, as it is sometimes called, Kasi, the 
 country is comparatively settled. The Goomtee beyond 
 Oudypore is well enough until it gets into Kaayn, which is 
 what they call independent. That is to say, it owns no 
 authority, and some villages are peaceable and well-dis- 
 posed, while others are savage. The same may be said of 
 the Munnoo and Fenny rivers. For the last two years I 
 have done a good deal of trade in Assam up the Brahma- 
 putra river. As far as Rungpoor there are a great many 
 villages on the banks, and the people are quiet and peace- 
 able." 
 
 " Then you don't go further south than Chittagong, 
 uncle?" 
 
 "No. The Burmese hold Aracan on the south, and 
 indeed for some distance north of it there is no very 
 clearly defined border. You see the great river runs from 
 Rangoon very nearly due north, though with a little east 
 in it, and extends along at the back of the districts I trade 
 with; so that the Burmese are not very far from Manipur, 
 which indeed stands on a branch of the Irrawaddy, of which 
 another branch runs nearly up to Rungpoor. We shall 
 
A NEW CAREER. 21 
 
 have big trouble with them one of these days; indeed we 
 have had troubles already. You see the Burmese are a 
 great and increasing power, and have so easily conquered 
 all their neighbours that they regard themselves as invincible. 
 Until the beginning of the eighteenth century the Burmese 
 were masters of Pegu; then the people of that country, 
 with the help of the Dutch and Portuguese, threw off their 
 yoke. But the Burmese were not long kept down, for in 
 1753 Alompra, a hunter, gathered a force round him, and, 
 after keeping up an irregular warfare for some time, was 
 joined by so many of his countrymen that he attacked and 
 captured Ava, conquered the whole of Pegu, and in 1759 
 the English trading colony at Negrais were massacred. 
 
 "This, however, was not the act of Alompra, but of the 
 treachery of a Frenchman named Levine, and of an Armenian, 
 who incited the Burmese of the district to exterminate the 
 English, hoping, no doubt, thus to retrieve in a new quarter 
 the fortunes of France, which in India were being extin- 
 guished by the genius of Clive. The English were at the time 
 far too occupied with the desperate struggle they were having 
 in India to attempt to revenge the massacre of their country- 
 men at Negrais. Very rapidly the Burman power spread. 
 They captured the valuable Tenasserim coast from Siam, 
 repulsed a formidable invasion from China, annexed Aracan 
 and dominated Manipur, and thus became masters of the 
 whole tract of country lying between China and Hindustan. 
 As they now bordered upon our territory, a mission was sent 
 in 1794 to them from India, with a proposal for the settle- 
 ment of boundaries, and for the arrangement of trade between 
 the two countries. Nothing came of it, for the Burmese 
 had already proposed to themselves the conquest of India, 
 and considered the mission as a proof of the terror that their 
 advance had inspired among us. 
 
22 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 "After the conquest by them of Aracan in 1784, there had 
 been a constant irritation felt against us by the Burmese, 
 owing to the fact that a great number of fugitives from 
 that country had taken refuge in the swamps and islands of 
 Chittagong, from which they from time to time issued and 
 made raids against the Burmese. In 1811 these fugitives, 
 in alliance with some predatory chiefs, invaded Aracan in 
 force, and being joined by the subject population there, 
 expelled the Burmese. These, however, soon reconquered 
 the province. The affair was, nevertheless, unfortunate, 
 since the Burmese naturally considered that as the insurrec- 
 tion had begun with an invasion by the fugitives in Chitta- 
 gong, it had been fomented by us. This was in no way the 
 fact : we had no force there capable of keeping the masses of 
 fugitives in order, but we did our best, and arrested many 
 of the leaders when they returned after their defeat. This, 
 however, was far from satisfying the Burmese. A mission 
 was sent to Ava to assure them of our friendly inten- 
 tions, and that we had had nothing whatever to do with 
 the invasion, and would do all we could to prevent its re- 
 currence. The Burmese government declined to receive the 
 mission. 
 
 "We ourselves had much trouble with the insurgents, for, 
 fearful of re-entering Burma after their defeat, they now 
 carried on a series of raids in our territory, and it was not 
 until 1816 that these were finally suppressed. Nevertheless 
 the court of Ava remained dissatisfied, and a fresh demand 
 was raised for the surrender of the chiefs who had been 
 captured, and of the whole of the fugitives living in the 
 government of Chittagong. The Marquis of Hastings replied 
 that the British government could not, without a violation 
 of the principles of justice, deliver up those who had sought 
 its protection ; that tranquillity now existed ; and there was 
 
A NEW CAREER. 23 
 
 no probability of a renewal of the disturbances, but that the 
 greatest vigilance should be used to prevent and punish the 
 authors of any raid that might be attempted against Aracan. 
 A year later a second letter was received, demanding on 
 the part of the king the cession of Eamoo, Chittagong, 
 Moorshedabad, and Dacca, that is to say, of the whole British 
 possessions east of the Ganges. Lord Hastings simply re- 
 plied that if it was possible to suppose that the demand 
 had been dictated by the king of Ava, the British govern- 
 ment would be justified in regarding it as a declaration of 
 war. 
 
 "To this the Burmese made no reply; doubtless they had 
 heard of the successes we had gained in Central India, and 
 had learned that our whole force was disposable against 
 them. Three years ago the old king died, and a more war- 
 like monarch succeeded him. Since 1810 they have been 
 mixed up in the troubles that have been going on in Assam, 
 where a civil war had been raging. One party or other has 
 sought their assistance, and fighting has been going on 
 there nearly incessantly, and two months ago the Burmese 
 settled the question by themselves taking possession of 
 the whole country. This has, of course, been a serious 
 blow to me. Although disorder has reigned, it has not 
 interfered with my trading along the banks of the river; 
 but now that the Burmese have set up their authority, I 
 shall, for a time anyhow, be obliged to give up my opera- 
 tions there, for they have evinced considerable hostility 
 to us — have made raids near Bungpoor on our side of the 
 river, and have pulled down a British flag on an island 
 in the Brahmaputra. We have taken, in consequence, the 
 principality of Cachar under our protection— indeed its 
 two princes, seeing that the Burmese were beginning to 
 invade their country, invited us to take this step — and we 
 
24 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 thus occupy the passes from Manipur into the low country 
 of Sylhet." 
 
 "I wonder that you have been able to trade in Manipur, 
 uncle, as the Burmese have been masters there." 
 
 " I am not trading with the capital itself, and the Bur- 
 mese have been too occupied with their affairs in Assam 
 to exercise much authority in the country. Besides, you 
 see there has not been war between the two countries. Our 
 merchants at Bangoon still carry on their trade up the Irra- 
 waddy, and in Assam this spring the only trouble I had, 
 was, that I had to pay somewhat higher tolls than I had 
 done before. However, now that Cachar is under our pro- 
 tection, I hope that I shall make up for my loss of trade in 
 Assam by doing better than before in that province." 
 
 " I thought you called it Kathee, uncle?" 
 
 " So it is generally named; but as it is spoken of as Cachar 
 in the proclamation assuming the protectorate, I suppose 
 it will be called so in future; but all these names out here 
 are spelt pretty much according to fancy." 
 
 While this conversation had been going on the boat had 
 been running fast down the river, passing several European 
 vessels almost as if they had been standing still. 
 
 "I should not have thought that a boat like this would 
 pass these large ships," Stanley said. 
 
 "We have a good deal to learn in the art of sailing yet," 
 his uncle replied. "A great many of these Indian dhows 
 can run away from a square-rigged ship in light weather. 
 I don't know whether it is the lines of their hulls or the cut 
 of the sails, but there is no doubt about their speed. They 
 seem to skim over the water while our bluff-bowed craft 
 shove their way through it. I suppose some day we shall 
 adopt these long sharp bows; when we do it will make a 
 wonderful difference in our rate of sailing. Then, too, these 
 
A NEW CAREER. 25 
 
 craft have a very light draft of water; but, on the other 
 hand, they have a deep keel which helps them to lie close 
 to the wind, and that long overhanging bow renders them 
 capital craft in heavy weather, for as they meet the sea 
 they rise over it gradually, instead of its hitting them full 
 on the bow as it does our ships. We have much to learn 
 yet in the way of shipbuilding." 
 
 The trader had his own servant with him, and the man 
 now came up and said that a meal was ready, and they at 
 once entered the cabin. It was roomy and comfortable, and 
 was, like the rest of the boat, of varnished teak. There were 
 large windows in the stern; it had a table with two fixed 
 benches, and there were broad, low sofas on each side. Above 
 these the muskets were disposed in racks, while at the end 
 by the door were Tom Pearson's own rifles, four brace of 
 pistols, and a couple of swords. Ten long spears were sus- 
 pended from the roof of the cabin in leather slings. The 
 floor, like the rest of the cabin, was varnished. 
 
 "It looks very comfortable, uncle." 
 
 "Yes; you see I live quite half my time on board, the 
 rest being spent in the boat. My man is a capital cook. 
 He comes from Chittagong, and is a Mug." 
 
 "What are Mugs, uncle?" 
 
 " They are the original inhabitants of Aracan. He was 
 one of those who remained there after the Burmese had 
 conquered it, and speaks their language as well as his own. 
 I recommend you to begin it with him at once. If things 
 settle down in Assam, it will be very useful for you in 
 arranging with the Burmese officials. You won't find it very 
 easy, though of course your knowledge of three or four 
 Indian tongues will help you. It is said to be a mixture 
 of the old Tali, Sanscrit, Tartar, and Chinese. The Tartar 
 and Chinese words will of course be quite new to you — the 
 
26 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 other two elements will resemble those that you are familiar 
 with. I talk to the man in Hindustani; he picked up a 
 little of it at Chittagong, and has learned a good deal more 
 during the two years that he has been with me, and through 
 that you will be able to learn Burmese." 
 
 A week later the dhow entered the harbour. Stanley 
 had passed most of his time in conversation with Khyen, 
 Tom's servant. The facility his tongue had acquired in 
 the Indian languages was of great benefit to him, and he 
 speedily picked up a good many Burmese sentences. 
 
 For the next six months he continued, with his uncle, the 
 work the latter had carried on, and enjoyed it much. They 
 sailed up the sluggish rivers, with their low, flat shores, in 
 the dhow, towing the row-boat and the store-boat behind 
 them. The crews of these boats lived on board the dhow 
 until their services were required, helping in its navigation 
 and aiding the crew when the wind dropped and sweeps 
 were got out. The villages along the banks were for the 
 most part small, but were very numerous. At each of these 
 the dhow brought up. There was in almost all cases sufficient 
 water to allow of her being moored alongside the banks, and 
 as soon as she did so the natives came on board to make their 
 purchases and dispose of their produce. In addition to the 
 European and Indian goods carried, the dhow was laden 
 with rice, for which there was a considerable demand at 
 most of the villages. As soon as he had learned the price 
 of the various goods and their equivalent in the products 
 of the county, Stanley did much of the bartering, while his 
 uncle went ashore and talked with the head men of the 
 village, with all of whom he made a point of keeping on 
 good terms, and so securing a great portion of the trade 
 that might otherwise have been carried by native craft. 
 
 Three times during the six months the dhow had gone 
 
A NEW CAREER. 27 
 
 back to Calcutta to fetch fresh supplies of goods, and to 
 take in another cargo of rice, while the trader proceeded 
 higher up the river in his own boats. While on the voyage 
 Stanley always had the rifle and fowling-piece, that his uncle 
 had handed over for his special use, leaning against the bul- 
 wark, close at hand, and frequently shot water-fowl, which 
 were so abundant that he was able to keep not only their 
 own table supplied, but to furnish the crew and boatmen 
 with a considerable quantity of food. They had had no 
 trouble with river pirates, for these had suffered so heavily 
 in previous attacks upon the dhow that they shunned any 
 repetition of their loss. At the same time every precaution 
 was taken, for owing to the intestine troubles in Cachar 
 and Assam, fugitives belonging to the party that happened 
 for the time to be worsted were driven to take refuge in the 
 jungles near the rivers, and to subsist largely on plunder, 
 the local authorities being too feeble to root them out. The 
 boats, therefore, were always anchored in the middle of 
 the stream at night and two men were kept on watch. To 
 the south as well as in the north the trading operations 
 were more restricted, for the Burmese became more and 
 more aggressive. Elephant hunters in the hills that formed 
 the boundary of the British territory to the east were seized 
 and carried off, twenty-three in one place being captured 
 and six in another — all being ill-treated and imprisoned, 
 and the remonstrances of the Indian government treated 
 with contempt by the Rajah of Aracan. 
 
 It was evident that the object of the Burmese was to 
 possess themselves of this hill country in order that they 
 might, if they chose, pour down at any time into the culti- 
 vated country round the town of Ramoo. 
 
 " There is no doubt, Stanley," said his uncle one day, 
 " we shall very shortly have a big war with the Burmese. 
 
28 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 The fact that these constant acts of aggression are met only 
 by remonstrances on our part increases their arrogance, and 
 they are convinced that we are in mortal terror of them. 
 They say that in Assam their leaders are openly boasting 
 that ere long they will drive us completely from India, and 
 one of their generals has confidently declared that after 
 taking India they intend to conquer England. With such 
 ignorant people there is but one argument understood, 
 namely, force; and sooner or later we shall have to give 
 them such a hearty thrashing that they will be quiet for 
 some time. Still, I grant that the difficulties are great. 
 Their country is a tremendous size, the beggars are brave, 
 and the climate, at any rate near the sea-coast, is horribly 
 unheal thy. Altogether it will be a big job, but it will have 
 to be done, or in a very short time we shall see them march- 
 ing against Calcutta." 
 
 CHAPTEB II. 
 
 THE OUTBREAK OF WAR. 
 
 ON the last day of September, 1823, just a year after 
 Stanley had joined his uncle, the dhow sailed into 
 Chittagong, which had now taken the place of Sylhet, as the 
 traders' chief depot, the latter place being too near the 
 Burmese in Assam for him to care about keeping a large 
 stock of his goods there. He went ashore as soon as the 
 dhow cast anchor, Stanley remaining on board. 
 
 "The fat is all in the fire, Stanley," Tom Pearson said 
 when he returned. "The Burmese have attacked and killed 
 some of our troops, and it is certain that the government 
 cannot put up with that." 
 
 "Where was it, uncle?" 
 
THE OUTBREAK OF WAR. 29 
 
 " Down at the mouth of the Naaf. As you know that is 
 the southern boundary of the province, and there was a row 
 there in January. One of our native boats laden with rice 
 was coming up the river, on our side of the channel, when 
 an armed Burmese boat came across and demanded duty. 
 Of course, our fellows said they were in their own waters, 
 whereupon the Burmese fired upon them and killed the 
 steersman. There were reports then that bodies of Burmese 
 troops were moving about on their side of the river, and 
 that it was feared they would cross over and burn some 
 of our villages. Accordingly our guard at the mouth of 
 the river was increased to fifty men, and a few of these 
 were posted on the island of Shapuree. This island lies 
 close to our shore, and indeed the channel between can be 
 forded at low water. It has always formed part of the 
 province of Chittagong, and there has never been any 
 question raised by the Burmese as to this. However, the 
 viceroy of Aracan called upon our resident here to with- 
 draw the guard, asserting the right of the king of Ava to 
 the island. 
 
 "Since then letters have passed to and fro, but I hear 
 that the Burmese have settled the question by landing on 
 Shapuree. One night last week they attacked our post there, 
 killed and wounded four of the sepoys, and drove the rest 
 off the island. The Indian government have put up with 
 a great deal rather than engage in so costly and difficult an 
 operation as a war with Burma, but it is impossible that we 
 can stand this." 
 
 The Indian government, however, used every endeavour 
 to avert the necessity for war, although the Rajah of 
 Aracan lost no time in writing a letter to the government 
 of Calcutta, stating that he had occupied the island of 
 Shapuree, and that unless they submitted quietly to this 
 
30 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 act of justice, the cities of Dacca and Moorshedabad would 
 be forcibly seized. In order, however, to postpone, at any 
 rate, the outbreak of war, the government of Bengal re- 
 solved to give the court of Ava an opportunity to withdraw 
 from the position taken up. They therefore acted as if 
 the attack on the guard at Shapuree had been the action 
 of the viceroy of Aracan alone, and addressed a declaration 
 to the Burmese government recapitulating the facts of the 
 case, pointing out that Shapuree had always been acknow- 
 ledged by Burma as forming part of the province of Chitta- 
 gong, and calling upon the government to disavow the action 
 of the local authorities. 
 
 The Burmese considered this, as it was in fact, a proof 
 that the government of India was reluctant to enter upon 
 a contest with them, and confirmed Burma in its confident 
 expectation of annexing the eastern portions of Bengal, 
 if not of expelling the English altogether. In the mean- 
 time Shapuree had been reoccupied by us. The Burmese, 
 after driving out the little garrison, had retired, and two 
 months after the attack two companies of the 20th Native 
 Infantry arrived by sea from Calcutta and landed there. 
 A stockade was built, and two six-pounders placed in posi- 
 tion. Another company was stationed on the mainland, 
 and the Planet and three gunboats, each carrying a twelve- 
 pounder, were stationed in the river. The Burmese at 
 once collected large bodies of troops, both in Aracan and 
 Assam. The government of Bengal made preparations to 
 defend our frontier, and especially the position in the north, 
 as an advance of the Burmese in this direction would not 
 only threaten the important towns of Dacca and Moor- 
 shedabad, but would place the invaders in dangerous prox- 
 imity to Calcutta. Accordingly a portion of the 10th and 
 23rd Native Infantry, and four companies of the Bungpoor 
 
THE OUTBREAK OF WAR. 31 
 
 local force, were marched to Sylhet, and outposts thrown 
 forward to the frontier. 
 
 Seeing that the Burmese operations would probably com- 
 mence in the north, Tom Pearson had, after completing his 
 arrangements at Chittagong, sailed north to remove his 
 depots from Sylhet and other places that would be exposed 
 to an attack from that direction. They reached Sylhet the 
 first week in January. By this time Stanley, from his con- 
 stant conversation with his uncle's servant, had come to 
 speak Burmese as fluently as the Indian languages. He 
 was now nearly sixteen, tall for his age and active; but 
 owing to the hot climate and the absence of vigorous exer- 
 cise, he was less broad and muscular than most English lads 
 of his age. 
 
 They found on landing that news had arrived two days 
 before that a powerful army of Burmese had entered Cachar 
 from Manipur and had defeated the troops of Jambhir Sing, 
 that 4000 Burmese and Assamese had advanced from As- 
 sam into Cachar, and had begun to stockade themselves at 
 Bickrampore at the foot of the Bhortoka Pass, and that the 
 third division was crossing into the district of Jyntea 
 immediately to the north of Sylhet. There was a complete 
 panic in the town, and the ryots were flocking in from all 
 the surrounding country with their families and belongings, 
 and were making their way down the country in boats to 
 Dacca. 
 
 "I am afraid, Stanley, there is an end of trade for the 
 present. What we see here is doubtless taking place all 
 over Cachar, and it would be just as bad down at Chitta- 
 gong. It is a heavy blow, for I have done remarkably well 
 this year, and was building up the foundations for a good 
 business. No doubt when this trouble is over I shall be 
 able to take it up again, and it may be if we thrash the 
 
32 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 Burmese heartily, which we are sure to do in the long 
 run, it may even prove a benefit; still there is no doubt 
 that it is a very bad business for me. However, as just at 
 present there is nothing whatever to be done, I propose, as 
 soon as the goods are all on board, to take a holiday and go 
 out and have a look at the fighting." 
 
 "You will take me with you, uncle 1 ?" Stanley asked 
 eagerly. 
 
 "Certainly, lad, we don't mean to do any fighting our- 
 selves, but only to look on; and it may be that after it is 
 over you may be able to make yourself- useful if they want 
 to ask questions of any Burmese prisoners." 
 
 " You think that there is no chance of their beating us?" 
 
 "I should think not, though of course there is no saying; 
 still, I don't think these fellows will be able to stand against 
 our troops. Of course, they have no idea whatever of our 
 style of fighting, and have never met any really formid- 
 able foes, so that I imagine we shall make pretty short 
 work of them. However, as we shall be mounted — for I 
 will hire a couple of horses, there have been plenty of 
 them driven into the town — we shall be able to make a 
 bolt of it if necessary. Of course we will take our rifles 
 and pistols with us." 
 
 The goods were not placed on board the dhow, but in 
 what was called the store -boat, as the trader had deter- 
 mined to take up his abode in his row-boat, which could 
 move about much faster than the dhow, and to allow the 
 captain of that craft to make a good thing of it by taking 
 down to Dacca as many of the fugitives as she would hold. 
 
 Finding that the Burmese division that had entered 
 Jyntea was intrenching itself at a few miles' distance, Major 
 Newton, the officer commanding on the Sylhet frontier, 
 concentrated his force at Jatrapur, a village five miles 
 
THE OUTBREAK OF WAR. 33 
 
 beyond the Sylhet boundary. Tom Pearson had introduced 
 himself to Major Newton and asked permission to accom- 
 pany his force, saying that his nephew would be able, if 
 necessaiy, to communicate with the Burmese either before 
 or after the action, and that both would willingly act as 
 aides-de-camp. The offer was accepted with thanks, and 
 they rode out with him on the evening of the 16th of Janu- 
 ary, 1824, to Jatrapur. 
 
 At one o'clock in the morning the troops were roused, 
 and marched an hour later. At daybreak they came in 
 sight of the stockade, and a few shots were at once fired 
 upon the advanced guard by the Burmese. A portion of 
 their force was lying in a village hard by. 
 
 Major Newton at once divided his command into two 
 bodies; one of these was led by Captain Johnston against 
 the front of the stockade, the other under Captain Eowe 
 attacked the village adjoining. The Burmese stationed there 
 gave way after a very faint resistance. They were accus- 
 tomed to rely always on stockades, and this attack upon 
 them when not so protected, shook them at once. Those in 
 the stockade, however, made a resolute resistance. Captain 
 Rowe, after gaining possession of the village, and seeing the 
 occupants in full flight, moved his force to aid the other 
 division; and the Burmese, dispirited by the defeat of their 
 countrymen, and finding themselves attacked on two sides, 
 gave way and fled, leaving a hundred dead behind them, 
 while on the British side but six sepoys were killed. 
 
 The Burmese fled to the hills at a speed that rendered 
 pursuit hopeless by the more heavily-armed troops, and the 
 fugitives soon rallied and effected their junction with the 
 division advancing from Manipur. After the action Major 
 Newton returned to Sylhet, and a few days later Mr. Scott, 
 who had been appointed commissioner, arrived there, and, 
 
 ( M 266 ) c 
 
34 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 advancing to Bhadrapur, opened communications with the 
 Burmese. As, however, it became evident that the latter 
 were only negotiating in order to gain time to intrench 
 themselves near Jatrapur, to which they had returned, he 
 again placed the matter in the hands of the military com- 
 manders. 
 
 The Burmese force amounted to about six thousand men. 
 They had erected strong stockades on each bank of the 
 river Surma, and had thrown a bridge across to connect 
 them. Captain Johnston advanced with a wing of the 10th 
 Native Infantry, a company of the 23rd Native Infantry, 
 and a small party of men of a local corps. Small as was this 
 force, he divided it into two parties; one of these under 
 Captain Rowe crossed the river, and then both moved 
 against the enemy. The Burmese opened fire as they ad- 
 vanced, but the sepoys marched gallantly forward, and 
 drove the enemy out of their unfinished intrenchments 
 at the point of the bayonet. The Assam division retreated 
 hastily to the Bhortoka Pass, while the Manipur force 
 stockaded itself at Doodpatnee. 
 
 The Assam division was first attacked, and the stockade 
 carried at the point of the bayonet. Lieutenant-colonel 
 Bowen, who now commanded, then moved against the 
 position at Doodpatnee. This was very strong; steep hills 
 covered the rear, while the other faces of the intrenchments 
 were defended by a deep ditch fourteen feet wide, with a 
 chevaux de frise of pointed bamboos on its outer edge. 
 Although the position was attacked with great gallantry, it 
 was too strong to be captured by so small a force, and they 
 were obliged to withdraw to Jatrapur with the loss of one 
 officer killed and four wounded, and about one hundred 
 and fifty sepoys killed and wounded. However, their 
 bravery had not been without effect, for the Burmese 
 
THE OUTBREAK OF WAR. 35 
 
 evacuated their stockade and retreated to Manipur, leaving 
 Cachar free from its invaders. Thus in less than three 
 weeks the Burmese invasion of the northern provinces had 
 been hurled back by a British force of less than a tenth of 
 that of the invaders. 
 
 Stanley and his uncle had been present at all these en- 
 gagements, and in the absence of any cavalry had done good 
 service in conveying messages and despatches, and the lad 
 had several times acted as interpreter between the officers 
 and Burmese prisoners. Both received letters from the 
 commissioner thanking them for the assistance that they 
 had rendered. 
 
 "That last affair was unfortunate, Stanley, and it is evi- 
 dent that these stockades of theirs are nasty places to attack, 
 and that they ought to be breached by guns before the men 
 are sent forward to storm them. However, as the Burmese 
 have gone, our repulse does not matter much. Well, I felt 
 sure that we should thrash them, but I certainly gave them 
 credit for having a great deal more pluck than they have 
 shown. As it is, if there is nothing fresh takes place here, 
 the natives and little traders will soon be coming back from 
 Dacca, and business will be better than before; for the Bur- 
 mese have been talking so big for the last three years that 
 no one has bought more than would just carry him on, 
 while now they will be more inclined to lay in good stocks 
 of goods. To-morrow we will start for Chittagong. You 
 see I have a considerable store there, and there is a chance 
 of much more serious fighting in that quarter than this 
 little affair we have seen. The governor of Aracan has all 
 along been the source of troubles, and we may expect that 
 he will cross into the province at the head of a large force, 
 and may do an immense deal of damage before we can get 
 enough troops there to oppose him." 
 
36 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 Descending the river they coasted along until they ar- 
 rived, early in March, at Chittagong. They found that 
 great alarm reigned there. In January, Bandoola, the 
 greatest military leader of the Burmese, who was known 
 to have been one of the most strenuous supporters of the 
 war policy at the court of Ava, had arrived at Aracan and 
 taken the command of the troops collected there, and had 
 brought with him considerable reinforcements. A wanton 
 outrage that had been committed by the Burmese showed 
 how intent they were upon hostilities. Owing to the un- 
 healthiness of the islet of Shapuree the sepoys stationed 
 there had been withdrawn, and the Company's pilot vessel 
 Sophia was ordered to join the gun-boats off that island. 
 Four deputies from the Burmese court arrived at Mungdoo 
 on the opposite shore, and these invited the commander of 
 the Sophia to come on shore in order that they might talk 
 over with him in a friendly way the situation of affairs. He 
 unsuspectingly accepted their invitation and landed, accom- 
 panied by an officer and some native seamen. The party 
 were at once seized and sent prisoners to Aracan, where 
 they were detained for a month and then sent back to 
 Mungdoo. 
 
 This wanton insult was followed by a formal declaration 
 of war by the government of India, and a similar document 
 was issued by the court of Ava. The force at Sylhet was 
 reinforced, and that in Chittagong increased. It consisted 
 of a wing of the 13th and of the 20th Native Begiments, 
 and a battalion of the 23rd, with a local levy, amounting in 
 all to some 3000 men. Of these a wing of the 23rd, with 
 two guns, and a portion of the native levies were posted at 
 Bamoo, which was the point most threatened by an inva- 
 sion from Aracan. It was in the north that hostilities 
 first commenced, a force moving into Assam and driving the 
 
THE OUTBREAK OF WAR. 37 
 
 Burmese before them; several sharp blows were dealt the 
 enemy, and had it not been for the setting in of the wet 
 season they would have been driven entirely out of Assam. 
 
 " I think, Stanley," his uncle said, after he had been a 
 short time at Chittagong, "you had better go up to Bamoo 
 and see about matters there. Of course, until the Burmese 
 move we cannot say what their game is likely to be, but it 
 will be as well to get the stores ready for embarkation in 
 case they should advance in that direction. If they do so 
 get everything on board at once, and you can then be guided 
 by circumstances. As the dhow came in yesterday, I can 
 spare both our boats, and shall, of course, ship the goods 
 here on board the big craft. Even if the Burmese come 
 this way I have no fear of their taking the town, and 
 shall, of course, lend a hand in the defence if they attempt 
 it; you can do the same at Bamoo if you like. I was 
 chatting with Colonel Shatland yesterday ; he tells me that 
 a large fleet has been collected, and that an expedition will 
 be sent to capture Bangoon, so in that case it is likely 
 that Bandoola and his force will march off in that direc- 
 tion. 
 
 " I think government are wrong. It will be impossible for 
 the troops to move when the wet season once sets in, and 
 they will lose a tremendous lot of men from sickness if they 
 are cooped up in Bangoon. They had very much better 
 have sent a few thousand men down here to act on the 
 defensive and repel any attempted invasion until the rains 
 are over, when they could have been shipped again and join 
 the expedition against Bangoon. It seems to me a mad- 
 headed thing to begin at the present time of the year. "We 
 have put up with the insults of the Burmese for so long 
 that we might just as well have waited for the favourable 
 season before we began our operations in earnest." 
 
38 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 Accordingly, on the following day, Stanley started south 
 for Ramoo, and on arriving there took charge of the trad- 
 ing operations. Shortly after, meeting Captain Noton, 
 who commanded there, in the street, he recognized him as 
 an officer who had been stationed at the same cantonment 
 as his father, and whom he had four years previously known 
 well. 
 
 "You don't recognize me, Captain Noton," he said; "I 
 am the son of Captain Brooke, of the 33rd." 
 
 " I certainly did not recognize you," the officer said, " but 
 I am glad to meet you again. Let me think; yes, your name 
 is Stanley, and a regular young pickle you used to be. 
 What on earth are you doing here 1 Of course I heard of 
 your poor father's death, and was grieved indeed at his loss. 
 Where is your mother 1 ? She is well, I hope." 
 
 " She went back to England with my sisters two months 
 after my father's death. I joined my uncle, her brother. 
 He is a trader, and carries on business in the district 
 between here and Sylhet, trading principally on the rivers, 
 but of course the war has put a stop to that for the pre- 
 sent. We saw the fighting up in the north, and then came 
 down to this district. He has remained at Chittagong, and 
 I am in charge of goods here. I speak Burmese fairly 
 now, and if I can be of any use to you I shall be very glad 
 to be so. There is not much business here, and the Parsee 
 clerk, who is generally in charge, can look after it very well. 
 I acted as interpreter with the troops in the north, and 
 have a letter from Mr. Scott, the commissioner, thanking 
 me for my services." 
 
 " I remember you used to be able to talk four or five of 
 the native languages, but how did you come to pick up 
 Burmese?" 
 
 "From a servant of my uncle's. We thought that there 
 
THE OUTBREAK OF WAR. 39 
 
 would be sure to be war sooner or later, and that after it 
 Avas over there would be a good chance of profitable trade 
 on the Burmese rivers. I had no great difficulty in learning 
 it from my uncle's man, who was a native of Aracan." 
 
 " I have no doubt you will find it very useful. What a 
 big fellow you have grown, Stanley; at least as far as 
 height is concerned. Let me see. How old are you now?" 
 
 "I am past sixteen," Stanley replied. "I have had 
 several touches of fever, caught, I suppose, from the damp 
 on the rivers, but I think that I am pretty well acclimatized 
 now. I know I don't look very strong, but I have not had 
 much active exercise, and of course the climate is against 
 me." 
 
 " Very much so. I wonder that you have kept your 
 health as well as you have in this steamy climate. I am 
 going to the mess-room uoav. You had better come and 
 lunch with me, and I will introduce you to the other 
 officers. We are very strong in comparison to the force, 
 for, counting the assistant surgeon, there are ten of us." 
 
 "I shall be very glad, sir," Stanley said. "I have cer- 
 tainly been feeling rather lonely here, for I know no one, 
 and there is very little to do. During the last year I have 
 often gone up one of the rivers by myself, but there has 
 always been occupation, while at present things are at a 
 stand-still." 
 
 "I tell you what, Brooke, if you would like it, I can 
 appoint you interpreter. There is not one of us who speaks 
 this Mug language, which is, you know, almost the same as 
 Burmese, and the officers in charge of the native levy would 
 be delighted to have some one with them who could make 
 the fellows understand. I can appoint you a first-class inter- 
 preter. The pay is not very high, you know, but you might 
 just as well be earning it as doing nothing, and it would 
 
40 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 give you a sort of official position; and, as the son of a 
 British officer and my friend, you would be one of us." 
 
 " Thank you very much, Captain Noton. I should like 
 it immensely. Should I have to get a uniform?" 
 
 "There will be no absolute lecessity for it; but if you 
 get a white patrol-jacket like this, and a white cap-cover, it 
 will establish you in the eyes of the natives as an officer, and 
 give you more authority. Oh, by the way, you need not get 
 them, for one of our lieutenants died the other day of fever. 
 His effects have not been sold yet, but you may as well have 
 his patrol-jackets and belts. We can settle what you are to 
 pay for them afterwards; it will only be a matter of a few 
 rupees, anyhow." 
 
 They now arrived at the house that had been taken for 
 the use of the officers. On entering, Captain Noton intro- 
 duced him to the others, and as several of these had at 
 various times met his father in cantonments or on service, 
 he was heartily welcomed by them, and at luncheon they 
 listened with great interest to his accounts of the fighting 
 in Cachar with the Burmese. 
 
 ■ ' I fancy we shall find them more formidable here, if they 
 come," Captain Noton said. "Bandoola has a great repu- 
 tation, and is immensely popular with them. From what 
 you say, a considerable proportion of the fellows you met 
 up there were Assamese levies raised by the Burmese. I 
 grant that the Burmese themselves do not seem to have 
 done much better, but they would never have conquered 
 all the peoples they have come across, and built up a great 
 empire if there had not been good fighting stuff in them. 
 I have no doubt that we shall thrash them, but I don't think 
 we shall do it as easily as our troops did in the north." 
 
 The time now passed pleasantly with Stanley; he had, 
 after thinking it over, declined to accept payment for his 
 
THE OUTBREAK OF WAR. 4l 
 
 services, for this would have hindered his freedom of action 
 and prevented his oheying any instructions that his uncle 
 might send him. He therefore joined as a volunteer in- 
 terpreter, and was made a member of the officers' mess. 
 He was specially attached to the native levy, and, soon 
 acquiring their words of command, assisted its officers 
 in drilling it into something like order. 
 
 Early in May a Burmese division, 8000 strong, crossed 
 the Naaf and established itself at Rutnapullung, fourteen 
 miles south of Ramoo. As soon as Captain Noton learned 
 that the Burmese had crossed the river he sent news of 
 the fact to Chittagong, with a request that reinforcements 
 should be at once sent to him, and then moved out with his 
 force from Ramoo to ascertain the strength of the enemy. 
 The Burmese were seen upon some hills, where they were 
 constructing stockades. The small British force advanced 
 against them, drove them off the hills, and, following them, 
 prepared to attack them in the plain beyond. The guns, 
 however, had not come up, partly owing to the cowardice of 
 the elephant-drivers, and partly to the fact that it was found 
 that several of the essential parts of the guns had been left 
 behind. 
 
 Without their assistance to clear the way Captain Noton 
 felt that it would be imprudent to attack so great a force, 
 and therefore fell back to Ramoo. Here he was joined 
 by three companies of the 20th Native Infantry, bringing 
 up his force to close upon a thousand, of whom about half 
 were sepoys and the rest native levies. Had any energy 
 whatever been shown by the officer in command of Chitta- 
 gong in sending up reinforcements, — which he could well 
 have spared, now that the point of attack by the Burmese 
 had been made clear, — Captain Noton might have taken the 
 offensive, in which case serious disaster would have been 
 
42 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 avoided, and the Burmese would have been driven back 
 across the Naaf. None, however, came, and on the morning 
 of the 13th of May the enemy appeared on the hill east of 
 Eamoo, being separated from the British force by the river of 
 the same name. There was some difference of opinion among 
 the officers as to whether it would be better to maintain 
 a position outside the town or to retreat at once, but the 
 belief that reinforcements might arrive at any hour caused 
 Captain Noton to determine to keep in the open and so 
 to cover the town as long as possible. 
 
 On the evening of the 14th, the Burmese came down to 
 the river as if to cross it, but retired when the two six- 
 pounder guns opened fire upon them. That two small guns 
 should produce such an effect confirmed the British officers 
 in their opinion that the Burmese, although they might 
 defend stockades well, were of little use in the open. The 
 next morning, however, the enemy effected the passage of 
 the river farther away, and then advancing, took possession 
 of a large tank surrounded by a high embankment. Cap- 
 tain Noton placed his force in an inclosure with a bank 
 three feet high. His right flank was protected by the river, 
 and a small tank, some sixty paces in front, was occupied 
 by a strong picket. On his left, somewhat to the rear, was 
 another tank, and at this the native levies were placed. 
 The main position was held by the sepoys with the two 
 six-pounders. As the Burmese advanced, a sharp fire was 
 opened upon them, but they availed themselves of every 
 irregularity of the ground and of cover of all kinds, and 
 threw up shelter banks with such rapidity, that the fire 
 was by no means so effective as had been expected. 
 
 During the day news came that the left wing of the 23rd 
 Native Infantry had left Chittagong on the 13th, and as it 
 should arrive the next day, Captain Noton determined to 
 
THE OUTBREAK OF WAR. 43 
 
 hold his ground though the Burmese continued to press 
 forward, and a good many men, as well as two or three 
 officers, had been wounded by their fire. At nightfall, a 
 consultation was held. The reinforcements were expected 
 in the morning, and although the native levies had shown 
 signs of insubordination, and evidently could not be relied 
 upon to make a stand if the Burmese attacked in earnest, it 
 was resolved to retain the position. During the night, the 
 Burmese pushed forward their trenches. A heavy fire was 
 maintained on both sides during the day, but it was with 
 considerable difficulty that the officers in command of the 
 levies kept the men from bolting. 
 
 "Things look very black," Captain Pringle said to Stan- 
 ley, when the firing died away at nightfall. " Reinforce- 
 ments should have been here to-day; it is scandalous that 
 they should not have been pushed forward at once when we 
 asked for them. Still more so that, when they once started, 
 they should not have come on with the greatest possible 
 speed. I doubt whether we shall be able to hold these 
 cowardly curs together till to-morrow. If they bolt, the 
 sepoys will be sure to do so too; in fact, their position 
 would be altogether untenable, for the Burmese could 
 march round this flank and take them in rear. I wish to 
 Heaven we had two or three companies of white troops to 
 cover a retreat; there would be no fear of the sepoys yield- 
 ing to a panic if they had British troops with them, but 
 when they are outnumbered, as they are now, one can 
 hardly blame them if they lose heart, when the enemy are 
 ten times their strength, and will be twenty to one against 
 them if our fellows here bolt." 
 
 The next morning the Burmese had pushed up their 
 trenches to within twelve paces of the British lines, and a 
 tremendous fire was opened. At nine o'clock, in spite of 
 
44 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 the efforts of their officers to keep them steady, the native 
 levies bolted, and the officers with them dashed across the 
 intervening ground towards the main body. One of them 
 fell dead, and two others were wounded. Stanley was 
 running when he fell headlong, without a moment's thought 
 or consciousness. The Burmese occupied the tank as soon 
 as the levies had abandoned it, and their fire at once took 
 the defenders of the main position in flank. A retreat was 
 now necessary, and the sepoys drew off in good order, but 
 as the exulting Burmans pressed hotly upon them, and 
 their cavalry cut off and killed every man who fell wounded 
 from their ranks, they became seized with a panic. In 
 vain their officers exhorted them to keep steady. Reaching 
 a rivulet, the men threw down their rifles and accoutre- 
 ments, as they crossed it, and took to headlong flight. 
 
 The little group of officers gathered together and fought to 
 the end. Captains Noton, Truman, and Pringle, Lieutenant 
 Grigg, Ensign Bennet, and Maismore the doctor, were killed. 
 Three officers only made their escape; of these, two were 
 wounded. The fugitives, both natives and sepoys, continued 
 their flight, and when two or three days later they straggled 
 into Chittagong, it was found that the total loss in killed and 
 missing amounted to about two hundred and fifty. Those 
 taken prisoners numbered only about twenty. All these 
 were more or less severely wounded, for no quarter had been 
 given. They had in the pursuit been passed over as dead, 
 and when, after this was over, they were found to be alive, 
 they were spared, from no feeling of humanity, but that 
 they might be sent to Ava as proofs of the victory obtained 
 over the British. The number actually found alive was 
 greater, but only those were spared that were capable of 
 travelling. Among these was Stanley Brooke. He had 
 remained insensible until the pursuit had been discontinued. 
 
A PRISONER. 45 
 
 A violent kick roused him to consciousness, and sitting up, 
 he found that half a dozen Burmese were standing round 
 him. His first action on recovering his senses was to dis- 
 cover where he was wounded. Seeing no signs of blood 
 on his white clothes, he took off his cap and passed his 
 hand over his head, and found that the blood was flowing 
 from a wound just on the top, where a bullet had cut away 
 the hair and scalp, and made a wound nearly three inches 
 long, at the bottom of which he could feel the bone. 
 Looking up at the Burmese, he said in their own language: 
 "That was a pretty close shave, wasn't it?" 
 Two or three of them laughed, and all looked amused. 
 Two of them then helped him to his feet, and the group, 
 among whom there were some officers, then took him some 
 distance to the rear, where he was ordered to sit down with 
 three wounded sepoys who had been brought in. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 A PRISONER. 
 
 THE little group of prisoners received several additions 
 until the number mounted up to twenty. The spot 
 where they were placed was close to the bank of the river, 
 and as all were suffering severely from thirst, Stanley asked 
 and obtained permission from the guard to fetch some 
 water. He first knelt down and took a long drink, then 
 he bathed his head, and soaking his handkerchief with 
 water, made it into a pad, placed it on the wound, and put 
 his cap on over it, then he filled a flask that he carried, 
 and joined his companions. These were permitted to go 
 down one by one to the river to drink and bathe their 
 
46 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 wounds. Stanley had already learned from them all they 
 knew of what had happened, after he had been stunned by 
 the bullet. Two of them had crossed the rivulet before 
 being wounded, and these said that they believed all the 
 white officers had been killed, but that they thought most 
 of the troops had got away. 
 
 " It is more than they deserved," Stanley said indignantly. 
 "I don't say much about the Mugs; they had very little 
 drill or discipline, and naturally were afraid of the Bur- 
 mese, who had long been their masters, but if the sepoys 
 had kept together under their officers they might all have 
 escaped, for the Burmese would never have been able to 
 break their ranks." 
 
 " Some of the officers had been killed and most of them 
 wounded before the retreat began, sahib," one of the sepoys 
 said apologetically, "and they were ten to one against us." 
 
 " Yes, I know that; but you who had fought before should 
 have known well enough that as long as you kept together 
 you could have beaten them off, and they would have 
 been glad enough to have given up the pursuit at last. No 
 doubt they all wanted to have a share in the plunder of 
 Bamoo." 
 
 " What do you think that they are going to do with us, 
 sahib?" 
 
 " From what they said as they brought me here I think 
 that we shall be sent to Ava or Amarapura; they lie close 
 together, and the court is sometimes at one place and some- 
 times at the other. What they will do with us when we 
 get there I don't know. They may cut off our heads, they 
 may put us in prison; anyhow, you may be sure that we 
 shall not have a pleasant time of it. All we have to hope 
 for is that the capture of Bangoon by our fleet may lower 
 their pride and bring them to treat for terms. It sailed 
 
STANLEY IS BROUGHT BEFORE BANDOOLA THE BURMESE GENERAL. 
 
A PRISONER. 47 
 
 nearly six weeks ago from Calcutta, and was to have been 
 joined by one from Madras, and, allowing for delays, it ought 
 to have been at Kangoon a fortnight since, and would cer- 
 tainly capture the place without any difficulty. So possibly 
 by the time we reach Ava we shall find that peace has been 
 made. Still, the Burmese may not consider the loss of 
 Kangoon to be important, and may even try to recapture 
 it, which you may be sure they won't do, for I heard at 
 Chittagong that there were some twenty thousand troops 
 coming, which would be quite enough, if there were but 
 good roads and plenty of transport for them, to march 
 through Burma from end to end." 
 
 In the evening food was brought to the prisoners, and 
 talking with some of the Burmese who came up to look at 
 them, Stanley learned that Bandoola himself had not ac- 
 companied the force across the Naaf, and that it was com- 
 manded by the rajahs who ruled the four provinces of Aracan. 
 Upon the following morning the prisoners were marched 
 away under a strong guard. Six days later they reached the 
 camp of Bandoola. They were drawn up at a distance from 
 the great man's tent. He came down, accompanied by a 
 party of officers, to look at them. He beckoned to Stan- 
 ley. 
 
 "Ask him if he is an officer," he said to an interpreter 
 standing by his side. The man put the question in Hindu- 
 stani. Stanley replied in Burmese: 
 
 "I am an officer, your lordship, but a temporary one 
 only; I served in the Mug levy, and was appointed for my 
 knowledge of their tongue." 
 
 "How is it that you come to speak our language?" Ban- 
 doola asked in surprise. 
 
 " I am a trader, your lordship, but when our trade was 
 put an end to by the outbreak of the war I entered the 
 
48 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 army to serve until peace was made. I learned the language 
 from a servant in the service of my uncle, whose assistant I 
 was." 
 
 The Burmese general was capable of acts of great cruelty 
 when he considered it necessary, but at other times was 
 kindly and good-natured. 
 
 " He is but a lad," he said to one of his officers, "and he 
 seems a bold young fellow. He would be useful as an inter- 
 preter to me, for we shall want to question his countrymen 
 when we make them all prisoners. However, we must send 
 him with the others to Ava, as he is the only officer that we 
 have taken, but I will send a message to some of my friends 
 at the court asking them to represent that I consider he 
 will be useful to me, and praying that he may be kept for 
 a time and treated well, and may be forwarded to me again 
 when I make my next move against the English." 
 
 The following day the prisoners started under the escort of 
 twenty soldiers, commanded by an officer of some rank, who 
 was specially charged to take them safely to Ava. It was 
 a fortnight's march to the Irrawaddy. Until they neared the 
 river the country was very thinly populated, but when they 
 approached its banks the villages were comparatively thick, 
 standing for the most part in clearings in a great forest. 
 On the march the Burmese officer frequently talked with 
 Stanley, asked many questions about England and India, 
 and was evidently surprised and somewhat sceptical as to 
 the account the lad gave him of the fighting strength of 
 the country. He treated him with considerable indulgence, 
 and sent him dishes from his own table. When not talking 
 with him Stanley marched at the head of the little party of 
 prisoners, all of whom were sepoys, no quarter having been 
 given to the native levies. Of an evening Stanley endeav- 
 oured to keep up the sepoys' spirits by telling them that 
 
A PRISONER. 49 
 
 probably by this time the British expedition had arrived at 
 Rangoon and captured it, and that peace would most likely 
 follow, and they might be exchanged for any Burmese who 
 fell into the hands of the English. When they reached a 
 village on the banks of the river, the population on seeing 
 them came round and would have maltreated them, had not 
 the officer interfered and said he had Bandoola's orders to 
 carry them safely to the court, and that anyone interfering 
 with them would be severely punished. The head man of 
 the village bent low on hearing the general's name. 
 
 "I ask your pardon, my lord; the prisoners shall not be 
 touched. But have you heard the news?" 
 
 " I have heard no news," the officer said. 
 
 " It arrived here yesterday, my lord. The barbarians 
 have had the audacity to sail up with a great fleet of ships 
 to Rangoon. They had vessels of war with them, and 
 though our forts fired upon them, they had so many 
 cannon that we could not resist them, and they have cap- 
 tured the town. This happened a fortnight since." 
 
 The officer stood thunderstruck at what appeared to him 
 to be an act of audacious insolence. However, after a 
 moment's pause, he said wrathfully : 
 
 " It is of little matter. The town was weak and in no 
 position for defence, but a force will soon go down to sweep 
 these barbarians away. Now, get ready your war galley as 
 soon as possible." 
 
 Each village on the river was compelled by law to furnish 
 a war galley for the king's service, whenever it might be 
 required. These carried from fifty to a hundred men, and 
 some three hundred of these boats were always available 
 for service, and constituted one of the strongest divisions 
 of the fighting force of the Burman empire. 
 
 The village was a large one, and in half an hour the crew 
 
 ( M 266 ) D 
 
50 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 of the galley were on board, and, rowing forty oars, started 
 up the river. 
 
 " What think you of this news'?" the officer said, beckon- 
 ing to Stanley to take his place in front of him. "These 
 men mnst be mad to tempt the anger of the Lord of the 
 Golden Stool, the mighty Emperor. Had you heard aught 
 of this?" 
 
 " I heard but a vague rumour that a fleet had been col- 
 lected, but I heard nothing for certain as to its destination." 
 
 " It is madness," the officer repeated. " We shall sweep 
 them into the sea. How many of them are there, do you 
 think?" 
 
 "As to that I can say little, my lord. I only heard a 
 report that some ships and troops were to sail, some from 
 Madras and some from Calcutta, but of the number of the 
 men and ships I know nothing for certain." 
 
 " They have taken evil counsel," the officer said gravely. 
 " I have heard that they gained some slight advantage in 
 Cachar, but there they had but irregular troops to meet, 
 largely Assamese, who are but poor cowards. This little 
 success must have turned their heads. They will now have 
 our regular forces to deal with, and these will number a 
 hundred thousand, or twice as many if necessary. Think 
 you that the handful that would be transported in ships can 
 stand against such a host 1 ?" 
 
 " There may be more than you think, my lord. Many 
 of the ships will be very big, much bigger than those that 
 trade with Eangoon, and some of them will carry as many 
 as five hundred men." 
 
 "Even so," the officer said scornfully; "if there were 
 twenty-five such ships, or even fifty, the force would be as 
 nothing to us. They will have to take to their vessels as 
 soon as our army approaches." 
 
A PRISONER. 51 
 
 "It may be so, sir; but I think that they will scarce go 
 without fighting. I would represent to you that although 
 much fewer in numbers than your army which attacked us 
 at Ramoo, the troops made a stout fight of it, and that they 
 fought steadily until the Mugs ran away; after that, from 
 what I hear, I admit that they fled shamefully. But the 
 troops that come to Rangoon will be better than those 
 were, for there will be white regiments among them; and 
 though these may, as you say, be overpowered with num- 
 bers and destroyed, I do not think that you will see them 
 running away." 
 
 "And you think that they will really venture to withstand 
 us?" 
 
 " I think that they will endeavour to do so." 
 
 "Why, there will scarce be an occasion for fighting," the 
 officer said disdainfully; "they were mad to come, they are 
 madder still to come now. The rainy season is just at 
 hand ; in another week it will be upon us : the rivers will 
 spread, the flat country will be a marsh. Even we, who are 
 accustomed to it, suffer. In places like Rangoon fever and 
 disease will sweep them aAvay, and when the dry season 
 comes and our troops assemble to fight them, there will be 
 none left. They will die off like flies; we shall scarce 
 capture enough to send as prisoners to the emperor." 
 
 Stanley felt that in this respect the Burman's prophecies 
 were but too likely to be fulfilled. He knew how deadly 
 were the swamp fevers to white men, and that in spite of 
 his comfortable home on board the dhow and boat he had 
 himself suffered, although, during the wet season, his uncle 
 made a point of sailing along the coast, and of ascending 
 only rivers that floAved between high banks and through a 
 country free from swamps. He remembered that his uncle 
 had spoken very strongly of the folly of the expedition 
 
52 ON THE IRRAWADDT. 
 
 being timed to arrive on the coast of Burma at the begin- 
 ning of the wet season, and had said that they would suffer 
 terribly from fever before they could advance up the 
 country, unless it was intended to confine the operations to 
 the coast towns until the dry season set in. 
 
 It would indeed have been impossible to have chosen a 
 worse time for the expedition, but doubtless the government 
 of India thought chiefly of the necessity for forcing the 
 Burmese to stand on the defensive, and of so preventing 
 the invasion of India by a vast army. Unquestionably, 
 too, they believed that the occupation of Rangoon and the 
 stoppage of all trade would show the court of Ava that 
 they had embarked in a struggle with no contemptible foe, 
 and that they would be glad to abate their pretensions 
 and to agree to fair terms of peace. 
 
 The Bengal force that had been embarked consisted of two 
 British regiments, the 13th and 38th, a battalion of native 
 infantry, and two batteries of European artillery, amounting 
 in all to 2175 men. The Madras force, of which one division 
 was sent on at once, the other was to follow shortly, con- 
 sisted of the 41st and 89th Regiments, the Madras European 
 regiment, seven battalions of native infantry, and four bat- 
 teries of artillery, amounting to 9300 men, making a total 
 of 11,475 fighting men, of whom nearly five thousand were 
 Europeans. In addition to the transports the Bengal force 
 was accompanied by a flotilla of twenty gun-brigs and as 
 many row-boats, each armed with an eighteen-pounder, the 
 Lame and Sophia sloop, belonging to the Royal Navy, several 
 of the Company's cruisers, and the steamboat Diana. General 
 Sir A. Campbell was appointed to the chief command, and 
 Colonel M'Bean, with the rank of Brigadier-general, com- 
 manded the Madras force. The Bengal squadron sailed 
 from Saugur in the middle of April, and reached the ren- 
 
A PRISONER. 53 
 
 dezvous, Port Cornwallis, in the Andaman Islands, at the 
 end of the month. The Madras first division sailed at the 
 same time, and joined them a few days later, and the whole 
 force under the escort of H.M. frigate Liffey and the Slaney 
 sloop-of-war, left Port Cornwallis on the 5th of May, and 
 arrived on the 9th at the mouth of the Irrawaddy. 
 
 Forces Avere detached for the capture of the islands of 
 Chuduba and Negrais. On the 10th the fleet entered the 
 river and anchored within the bar, and on the following 
 morning proceeded with the flood-tide up to Rangoon, the 
 Liffey and the Lame leading the way. A few shots were fired 
 as they went up the river, but the Burmese were taken wholly 
 by surprise, the idea that the English would venture to 
 invade them never having entered their minds. There was 
 considerable disappointment on board the fleet when Rangoon 
 came into sight. It was situated on the north bank of the 
 main branch of the river, thirty miles from the sea. It 
 extended about nine hundred yards along the bank, and 
 was six or seven hundred yards wide at its broadest part. 
 Beyond the town were some suburbs outside the palisade 
 that inclosed it. The palisades were ten or twelve feet 
 high, strengthened by embankments of earth thrown up 
 against them on the inner side. One face of the defences 
 ran along the river bank, while the others were protected 
 by a shallow creek communicating with the river. The 
 town itself consisted for the most part of miserable and 
 dirty hovels and of a few official buildings of larger size. 
 
 At twelve o'clock the Liffey anchored abreast of the prin- 
 cipal battery close to the water gate, the transports being 
 ranged in a line in rear of her. A proclamation had been 
 sent on shore on the previous day, giving assurances of 
 protection to the people at large and to all who should offer 
 no resistance. When the guns of the fleet were loaded a 
 
54 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 pause ensued. The town was evidently incapable of offer- 
 ing resistance, and it was hoped that it would capitulate. 
 The Burmese were seen standing at their guns, but they 
 also remained inactive, apparently paralysed at the appear- 
 ance of this great fleet of vessels of a size hitherto undreamt 
 of by them, and the threatening guns pointed towards them. 
 However, they were at last goaded by the orders and 
 threats of their officers to open fire upon the ships. The 
 frigate at once replied with a broadside. In a very few 
 minutes every gun on shore was silenced, and the Burmese 
 fled in confusion from their works. As soon as they 
 did so the signal for disembarkation was made. The troops 
 crowded into the boats, which rowed for the shore, and the 
 soldiers entered the town without resistance, and found it 
 completely deserted. 
 
 The whole of the population had been driven out by the 
 governor on the previous day, and, according to Burmese 
 custom, the men had all been formed into a levy, while the 
 women and children were held under guard as hostages for 
 their husbands and fathers, their lives being forfeited in 
 case of desertion or cowardice by their male relations. The 
 foreigners in the town had all been seized. They were few 
 in number, consisting of some eight or ten British traders and 
 American missionaries; these, after being fettered, were taken 
 to the Custom House prison. They were brought up and 
 tried early on the morning of the attack, and were accused 
 of having arranged the assault on the town. They naturally 
 urged that if they had had the least knowledge that it was 
 going to be made they would have left the place in time. 
 But the Burmese at once condemned them to death, and 
 they were taken back to the prison to be executed. The 
 sentence was not carried out. The Burmese had intended 
 to execute them on the walls in sight of their country- 
 
A PRISONEK. 55 
 
 men, and the authorities had all assembled at the prison 
 for the purpose, when fortunately a shot from the first 
 broadside fired, passed through the building, causing an 
 instant stampede. 
 
 The chiefs at once left the city, and the prisoners, heavily 
 chained, were marched some distance into the country. A 
 party of British troops were, however, pushed forward in 
 advance of the town as soon as it was occupied, and the 
 guard, in alarm for their own safety, placed the prisoners 
 in a house and made off, and a patrol found them there on 
 the following morning and brought them into the town. 
 
 The great pagoda, standing two miles and a half from 
 the town, was at once occupied as an advanced position by 
 the British. It stood upon a conical hill rising seventy-five 
 feet above the plain; the area on the top was somewhat over 
 two acres, and in the centre rose the pagoda three hundred 
 and thirty-eight feet high. 
 
 Every boat on the river was found to have been removed. 
 In spite of proclamations promising good treatment, none 
 of the inhabitants returned to the town, being prevented 
 from doing so by the Burmese authorities and troops. No 
 stores whatever had been found, and till the end of the wet 
 season the army had to depend entirely upon the fleet 
 for provisions, and remained cooped up in the wretched 
 and unhealthy town, suffering severely from fever and 
 malaria. 
 
 The boat in Avhich Stanley and the other prisoners were 
 conveyed was changed at every village going up the river, 
 as the officer was carrying the despatches from Bandoola to 
 the court. A flag was hoisted as the boat came in sight of a 
 village. This was the signal that another was required, and 
 within two or three minutes of their arrival the prisoners, 
 their guard, and officer were on their way again. 
 
56 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 Thus they proceeded night and day, and in four days 
 arrived at Ava. Leaving the prisoners in charge of the 
 guard, the officer at once proceeded to the palace. In an 
 hour guns were fired, drums beat, and the bells of the 
 pagodas rung to give notice to the population that a great 
 victory had been won over the English, and their army 
 annihilated, by Bandoola and his valiant troops. This 
 obliterated the impression produced by the news that had 
 arrived a few days previously of the landing at Eangoon, 
 and there were great rejoicings among the population. An 
 officer from the palace presently came down to the boat, 
 and the prisoners were marched through the streets to a 
 jail, amid the jeers of the mob. Stanley was surprised at 
 the meanness of the town; the great majority of the houses 
 being built of bamboo and thatched with grass, and having 
 a very poor appearance. The public buildings and the 
 houses of the great officers were constructed of planks, and 
 tiled, but were heavy and tasteless, and it was only upon 
 the innumerable pagodas in and around the town that any 
 care seemed to have been bestowed. He had wondered much 
 at the numerous pagodas that they had seen near every town 
 and village as they passed up, but the officer had informed 
 him that these were all private property, and that it was 
 considered the most meritorious of actions to erect one, 
 consequently every man who had means to do so built a 
 pagoda, large or small in proportion to the sum that he could 
 bestow upon it. On Stanley's remarking upon the great 
 number that were in ruins, the officer replied that it was 
 considered so much more meritorious an action to build a 
 pagoda than to repair one, that after the death of the founder 
 they were generally suffered to fall into decay. 
 
 For some days the prisoners were taken out every day 
 and marched about the town for some time so as to afford 
 
A PRISONER. 57 
 
 the population ocular proof of the victory gained by Ban- 
 doola. The place in which they were confined was small 
 and filthy, but at the end of a week Stanley was taken out 
 and placed in a room by himself, and here the officer who 
 had had charge of him paid him a visit an hour or two later. 
 
 " I have expressed to the court," he said, " the wishes of 
 the general, and have had permission accorded for you to 
 receive different treatment from the others, partly because 
 you are an officer, but principally because the general thinks 
 that you may be made useful to him. I have informed the 
 officer of the prison that you are to be at liberty to walk 
 about in the city when you please, but that to protect you 
 from violence an officer and two soldiers are to accompany 
 you so long as you may think such a precaution necessary. 
 I have ordered a dress of our fashion to be brought to you, 
 as otherwise you could not go into the streets without being 
 mobbed." 
 
 Stanley expressed his gratitude to the officer for obtain- 
 ing these indulgences, and the latter replied : 
 
 " I acted upon the orders of the general, but it has been 
 a pleasure to me, for I see that you are a young man of merit, 
 and I have learned much from you about your people during 
 the journey, and have seen that foolish as they have been 
 to undertake to match themselves against us, there are yet 
 some things that might be learned from them, and that if 
 they had remained in their island, many months' journey 
 away from here, they might have been worthy of our friend- 
 ship." 
 
 A short time after the officer had left, a soldier brought 
 up some food of a very much better nature than that with 
 which Stanley had been hitherto supplied. Half an hour 
 later the dress arrived. It was that of a Burmese officer 
 of inferior grade, and consisted of a tunic of thick cloth 
 
58 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 coming down to the knees, leathern sword belt, a sort of 
 tippet resembling that of an English coachman, with three 
 layers of cloth thickly quilted, and a leathern helmet going 
 up to a point in the centre with a flap to protect the neck 
 and ears; with it were worn tight-fitting stockings of cloth, 
 and low shoes. Presently an officer came in. 
 
 " I am ordered to go out with you once a day at Avhat- 
 ever hour you may desire. I am a relative of the officer 
 who brought you here, and he has requested me to look 
 after your safety." 
 
 "I am much obliged to you, sir," Stanley said, "and 
 shall be glad indeed to go out to see the city. Your kins- 
 man has kindly sent me a dress; but if I am not to be 
 noticed it will be necessary for me to stain my face and 
 hands somewhat." 
 
 "That I have thought of," the officer said, "and have 
 brought with me some dye which will darken your skin. 
 It would be worse than useless for you to dress as a Burman 
 unless you did so, for it would seem even more singular to 
 the people in the streets that a white man should be seen 
 walking about dressed as an officer, than that a white pri- 
 soner should be taken through the streets under a guard. 
 I am ready to go out with you now, if you wish it." 
 
 "I shall be ready in a few minutes," Stanley replied, 
 and, on being left alone, at once changed his attire and 
 stained his face and hands. He had just finished when the 
 officer returned. He smiled and said : 
 
 " There is no fear of your being suspected now, and you 
 might really go about safely without a guard, unless you 
 were to enter into conversation with anyone. You speak 
 the language very well, but your accent is not quite the 
 same as ours here, though in Aracan it would pass unre- 
 marked." 
 
A PRISONER. 59 
 
 As they went out from the prison the officer told two 
 soldiers who were waiting there to follow at a distance. 
 
 "Do not approach us," he said, "unless I call you up." 
 
 The houses were not constructed in continuous rows, but 
 were very scattered, each house having its inclosure or 
 garden. The population was very small in comparison to 
 the area occupied by the town. This was divided into two 
 parts — the inner and outer town. The whole was sur- 
 rounded by a brick wall, five miles and a half in circum- 
 ference, some sixteen feet high and ten feet in thickness, 
 strengthened on the inside by a great bank of earth. The 
 inner town was inclosed by a separate wall, with a deep 
 ditch on two sides, the river Irrawaddy on the third, and 
 a tributary river on the fourth. A considerable portion 
 of the inclosed area was occupied by the royal quarter, 
 containing the palace, the court of justice, the council 
 chamber, arsenal, and the houses of the ministers and chief 
 officials. This was cut off from the rest by a strong and 
 well-built wall, twenty feet high, outside which was a stock- 
 ade of the same height. The total population of Ava was 
 but 25,000. 
 
 The officer did not take Stanley to the royal quarter, 
 observing that it was better not to go there, as, although 
 he had leave to walk in the town, it might give offence were 
 he to show himself near the palace; but after going through 
 the wall, they visited two or three of the markets, of which 
 there were eleven in the town. 
 
 The markets consisted of thatched huts and sheds, and 
 were well supplied with the products of the country. Here 
 were rice, maize, wheat, and various other grains; sticks of 
 sugar-cane, tobacco, cotton, and indigo; mangoes, oranges, 
 pine -apples, custard apples, and plantains were in abun- 
 dance; also peacocks, jungle fowl, pigeons, partridges, geese, 
 
60 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 ducks, and snipes; but little meat was on sale, as the 
 Burman religion forbids the killing of animals for food. 
 Venison was the only meat allowed to be sold in the 
 markets, but there were lizards, iguanas, and snakes, which 
 were exposed freely for sale, and there were large quantities 
 of turtle and tortoise eggs, which bad been brought up from 
 tbe delta. 
 
 Stanley saw that there had really been no great occasion 
 for him to stain his skin, as the people were for the most 
 part lighter in colour than the Hindoos. Many of the men 
 had, however, stained their faces to a darker colour, and all 
 were tattooed more or less. Men, women, and children 
 were all smoking, and frequently, when both hands were 
 required for any purpose, thrust their cigars into the large 
 holes bored in the lobes of their ears. Both men and 
 women were somewhat short in stature, but squarely built 
 and muscular, and in the majority of cases inclined to be 
 fat. 
 
 The men wore a sort of kilt, consisting of a double piece 
 of cloth wrapped round the body and falling to the knee; 
 over this was a loose tunic, with sleeves open in front. 
 The head-dress was a scanty white turban. The dress of 
 the women was somewhat similar to that of the Hindoos, 
 consisting of a single garment like a sheet wrapped round 
 the body, fastening under the arms and falling to the ankles. 
 Those of the upper classes were more elaborate. The rank 
 among the women was distinguished, so Stanley's guide 
 pointed out to him, by the manner in which the hair was 
 plaited and twisted, and by the ornaments in it. The men, 
 like the women, wore their hair long, but while the men 
 wore theirs in a knot at the top of the head, the women 
 gathered it in at the back. Their faces were broad at the 
 cheek-bones, but narrowed in sharply both at the fore- 
 
A PRISONER. 61 
 
 head and chin. The narrow and oblique eyes showed the 
 relationship between the Burmese and their Chinese neigh- 
 bours. They seemed to Stanley a light-hearted, merry 
 people, going about their business with much chatter and 
 laughter, and the sound of musical instruments could often 
 be heard inside the houses. Several men in bright yellow 
 garments mingled with the crowds in the market. These 
 were priests, the officer told him, and it would be a mortal 
 act of sacrilege were any one else to wear that colour. 
 
 Stanley remarked upon seeing so few soldiers, and the 
 officer told him that there was no regular army in Burma. 
 Every man capable of carrying arms was obliged to serve in 
 case of war, but with the exception of the king's bodyguard 
 and a very small body of men who were police rather than 
 soldiers, there was no force permanently kept up. Every 
 man was expected to know something of military duty, and 
 all were able to build stockades. From the fact that the 
 flesh of wild-fowl formed one of the principal articles of food, 
 the peasantry throughout the country were all accustomed 
 to the use of the gun, and were fair marksmen. 
 
 " But you yourself are an officer," Stanley said. 
 
 "At present yes, but to-morrow I may return to my land. 
 It is the same with the highest minister; one day he may 
 be a trader, but if recommended to the king as one possess- 
 ing ability, straightway he is chosen to be a high official. 
 If he does not please the king, or fails in his duties, then 
 the next day he may be selling cloth in the bazaar again. 
 Everything is at the will of the king. Nobody is born with 
 fortune or rank, for everything belongs to the king, and at 
 a man's death all goes back to him. Thus everyone in the 
 land has an equal chance. In Avar the bravest becomes a 
 general, in peace the cleverest is chosen as a councillor." 
 
 Walking about, Stanley soon found that there were a great 
 
62 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 variety of dialects talked in the streets, and that the lan- 
 guage of the Burmese of the coast, of the natives of Pegu and 
 the central province, and of those from districts bordering on 
 the Shan States or the frontiers of China, differed as widely 
 as those of the most remote parts of Great Britain did from 
 each other. This being so, he was convinced that there 
 would be no difficulty whatever in passing as a native, with- 
 out attracting any observation or inquiry, so far as the lan- 
 guage went. His features, and, still more, the shape of his 
 face, might however be noticed by the first comer in the 
 daytime. He thought indeed that a little tinge of colour 
 in the corner of the eyes, so as to lengthen their appearance 
 and give an oblique cast to them, would make a difference. 
 The general shape of the head was unalterable, but the Bur- 
 mese nose and mouth did not differ very greatly from the 
 European, except that the nostrils were smaller, and in shape 
 were round rather than oval. 
 
 For three weeks he continued the same life, and then the 
 Burmese officer, with whom he had now become very friendly, 
 said when he entered one morning: 
 
 "You must not go out to-day; there is r.ews that your 
 people have made two forward marches. The first was 
 against a stockade, which they took, and killed many of our 
 men; the other time they marched out four or five miles, 
 had a fight with our troops, and again killed many. These 
 things have angered the king and the people. Of course it 
 is nothing, for our troops are only beginning to assemble, 
 but it is considered insolent in the extreme, and the king's 
 face is darkened against your countrymen. Four of the 
 prisoners have been taken out this morning and publicly 
 executed, and if the news of another defeat comes, I fear 
 that it will be very dangerous even for you." 
 
 "What had I best do, my friend 1 ?" 
 
A PRISONER. 63 
 
 " I would fain save you, for we have come to know each 
 other, and I see that there is much good in your ways, 
 though they differ greatly from ours. Were I to take you 
 out as usual you might be killed in the streets; were you to 
 slip away and escape I should assuredly be put to death; 
 but if in any way I can help you I would fain do so. My 
 relation who brought you up here, left a fortnight since to 
 rejoin Bandoola, so his influence cannot serve you. I do not 
 say that 3-011 might not e.:cape from this prison, since you 
 are not, like the others, confined in a dungeon, but I see 
 not what you could do, or where you could go. Were you to 
 disappear, orders would be sent down the river to every 
 village, and every passing craft would be examined, and you 
 would be sure to be detected, while it would be well-nigh 
 impossible to travel the country on foot, for it is but thinly 
 inhabited. There are often very long distances between the 
 villages, and much of the country is swamp and forest 
 without paths, for the village trade goes by the river, and 
 they have little communication with each other. I know 
 that, from what you say, you think that your troops will 
 beat ours even when we assemble in large numbers. Were 
 this so, I fear that there would be little chance of your life 
 being spared. Were it not for that, I should say that, Ban- 
 doola having recommended you, you would be in no danger 
 here and had better remain until peace is made. What 
 think you yourself?" 
 
 "It is very difficult to reply at once," Stanley said, "but I 
 thank you greatly for your offer to befriend me in any way 
 you can. I do not say that I had not thought of escape, for 
 I have of course done so. But it seemed to me a thing in 
 the distance, and that, at any rate until the rains were over 
 and the rivers had sunk, it would be useless to attempt it. 
 I see now that it will be safest for me to try without delay. 
 
64 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 If you will come in again this afternoon I will tell you what 
 I have thought of." 
 
 " I will do so, and I myself will try to think how best 
 the matter can be managed. We must remember that the 
 great thing is for you to find concealment for the present. 
 After the search for you has been made for some time, it 
 will die away, and it will then be the easiest plan for you 
 to make your way down the river." 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 A RUINED TEMPLE. 
 
 AFTER the officer left him, Stanley sat thinking for a 
 long time. He himself inclined strongly towards the 
 river, but he saw that at present the difficulties would be 
 very great. The war boats were passing up and down, and 
 bodies of troops were being carried down in large craft. In 
 every village the men, he knew, were assembling and drilling. 
 Even in Ava he could see the difference in the population, 
 the proportion of men to women having markedly decreased 
 since his arrival. As to the journey by land, it appeared 
 to him impossible. He was, too, altogether without money, 
 and whether by water or land, it would be necessary to go 
 into the villages to buy provisions; indeed, money would 
 have been almost useless, for there was no coined money in 
 Burma, payments being made in lead for small amounts, or 
 in silver for large ones — the quantity necessary being cut off 
 from small sticks or bars, or paid in filings. It seemed to him 
 that the best thing would be to take to the forest for a time, 
 and endeavour to subsist upon wild fruits, or if these were 
 
A RUINED TEMPLE. 65 
 
 not to be found there, to go out into the fields and orchards 
 at night, and so manage to hold on for a few weeks. 
 
 His friend told him that in the forests along the principal 
 lines of route to the capital were many bad characters — 
 persons who had committed crime and fled from justice. 
 Some were cultivators who, having been unable to pay their 
 taxes, had deserted their land and taken to the woods. All 
 committed depredations, and traders coming into the town 
 from the Shan States, or from the country where rubies and 
 emeralds were found, always travelled in caravans for 
 mutual protection. At times levies were called out, and 
 many of these marauders were killed. 
 
 Stanley then had hit upon nothing definite when the 
 officer returned in the afternoon, and in reply to the latter's 
 question he acknowledged at once that the only thing he 
 could see was to take to the forest until the active search 
 for him had ceased. 
 
 " You would find it difficult to maintain yourself. I have 
 thought of a better way than that. I am acquainted with 
 a Phongee, who lives in a temple in a lonely spot four miles 
 away. He is a good man, though somewhat strange in his 
 habits, and I feel sure that, on my recommendation, he 
 would take you in. There would be little chance of your 
 being discovered there. You could not go dressed as you 
 are, but must disguise yourself as a peasant, though it 
 might be well to retain your present attire, which may be 
 useful to you afterwards. I fear that you will fare badly 
 with him in the Avay of food; there will be enough to eat, 
 but it will be of the simplest." 
 
 " So that there is enough to keep life together it matters 
 little what it is." 
 
 " Then that is settled. Now about making your escape 
 from here. Your door is closely barred at night, and there 
 
 ( M 2C6 ) E 
 
66 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 is no window save those four little holes high up in the 
 wall, which scarce a bird could get through." 
 
 " I could cut through the thatch above," Stanley said, 
 " if I had but something that I could stand upon to do so. 
 There are some bamboos lying just at the bottom of the 
 steps. With these and some cord I might make a sort of 
 ladder, and should then be able to get at the thatch." 
 
 "I will bring you some cord to-morrow for that and to 
 let yourself down to the ground. Then I will arrange 
 where to meet you, and will guide you out of the town and 
 take you to the priest. I will bring a disguise for you, 
 and some stain for your body and arms, for as a peasant 
 you would be naked to the waist. I can think of nothing 
 better." 
 
 "I thank you most heartily," Stanley said, "and trust 
 that you may get into no trouble for the kindness that you 
 have shown me." 
 
 "There is no fear of that, my friend. No one will know 
 that I have been away from the town. I am greatly afraid 
 that this will be all that I shall be able to do for you, for 
 I am told that I am to go down the river with the next 
 batch of troops, which will start in three days. I have only 
 been informed of it since I saw you this morning. Had it 
 not been for you I should have been glad, for it is in war- 
 time only that one can obtain honour and promotion." 
 
 " I am sorry that you are going, sir. I shall miss your 
 kindness sorely; but I can understand your desire to go 
 to the front. It is the same with us; when there is a war 
 every officer and soldier hopes that his regiment will be sent 
 there. However, I shall see you again. Has Bandoola's 
 army moved yet 1 ?" 
 
 "No; nor do I think that it will do so. It is a long 
 march down to Eangoon from Ramoo, and I believe that he 
 
A RUINED TEMPLE. 67 
 
 will remain where he is until he sees how matters go at 
 Eangoon. As soon as your people are driven out he will be 
 joined by a great army, and will march to Dacca. There 
 our troops from the north will join him, and then he will 
 go to India, we think." 
 
 "I fancy," Stanley said with a smile, "if he waits until 
 we are turned out from Rangoon his stay at Eamoo will be 
 a long one." 
 
 The next day the officer brought several yards of strong 
 cloth such as was worn by the peasants, a piece of muslin 
 to make the circular band that was worn by the lower class 
 instead of a complete turban, and a lot of horse-hair to be 
 worn on the top of the head. 
 
 " Now," he said, " strip to the waist, and I will dye your 
 body. I have dyes of two colours here, one for the skin and 
 the other to draw lines on the face so as to make you look 
 older, and with this I can also imitate tattoo marks on your 
 chest and shoulders. Here is a long knife such as everyone 
 wears, and here is the cord. As soon as it is getting dark 
 you must carry up two of the bamboo poles, taking care that 
 no one observes you do so; there is seldom anyone in the 
 court-yard. I have had the knife sharpened, and it will cut 
 through the thatch easily enough. When you get away 
 walk straight to the market that lies nearest to us. I will 
 be at its entrance. It will take you, I suppose, two hours 
 to make your ladder and get out. You cannot begin until 
 the guard closes your door. You tell me he never comes 
 in." 
 
 " No ; he brings the last meal an hour before sunset. I 
 generally sit on the top of the steps till he comes up to 
 lock the door, which is about nine o'clock, and I do noc 
 see him again until he unbars the door in the morning. 
 I should not think that it will take as lone; as two hours 
 
68 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 to make the ladder and cut the thatch; at any rate, by 
 eleven I ought to join you. I suppose the gates are open." 
 
 " Oh, yes! they are never closed, though of course they 
 would be if an enemy were near. There is no guard any- 
 where." 
 
 After staining Stanley's skin the officer waited a quarter 
 of an hour for it to dry thoroughly, and then proceeded to 
 draw lines on his face, across the forehead, and from the 
 corners of his eyes, and then spent nearly an hour in exe- 
 cuting rough tattoo marks on his body and arms. 
 
 " This dye is very good, and will last for weeks before 
 it begins to fade. I will bring with me another bottle to- 
 night so that you can at least re-dye your skin. Here is 
 some wax, you must turn your hair up from the neck, and 
 plaster it in its place with it. The turban will prevent 
 any one seeing how short the hair is. Here is a little 
 bottle of black dye, with which you had better colour it 
 before fixing it with the wax." 
 
 Stanley's hair had not been cut for some time before he 
 had been captured by the Burmese, and in the two months 
 that had since elapsed it had grown very long, and could 
 therefore be turned up as the officer suggested. Putting on 
 his usual garments, he sat at his place, at the door of the 
 cell, until the guard brought up his evening meal. Having 
 eaten this, he dyed his hair, and half an hour later turned 
 it up, plastering it with wax, and tied a bit of fibre round 
 where the turban would come. By this time it was getting 
 dusk. He sat at the door at the top of the steps, until he 
 saw that the court-yard was deserted, the guard at the gate 
 having gone outside to enjoy the coolness of the air. Then 
 Le ran down the steps, took two bamboo poles about ten feet 
 in length, and two short pieces of the same wood no thicker 
 than his finger, and hurrying up the steps with them, laid 
 
A RUINED TEMPLE. 69 
 
 them down against the side of the room. Then he went to 
 the steps again, and sat there until he saw the guard coming 
 across to fasten his door, when he went in, and as soon as 
 he heard the bars put up, began his preparations. 
 
 First he lashed the short pieces across the ends of the 
 two bamboos so as to keep them a foot apart, then he put 
 ratlines across, and soon had the ladder completed. He 
 made up his clothes into a bundle, wrapped the rough cloth 
 round his waist, adjusted the knot of horse-hair on the top 
 of his head, and fastened it there with wax. He wound the 
 turban round below, and his disguise was complete. Fixing 
 the ladder against the wall he climbed it, and it was not 
 long before he cut a hole through the thatch of sufficient 
 size to pass out. The work had taken him longer than 
 he had expected, for it had to be done in absolute dark- 
 ness; however, he was sure that he was well within his 
 time. Fastening the end of the rope to one of the bamboo 
 rafters, he descended the ladder, and picked up his bundle, 
 then climbed up again, got half-way out of the hole and 
 listened intently. Everything was quiet in the street, and 
 in another minute he stood on the ground. "When he 
 turned into the principal street there were still many 
 people about. Sounds of music and singing came from the 
 windows, for the Burmese are very fond of music, and 
 often pass the whole night in playing and singing. There 
 was no risk whatever of detection now, and he stepped 
 briskly along until he came to the open space, with its rows 
 of little thatched huts. Here he paused for a minute, and 
 the officer stepped out from behind a house and joined him. 
 
 "I was not sure at first that it was you," he said; "your 
 disguise is excellent. You had better follow me now until 
 we get beyond the busy streets." 
 
 Keeping some twenty yards behind his guide, Stanley 
 
70 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 went on until, after nearly half an hour's walking, they 
 passed through a gate in the city walls. He now closed up 
 to the officer, and after another half-hour's walk across a 
 cultivated country they entered a forest. The ground now 
 rose steadily, and, after keeping on for two miles, they 
 emerged from the trees at the top of a hill. The space had 
 been cleared of timber, but it was nearly covered with bushes 
 and young trees. In the centre were the ruins of a temple 
 that had evidently existed long before the Burmese dynasty 
 occupied the country, and had been erected by some older 
 race. It was roofless, the walls had in places fallen, and 
 the ruins were covered with vegetation. The Burman as- 
 cended some broken steps, entered the temple, and crossed 
 to one of the opposite corners. A dim light was burning 
 in a small apartment which had been roofed with thatch. 
 A man was lying dressed on a heap of leaves at one side. 
 He started up as the officer entered. 
 
 "Who is it who comes here at this hour?" he asked. 
 
 "Thekyn," the officer answered. 
 
 " I am glad to see you," the Phongee said, " whatever may 
 bring you here. You have not fallen into trouble, I hope?" 
 
 "In no way, good priest. I am starting in two days 
 down the river to fight the barbarians; but before I go I 
 want you to do me a favour." 
 
 The Phongee smiled. "Beyond naming you in my 
 prayers, Thekyn, there is but little that a hermit can do 
 for any man." 
 
 "Not so in this case," the officer said. "1 have one here 
 with me who needs rest and concealment. I would rather 
 that you did not ask who he is. He has done no crime, 
 and yet he is in danger; and for a month maybe he needs 
 a shelter. Will you give it him for my sake?" 
 
 "Assuredly I will," the priest said. "Your father was 
 
A RUINED TEMPLE. 71 
 
 one of my dearest friends in the clays when I dwelt in the 
 city; I would gladly do all in my power for his son, and 
 this is but a small thing that you ask. Let him enter." 
 
 Stanley went in. The priest took down the little lamp 
 from a shelf on which it stood and held it near the lad's 
 face. Then he turned with a smile to Thekyn: 
 
 " The painting is but clumsily done," he said, " though 
 maybe it would pass without close examination. He is a 
 stranger and comes of a race unknown to me, but, as you 
 said, it matters not to me who he is; suffice that he is a 
 friend of yours. He is welcome to a share of my shelter 
 and my food, though the shelter is rough and the food 
 somewhat scanty. Of late few indeed have sought me, for, 
 as I hear, most of the men have gone down to the war." 
 
 "I have brought you some food," the officer said; for 
 Stanley had observed that he also carried a bundle, a larger 
 one than his own. " Here is a supply of rice that will last 
 for some time, and this, with your offerings, will suffice to 
 keep things going. My friend is not, like you, bound by 
 his religion not to take life; and I know that snakes are 
 very plentiful round here." 
 
 Snakes had formed a frequent article of his diet since he 
 had been captured, and Stanley had lost the repugnance to 
 them that he at first felt, so the prospect of their forming 
 the staple of his food was not disagreeable to him. It 
 would also afford him some employment to search for and 
 kill them. 
 
 " I shall be well content," he said, " with anything that 
 I can get, and trust that I shall be no burden upon you." 
 
 " You will assuredly be none," the priest replied. "Here 
 must be at least thirty pounds of rice, which alone would 
 keep two men alive for a month. As regards the snakes, 
 though I may not kill them, I may eat them when killed; 
 
72 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 and indeed there are few things better. In truth I should 
 not be sorry to have some of the creatures out of the way, 
 for they swarm round here so thickly that I have to pay 
 great heed when I walk lest I step upon them." 
 
 "Have you been troubled with robbers of late, father 1" 
 Thekyn asked. 
 
 "They trouble me not at all," the priest said. "Men 
 come sometimes, they may be robbers or they may not. 
 I ask no questions. They sometimes bring fruit and other 
 offerings, and I know that I need not fear them. I have 
 nought to lose save my life, and he would be indeed an 
 evil man who would dare to lift his finger against a priest 
 — one who harms not any one, and is ready to share what 
 food he has with any man who comes to him hungry." 
 
 " Well, father, I will say good-bye. I must be back to 
 the city before men are about, as I would not that my 
 absence should be discovered." 
 
 "Peace be with you, my son; may you come back safe 
 from the wars; my prayers will be said for you night and 
 morning. Be in no uneasiness as to your friend. If any 
 should ask me about my companion I shall reply that he 
 is one who has undertaken to rid me of some of the snakes, 
 who dispute the possession of this place with me." 
 
 Thekyn motioned to Stanley to come outside the hut 
 with him, and when he did so handed to him a small but 
 heavy bag. 
 
 "This is lead," he said; "you will need it when you start 
 on your journey down the country. There are eight pounds 
 of it, and from what you have seen in the market you will 
 know how much food can be got for a small amount of lead. 
 I would that I could do more for you and assist your 
 flight." 
 
 " You have done much indeed, very much, and should I 
 
A RUINED TEMPLE. 73 
 
 regain my friends I will endeavour to do as much by one 
 of your countrymen for your sake. I hope that when this 
 war is over I may meet you again." 
 
 " I hope so," the Burman said warmly. " I cannot but 
 think that you will succeed in getting aAvay." 
 
 " My son," the old priest said when Stanley returned to 
 his cell, " I am going to my prayers. I always rise at this 
 hour and pray till morning, therefore you may as well lay 
 yourself down on these leaves. There is another cell like 
 this in the opposite corner of the temple in the morning 
 you can cut boughs and roof it like this, and make your 
 bed there. There is no room for another here, and it will 
 doubtless be more pleasant for you to have a place to 
 yourself, where you can go and come as you like; for in 
 the day women come up to consult me and ask for my 
 prayers; but mind hOw you enter it for the first time — as 
 like as not there will be snakes sheltering there." 
 
 Stanley lay awake for a time listening to the monotonous 
 voice of the priest as he repeated his prayers, but his senses 
 soon wandered, and he slept soundly till daybreak. 
 
 His first step was to cut a stout stick, and he then pro- 
 ceeded to the other cell, which was partially blocked up 
 with stone from the fallen roof. It took him two hours to 
 carry this stuff out, and he killed no less than nine snakes 
 that he disturbed in his work. The prospect of sleeping 
 in a place so frequented was not a pleasant one, especially 
 as the cell had no door to it, and he resolved at once to 
 erect some sort of bed-place where he might be beyond 
 their reach. For this purpose he cut two poles, each three 
 or four inches longer than the cell. One end of each he 
 sharpened and drove in between the interstices of the 
 stone at a distance of some two feet and a half apart and 
 four feet from the ground, the other ends he hammered 
 
74 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 with a heavy stone against the opposite wall until they 
 would go down no farther. Then he split up some more 
 wood, and lashed strips, almost touching each other, under- 
 neath the two poles by the aid of some strong creepers; then 
 he filled up the bed-place between the poles with dry leaves. 
 
 One end of the bed was some inches higher than the 
 other. This was immaterial, and he felt satisfied that even 
 the craftiest snake could not reach him. As to the roof 
 he Avas by no means particular about it. In this part of 
 Burma the rainfall is very small, the inundations being 
 the effect of heavy rains in the distant hill-country, which, 
 as they come down, raise the level of the rivers in some 
 cases as much as eighteen feet, and overflow the lowdying 
 country. Before beginning to construct the bed he had 
 carried the snakes in to the Phongee, after first cutting off 
 their heads, which, as he knew, the Burmans never touch. 
 
 " This is good indeed, my son," the priest said. " Here 
 we have our breakfast and dinner. I will boil some rice 
 and fry four of them for breakfast." 
 
 The bed was but half completed when he heard the priest 
 sound a bell. It was doubtless used as a call to prayer. 
 However, Stanley rightly conjectured that in this case it 
 was a summons to a meal, and was soon seated on the 
 ground by the side of the priest. Little was said at break- 
 fast, which Stanley enjoyed heartily. 
 
 "So my friend Thekyn is starting for the wars. What 
 think you of it, my son, shall we easily overpower these 
 barbarians? We have never met them in war before, and 
 doubtless their methods of fighting are different from ours." 
 
 " Quite different. Their men are trained as soldiers, they 
 act as one man, while the Burmese fight each for himself. 
 Then they have cannon with them, which they can drag 
 about quickly and use with great effect. Although they are 
 
A RUINED TEMPLE. 75 
 
 few in comparison with the armies going doAvn to attack 
 them, the latter will find it very difficult work to turn 
 them out of Rangoon." 
 
 "Do you think that they will beat us, then 1 ?" 
 
 " That I cannot say, but I should not be surprised if it 
 were to prove so." 
 
 "The Burmese have never been beaten yet," the priest 
 said; "they have been victorious over all their enemies." 
 
 "The Burmese are very brave," Stanley agreed, "but 
 hitherto they have only fought against people less warlike 
 than themselves; now they have to deal with a nation that 
 has made war a study, and which always keeps up a large 
 army of men who are trained to fight, and who spend all their 
 time in military exercises. It is not that they are stronger 
 than the Burmese, for the Burmese are very strong men, 
 but only that men who are trained to act together must 
 necessarily possess a great advantage over those who have 
 had no such training, who simply take up arms for the 
 occasion, and when the trouble is over return to their homes 
 and lay them by until called out to fight again. Besides, 
 their weapons are better than yours: and they have many 
 cannon, which by practice they can load and fire very 
 quickly, and each of which, when the armies are near each 
 other, can fire fifty or sixty bullets at once." 
 
 " I have heard a strange story that the barbarians have 
 a ship without sails, with a great chimney that pours out 
 quantities of black smoke, and a wheel on each side, and as 
 the wheels move round the vessel can go straight up the 
 river against the tide, even if the wind is blowing strongly 
 down." 
 
 " It is true, father, there are many such ships, but only 
 two or three that have made the long voyage across stormy 
 seas to India." 
 
76 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 " It is wonderful how these men can force fire to be their 
 servant. How it can make the wheels of the ship to move 
 round?" 
 
 " That I cannot tell you, father. I have never seen one 
 of these vessels, though I have heard of them." 
 
 The priest said no more, but evidently fell into a profound 
 meditation, and Stanley, getting quietly up, returned to his 
 work. The priest came in just as he had completed his bed. 
 
 "That is well," he said, looking at it approvingly. "I 
 myself, although I know that until my time has come no 
 creature can harm me, cannot resist a shudder when I hear 
 one rustling amid the leaves of my bed, for they come 
 in although some of my friends have had a door placed to 
 exclude their entry at night. I wander but little from my 
 cell, and always close the door after me; but they enter 
 sometimes when I am meditating and forgetful of earthly 
 matters, and the first I know of their presence is the rust- 
 ling of the leaves in the bed at night. Were I as strong 
 in faith as I should be, I would heed it not. I tell myself 
 so, but my fear is stronger than my will, and I am forced 
 to rise, turn up the leaves with a stick until I find them, 
 and then I open the door and eject them with as much 
 gentleness as may be." 
 
 " I should get no sleep at all," Stanley said. " I don't 
 think that even a door would make me feel any safer, for I 
 might forget to shut it sometimes. To-morrow, father, I 
 will wage war with them, and see if I cannot decrease their 
 numbers considerably." 
 
 Stanley's first task was to ' clear the bushes away from 
 the court of the temple, and this, after several days' hard 
 work, he carried out, although he soon saw that by so doing 
 he would not diminish the number of the snakes, for the 
 greater portion of the area was covered with blocks of fallen 
 
A RUINED TEMPLE. 77 
 
 stone among which the reptiles found an impenetrable shel- 
 ter. The clearance effected, however, was so far useful that 
 while the creatures were before altogether hidden from sight 
 by the bushes, they could now be killed when they came out 
 to bask in the sun on the uncovered stones, and he could 
 every day destroy a dozen or more without the slightest 
 difficulty. Ten days after he had finished the work he heard 
 the sound of men's voices, and peeping out saw a Burmese 
 officer with a party of eight armed men going to the Phon- 
 gee's cell. It was possible that they might have come on 
 other business, but it Avas more probable they had come in 
 search of him. Some of the women who had come up to the 
 hermit had seen him at work, and might have mentioned on 
 their return that the priest had a man at Avork clearing 
 aAA^ay the bushes; the matter might haA^e come to the ears 
 of some officer anxious to distinguish himself, and the idea 
 that this Avas the prisoner for Avhom a search was being 
 made occurred to him. 
 
 Stanley shrank back into his cell, took up the bundle of 
 clothes that served as his pilloAV, got on to the bed, and 
 standing on it Avas able to get his fingers on to the top of 
 the wall. He hoisted himself up, made his Avay through 
 the boughs of the roof, and dropped on to the ground out- 
 side. Then he went round by the back of the temple, until 
 he stood outside the priest's cell and could hear the voices 
 within Avithout difficulty. 
 
 "Then you know nothing whatever of this man?" 
 
 "Nothing whatever," he replied. "As I haA r e told you, 
 he came to me and asked for shelter; I gave him such poor 
 assistance as I could, as I should give it to anyone who 
 asked me. He has been no burden upon me, for he has 
 killed enough snakes for my food and his oato." 
 
 "You know not of Avhat part he is a native 1 ?" 
 
78 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 " Not at all; I asked him no questions. It was no business 
 of mine." 
 
 "Could you form any idea from his speech?" 
 
 " His speech was ours. It seemed to me that it was that 
 of a native of the lower provinces." 
 
 " Where is he now?" 
 
 "I know not." 
 
 "You say that he is away at present." 
 
 "Not seeing him in front, I thought he had gone out, 
 for he comes and goes as he pleases. He is not a hired 
 servant, but a guest. He cut down the bushes here in order 
 that he might more easily kill the snakes; for which, indeed, 
 I am thankful to him, not only for the food that they afford, 
 but because they were in such abundance and so fearless 
 that they often came in here, knowing that they had nought 
 to fear from me." 
 
 "Then you think that he will return soon 1 ?'' 
 
 " As he told me not of his intention of going out at all, 
 I cannot say. He is away sometimes for hours in the 
 forest." 
 
 " Well, in any case, we shall watch here until his return. 
 It may be that he is some idle fellow who prefers killing 
 snakes to honest work; but it may also be that he is the 
 escaped prisoner of whom we are in search." 
 
 "I hear little of what passes in the town," the priest said 
 quietly; " neAvs would disturb my meditations, and I never 
 question those who come here to ask for my prayers. I 
 have heard of the escape of no prisoner." 
 
 "It was a young English officer who got away. There 
 has been a great stir about it. Every house in the town 
 has been searched, and every guard-boat on the river has 
 been warned to allow no boat to pass without assuring 
 themselves that he is not on board." 
 
A RUINED TEMPLE. 79 
 
 "This was a brown man like ourselves, clad only in a 
 petticoat of rough cloth like other peasants." 
 
 "He may have dyed his skin,'"' the officer said; "at any 
 rate, we will stay until he returns and question him. Two 
 of my men shall take their places just inside the entrance, 
 and seize him as he enters. Has he arms'?" 
 
 " None, save his knife and the stick with which he kills 
 the snakes. It may be that he has seen you coming hither, 
 and if he has committed any crime he would flee, and not 
 return here at all." 
 
 "If he does not come back before it is the hour when I 
 must return to the town, I shall leave four men to watch 
 for him, and they will wait here, if it is for a week, until 
 he comes back again." 
 
 " You can do as you please," the priest said, " only I pray 
 you withdraw your men from the neighbourhood of this 
 cell. I would not that my meditations were disturbed by 
 their talk. I have come hither for peace and quietness, and 
 to be apart from the world and its distractions." 
 
 " You shall not be disturbed," the officer said respectfully, 
 and Stanley heard a movement of feet and then the closing 
 of the door. Thinking it probable that the officer might 
 make a search round the temple, he at once made off into 
 the wood behind the temple. As soon as he was well among 
 the trees he exchanged his cloth for the disguise he had 
 worn in the town, and, folding it up to be used as a 
 blanket at night, he went further into the wood, sat down, 
 and proceeded to think what his next step had best be. It 
 was evident that he could not return to the temple for the 
 present, and it was clear also that the search for him was 
 still maintained, and that it would not be safe to attempt to 
 descend the river. He regretted that he had been obliged 
 to leave the place without saying good-bye to the priest and 
 
80 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 again thanking him for the shelter that he had given him; 
 but he was sure that when he did not return the old man 
 would guess that he had caught sight of the officer and his 
 party entering the temple and had at once fled. Had he 
 not known that the guard would remain there he would 
 have waited until they returned to the town, and would 
 then have gone in and seen the priest, but as they would 
 remain there for some days he thought it was as well to 
 abandon all idea of returning, as the suspicions that he 
 might be the man sought for would be heightened by his 
 continued absence, and the watch might be continued for a 
 long time on the chance of his coming back. 
 
 He concluded that at any rate his best course would be to 
 endeavour to make his way for a considerable distance 
 down the country, and then to try and get a boat. He 
 knew that the country near the river was comparatively 
 thickly populated, and that the distances between the vil- 
 lages were not great, so that he would find no great diffi- 
 culty in purchasing provisions. The dress he had brought 
 with him was not altogether unfavourable for such a purpose, 
 as he could easily pass as a sub-officer, whose duty it was 
 to inquire whether the villages had each sent all their able- 
 bodied men to the war; the only drawback to it would be 
 that if instructions for his arrest had been sent down to the 
 villages along the road, as well as those by the river, they 
 would have probably been directed to specially look for 
 one clad in such attire. However, it would be open to him 
 at any moment to take to his peasant's disguise again. 
 
 He at last determined to make a start, and by nightfall 
 had traversed several miles through the great forest stretch- 
 ing along by the side of the Panlaung river. He had asked 
 many questions of his friend the officer as they went up to 
 the temple as to the roads. He was told that there was one 
 
A RUINED TEMPLE. 81 
 
 running almost due south to Ramuthayn, by which he could 
 travel doAvn to Eangoon, by way of Tannoo. This, however, 
 would take him a long distance from the main river, and he 
 decided that he would presently strike the road that ran 
 about half-way between the hills and the Irrawaddy. He 
 would follow that for a time, and would try and strike the 
 river somewhere between Meloun and Keow-Uan. Below 
 this point there was a network of rivers, and but few villages, 
 and the country was swampy and unhealthy. He infinitely 
 preferred the risks of the descent by the river to those by 
 road, and it seemed to him that if he could but obtain pos- 
 session of one of the small native fishing-boats he could drop 
 down at night unnoticed, as the width of the river at Ava 
 was upwards of a thousand yards, and below that town 
 often considerably exceeded that breadth. 
 
 When it became too dark to proceed further he sat down 
 at the foot of a tree. He regretted that he had no means of 
 lighting a fire, and determined that at any risk he would 
 obtain the means of doing so at the first village that he came 
 to, for he knew that there were both tigers and leopards in 
 the jungles; he thought, however, that they were not likely 
 to be numerous, so near the capital, and the old priest had 
 never alluded to them as a source of danger, though indeed 
 it had never occurred to him to ask. In the morning he 
 continued his way. He had gone but a mile when he heard 
 a sudden scream in the wood a short distance to his left. 
 Feeling sure that it was a human being in great fear or 
 pain, he drew his knife and ran at the top of his speed in 
 the direction of the cry, thinking that it might be some man 
 or woman attacked by the robbers of the forest. 
 
 Suddenly he came upon a small open space some twenty 
 yards in diameter. He hesitated when his eyes fell on a 
 group in the centre. Two men were lying on the ground, 
 
 ( m 266 ) F 
 
82 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 and a leopard stood with a paw on each of them. They had 
 guns lying beside them, and a fire was burning close by. 
 He guessed that the animal had sprung from a tree, one of 
 whose boughs extended almost as far as the centre of the open- 
 ing. Probably it had killed one of the men in its spring, 
 for at the moment when he saw the animal, it was licking the 
 blood from the shoulder of the man on whom its right paw 
 rested. The other was, as far as Stanley could see, unhurt. 
 His tread in the light Burmese shoes had been almost noise- 
 less, and the leopard, which was keeping up a low growling, 
 and whose back was towards him, had apparently not noticed 
 it. He hesitated for a moment, and than decided to en- 
 deavour to save the man who was still alive. Creeping up 
 stealthily, he gave a sudden spring upon the leopard and 
 buried his knife to the hilt in its body, just behind the 
 shoulder. With a terrible roar, it rolled over for a moment 
 and then struggled to its feet. The time had been sufficient 
 for Stanley to pick up and cock one of the guns, and as the 
 leopard turned to spring at him, he aimed between its eyes 
 and fired. Again the beast rolled over, and Stanley caught 
 up the other gun, thrust the muzzle within a foot of its head, 
 and fired. The leopard gave a convulsive quiver and lay dead. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 WITH BRIGANDS. 
 
 STANLEY uttered an involuntary hurrah as the leopard 
 expired, and at the sound the Burman, who had been 
 lying motionless, leapt to his feet. He looked at the leopard 
 and then at his rescuer, and exclaimed in a tone of astonish- 
 ment: 
 
WITH BRIGANDS. 83 
 
 " You have slain the beast alone, and with no weapon but 
 your knife ! " 
 
 " No," Stanley replied; " I began the fight with my knife 
 only, but caught up one of those guns when I wounded 
 him and fired as he charged me; then I finished him with 
 the other." 
 
 "Comrade," the Burman said, "you have done a great 
 deed with courage. I, who am esteemed no coward, would 
 never even have thought of attacking that great leopard 
 with but a knife, and that to save the life of a stranger." 
 
 " I saw the guns lying on the ground. Had it not been 
 for that I should not have dared to attack the leopard, for 
 it would have been certain death." 
 
 " Certain death indeed. But tell me first how you did it; 
 it seems to me well-nigh a miracle." 
 
 "I was passing along not far distant when I heard your 
 cry," Stanley said. "Thinking that it Avas some person in 
 distress, I ran hither, and saw you both lying with the 
 leopard's fore-paws upon you. The beast's back was turned 
 to me, and, as it was growling, it had not heard my 
 approach. Seeing the guns lying there, and having no 
 doubt that they were loaded, I stole up, sprang suddenly on 
 the leopard, and drove my knife into it behind the shoulder. 
 The blow rolled it over and gave me time to pick up the 
 gun. The rest was easy." 
 
 The man without a word examined the body of the 
 leopard. 
 
 "It is as you say," he said. "It was well struck, and 
 would probably have been fatal, but the animal would have 
 torn you in pieces before he died, but for the guns. Well, 
 comrade, you have saved my life, and I am your servant so 
 long as I live. I thought all was over with me; the leopard, 
 as it sprang, threw its full weight on my comrade here. 
 
84 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 We had just risen to our feet, and the blow struck me also 
 to the ground; I raised that cry as I fell. I lay there 
 immovable; I felt the leopard's paw between my shoulders, 
 and heard its angry growlings, and I held my breath, ex- 
 pecting every moment to feel its teeth in my neck. I had 
 but one hope, namely, that the beast would carry off my 
 comrade — who, I was well assured, was dead— to the jungle 
 to devour him, and would then come back to fetch me. I 
 managed to breathe once very quietly, when I felt a move- 
 ment of the leopard, and hearing a low sound, guessed 
 that he was licking my comrade's blood; but slightly as I 
 moved, the leopard noticed it, and stood straight up again 
 over me. I dared not breathe again, but the time had 
 come when I felt that I must do so, though I was sure that 
 it would be the signal for my death. Then I knew not what 
 had happened. There was a sharp pain as the leopard's 
 claws contracted, and then there was a loud roar, and its 
 weight was removed from me. Then I heard it snarl as if 
 about to spring, then came the sound of a gun, a fall, and a 
 struggle, and then the sound of another gun; then I heard 
 your shout and knew the beast was dead. Now, sir, what 
 can I do for you 1 Shall I first skin the leopard 1 " 
 
 "I care not for the skin," Stanley said; "it would be of 
 no use to me." 
 
 " Then, with your permission, I will take it off, and keep 
 it as long as I live as a remembrance of the narrowest escape 
 that I have ever had." 
 
 "Is your comrade dead 1 ?" 
 
 "Yes," the man replied. "The leopard struck him be- 
 tween the shoulders as you see, and the force of the blow 
 and the weight of the spring must have killed him instan- 
 taneously." 
 
 " Then I will take his sword, gun, and cartridges." 
 
WITH BRIGANDS. 85 
 
 So Stanley undid the sword-belt, and buckled it round 
 him, put the bandolier of cartridges over his shoulders, and 
 took up the gun and reloaded it while the man was at work 
 skinning the leopard. This operation the man performed 
 with great speed; it was evidently one that he had done 
 before. As soon as the beast was flayed, he rolled up the 
 skin and placed it on his shoulder. 
 
 "You are an officer, sir?" he asked. 
 
 "No; I am a fugitive." 
 
 While he had been watching the man, Stanley had 
 debated over whether he should confide in him, and thought 
 that after the service he had rendered him he could do so 
 with safety. 
 
 "I am an Englishman — I was captured by Bandoola at 
 Ramoo, and sent a prisoner to Ava. I have escaped, and 
 want to make my way down to Rangoon ; but I heard that 
 orders had been sent along the river to arrest me, and I do 
 not at present know how to make my way down." 
 
 "Come with me," the man said. "I have friends in the 
 forest some distance from here; they will receive you gladly 
 when I tell them what you have done for me, and you will 
 be safe until you choose to go. We are outlaws, but at 
 present we are masters of the forest. The government 
 has its hands full, and there is no fear of their disturb- 
 ing us." 
 
 Stanley thought over the matter for a minute or two. 
 Doubtless it was a robber band that he was asked to join, 
 but the offer seemed to promise safety for a time. 
 
 "I agree," he said, "so that you do not ask me to take 
 part in any deeds of violence." 
 
 "About that you shall do as you like," the man said; 
 "but I can tell you that we make good hauls sometimes. 
 Our difficulty is not to capture booty, but to dispose of it. 
 
86 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 Have you a turban, for that helmet of yours is out of 
 place in the woods? The rest of your dress has nothing 
 peculiar about it, and would attract no attention." 
 
 " I have a turban. I have been lately in the dress of a 
 peasant. The cloth I wore lies fifty yards away, I dropped 
 it as I ran; it will be useful to cover me at night, if for 
 nothing else." 
 
 Stanley exchanged the helmet for the turban that he 
 had before worn, and fetched the cloth. " Will you bury 
 your companion'!" he said. 
 
 "It would be useless; he will sleep above ground as well 
 as below, and if we are to reach my comrades to-night it is 
 time for us to be moving." 
 
 They at once set out. After five hours' walking they 
 came upon the river Myitnge, the tributary that falls into 
 the Irrawaddy at Ava. It was some four hundred yards 
 across. The Burman walked along its banks for a short 
 distance, and then pulled from a clump of bushes a small 
 boat that was just capable of carrying two. He put it in 
 the water; they took their seats, and paddled across to the 
 other side, where he carefully concealed it as before. 
 
 " That is our ferry-boat," he said. " It is not often used, 
 for our head-quarters are in the great forest we shall pre- 
 sently come to, but it is as well, when occasionally parties 
 are sent out to hunt us, to have the means of crossing to the 
 other side." 
 
 Another two hours' walking through cultivated fields 
 brought them to the edge of the forest. 
 
 " Here you are as safe as if you were in Rangoon," the 
 Burman said. " In another hour we shall reach my com- 
 rades. As a rule we change our head-quarters frequently. 
 At present there is no question of our being disturbed, so 
 we have settled ourselves for a time." 
 
WITH BRIGANDS. 87 
 
 " Why were you and your comrade on the other side of 
 the river 1" 
 
 " His village lies five miles beyond that forest," the man 
 said. " At ordinary times he dared not venture there, but 
 he thought that at present most of the able men would be 
 away, and so he could pay a visit to his friends. He asked 
 me to accompany him, and as I had nothing better to do, 
 I agreed to go. A convoy of traders too strong to be 
 attacked had passed down from the hill country the morn- 
 ing before we started. There was not much probability 
 that anyone would come again for a few days." 
 
 "They bring down rubies from there, do they not 1 ?" 
 
 " The mines are the property of the emperor," the man 
 said, " and the gems are sent down once every two months 
 under a strong guard, but for all that many of the traders 
 bring rubies down from there, — of course secretly. The men 
 who work the mines often conceal stones that they come 
 upon, and sell them for a small sum to the traders; besides, 
 sometimes the peasants pick them up elsewhere, and these, 
 too, make haste to sell them for anything that they can get. 
 We do not care for them much, for it is a risky business 
 going down to Ava to sell them; and the traders there, 
 knowing that at a word from them we should be arrested 
 and most likely executed, will give us next to nothing for 
 them. We prefer silver and lead for money, and garments, 
 arms, and set jewels. Each man takes his share of what is 
 captured, and when we have enough we go home to our 
 villages. A pound of silver, or two or three pounds of lead, 
 are generally quite enough to buy the good-will of the head 
 man of the village. We give out that we have been working 
 on the river or in Ava since we left, and everyone knows 
 better than to ask questions." 
 
 In another hour they reached the encampment. It was 
 
88 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 now dusk, and some five-and-twenty men were sitting round 
 a great fire. A number of leafy arbours had been con- 
 structed in a circle beyond them. 
 
 "What, returned so soon!" one of the men said as Stan- 
 ley's guide came near enough for the firelight to fall on his 
 face; "but where is Ranji, and whom have you brought 
 here — a new recruit?" 
 
 " Not exactly, Parnik, but one to whom I have promised 
 shelter for a while. Ranji is dead. I should have been 
 dead, too, and eaten had it not been for my comrade here. 
 Here is the skin of the beast who slew Ranji, and when I 
 tell you that the leopard stood with one paw on me you 
 may guess that my escape was a narrow one." 
 
 "The brute was a large one," one of the other men said, 
 as Meinik, for such was the name of Stanley's companion, 
 unrolled and held the skin up. "I see it had a bullet 
 between the eyes, and another just behind the ear, and 
 there is a knife -cut behind the shoulder. It must have 
 been hot work, when it came to knives, with a beast of 
 that size." 
 
 "Give us some food and cocoa; we have eaten nothing 
 to-day, and have walked far. When we have fed I will tell 
 you my story." 
 
 The Burman's recital of the adventure with the leopard 
 excited great applause and admiration from his comrades. 
 "Tis wonderful," one said, "not so much that our new 
 comrade should have killed the leopard, though that was a 
 great feat, but that, armed only with a knife, he should 
 attack a beast like this to save the life of a stranger. Truly 
 I never heard of such a thing. Has he all his senses'?" 
 
 Meinik nodded. He had received permission from Stan- 
 ley to say who he was. Stanley had consented with some 
 reluctance, but the man assured him that he could trust his 
 
WITH BRIGANDS. 89 
 
 companions as well as himself, and that it was much better 
 to tell the truth, as it would soon be seen that his features 
 differed altogether from their own, and that therefore he 
 was some strange person in disguise. 
 
 "He is in his senses," he said, "but he does not see 
 things as we do. He is one of those English barbarians 
 who have taken Rangoon, and against whom our armies are 
 marching. He was captured at Ramoo, and sent by Ban- 
 doola as a prisoner to Ava. He has made his escape, and 
 will, in a short time, go down the river, but at present the 
 search is too hot for him, so you see that he is, like our- 
 selves, a fugitive." 
 
 "What is his age 1 ?" one of the men asked after a silence, 
 during which they all gazed at the new-comer. 
 
 "He is but a lad, being as he tells me between sixteen 
 and seventeen; but you see his skin is stained, and his face 
 marked so as to give him the appearance of age." 
 
 "If the men of his race are as brave as he is, Meinik, our 
 troops will truly have harder work than they think to drive 
 them into the sea. Does he speak our tongue 1 ?" 
 
 "Yes," Stanley answered for himself. "I have been more 
 than two years in the province of Chittagong, and learned 
 it from one who was in our service." 
 
 " And would many of your people risk their lives in the 
 way you did for a stranger 1 " 
 
 " Certainly. Many men constantly run risks as great to 
 save others." 
 
 "One life is all a man has," the Burman said. "Why 
 should he give it for a stranger 1 ?" 
 
 " I don't think that we stop to think of that," Stanley said ; 
 "it seems to us natural that if we see another in danger 
 of his life, we should try to save it, whether it is a man or 
 woman, whether it be from fire or from any other fate." 
 
90 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 " You must be a strange people," the Burman said gravely, 
 "and I should scarce have credited it had I not heard that 
 you had done it yourself; but it is wonderful, and you, too, 
 a lad who has not yet come to his full strength. We 
 should be glad to have such a man for our comrade, my 
 friends. Whether he be Burman or English matters little. 
 He has risked his life for one of us, and he is our brother 
 as long as he likes to stay with us." 
 
 There was a warm exclamation of assent round the circle, 
 and Stanley felt that he had no cause for uneasiness as long 
 as he remained with them. In the evening the men sung 
 many songs, and at their request Stanley sang some English 
 ones, choosing some with lively airs. The Burmese were 
 much pleased and surprised at these, and joined merrily 
 in the chorus. Half a dozen of them then set to work 
 with their knives, cut down some saplings and boughs, and 
 constructed for Stanley an arbour similar to the others, and 
 he lay down well satisfied with the results of his adventure, 
 and feeling that he could remain with these merry fellows, 
 criminals though they might be, until it would be safe to 
 make his way down the river. 
 
 In the morning the men started early, leaving him in 
 charge of the fire. They went off in parties of four or five 
 to watch the various roads leading to the capital, two or 
 three of them, dressed as peasants, going to towns where 
 travellers would halt, so as to gain information as to any 
 party coming down. When they gathered again at dusk 
 one party only had had any success. They had met six 
 merchants coming down with horses laden with spices, 
 indigo, and cotton. These had offered no resistance, and 
 they had taken as much as they could carry and then 
 allowed them to go on with the rest of their goods. There 
 was a general feeling of regret that the party had not been 
 
WITH BRIGANDS. 91 
 
 more numerous, and some expressions of anger at the spies 
 on the road by which the traders had come, for not letting 
 them know beforehand so that they could have placed their 
 whole force there and carried away all the goods. 
 
 " These are the things that suit us best," Meinik said to 
 Stanley. " You see, one can go down with a parcel of cinna- 
 mon or pepper, or a bag of dyes, or fifty pounds of cotton 
 into the town and sell it in the market at a fair and proper 
 price. Of course, one dresses oneself as a small cultivator, 
 and there is no suspicion whatever that all is not right. We 
 shall keep a sharp look-out for the men as they come back 
 again and relieve them of the silver or goods they may 
 have taken in exchange, that is, if they come by the same 
 road ; but it is more likely that after their adventure to-day 
 they will choose some other, or take a guide and travel 
 by village tracks. No doubt they think that they have 
 got off easily, for they have not lost more than a quarter 
 of their goods. It is war-time now, and there is no fear of 
 a force being sent against us, but usually we do not take so 
 much as a quarter of the merchandise. Were they to lose 
 everything they would make complaints, and then we should 
 have a force sent up against us, and be obliged to move away 
 for a time. But as it is, they are so pleased with getting the 
 greater part of their goods safe to market that they do not 
 care to make a fuss about it, for they might have to pay 
 the court officials and others more than the value of the 
 goods lost." 
 
 "They do not often resist, then 1 ?" 
 
 "Not often. If a man loses his goods he can gather more 
 again; but when his life has gone, everything has gone; 
 besides, as a rule, we take care that we are so strong that 
 they see at once that resistance would be hopeless. Some- 
 times they bring armed guards with them; these are men 
 
92 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 who make it their business to convoy traders down when 
 the times are troubled. Sometimes we have fights with 
 these, but, as a rule, we seldom attack them unless we are 
 so strong that they do not dare to oppose us; still we do 
 have fights sometimes, for these Shan guards are brave 
 fellows. Their convoys are generally rich ones, for it 
 would not pay small traders to hire men to protect them. 
 In times of peace we seldom stop long in one neighbourhood, 
 for, when it once becomes known what road we are lying 
 near, they come along in parties too strong to be attacked, 
 and, as it matters little to us where we live, we move away 
 perhaps a hundred miles and then settle on another line of 
 traffic. We have not been here long; we were last down 
 by Tannoo and did well for a long time there, until at 
 last the governor raised all the villagers and hunted the 
 woods, and we found that we had to leave. I expect we 
 shall stay here some time now. There is no fear of troops 
 being sent out, and we can afford not to press too hardly 
 on travellers, for we have done so well of late that we 
 could separate and return to our homes, each with a good 
 store of booty. Half our number did leave when we came 
 up from the south, and more of us would go if it were not 
 for this order that everyone shall join the army. It is 
 much pleasanter to live here free to do as we like than 
 to be driven down like a herd of beasts to fight. Besides, 
 we have no quarrel with your people; it was the officials at 
 Aracan who began it, let them fight if they like." 
 
 Stanley remained a fortnight with the band. At the end 
 of that time they heard that a party of thirty traders were 
 coming down together, and that they had with them ten 
 armed guards. This, they no doubt supposed was ample 
 protection, for, as the band generally worked in such 
 small parties, it was believed that there were but a few 
 
WITH BRIGANDS. 93 
 
 outlaws in the forest. All the band went out, and returned 
 in the evening laden with spoil; two or three of them were 
 wounded, but not severely. 
 
 " So you had resistance to-day, Meinik." 
 
 "It lasted only for a minute," the man said. "As soon 
 as they saw how strong we were, the guard were glad 
 enough to put up their swords and let us bind them hand and 
 foot while we searched the merchants. As you see, we have 
 made a good capture, though we have not seized more than 
 a fifth of what they brought down with them, but it will 
 take them some time to pack their bales again, for we 
 searched everything thoroughly, and made all the mer- 
 chants strip, and searched their clothes and their hair." 
 
 "What did you do that for?" 
 
 " Well, it was this way. I said to my comrades as we went 
 along this morning, 'The Englishman is going to leave us in 
 a day or two. I have not forgotten what I owe him, and 
 should like to make him a present. I propose that we search 
 all the party thoroughly to-day. From what we heard some 
 of them come from the ruby country, and are pretty sure 
 to have gems concealed about them or in their baggage. 
 I propose that all the stones we find we will give to our 
 friend.' They all agreed at once, for, as you know, they all 
 like 3 r ou, and rubies, as I told you, are of little use to us, 
 for Ave cannot dispose of them without great risk. So they 
 did as I proposed, and had good fortune. Twelve out of 
 the number had gems hidden about them, and some of them 
 a good lot. You need not hesitate to take them, for you 
 may be sure that they bought them for next to nothing 
 from poor fellows who had risked their lives to hide them. 
 There they are; we have not looked at them, but just 
 emptied the parcels into this bag as we found them. Of 
 course they are all rough stones. You must take them as a 
 
94 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 present from all of us, and as a proof that a Burman, even 
 if lie is but a robber, is grateful for such a service as that 
 you rendered him." 
 
 Stanley felt that he could not refuse a gift so offered, 
 even though the goods were stolen. As Meinik said, the 
 gems were of little use to the robbers, since they were 
 afraid to try and dispose of them, and their owners had 
 themselves broken the law in having purchased them, 
 and had doubtless given sums bearing no proportion to 
 their real value. Therefore he thanked Meinik very heartily, 
 and also, after they had had their meal, the rest of the band, 
 who made very light of the matter. 
 
 The things were useless to them, they said. If it had 
 been silver or even lead it would have been different, but 
 to endeavour to sell rubies they had to risk their lives. 
 The goods that they had got that day would fetch them 
 far more money than the rubies, and could be sold with- 
 out difficulty, and as soon as the war was over and they 
 could go down to their villages, the band would break up. 
 They had enough silver and lead hidden away to keep 
 them for years even if they never did any work what- 
 ever. 
 
 "What do you do with it when you get back?" 
 
 " We hide it. It would never do to enter a village with 
 ten or twelve pounds' weight of silver, and three or four 
 times as much lead, for the head-man might take it into 
 his head to have us searched, so Ave generally dig a hole at 
 the foot of a tree in some quiet spot, and take, perhaps, a 
 pound of silver and two or three of lead with us; a gift of 
 half that silver is enough to convince the head-man that we 
 are honest fellows who have been working hard since we 
 went away, and from time to time we can go to our store 
 and get what we want from it, and can build a house and 
 
WITH BRIGANDS. 95 
 
 marry, and take up a field or two, and perhaps become 
 head-men ourselves before very long." 
 
 "Well, I am sure I wish you all well," Stanley said. 
 " You have all been very kind to me since I joined you, 
 and I shall be glad to think of you all as settled quietly 
 down in your villages, rather than as remaining here, when 
 some day or other you might all be captured and harm 
 come to you." 
 
 The next morning Stanley started with Meinik, who 
 was a native of a small village on the river some forty miles 
 below Ava, and who had resolved to accompany him down 
 to Eangoon. 
 
 " I shall be able to get a boat and some nets for a pound 
 or two of lead. If we are hailed I can do the talking, and 
 can land and buy provisions, if wanted. I have arranged 
 with my comrades to take my share of the silver and lead 
 Ave have stored up at once, for it is likely that they will 
 also have gone to their homes before I shall have returned, 
 and we have changed everything into money except what 
 we took yesterday." 
 
 Before starting, Stanley was again dyed, and the tattoo 
 marks imitated far more carefully than before, three or four 
 of the men operating upon him at once. His face was 
 almost entirely covered with these marks; some liquid was 
 applied that extracted the colour from his eyebrows and 
 left them snow-white, some of his hair was similarly treated; 
 and, looking at himself in a pool of water, Stanley did not 
 in the slightest degree recognize himself, and felt certain 
 that no one would suspect him of being the young English 
 captive. Resuming his peasant's cloth he took' a hearty 
 farewell of the band and started with Meinik. The latter 
 carried a bundle slung on his gun; it contained some clothes, 
 and did not look heavy, but in the centre were two parcels 
 
96 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 that weighed some forty pounds. Stanley carried a bundle 
 with his other clothes, and several pounds of rice. Two 
 days' walking took them to Meinik's village. Once out 
 of the forest they travelled at night, and reached the 
 village just as the people were astir. The place consisted 
 of ten or twelve huts, and Meinik created quite an excite- 
 ment among the few people who inhabited it. These 
 consisted of two or three old men, some women and children. 
 
 " Where have you been for the last year and half, Meinik, 
 if I may ask?" 
 
 "Working near Ava," he said; "but as I should have to 
 go to war if I had remained there, I thought that I would 
 come back and see how you all were. I have saved a little 
 money and may settle down, but whether here or elsewhere 
 I have not yet made up my mind." 
 
 "You will have to go to the war," one of the old men 
 said. " There is scarce a day that one of the war-canoes 
 does not stop here to see if there are any able-bodied men. 
 They have taken eight, and they will assuredly take you." 
 
 "Then I shall get a boat," he said, "and take to fishing. 
 The war cannot last long, and I shall do my best to keep 
 out of the way of the war-canoes until it is over. If any of 
 you have a boat to sell I will buy it." 
 
 "I will sell you mine," the old man said. "Both of my 
 sons have been taken to the war, and I am too old to work 
 it myself. It is a good one ; my sons made it only last year. 
 Who have you with you 1 ?" 
 
 Stanley had remained a short distance off while Meinik 
 was talking to his friends. 
 
 " He is an old man I joined along the road," he said. 
 " He is a skilful fisherman, and he has agreed to go with 
 me if I can get a boat. Is there an empty hut 1 ?" 
 
 "Yes, six of them. Of course when the men were taken 
 
WITH BRIGANDS. 97 
 
 they carried off the wives and children, as usual, as hostages 
 for their conduct." 
 
 Meinik nodded; he felt no surprise, as it was the custom 
 in Burma to hold the women and children of all the men 
 going to the war as guarantees that their husbands would 
 not desert or show cowardice in battle. In either event their 
 relatives would be at once put to death. 
 
 "My companion is tired," he said. "We walked all 
 night, so we will cook some food and he will sleep." 
 
 They at once took possession of one of the empty huts, 
 which was just as it was left by its proprietor. One of the 
 women brought a brand or two from her hearth. An earthen 
 cooking-pot was filled with water and placed above it, and 
 a few handfuls of rice dropped in. Two or three snakes 
 cut up into small pieces, and some pepper-pocls were added ; 
 and then Meinik went out, talked to his acquaintances, and 
 arranged for the purchase of the boat. Stanley watched 
 the fire. 
 
 In an hour Meinik returned. " The boat is a good one," 
 he said, "and the nets in fair order. I have bought them 
 for two pounds of lead, and have promised that when the 
 war is over and the man's sons return, it is to be free to 
 them to buy it back at the same price." 
 
 After eating their meal they both lay down and slept 
 until late in the afternoon, then Meinik bought an earthen- 
 ware pot and a fiat slab of the same material for making a 
 fire on, some peppers and capsicums, and a little cinnamon 
 and nutmeg, a basket of mangoes, and some tobacco. As 
 soon as it became dusk they took their places in the boat, 
 Meinik carrying down two or three faggots of Avood. The 
 boat was a canoe hewn out of a pine log; it would have 
 carried four people comfortably, and there was plenty of 
 room for them both to lie down at full length. It was very 
 
 ( M 266 ) o 
 
98 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 light, the wood having been cut away until it was little 
 thicker than cardboard. This was the almost universal 
 method of construction; even the war-canoes that would 
 carry sixty paddlers sitting two by two on a bench, and 
 thirty soldiers, being hewn from great single logs of teak. 
 The nets were stowed one at each end. In the middle was 
 the fireplace, on which the brands of the fire had already 
 been laid. Near it were the faggots and stores. 
 
 Meinik and Stanley sat on the nets, each with a paddle; 
 the former had hidden the greater portion of his store of 
 money in the ground before entering the village. As soon 
 as they had fairly started Stanley said : 
 
 "Had we not better get rid of the fire, Meinik; its light 
 would draw attention to us." 
 
 " That matters little," the Burman replied. " There are 
 not likely to be war-canoes about at night, and I expect that 
 most of them will have gone down the river. People fish 
 either by night or by day, and even if a war-canoe came 
 along they would not trouble about it, for of course many 
 men too old to go to the war remain here and go on fishing. 
 People cannot starve because there is fighting. The old 
 men and women must cultivate the fields and fish, or both 
 they and the people of the towns would starve. Many even 
 of the young men do not go. They keep away from their 
 villages during the day and work in the fields, and the head- 
 men shut their eyes, for they know that if the fields are not 
 cultivated the people cannot pay their share of the taxes. 
 Still it is as well to be on the safe side. When the fire has 
 burnt low we will lay a cloth over the top of the boat so that 
 the glow of the embers will not be seen." 
 
 They kept their course near the middle of the river, 
 partly because the current there was stronger, partly be- 
 cause any war-canoes that might be coming up would keep 
 
THEY FORCED THE CANOE BEHIND BUSHES SO AS TO BE 
 ENTIRELY CONCEALED." 
 
WITH BRIGANDS. 99 
 
 close to one. bank or the other. They kept on their way 
 until there was a faint gleam of light in .the sky, and then 
 paddled in to the shore, chose a spot where some bushes 
 drooped down into the water, and, forcing the canoe in 
 behind these so as to be entirely concealed from the sight of 
 any passing boat, cooked some food, and, having eaten their 
 breakfast, lay down and slept until evening. 
 
 Night after night the journey was continued; their supply 
 of food was ample to last them, and there was therefore no 
 occasion to stop at any village to purchase more. The river 
 at the point where they started was about two miles wide, 
 but at some points it was double that width, while at others 
 it contracted to little over a mile. Its level was much lower 
 now than it had been when Stanley ascended it two months 
 before. Sometimes at night they towed one of their nets 
 behind them and obtained an ample supply of fish for their 
 wants. Each night they made, as Stanley calculated, about 
 forty miles, and after ten days' travel they came to the point 
 where the great river divided, one small arm running down 
 to Rangoon, another descending to Bassein and then falling 
 into the sea at Cape Negrais, while a large proportion of the 
 water found its way down by innumerable branches between 
 the Rangoon and Bassein rivers. 
 
 For the last two or three days they had been obliged to 
 observe great caution, for below Prome there were numbers 
 of boats all going down the river laden with men and stores. 
 These, however, only travelled by day, and the canoe was 
 always at that time either floating in the shelter of bushes 
 or hauled up on the bank at spots where it could be con- 
 cealed from view by thick growths of rushes. 
 
 " We shall never be able to get down to Rangoon by 
 water," said Meinik; "the river will be crowded with row- 
 boatr near the town, and there will be no chance whatever 
 
100 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 of making our way through them. At the next village we 
 come to I will go in and learn the news. Your countrymen 
 may have been driven out by this time, and in that case 
 there will be nothing to do but to travel north on foot until 
 we reach Chittagong." 
 
 "I have no fear that we shall be driven out, Meinik." 
 This conversation had occurred on the night when they 
 had passed the point of division of the two arms of the 
 river. They had caught a larger supply of fish than usual; 
 and as soon as the boat was laid up, Meinik started along 
 the bank with a number of them for the nearest village. 
 He returned in two hours. 
 
 "It is well I landed," he said, "for the point where the 
 greater portion of our people are gathered is Henzawaddy, 
 only some fifteen miles further on. You were right; your 
 people have not been driven out. A large number of our 
 troops are down near Rangoon, but in the fighting that has 
 taken place Ave have gained no advantage. Your people 
 marched out at the end of May, carried a stockade, and 
 advanced to Joazoang and attacked some villages defended 
 by stockades and carried them, after having killed a hun- 
 dred of our men. Then a great stockade on a hill near the 
 river, three miles from Rangoon — which our people thought 
 could not be taken, so strongly was it protected — was at- 
 tacked. The guns of your people made a great gap in a 
 stockade a mile in front of it, two hundred men were killed, 
 and also the commander. Then your people marched on 
 to the great stockade at Kemmencline. Your troops, when 
 they got there, saw how strong it was and were afraid to 
 attack it. They lay down all night close to it, and we 
 thought we should destroy them all when they attacked in 
 the morning; but their ships that had come up with them 
 opened fire at daybreak. As the stockades were hidden 
 
AMONG FRIENDS. 101 
 
 from the sight of those on the river, we had thought that the 
 ships could do nothing, but they shot great balls up into the 
 air, and they came down inside the stockade, where they 
 burst with an explosion like the noise of a big gun, and 
 killed so many that the troops could not remain under so 
 terrible a fire, and went away, leaving it to your people to 
 enter the stockade without fighting:." 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 AMONG FRIENDS. 
 
 IT certainly seems to me," Stanley said, when he heard the 
 Burman's account of the state of things below, "that it 
 will not be possible for us to go any further by water." 
 
 " It would be very dangerous," Meinik said. "It is certain 
 that all the men in this part of the country have been 
 obliged to go with the army; and even were we both natives, 
 and had no special reason for avoiding being questioned, 
 we should be liable to be seized and executed at once for 
 having disregarded the orders to join the army. Assuredly 
 we cannot pass down farther in our boat, but must take to 
 the land. I should say that we had best get spears and 
 shields and join some newly-arrived party." 
 
 "But you forget that though my disguise as a native is 
 good enough to mislead anyone passing us on the road, or 
 in the dusk after sunset, I should certainly attract attention 
 if travelling with them by day." 
 
 " I forgot that. I have grown so accustomed to seeing 
 you that I forget that to other people your face would seem 
 strange, as it at first did to me in the forest. Indeed you 
 look to me now like one of ourselves; but were we to join 
 
102 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 a band, someone would be sure to ask questions concerning 
 you ere long. What, then, do you think we had best do?" 
 
 "From what I heard of the country from one of your 
 comrades, who is a native of this province, it would be im- 
 possible for us after crossing the river to make our way 
 down on the opposite side, since the whole country is 
 swampy and cut up by branches of the Irrawaddy. On this 
 side there are few obstacles of that kind; but on the other 
 hand we shall find the country full of troops going down 
 towards Rangoon. Your comrade told me that the hills 
 that we saw to the east from the forest at Ava extended 
 right down into Tenasserim, and were very high, and could 
 not be traversed, for that no food could be obtained, and 
 that tigers and wild animals and other beasts abounded; 
 but he said that the smaller hills that we crossed on the 
 way to your village, which he called the Pegu Yoma hills, 
 some of whose swells come down to the bank, extend all 
 the way down to the sea, between the Irrawaddy and the 
 Sittang rivers, and that from them streams flowed to one 
 river or the other. Therefore, if we could gain that range 
 we should avoid the swamp country altogether. 
 
 " A few miles back we passed a river coming in from the 
 east, and if we follow that up as far as there is water we 
 shall be among the hills. He said that there were no moun- 
 tains at all there, but just rounded hills, with many villages 
 and much cultivated ground, so there ought to be no difficulty 
 in making our way along. We shall be able to gather food 
 in the fields, or can go into villages and purchase some, 
 for the men will all be away; besides, we can get spears 
 and shields, and can say that having been away from home 
 on a journey, when the men were all ordered to war, we 
 returned too late to go with the rest of the villagers, and 
 are making our way down to join them. Many others 
 
AMONG FRIENDS. 103 
 
 must be doing the same, and the story will be likely enough. 
 In that way we can get down till we are close to the troops 
 round Rangoon, and must then take our chance of getting 
 through them." 
 
 "That seems better than the other way," Meinik said. 
 "There is such a river as you speak of above Sarawa; we 
 can paddle back to-night and hide near the town, then I can 
 go there in the morning and buy a couple of spears and 
 shields, and get some more rice and other things. We have 
 plenty of ammunition for our guns, which we may want 
 if we meet any wild beasts." 
 
 " You don't think that there will be any danger in your 
 going in there, Meinik 1 ? Of course, there is no absolute 
 occasion for us to have spears and shields, as we have guns." 
 
 "We ought to have shields," Meinik replied, "and it 
 were better to have spears too, and also for us to carry 
 axes — everyone carries an axe in war-time, for we always 
 erect stockades, and though a very poor man may only have 
 his knife, every one who can afford it takes an axe. Most 
 people have such a thing, for it is wanted for cutting fire- 
 wood, for clearing the ground, for building houses, and for 
 many other things, and a Burman must be poor indeed who 
 does not own one." 
 
 "By all means then get them for us, Meinik; besides, we 
 may find them useful for ourselves." 
 
 They now lay down and slept until evening, and then 
 started up the river again, keeping close in under shadow 
 of the bank, and two hours before daylight concealed 
 the canoe as usual, at a spot two miles above Sarawa. 
 Meinik started at daybreak and returned three hours later 
 with tAvo axes, spears, and shields. That night they turned 
 into the river running to the east, and for four nights 
 paddled up it. The country was now assuming a different 
 
104 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 character, and the stream was running in a valley with rising 
 ground, from a hundred to a hundred and fifty feet high, on 
 each side, and was narrowing very fast. Towards morning 
 on the fifth day the river had become a small stream of but 
 two or three feet deep, and they decided to leave the boat, 
 as it was evident that they would be able to go but a short 
 distance further. 
 
 "We may as well hide her carefully," Stanley said; "it 
 is certainly not likely that we shall want her again, but 
 there is never any saying, and at any rate there is no great 
 trouble in doing it." 
 
 They cooked a meal and then started at once, so as to do 
 a few hours' walking before the sun became high. They 
 determined to keep on eastward until they reached the 
 highest point of the dividing ridge between the two main 
 rivers and then to follow it southward. The country was 
 now well cultivated, and they had some trouble in avoiding 
 the small villages dotted thickly about, as the course they 
 were following was not the one they would take if making 
 straight to join the army. They slept for three or four 
 hours in the heat of the day, and then, pushing on, found 
 themselves before sunset on what seemed to them the 
 highest point of the divide. To the right they could see 
 the flat country stretching towards the Irrawaddy, to the 
 left the ground was more sharply undulating. Two miles 
 away was a stream of fair size, which they judged to be 
 the river that runs down to Pegu and afterwards joins 
 the Rangoon river below the town. Stanley thought that 
 the hill on which they stood was some five hundred feet 
 above the low country they had left. A great part of the 
 hills were covered with trees, although at the point where 
 they had made their way up, the hillside was bare. 
 
 They went on until they entered the forest, and there set 
 
AMONG FRIENDS. 105 
 
 to work to chop firewood. Meinik carried a tinder-box, and 
 soon had a fire blazing, and by its side they piled a great 
 stock of wood. 
 
 " I do not know that there are any leopards so far south 
 as this," he said, "but at any rate it will be safer to keep a 
 big fire blazing. I never used to think much about leopards, 
 but ever since I had that great beast's foot upon my back 
 I have had a horror of them." 
 
 The next morning they continued their journey south, 
 going along boldly and passing through several villages. 
 
 " You are late for the war," an old man said as they went 
 through one of them. 
 
 "I know we are," Meinik replied, "but we were away 
 with a caravan of traders when the order came, and so, 
 instead of going down the river, we have had to journey on 
 foot; but we shall be there in time. From what we have 
 heard there has not been much fighting yet." 
 
 "No; the white barbarians are all shut up in Rangoon. 
 We have not attacked them in earnest, but we shall soon 
 do so, and, moreover, they will soon be all starved, for the 
 country has been swept clear of all cattle for twenty miles 
 round, the villages deserted, and everything laid waste; and 
 we hear that half their number are laid up with sickness, 
 and that a great number have died. I wish that I were 
 younger that I too could help to destroy the insolent foes 
 who have dared to set foot on our sacred soil." 
 
 There was no need for haste now, and they travelled by 
 easy stages until, by the smoke rising from different parts of 
 the forest, they knew that they were approaching the spot 
 where the Burmese forces lay around Rangoon, and indeed 
 could see the great pagoda rising above the surrounding 
 country. They had heard at the last villages through 
 which they had passed that there had been an attack made 
 
106 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 upon the pagoda on the 1st of July. On that day the 
 Burmese in great force had moved down in a line parallel 
 to the road between the pagoda and the town, along which 
 a considerable number of our troops were encamped. They 
 had advanced until within half a mile of Rangoon, then 
 had changed front and attacked the British position near 
 the town. They occupied a hill near our line, and opened 
 fire from there with jingals and small cannon, but two British 
 guns firing grape soon silenced their guns, and a Madras 
 regiment charged the hill and recaptured it. 
 
 This entirely upset the plan of the Wongee in command 
 of the Burmese. The signal for the whole of the army to 
 attack was to have been given as soon as their left had 
 broken through the British line, and had thus cut off all the 
 troops on the road leading to the pagoda from the town. 
 Seeing that this movement had failed, the general did 
 not give the signal for the general attack, but ordered 
 the troops to fall back. He had been recalled in disgrace 
 to Ava, and a senior officer, who arrived just after the 
 battle, assumed the command. He at once set to work 
 to make a very strong stockade at Knmmeroot, five miles 
 from the great pagoda, and also fortified a point on the 
 river above Kemmendine — the stockade that had been 
 captured by the British — and intended from this point to 
 send down fire-rafts to destroy the British shipping, and 
 at the same time made continuous attacks at night on the 
 British lines. 
 
 The rains at this time were falling incessantly, and the 
 Burmese did not think that the British would be able to 
 move out against them. The position on the river was 
 connected with that at Kummeroot by strong stockades, 
 and the Burmese general was convinced that if an attack 
 was made it could be easily defeated. However, eight days 
 
AMONG FRIENDS. 107 
 
 after the repulse of the Burmese first attack, the vessels 
 came up the river, while a land column moved against Kum- 
 meroot. The position was a strong one; the river was 
 here divided into two branches, and on the point of land 
 between these the principal stockade was erected and was 
 well provided with artillery^ while on the opposite banks of 
 both rivers other stockades with guns were erected, so that 
 any attack by water would be met by the direct fire from 
 the great stockade and a cross fire from those on the banks. 
 Four ships came up, and the Burmese guns opened upon 
 them, but the heavy fire from the men-of-war was not long 
 in silencing them, and then a number of boats full of troops 
 had landed and stormed the stockade, and driven out the 
 Burmese. The land column had been unable to take guns 
 with them, owing to the impossibility of dragging them 
 along the rain-sodden paths; and the Burmese chiefs, con- 
 fident in the strength of their principal post, Avhich was 
 defended by three lines of strong stockades, one above 
 another, and in their immensely superior force, treated with 
 absolute contempt the advance of the little British column, 
 of which they were informed as soon as it started, by their 
 scouts thickly scattered through the woods. 
 
 The general, Soomba Wongee, was just sitting down to 
 dinner when he was told that the column had nearly reached 
 the first stockade. He directed his chiefs to proceed to 
 their posts and " drive the audacious strangers away ", and 
 continued his meal until the heavy and rapid musketry of 
 the assailants convinced him that the matter was more 
 serious than he had expected. As a rule the Burmese 
 generals do not take any active part in their battles, but 
 Soomba Wongee left his tent and at once went towards the 
 point attacked. He found his troops already retreating, 
 and that the two outer stockades had been carried by the 
 
108 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 enemy. lie rallied his men, and himself led the way to 
 the attack, but the steady and continuous fire of the British 
 rendered it impossible for him to restore order, and the 
 Burmese remained crowded together in hopeless confusion. 
 However, he managed to gather together a body of officers 
 and troops, and with them charged desperately upon the 
 British soldiers. He, with several other leaders of rank, 
 was killed, and the Burmese were scattered through the 
 jungle, leaving eight hundred dead behind them. 
 
 The fact that ten stockades provided with thirty pieces 
 of artillery should have been captured in one day by the 
 British had created a deep impression among the villagers 
 of the neighbourhood, from whom the truth could not be 
 concealed, and, indeed, all the villages for many miles round 
 the scene of action were crowded with wounded. They told 
 Meinik that the army was for a time profoundly depressed, 
 many had deserted, and the fact that stockades they had 
 thought impregnable were of no avail whatever against the 
 enemy, whose regular and combined action was irresistible 
 as against their own isolated and individual method of fight- 
 ing, had shaken their hitherto profound belief in their own 
 superiority to any people with whom they might come in 
 contact. 
 
 Since that time no serious fighting had taken place. 
 Occasional night attacks had been made, and all efforts on 
 the part of the invaders to obtain food by foraging parties 
 had proved unsuccessful. The boats of the fleet had gone 
 up the Puzendown river that joined the Rangoon river some 
 distance below the town, and had captured a large number 
 of boats that had been lying there waiting until Rangoon 
 was taken before going up the river with their cargoes of 
 rice and salt fish, but they had gained no other advantage, 
 for although the villages were crowded with fugitives from 
 
AMONG FRIENDS. 109 
 
 the town, these were driven into the jungle by the troops 
 stationed there for the purpose, as soon as the boats were 
 seen coming up the river. In some cases, however, the boats 
 had arrived so suddenly that there had not been time to do 
 this, and the fugitives had been taken to Rangoon, where 
 it was said they had been very well treated. 
 
 Great reinforcements had now come down from the upper 
 provinces. Two of the king's brothers had arrived to take 
 command of the army; one had established himself at Dona- 
 bew, the other at Pegu. They had brought with them 
 numbers of astrologers to fix upon a propitious time for 
 an attack; and the king's Invulnerables, several thousands 
 strong, a special corps, whom neither shot nor steel could 
 injure, were with them. 
 
 About the 6th of August a strong position, that had been 
 taken up by a force sent by the prince at Pegu, in the old 
 Portuguese fort of Syriam, had been attacked, with orders 
 that the channel of the Rangoon river should be blocked, 
 so that none of the strangers should escape the fate that 
 awaited them. The position was a very strong one; the 
 trees and brushwood round the fort had been cleared away, 
 wherever there were gaps in the old wall stockades had 
 been erected, and great beams suspended from the parapet, 
 in order that if an attack was made the ropes could be cut 
 and the beams fall upon the heads of the assailants. 
 
 The British had, however, thrown a bridge across a deep 
 creek, pushed on against the place, and carried it in a few 
 minutes, the garrison flying, as soon as the assailants gained 
 the ramparts, to a pagoda standing on a very steep hill, 
 defended by guns, and assailable only by a very steep flight 
 of steps. The troops, however, pressed up these fearlessly, 
 and the garrison, discouraged and shaken by the reports 
 of the fugitives from the lower fort, had fled as soon 
 
110 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 as the British arrived at the top of the steps. Notwith- 
 standing this and other as successful attacks upon their 
 stockades, the Burmese troops now felt confident that with 
 their numerous forces they would be victorious whenever 
 the astrologers decided that the favourable moment had 
 arrived. 
 
 Meinik had ascertained from the villagers the name of 
 the leader, and the locality to which the corps belonged that 
 . was posted nearest to Bangoon. As soon as it was dark, he 
 and Stanley entered the forest. The smoke had served as a 
 guide to them as to the position of the different corps, and 
 they were able to make their way between these without 
 being questioned. Presently, however, they came upon a 
 strong picket. 
 
 "Where are you going 1 ?" the officer in command asked. 
 
 "To join the corps of the Woondock Snodee," Meinik 
 replied. " We were away at Bhanno when the order came, 
 and the rest had gone down the river before we got to Mew, 
 so Ave came on by ourselves, not wishing to fail in our duty." 
 
 "You are just in time," the officer said. "The Woon- 
 dock is a quarter of a mile away on the left." 
 
 They moved off in that direction, but soon left the track, 
 and, avoiding the camp, kept away until they reached the 
 edge of the forest. Then they crept forward through the 
 jungle and brushwood, pausing to listen from time to time, 
 and three times changing their course to avoid parties of 
 the Burmese acting as outposts. On issuing from the 
 jungle they crawled forward for three or four hundred 
 yards, so as to be beyond musket-shot of the outposts, and 
 then remained quiet until morning broke. Then they 
 could perceive red coats moving about in a small village 
 before which a breastwork had been thrown up, some four 
 hundred yards away from them, and, getting up to their 
 
AMONG FRIENDS. Ill 
 
 feet, ran towards it. Several shots were fired at them from 
 the jungle behind, and some soldiers at once appeared at 
 the breastwork. Supposing that the two figures approach- 
 ing were Burmese deserters they did not fire, and Stanley 
 and his companion were soon among them. They were 
 soldiers of one of the Bengal regiments, and Stanley, to 
 their surprise, addressed them in their own language. 
 
 "I am an Englishman," he said. "I am one of the 
 prisoners whom they took at Bamoo, and have escaped from 
 their hands. Are there any of your officers in the vil- 
 lager' 
 
 " I will take you to them," a native sub-officer said, and 
 Stanley in a minute or two entered a cottage in which four 
 English officers were just taking their early breakfast pre- 
 paratory to turning out on duty. 
 
 "Who have you got here, jemadar?" one of them asked 
 in Bengalee. 
 
 Stanley answered for himself. " I am an Englishman, 
 sir, and have just escaped from Ava." 
 
 The officer uttered an exclamation of surprise. " Well, 
 sir," the senior of them said as he held out his hand to 
 Stanley, " I congratulate you on having got away, whoever 
 you are, but I am bound to say that if it were not for your 
 speech I should not have believed you, for I have never 
 seen anyone look less like an Englishman than you do." 
 
 " My name is Stanley Brooke, sir. I am the son of the 
 late Captain Brooke of the 15th Native Begiment." 
 
 " Then I should know you," one of the other officers said, 
 "for I knew your father, and I remember seeing your name 
 in the list of officers killed at Bamoo, and wondered if it 
 could be the lad I knew five or six years, ago." 
 
 "I recollect you, Captain Cooke," Stanley said; "your 
 regiment was at Agra when we were there." 
 
112 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 " Right you are; and 1 am heartily glad that the news of 
 your death was false," and he shook hands cordially with 
 Stanley. 
 
 "And who is your companion?" the major asked. "Is he 
 an Englishman also?" 
 
 "No, sir; he is a native. He is a most faithful fellow. 
 He has acted as my guide all the way down from the point 
 we started from, twenty miles from Ava. I could never 
 have accomplished it without his aid, for, although I speak 
 Burmese well enough to pass anywhere, my face is so dif- 
 ferent in shape from theirs that if I were looked at closely 
 in the daylight I should be suspected at once. I could never 
 have got here without his aid." 
 
 "How was it that he came to help you, sir?" Major 
 Pemberton asked. " As far as we can see the Burmese hate 
 us like poison. Even when they are wounded to death they 
 will take a last shot at any soldiers marching past them." 
 
 " I happened to save his life from a leopard," Stanley 
 said, " and truly he has shown his gratitude." 
 
 "Jemadar," the major said, "take that man away with 
 you, see that he is well treated; give him some food, of 
 course. He will presently go with this officer to the 
 general." 
 
 Stanley said a few words in Burmese to Meinik, telling 
 him that he was to have food and would afterwards go 
 with him to the general, and he then, at the invitation of 
 the officers, sat down with them to breakfast. While eating 
 it, Stanley told them something of his adventures. After 
 the meal was over the major said: 
 
 "You had better go with Mr. Brooke to the general, 
 Captain Cooke. I cannot well leave the regiment. We can 
 let you have an outfit, Mr. Brooke, though we are most of 
 us reduced pretty well to our last garments. What with 
 
AMONG FRIENDS. 113 
 
 the jungle and what with the damp, we have nearly all 
 arrived at the last state of dilapidation ; but I am sure the 
 general would like to see you, in yowr present disguise." 
 
 " It makes no difference to me, sir," Stanley said with a 
 laugh. " I am so accustomed to this black petticoat now 
 that I should almost feel strange in anything else. I am 
 afraid this dye will be a long time before it wears itself out. 
 It is nearly three weeks since I was dyed last, and it has 
 faded very little yet." 
 
 " You need not take your arms anyhow," Captain Cooke 
 said. "You Avill attract less attention going without them, 
 for it will only be supposed that you are one of the natives 
 who have been brought in by the boats." 
 
 Meinik was sitting on the ground contentedly outside the 
 cottage, the jemadar standing beside him. 
 
 "Have you had any food, Meinik 1 ?" Stanley asked. 
 
 The man nodded. " Good food," he said. 
 
 "That is all right. Now come along with us; you can 
 leave your weapons here — they won't be wanted." 
 
 Meinik rose and followed Stanley and Captain Cooke. 
 There were houses scattered all along the roadside. These 
 were now all occupied by officers and troops; and there 
 were so many of them that it had not been necessary to 
 place any of the men under canvas — an important consid- 
 eration during the almost continuous rain of the last three 
 months. 
 
 " Why, Cooke, I did not know that you talked Burmese," 
 an officer standing at one of the doors remarked, as the 
 officer came along chatting with Stanley. 
 
 "You don't know all my accomplishments, Phillipson," 
 the captain laughed, for the idea that there existed such a 
 thing as a Burmese peasant who could talk English had not 
 occurred to the other. " I am taking him to the chief to 
 
 ( M 2C6 ) H 
 
114 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 show off my powers," and passed on, leaving the officer 
 looking after him with a puzzled expression on his face. 
 
 On their arrival at Sir Archibald Campbell's head-quarters, 
 Captain Cooke sent in his name, and as the general was not 
 at the moment engaged he was at once shown in, followed 
 by Stanley, Meinik remaining without. 
 
 "Good morning, sir. I see you have brought in a 
 deserter," the general said. 
 
 " He is not a deserter, sir; he is an escaped prisoner who 
 has made his way down from Ava through the enemy's lines. 
 This is Mr. Brooke. He was serving as an officer with the 
 native levy at Eamoo, and was reported as killed. How- 
 ever, he was fortunately only stunned, and being the only 
 officer found alive Avas sent by Bandoola as a prisoner to 
 Ava. I may say that he is a son of the late Captain Brooke, 
 of the 15th Native Infantry." 
 
 "You are certainly wonderfully disguised," the general 
 said; "and I congratulate you heartily on your escape. I 
 should have passed you by as a native Avithout a second 
 glance, though now that I am told that you are an English- 
 man I can see that you have not the A\ T ide cheek-bones and 
 flat face of a Burman. How did you manage to make your 
 way down?" 
 
 " I travelled almost entirely by night, sir, and I had with 
 me a faithful guide. He is outside. I don't think that I 
 should ever have got doAvn without him, though I speak 
 Burmese Avell enough to pass — especially as the language 
 differs so much in the different districts." 
 
 " Is he a Burman ?" 
 
 "Yes, general." 
 
 " Have you arranged Avith him for any particular sum 
 for his services? If so, it will of course be paid." 
 
 "No, sir; he came doAvn simply in gratitude for a service 
 
AMONG FRIENDS. 115 
 
 I rendered him. I do not know whether he intends to go 
 back; but I hope that he will remain here with me." 
 
 " I have brought Mr. Brooke here, six," Captain Cooke 
 said, " at the request of the major, thinking that you 
 might like to ask him some questions as to the state of 
 things in the interior." 
 
 "I should like to have a long talk with Mr. Brooke," the 
 general said; "but unless he has any certain news of the 
 date they intend to attack us I will not detain him now. 
 The first thing will be for him to get into civilized clothes 
 again. By the way, poor young Hitchcock's effects are to be 
 sold this morning. I should think that they would fit Mr. 
 Brooke very well. Let me see. Of course your pay has 
 been running on since you were taken prisoner, Mr. 
 Brooke." 
 
 "I am afraid, sir, that there is no pay due," Stanley said. 
 "I happened to be at Bamoo at the time, looking after some 
 goods of my uncle, who carries on a considerable trade on 
 the coast; and as I talk the language, and there were very 
 few who did so, I volunteered to act as an officer with 
 the native levy; I preferred to act as a volunteer in order 
 that I might be free to leave at any time if I received an 
 order from my uncle to join him at Chittagong. I could 
 give an order on him, but I do not know where he is to be 
 found. I have with me some uncut rubies, though I have 
 no idea what they are worth, for I have not even looked at 
 them yet, but they should certainly be good security for 
 £50." 
 
 "We can settle that presently, Mr. Brooke. I will write 
 an order on the paymaster for 500 rupees, and we can talk 
 the matter over afterwards. I am afraid that you will have 
 to pay rather high for the clothes, for almost everyone here 
 has worn out his kit, and Mr. Hitchcock only joined us a 
 
116 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 fortnight before his death, so that his are in very good con- 
 dition. Of course they are all uniform — he was on my staff 
 - — but that will not matter. You could hardly be going 
 about in civilian clothes here. I shall be very glad if you 
 will dine with me at six o'clock this evening. Have a talk 
 with your man before that, and see what he wants to do. 
 If he is a sharp fellow he might be very useful to us." 
 
 The general wrote the order on the paymaster, and 
 Captain Cooke took Stanley across to the office and obtained 
 the cash for it. Making inquiry, he found that the sale was 
 to come off in a quarter of an hour. 
 
 " I will do the bidding for you if you like, Brooke," 
 Captain Cooke said. "I dare say you would rather not be 
 introduced generally in your present rig." 
 
 "Much rather not, and I shall be much obliged by your 
 doing it." 
 
 "All right. I will make your money go as far as I can. 
 Of course the poor fellow brought no full-dress uniform 
 with him or anything of that sort." 
 
 " You will find me here with my Burman," Stanley said. 
 " We will stroll round the place for half an hour, and then 
 come back here again." 
 
 There was very little to see in the town. Meinik was 
 astonished when they mounted the river bank and had a 
 view of the ships lying at anchor. For a time he was too 
 surprised to speak, never having seen anything larger than 
 the clumsy cargo-boats which made a voyage once a year 
 up the river. 
 
 "It is wonderful!" he said at last. "Who would have 
 thought of such great ships'? If the emperor could but see 
 them, I think that he would make peace. It is easy to see 
 that you know many things more than we do. Could one 
 go on board of them?" 
 
AMONG FRIENDS. 117 
 
 " Not as I am at present, Meinik; but when I get English 
 clothes on again and rid myself from some of this stain, I 
 have no doubt I shall be able to take you on board one of 
 the ships-of-war. And now, will you let me know what you 
 are thinking of doing. I told the general what service you 
 had rendered me, and he asked me what you were going 
 to do. I told him that as yet I did not know whether you 
 were going to stay here or go back again." 
 
 "Are you going to stay here 1 ?" 
 
 " I think so — at any rate for a time. I do not know 
 where the uncle I have told you about is at present. At 
 any rate, while this war is going on he can do very little 
 trade, and can manage very well without me." 
 
 "As long as you stay here I shall stay," the Burman said. 
 "If I went back I should have to fight against your people, 
 and I don't want to do that. I have no quarrel with them, 
 and from what I see I am not so sure as I was that we 
 shall drive you into the sea. You have beaten us whenever 
 you have fought, and I would rather stay with you than be 
 obliged to fight against you. Not many men want to fight. 
 We heard that in the villages, and that those who have not 
 got wives and children held as hostages for them, get away 
 from the army and hide in the woods. You will be a great 
 man now, and if you will let me stop, I will be your ser- 
 vant." 
 
 " I will gladly keep you with me, Meinik, if you are will- 
 ing to stay, and I am sure that you will be better off here 
 than out in the woods, and a good deal safer. At any rate 
 stay until after your people make their next attack. You 
 will see then how useless it is for them to fight against us. 
 When Ave can attack them in their stockades, although they 
 are ten to one against us, and drive them out after a quarter 
 of an hour's fighting, you may be sure that in the open 
 
118 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 ground without defences they will have no chance whatever. 
 I hope they will soon get tired of fighting, and that the 
 court will make peace. We did not want to fight with 
 them — it was they who attacked us, but now that we have 
 had all the expense of coming here we shall go on fighting 
 till the emperor agrees to make peace; but I don't think 
 that we shall ever go out of Rangoon again, and believe 
 that we shall also hold the ports in Tenasserim that we 
 have captured." 
 
 "The emperor will never agree to that," Meinik said, 
 shaking his head positively. 
 
 " Then if he does not he will see that we shall go up the 
 river to Ava; and in the end if he goes on fighting Ave shall 
 capture the whole country, and rule over it just as we 
 have done the greater part of India." 
 
 " I think that would be good for us," the man said philo- 
 sophically. " It would not matter much to us to whom we 
 paid our taxes — and you would not tax us more heavily 
 than we are now — for as we came down you saw many 
 villages deserted and the land uncultivated because the 
 people could not pay the heavy exactions. It is not the 
 king — he does not get much of it, but he gives a province 
 or a district or a dozen villages to someone at court, and 
 says, you must pay me so much, and all that you can get 
 out it besides is for yourself; so they heap on the taxes, 
 and the people are always in great poverty, and when they 
 find that they cannot pay what is demanded and live, then 
 they all go away to some other place where the lord is not 
 so harsh." 
 
 " I am sure that it would be a good thing for them, 
 Meinik. The people of India are a great deal better off 
 under us than they were under their native rulers. There 
 is a fixed tax, and no one is allowed to charge more or to 
 
ON THE STAFF. 119 
 
 oppress the people in any way. But now we must be going. 
 I said that I would be back at the place we started from in 
 half an hour." 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 ON THE STAFF. 
 
 CAPTAIN COOKE had done his best previous to the be- 
 ginning of the auction to disarm opposition by going 
 about among the officers who dropped in with the intention 
 of bidding, telling them something of Stanley's capture, 
 adventures, and escape, and saying that the general had 
 himself advised him to obtain an outfit by buying a con- 
 siderable portion of the young officer's kit. 
 
 " I have no doubt that he will put him on his staff," he 
 said. "From his knowledge of the country and the fact 
 that he speaks the language well he would be very useful; 
 and as he has gone through all this from serving as a 
 volunteer without pay, I hope you fellows won't run up 
 the prices except for things that you really want." 
 
 His story had the desired effect; and when Captain Cooke 
 met Stanley, he was able to tell him that he had bought 
 for him the greater portion of the kit, including everything 
 that was absolutely necessary. 
 
 "Are there any plain clothes?" Stanley asked, after 
 thanking him warmly for the trouble he had taken. 
 
 " No. Of course he left everything of that sort at Cal- 
 cutta. No one in his senses would think of brino-ins mufti 
 out with him, especially to such a country as this." 
 
 "Then I shall have to go in uniform to the general's," 
 Stanley said, in a tone of consternation. " It seems to me 
 
120 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 that it would be an awfully impudent thing to go in staff 
 uniform to dine with the general Avhen I have no right 
 whatever to wear it." 
 
 "Well, as the general advised you himself to buy the 
 things, he cannot blame you for wearing them, and I have 
 not the least doubt that he is going to offer you a staff 
 appointment of some sort." 
 
 " I should like it very much as long as the war lasted, 
 Captain Cooke, but I don't think that I should care about 
 staying in the army permanently. You see my uncle is 
 working up a very good business; he has been at it now 
 seven or eight years, and he was saying the last time that 
 I was with him, that as soon as these troubles were over, 
 and trade began again, he should give me a fourth share of 
 it, and make it a third share when I got to twenty-one." 
 
 " Then you would be a great fool to give it up," Captain 
 Cooke said heartily. " A man who has got a good business 
 out here would have an income as much as all the officers 
 of a regiment together. He is his own master, and can 
 retire when he likes, and enjoy his money in England. Still, 
 as trade is at a stand-still at present, I think that it would 
 be wise of you to accept any offer that the general might 
 make to you. It might even be to your advantage after- 
 wards. To have served on Campbell's staff will be an 
 introduction to every officers' mess in the country, and you 
 may be sure that not only shall Ave hold Rangoon in future, 
 but there will be a good many more British stations be- 
 tween Assam and here than there now are, and it would be 
 a pull for you even in the way of trade to stand on a good 
 footing everywhere." 
 
 "I quite see that," Stanley agreed, "and if the general is 
 good enough to offer me an appointment I shall certainly 
 take it." 
 
ON THE STAFF. 121 
 
 "You have almost a right to one, Brooke. In the Penin- 
 sula lots of men got their commissions by serving for a time 
 as volunteers; and having been wounded at Ramoo, and 
 being one of the few survivors of that fight, and having 
 gone through a captivity at no small risk of being put to 
 death the first time that the king was out of temper, your 
 claim is a very strong one indeed; besides, there is hardly 
 a man here who speaks Burmese, and your services will be 
 very valuable. Here are fifty rupees," he went on, handing 
 the money to Stanley. " It is not much change out of five 
 hundred, but I can assure you that you have got the things 
 at a bargain, for you would have had to pay more than that 
 for them in England, and I fancy most of the things are 
 in very good condition, for Hitchcock only came out about 
 four months ago. Of course the clothes are nothing like 
 new, but at anyrate they are in a very much better state 
 than those of anyone who came here three months ago. I 
 have ordered them all to be sent to my quarters, where, of 
 course, you will take up your abode till something is settled 
 about you, which will probably be this evening. In that 
 case you will have quarters allotted to you to-morrow." 
 
 " Thank you very much. I shall devote the best portion 
 of this afternoon to trying to get rid of as much of this stain 
 as I can, at least off my face and hands; the rest does not 
 matter one way or the other, and will wear off gradually, 
 but I should like to get my face decent." 
 
 "Well, you are rather an object, Stanley," he said. "It 
 would not matter so much about the colour, but all those 
 tattoo marks are, to say the least of it, singular. Of course 
 they don't look so rum now in that native undress, but 
 when you get your uniform on the effect will be startling. 
 We will have a chat with the doctor; he may have some- 
 thing in his medicine chest that will at least soften them 
 
122 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 down a bit. Of course if they were real tattoo marks there 
 would be nothing for it, but as they are only dye or paint 
 of some sort, they must wear themselves out before very 
 long." 
 
 "I will try anything that he will give me. I don't care 
 if it takes the skin off." 
 
 On returning to the quarters of Captain Cooke, Stanley 
 was introduced to the other officers of the regiment, among 
 them the doctor, to whom he at once applied for some 
 means of taking off the dye. 
 
 " Have you asked the man you brought down with you?" 
 the surgeon said. " You say that he put it on, and he may 
 know of something that will take it off again." 
 
 "No; I have asked him, and he knows of nothing. He 
 used some of the dye-stuffs of the country, but he said he 
 never heard of anyone wanting to take the dye out of 
 things that had been coloured." 
 
 "If it were only cotton or cloth," the doctor said, " I 
 have no doubt a very strong solution of soda would take 
 out the greater portion of the dye, but the human skin 
 won't stand boiling water. However, I should say that if 
 you have water as hot as you can bear it, Avith plenty of 
 soda and soap, it will do something for you. No doubt if 
 you were to take a handful or two of very fine sand, it 
 would help a great deal, but if you use that I should not 
 put any soda with the water, or you will practically take 
 all the skin off, and leave your face like a raw beef-steak, 
 which will be worse than the stain, and indeed in so 
 hot a sun as we have, might be dangerous, and bring on 
 erysipelas. So you must be very careful; and it will be far 
 better for you to put up with being somewhat singular in 
 your appearance for a bit, than to lay yourself up by 
 taking any strong measures to get rid of it." 
 
ON THE STAFF. 123 
 
 After an hour spent in vigorous washing, and aided by- 
 several rubs with very fine sand, Stanley succeeded, to his 
 great satisfaction, in almost getting rid of the tattoo marks 
 on his face. 
 
 The general dye had faded a little, though not much, but 
 that with which the marks had been made was evidently of 
 a less stable character, and yielded to soap and friction. 
 Before he had concluded the work two trunks arrived, and 
 finding that his face was now beginning to smart a good 
 deal, he abstained for the time from further efforts, and 
 turned to inspect his purchases with a good deal of interest. 
 The uniforms consisted of two undress suits, one with 
 trousers, the other with breeches and high boots for riding. 
 There was also a suit of mess jacket, waistcoat, and trousers, 
 three suits of white drill, half a dozen white shirts for 
 mess, and as many of thin flannel, and a good stock of 
 general underclothes, a pair of thick boots, and a light 
 pair for mess. There was also the sword, belt, and other 
 equipments — in fact, all the necessaries he would require 
 for a campaign. Before beginning to dress, he began to 
 free his hair from the wax with which it had been plastered 
 up. He had obtained from the doctor some spirits of 
 turpentine, and with the aid of this he found the task a less 
 difficult one than he had expected, and the regimental 
 barber being sent for by Captain Cooke, his hair was soon 
 shortened to the ordinary length. 
 
 "You will do very well now," the major said as he went 
 down into the general room. "You have certainly suc- 
 ceeded a great deal better than I thought you would. Of 
 course you look very brown, but there are a good many 
 others nearly as dark as you are; for between the rain- 
 showers the sun has tremendous power, and some of the 
 men's faces are almost skinned, while others have browned 
 
124 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 wonderfully. I am sure that many of them are quite as 
 dark as yours. So you will pass muster very well." 
 
 Before beginning to wash and change, Stanley had given 
 Meinik the clothes he had carried down with him, and 
 when he went out to take a short look round before tiffin, for 
 which the servants were already laying the cloth, he found 
 the man, now looking like a respectable Burman, standing 
 near the door. He walked slowly past him, but the man did 
 not move, not recognizing him in the slightest degree in 
 his present attire. Then Stanley turned and faced him. 
 
 "So you don't know me, Meinik." The Burman gave a 
 start of surprise. 
 
 " Certainly I did not know you, my lord," he said. " Who 
 could have known you? Before you were a poor Burmese 
 peasant, now you are an English lord." 
 
 "Not a lord at all, Meinik. I am simply an English 
 officer, and dressed very much the same as I was when your 
 people knocked me on the head at Ramoo." 
 
 "I know your voice," Meinik said; "but even now that 
 I know it is you, I hardly recognize your face. Of course 
 the tattoo marks made a great difference, but that is not 
 all." 
 
 " I think it is the hair that has made most difference, 
 Meinik. You see it was all pulled off the brow and neck 
 before, and it will be some time before it will grow natu- 
 rally again. I had great trouble to get it to lie down, even 
 when it was wet, and it will certainly have a tendency to 
 stick up for a long time. The dress has made a good deal 
 of alteration in you too." 
 
 "They are very good clothes," Meinik said. "I have 
 never had such good ones on before. I have had money 
 enough to buy them, but people would have asked where 
 I got it from, and it never does to make a show of being 
 
ON THE STAFF. 125 
 
 better off than one's neighbour. A man is sure to be fleeced 
 if he does. What can I do for my lord 1" 
 
 " Nothing at present, Meinik. I am going to lunch with 
 the officers here, and to dine with the general, and sleep 
 here. To-morrow I daresay I shall move into quarters of 
 my own. You had better buy what you want for to-day 
 in the market. I don't know whether it is well supplied, 
 but as we saw some of your people about there must be food 
 to be obtained." 
 
 "They gave me plenty to eat when I came in," he said, 
 "but I will buy something for supper. No, I do not want 
 money, I have plenty of lead left." 
 
 "You had better take a couple of rupees anyhow. There 
 are sure to be some traders from India who have opened 
 shops here, and they won't care to take lead in payment. 
 You must get some fresh muslin for your turban, and you 
 had better close it up at the top this time; it will go better 
 with your clothes." 
 
 Meinik grinned. " I shall look quite like a person of 
 importance. I shall be taken for at least the head-man of a 
 large village." 
 
 He took the two rupees and walked off towards the town, 
 while Stanley went in to luncheon. There were a good 
 many remarks as to his altered appearance. 
 
 "Do you know, Brooke," one of the young lieutenants 
 said, " I did not feel at all sure that Cooke was not hum- 
 bugging us when he introduced you to us, and that you 
 were not really a Burman who had travelled and had some- 
 how learned to speak English extraordinarily well." 
 
 " Clothes and soap and water make a wonderful differ- 
 ence," Stanley laughed, "but I shall be a good many shades 
 lighter when the rest of the dye wears off. At any rate, I 
 can go about now without anyone staring at me." 
 
126 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 After tiffin, Stanley had to tell his story again at a very 
 much greater length than before. 
 
 "You certainly have gone through some queer adven- 
 tures," the major said when he had finished his relation; 
 " and there is no doubt that you have had wonderful luck. 
 In the first place, if that bullet had gone half an inch lower 
 you would not have been one of the four white survivors 
 of that ugly business at Kamoo; then you were lucky that 
 they did not chop off your head, either when they first took 
 you or when they got you to Ava. Then again it was 
 lucky that Bandoola sent a special message that he wanted 
 you kept as an interpreter for himself, and that the official 
 in charge of you turned out a decent fellow and aided you 
 to make your escape. As to your obtaining the services of 
 the man you brought down with you, I do not regard that 
 as a question of luck. You saved the man's life by an act 
 of the greatest bravery, one that not one man in ten would 
 perform or try to perform, for the life of a total stranger. 
 I hope that I should have made the effort had I been in 
 your place, but I say frankly that I am by no means sure 
 that I should have clone so. The betting was a good twenty 
 to one against its being done successfully. If the brute had 
 heard your footstep it would have been certain death, and 
 even when you reached him the chances were strongly 
 against your being able to strike a blow at the animal, 
 that would for a moment disable him and so give you 
 time to snatch up one of the guns, which might not, after 
 all, have been loaded. It was a wonderfully gallant action, 
 lad. You did not tell us very much about it yourself; but 
 while you were getting the dye off I got hold of one of 
 the traders here, who happened to be passing, and who 
 understood their language, and with his assistance I ques- 
 tioned your fellow and got all the particulars from him. 
 
ON THE STAFF. 127 
 
 I say again it was as plucky a thing as I have ever heard 
 of." 
 
 A few minutes later an orderly came in with a note from 
 the general, asking the major and Captain Cooke also to 
 dine with him that evening. Stanley was very pleased that 
 the two officers were going with him, as it took away the 
 feeling of shyness he felt at the thought of presenting 
 himself in staff uniform at the general's. Sir Archibald 
 Campbell put him at ease at once by the kindness with 
 which he received him. Stanley began to apologize for his 
 dress, but the general stopped him at once. 
 
 " I intended, of course, that you should wear it, Mr. 
 Brooke. I am sure that you would not find a dress suit in 
 the camp. However, we will make matters all right to- 
 morrow. Judging from what you said that, as you cannot 
 join your uncle at present, you would be willing to remain 
 here, your name will appear in orders to-morrow morning as 
 being granted a commission in the 8 9th pending the arrival 
 of confirmation from home, which of course in such a case is 
 a mere form. You will also appear in the orders as being 
 appointed my aide-de-camp in place of Mr. Hitchcock, with 
 extra pay as interpreter. No, do not thank me. Having 
 served as a volunteer, taken part in a severe action, and 
 having been wounded and imprisoned, you had almost a 
 right to a commission. After dinner I hope that you will 
 give us all a full account of your adventures; it was but a 
 very slight sketch that I heard from you this morning." 
 
 The general then introduced Stanley to the other mem- 
 bers of his staff. 
 
 " If you had seen him as I saw him this morning," he 
 said with a smile, "you certainly would not recognize him 
 now. He was naked to the waist, and had nothing on but 
 the usual peasant attire of a piece of black cloth reaching to 
 
128 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 his knees. I knew of course that the question of costume 
 would soon be got over, but I OAvn that I did not think that 
 I should be able to employ him for some little time. Not 
 only was his stain a great deal darker than it is now, but he 
 was thickly tattooed up to the eyes, and one could hardly 
 be sending messages by an aide-de-camp so singular in ap- 
 pearance ; but I see that somehow he has entirely got rid of 
 the tattoo marks, and his skin is now very little, if at all, 
 darker than that of many of us, so that I shall be able to 
 put him in harness at once." 
 
 After dinner was over and cigars lighted, Stanley told 
 his story as before, passing over lightly the manner in 
 which he had gained the friendship of the Burman. When 
 he had finished, however, Major Pemberton said: 
 
 "With your permission, general, I will supplement the 
 story a little. Mr. Brooke has told me somewhat more 
 than he has told you, but I gained the whole facts from his 
 guide's own lips." 
 
 "No, major, please," Stanley said colouring, even under 
 his dye. "The matter is not worth telling." 
 
 "You must permit us to be a judge of that, Mr. Brooke," 
 the general said, with a smile at the young fellow's inter- 
 ruption of his superior officer. 
 
 "I beg your pardon, Major Pemberton," Stanley stam- 
 mered in some confusion. " Only — " 
 
 " Only you would rather that 1 did not tell about your 
 struggle with the leopard. I think it ought to be told, and 
 I am pretty sure Sir Archibald Campbell will agree with 
 me," and Major Pemberton then gave a full account of the 
 adventure in the forest. 
 
 " Thank you, major. You were certainly quite right in 
 telling the story, for it is one that ought to be told, and if 
 Mr. Brooke will forgive my saying so, is one of those cases 
 
ON THE STAFF. 129 
 
 in which it is a mistake for a man to try to hide his light 
 under a bushel. You see it cannot but make a difference 
 in the estimation in -which we hold you. Most young fel- 
 lows would, as you did, have joined their countrymen when 
 threatened by a greatly superior enemy; and, again, most 
 would, if prisoners, have taken any opportunity that 
 offered to effect their escape. Therefore in the brief account 
 that you gave me this morning, it appeared to me that you 
 had behaved pluckily and shrewdly, and had well earned a 
 commission, especially as you have a knowledge of the 
 language. You simply told me that you had been able to 
 render some service to the Burman who travelled down 
 with you, but such service might have been merely that 
 you assisted him when he was in want, bound up a wound, 
 or any other small matter. Now we find that you per- 
 formed an act of singular courage, an act that even the 
 oldest shikaree would have reason to be proud of. Such an 
 act, performed, too, for a stranger, and that stranger an enemy, 
 would of itself give any man a title to the esteem and re- 
 gard of any among whom he might be thrown, and would 
 lead them to regard him in an entirely different light to 
 that in which they would otherwise have held him. I think 
 that you will all agree with me, gentlemen." 
 
 "Certainly." There was a chorus of assent from the 
 circle of officers. His narrative had, as the general said, 
 shown that the young fellow was possessed of coolness, 
 steadiness, and pluck; but this feat was altogether out of 
 the common, and, as performed by a mere lad, seemed 
 little short of marvellous. 
 
 "You will of course have Hitchcock's quarters," the 
 quartermaster -general said to Stanley as the party broke 
 up. "It is a small room, but it has the advantage of being 
 water-tight, which is more than one can say of most of 
 
 ( M 266 ) I 
 
130 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 our quarters. It is a room in the upper story of the next 
 house. I fancy the poor fellow's card is on the door still. 
 The commissariat offices are in the lower part of the house, 
 and they occupy all the other rooms upstairs, but we kept 
 this for one of the aides-de-camp, so that the general could 
 send a message at once night or day." 
 
 " Of course I shall want a horse, sir." 
 
 "Yes, you must have a horse. I will think over what 
 we can do for you in that way. There is no buying one 
 here, unless a field-officer is killed or dies. By the way, 
 Hitchcock's horses are not sold yet; they were not put up 
 yesterday. I have no doubt that some arrangement can 
 be made about them and the saddlery." 
 
 " That would be excellent, sir. As I told the general this 
 morning, I have some rubies and other stones. I have no 
 idea what they are worth. They were given me by those 
 men I was with in the forest. They said that they were 
 very difficult to dispose of, as the mines are monopolies of 
 government, so when my man Meinik proposed it, they 
 acceded at once to his request and handed a number of 
 them over to me. I have not even looked at them. There 
 may be some one here who could tell me what they are 
 worth. " 
 
 " Yes, I have no doubt some of those Parsee merchants 
 who have lately set up stores could tell you. I should only 
 take down two or three stones to them if I were you. If 
 they are really valuable you might be robbed of them; but 
 I am rather afraid that you will not find that they are so. 
 Brigand fellows will hardly have been likely to give you 
 anything very valuable." 
 
 "I don't think that they looked at them themselves; 
 they were the proceeds of one clay's attack on a number of 
 merchants. They found them concealed on them, and they 
 
ON THE STAFF. 131 
 
 were so well satisfied with the loot they got in merchandise 
 that they could dispose of, that I doubt whether they even 
 opened the little packages of what they considered the 
 most dangerous goods to keep, for if they were captured and 
 gems found upon them, it would be sufficient to condemn 
 them at once." 
 
 "Do you speak Hindustani 1 ? If not, I will send one of 
 the clerks with you." 
 
 "Yes, sir; and three or four other of the Indian lan- 
 guages." 
 
 "Ah! then you can manage for yourself. When you 
 have seen one of these Parsees, come round to my office. I 
 shall have seen the paymaster by that time, and have talked 
 over with him how Ave can arrange about the horses. I 
 should think that the best way would be to have a com- 
 mittee of three officers to value them and the saddlery, and 
 then you might authorize him to receive your extra pay as 
 interpreter, and to place it to Hitchcock's account. You will 
 find your own staff-pay more than ample here, as there are 
 no expenses whatever except your share of the mess." 
 
 " Thank you very much indeed, colonel." 
 
 In the morning Stanley took one of the little parcels 
 from the bag and opened it; it contained thirty stones, of 
 which twenty were rubies, six sapphires, and four emeralds. 
 They seemed to him of a good size, but as they were in the 
 rough state he had no idea what size they would be when 
 cut. There were three of the Parsee merchants. The first 
 he went to said at once that he did not deal in gems; the 
 next he called on examined the stones carefully. 
 
 "It is impossible to say for certain," he said, "how much 
 they are worth until they are cut, for there may be flaws in 
 them that cannot be detected. Now, if I were to buy them 
 like this I could not give more than a hundred rupees each. 
 
132 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 If they are all flawless they would be worth much more ; but 
 it would be a pure speculation, and I will not go beyond 
 that sum." 
 
 Stanley then visited the third store. The trader here 
 inspected them a little more carefully than the last had 
 done, examined them with a magnifying-glass, held them 
 up to the light, then he weighed each stone and jotted 
 down some figures. At last he said, "The stones are worth 
 five thousand rupees. If they are flawless they would be 
 worth double that. I will give you five thousand myself, 
 or, if you like, I will send them to a friend of mine at 
 Madras. He is one of the best judges of gems in India; he 
 shall say what he will give for them, and you shall pay me 
 five per cent commission. He is an honest trader; you can 
 ask any of the officers from Madras." 
 
 "I will accept that offer if you will make me an advance 
 of fifteen hundred rupees upon them, and will pay you at 
 the rate of ten per cent per annum interest till you receive 
 the money for them." 
 
 The Parsee again took the gems and examined them 
 carefully. 
 
 "Do you agree to take the jeweller's offer whatever it 
 is?" 
 
 "Yes; that is to say, if it is over the five thousand; if it 
 is under the five thousand I will sell them to you at that 
 sum." 
 
 "I agree to that," the man said. " But do not fear; if the 
 two largest stones are without a flaw, they alone are worth 
 five thousand." 
 
 "Let us draAv up the agreement at once," Stanley said. 
 And accordingly the terms were drawn up in Hindustani 
 and were signed by both parties. The Parsee then went to 
 a safe, unlocked it, and counted out the rupees to the value 
 
ON THE STAFF. 133 
 
 of £150. These he placed in a bag and handed them to 
 Stanley, who, delighted at the sum that he had obtained for 
 but a small portion of the gems, went to the quartermaster- 
 general's office." 
 
 "We have just finished your business," Colonel Adair 
 said as he entered. " Major Moultrie, the paymaster, 
 Colonel Watt, and myself have examined the horses. I 
 know that Hitchcock paid sixty pounds apiece for them at 
 Calcutta. They are both Arabs and good ones, and were 
 not dear at the money. Our opinion is that if they were 
 put up to auction here they would fetch £40 apiece, and 
 that the saddle and bridle, holsters, and accoutrements 
 would fetch another £20. There are also a pair of well- 
 finished pistols in the holsters, they were overlooked or 
 they would have been put up in the sale yesterday, they 
 value them at £8 the brace; in all £108. Will that suit you 1 
 The major will, as I proposed, stop the money from your 
 pay as a first-class interpreter, that is, two hundred and fifty 
 rupees a month, so that in four months and a half you will 
 have cleared it off." 
 
 " I am very much obliged to you, colonel, but I have 
 just received an advance of fifteen hundred rupees on some 
 of my gems which the Parsee is going to send to a jeweller 
 of the name of Burragee at Madras." 
 
 " I congratulate you, for I hardly hoped that they would 
 turn out to be worth so much. Burragee is a first-rate 
 man, and you can rely upon getting a fair price from him. 
 Well, that obviates all difficulty. By the way, I should re- 
 commend you to get a light bedstead and bed and a couple 
 of blankets at one of the Parsee stores. Of course, you did 
 not think of it yesterday or you might have bought Hitch- 
 cock's. However, I noticed in one of the Parsees' shops a 
 number of light bamboo bedsteads, which are the coolest and 
 
134 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 best in a climate like this. If you lay a couple of blankets on 
 the bamboos you will find that you don't want a mattress." 
 
 " I don't know what my duties are, sir, or whether the 
 general will be wanting me." 
 
 "He will not want you to-day. Anyhow he will know 
 that you will be making your arrangements, and moving into 
 your quarters. By the way, Hitchcock brought a syce with 
 him. You must have a man for your horses, and I have" no 
 doubt he will be glad to stay on with you." 
 
 Two hours later Stanley was installed in his quarters — 
 a room some twelve feet long by eight wide. A bed stood 
 in one corner. There was a table for writing on, two light 
 bamboo chairs, and an Indian lounging chair. In the corner 
 was a small bamboo table, on which was a large brass basin, 
 while a great earthenware jar for water stood beside it, and 
 a piece of Indian matting covered the floor. He learned 
 that the staff messed together in a large room in the next 
 house, and that he would there get a cup of coffee and a 
 biscuit at six in the morning, breakfast at half-past eight, 
 lunch and dinner; so that he would not have to do any 
 cooking whatever for himself. He had given Meinik a small 
 sum to lay out in cooking-pots and necessaries for his own 
 use. The syce had gladly entered his employ. Stanley had 
 inspected the horses, which, although light to the eye, would 
 be well capable of bearing his weight through a long day's 
 work. They were picketed with those of the general and 
 staff, in a line behind the house devoted to the head-quarters. 
 After lunch he went into the general's, and reported himself 
 as ready for duty. 
 
 " I shall not want you this afternoon, Mr. Brooke. Here 
 is a plan showing the position of the different corps; you 
 had better get it by heart; when it gets cooler this afternoon 
 I should advise you to ride out, and examine the position 
 
ON THE STAFF. 135 
 
 and the roads, so that even at night you can, if necessary, 
 carry a message to any of the regiments. The Burmese 
 are constantly creeping up and stabbing our sentries, and 
 sometimes they attack in considerable force. When any- 
 thing like heavy firing begins it will be your duty to find 
 out at once what is going on, and bring me word, as it may 
 be necessary to send up reinforcements. 
 
 "In the morning it will be your duty to examine any 
 prisoners who have been taken during the night, and also 
 natives who have made their way in to the town, in order 
 to ascertain whether any date has been fixed for their next 
 attack, and what forces are likely to take part in it. You 
 can make your man useful at this work. By the way, I 
 will tell Colonel Adair to put him down on the list of the 
 quartermaster's native followers. He need not do anything 
 else but this. But it is likely that the natives will speak 
 more freely to him than they would to a white officer, and 
 he may as well be earning thirty rupees a month and 
 drawing rations as hanging about all day doing nothing." 
 
 Thanking the general, Stanley took the plan, and going 
 back to his quarters studied it attentively. He told Meinik 
 of the arrangement that had been made for him, with which 
 the Burman was much pleased. Thirty rupees a month 
 seemed a large sum to him, and he was glad that he should 
 not be costing Stanley money for his food. Three hours 
 later one of his horses was brought round, and he started 
 on his ride through the camp. There were two roads lead- 
 ing through the town to the great pagoda. Both were 
 thickly bordered by religious houses and pagodas, the latter, 
 for the most part, being in a state of dilapidation. Houses 
 and pagodas alike had been turned into quarters for the 
 troops, and had been invaluable during the wet season. 
 
 The terrace of the great pagoda was occupied by the 
 
136 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 89th Regiment and the Madras Artillery. This was the 
 most advanced position, and was the key of the defence. 
 Leaving his horse in charge of his syce at the foot of the 
 pagoda hill, Stanley went up to the terrace and soon entered 
 into conversation with some of the British officers, who at 
 once recognized him as having been that morning put in 
 orders as the general's aide-de-camp. As he was unknown 
 to every one, and no ship had come in for some days, there 
 was naturally much curiosity felt as to who the stranger 
 was who had been appointed to a commission and to the 
 coveted post of aide-de-camp in one day. After chatting 
 for two or three minutes, they conducted Stanley to the 
 colonel's quarters, a small building at the foot of the pagoda. 
 
 " This is Mr. Brooke, colonel, the gentleman who was 
 gazetted to us this morning." 
 
 " I am glad to see you, Mr. Brooke, but I should be more 
 glad still if you had been coming to join, for we have lost 
 several officers from sickness, and there are others unfit 
 for duty. When did you arrive V 
 
 "I arrived only yesterday morning, sir. I came here in 
 disguise, having made my way down from Ava." 
 
 "Oh, indeed! We heard a report that a white man had 
 arrived in disguise at the lines of the 45th Native Infantry, 
 but we have had no particulars beyond that." 
 
 " I was captured at Bamoo, sir. while I was acting as 
 an officer of the native levy. Fortunately I was stunned 
 by the graze of a musket-ball, and being supposed dead, 
 was not killed, as were all the other officers who fell into 
 the hands of the Burmese. Their fury had abated by the 
 time I came to myself, and I was carried up to Ava with some 
 twenty sepoy prisoners. After a time I made my escape 
 from prison and took to the forest, where I remained some 
 weeks till the search for me had abated somewhat. Then 
 
THE PAGODA. 137 
 
 I made my way down the country, for the most part in a 
 fishing-boat, journeying only at night, and so succeeded in 
 getting in here. Fortunately I speak the Mug dialect, 
 which is very closely akin to the Burmese." 
 
 " Well," the colonel said, " I hope that you will consider 
 the regiment your home, though I suppose that, until the 
 campaign is at an end, you will only" be able to pay us an 
 occasional visit. You are lucky in getting the staff appoint- 
 ment. No doubt your being able to talk Burmese has a 
 great deal to do with it." 
 
 "Everything, I think, sir. The general had no one on 
 his staff who could speak the language, and, unless he hap- 
 pened to have with him one of the very few men here who 
 can do so, often had to wait some time before a prisoner 
 could be questioned." 
 
 He remained chatting for half an hour, and then rode 
 back to the town, taking the other road to that which he had 
 before traversed. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 THE PAGODA. 
 
 TWO days later a prisoner was captured when endeavour- 
 ing to crawl up the pagoda hill, having slipped past 
 the outposts, and was sent into head -quarters. Stanley 
 questioned him closely, but could obtain no information 
 whatever from him. Telling him to sit down by the house 
 he placed a British sentry over him. 
 
 "Keep your eye," he said, "on the door of the next 
 house. You will see a Burman come out. You are to let 
 him talk with the prisoner, but let no one else speak to 
 
138 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 him. Don't look as if you had any orders about him, but 
 stand carelessly by. The fellow will tell us nothing, but it is 
 likely enough that he will speak to one of his own country- 
 men." 
 
 " I understand, sir." Stanley went into his house and 
 told Meinik what he was wanted to do. 
 
 " I will find out," Meinik said confidently, and a minute 
 or two later went out and strolled along past the prisoner. 
 As he did so he gave him a little nod, and returning again 
 shortly, saluted him in Burmese. The third time he passed 
 he looked inquiringly at the sentry, as if to ask whether he 
 might speak to the prisoner. The soldier, however, ap- 
 peared to pay no attention to him, but stood with grounded 
 musket leaning against the wall, and Meinik went up to the 
 man. 
 
 " You are in bad luck," he said. " How did you manage 
 to fall into the hands of these people 1 ?" 
 
 " It matters not to you," the Burman said indignantly, 
 "since you have gone over to them." 
 
 "Not at all, not at all," Meinik replied. "Do you not 
 know that there are many here who, like nryself, have come 
 in as fugitives, with instructions what to do when our 
 people attack 1 I am expecting news as to when the sooth- 
 sayers declare the day to be a fortunate one. Then we shall 
 all be in readiness to do our share as soon as the firing 
 begins." 
 
 " It Avill be on the fourth day from this," the Burman 
 said. " We do not know whether it will be the night before 
 or the night after. The soothsayers say both will be for- 
 tunate nights, and the Invulnerables will then assault the 
 pagoda and sweep the barbarians away. The princes and 
 woongees will celebrate the great annual festival there two 
 days later." 
 
THE PAGODA. 139 
 
 " That is good!" Meinik said. " We shall be on the look- 
 out, never fear." 
 
 "What are they going to do to me; will they cut off my 
 head?" 
 
 "No, you need not be afraid of that; these white men 
 never kill prisoners. After they are once taken, they are 
 safe. You will be kept for a time, and when our countrymen 
 have destroyed the barbarians and taken the town they will 
 free you from prison. There are some of the white officers 
 coming; I must get away, or they will be asking questions." 
 
 As he walked away the sentry put his musket to his 
 shoulder and began to march briskly up and down. A 
 moment later the general stepped up to him. 
 
 "What are you doing, my man? who put you on guard 
 over that prisoner?" 
 
 " I don't know his name, sir," the sentry said, standing 
 at attention. " He was a young staff officer, he came to the 
 guard-tent and called for a sentry; and as I was next on 
 duty the sergeant sent me with him. He put me to watch 
 this man." 
 
 "All right; keep a sharp look-out over him. I wonder 
 what Brooke left the fellow here for, instead of sending 
 him to prison," the general said to Colonel Adair. "We 
 examined him, but could get nothing out of him even when 
 I threatened to hang him." 
 
 " I will just run up to his quarters and ask him, sir." 
 
 Just as he entered the house Stanley was coming down 
 the stairs. 
 
 "The general wants to know, Mr. Brooke, why you placed 
 a prisoner under a guard by his house, instead of sending 
 him to the prison, as usual." 
 
 " I was just coming to tell him, sir." 
 
 "Ah, well, he is outside; so you can tell us both together." 
 
140 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 "Well, Mr. Brooke, what made you put a sentry over the 
 man and leave him here 1 The men are hard enough worked 
 without having unnecessary sentry duty." 
 
 "Yes, sir; I only left him for a few minutes. I was con- 
 vinced the man knew something by his demeanour when 
 I questioned him, and I thought I might as well try if my 
 man could not get more out of him than I could ; so I put 
 a sentry over him and gave him instructions that he was to 
 let a Burman Avho would come out of this house speak 
 to the prisoner, but that no one else was to approach him. 
 Then I instructed my man as to the part that he was to play. 
 He passed two or three times, making a sign of friendship 
 to the prisoner. Then, as the sentry had apparently no 
 objection to his speaking to him, he came up. At first the 
 man would say nothing to him, but Meinik told him that he 
 was one of those who had been sent to Rangoon to aid when 
 the assault took place, and that he was anxiously waiting 
 for news when the favourable day would be declared by the 
 astrologers, so that he and those with him would be ready 
 to begin their work as soon as the attack commenced. The 
 prisoner fell into the snare and told him that it would be 
 made either on the night before or on the night of the 
 fourth day from this, when the Invulnerables had under- 
 taken to storm the pagoda. It seems that the date was 
 fixed partly because it was a fortunate one, and also in 
 order that the princes and head officials might properly 
 celebrate the great annual festival of the pagoda, which 
 falls, it seems, on the sixth day from now." 
 
 "Excellent indeed, Mr. Brooke. It is a great relief to 
 me to know when the assault is going to take place, and 
 from what point it will be delivered. But what made you 
 think of the story that the Burman was one of a party that 
 had come in to do something 1" 
 
THE PAGODA. 141 
 
 "It was what Colonel Adair mentioned at dinner last even- 
 ing, sir. He was saying how awkward it would be if some 
 of these natives who have come in were to fire the town just 
 as a strong attack was going on, and most of the troops 
 engaged with the enemy. It was not unlikely that if such a 
 plan had been formed the prisoner would know of it, and 
 that he might very well believe what my man said, that 
 some men had been sent into the town with that or some 
 similar intention." 
 
 "True enough; the idea was a capital one, Mr. Brooke, 
 and we shall be ready for them whichever night they come. 
 Will you please go across to the guard-tent and tell the 
 sergeant to send a corporal across to the man on sentry 
 with orders to take the prisoner to the jail, and hand him 
 over to the officer in command there. When you have done 
 that, will you ride out to the pagoda and inform your colonel 
 what you have discovered. It will be a relief to him and 
 to the men, for as the date of the attack has been uncertain, 
 he has been obliged to largely increase his patrols, and to 
 keep a portion of his force all night under arms. He will 
 be able to decrease the number, and let the men have as 
 much sleep as they can for the next two nights. The clouds 
 are banking up, and I am very much afraid that the rain is 
 going to set in again. They say that we shall have another 
 two months of it." 
 
 After seeing the prisoner marched away, Stanley rode to 
 the pagoda, and saying that he had come with a message 
 from the general, was at once shown into the colonel's 
 quarters. 
 
 "Any news, Mr. Brooke'?" 
 
 "Yes, colonel; the general has requested me to inform 
 you at once of the news that I have obtained from a prisoner, 
 namely, that either on the night of the 30th or 31st your 
 
142 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 position will be attacked by the men who are called the 
 Invulnerables." 
 
 " We will give them a chance of proving whether their 
 title is justified," the colonel said cheerfully. "That is 
 very good news; the men are getting thoroughly worn out 
 with the extra night-duty caused by this uncertainty. You 
 think that there is no doubt that the news is correct." 
 
 " None whatever, sir. I could do nothing with the prisoner; 
 but my Burman pretended to have a mission here to kick 
 up a row in the town when the attack began, and the man, 
 believing his story, at once told him that the attack will be 
 made on the pagoda by the Invulnerables on the early morn- 
 ing of the fourth clay from this, or on the next night, the 
 astrologers having declared that the time would be pro- 
 pitious, and also because they were very anxious to have the 
 pagoda in their hands, in order that the princes might cele- 
 brate the great annual festival that is held, it seems, two 
 days after." 
 
 The colonel laughed. " I am afraid that they will have 
 to put it off for another year. The general gave no special 
 orders, I suppose?" 
 
 " No, sir ; he had only just received the news, and 
 ordered me to ride over at once to you, as he was sure that 
 you would be glad to know that it would not be necessary to 
 keep so many men on night dut}^ for the next two days." 
 
 "Thank you, Mr. Brooke. Will you kindly tell the 
 general that I am very pleased at the news 1 No doubt he 
 will be up here himself this afternoon or to-morrow." 
 
 Stanley rode back fast, and was just in time to escape a 
 tremendous downpour of rain which began a few minutes 
 after he returned. He went in at once to the general's, but 
 was told that he was engaged with the quartermaster and 
 adjutant generals. He therefore went into the anteroom 
 
THE PAGODA. 143 
 
 where Tollemache, his fellow aide-de-camp, was standing at 
 the window looking out at the rain. 
 
 "This is a beastly climate," he grumbled. "It is awful 
 to think that we are likely to get another two months of it, 
 and shall then have to wait at least another before the 
 country is dry enough to make a move. You were lucky in 
 getting in just now before it began." 
 
 "I was indeed," Stanley agreed, "for I had ridden off 
 without my cloak, and should have been drenched had it 
 begun two minutes earlier." 
 
 "I saw you gallop past, and wondered what you were in 
 such a hurry about. Was it like this when you were out in 
 the woods?" 
 
 " Not in the least. There is very little rain near Ava, 
 though the country is a good deal flooded, where it is flat, 
 from the rivers being swollen by the rains in the hills. We 
 had lovely weather all the time." 
 
 " I should like to see a little lovely weather here. The 
 last week has been almost worse than the rain — the steamy 
 heat is like being in a vapour bath. If it were not that I am 
 on duty I should like to strip, and go out and enjoy a 
 shower bath for half an hour." 
 
 Stanley laughed. "It really would be pleasant," he said. 
 " I don't think that I gained much by hurrying back, for the 
 gallop has thrown me into such a perspiration that I might 
 almost as well be drenched by the rain, except that my 
 clothes won't suffer so much." 
 
 "Ah, it is all very well for you," the other grumbled. 
 " Of course after once having wandered about in the forest 
 painted up like a nigger you feel cheerful under almost any 
 circumstances, but for us who have been cooped up doing 
 nothing in this beastly place, it is impossible to look at 
 things cheerfully." 
 
144 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 " Have you heard that the enemy are going to attack on 
 Tuesday or Wednesday night 1 ?" 
 
 "No," the other exclaimed with a sudden animation. 
 " The general only came in a quarter of an hour ago, and as 
 he had the two big-wigs with him of course I did not speak 
 to him. Is it certain 1 how did you hear it 1 " 
 
 " It is quite certain — that is, unless the Burmese change 
 their mind, which is not likely. The princes want to cele- 
 brate the great annual festival at the pagoda on Friday, and 
 so the Invulnerables are going, as they think, to capture it 
 either on Tuesday or Wednesday night. I have just been 
 up there to tell the colonel. As to your other question, 
 how did I learn it, — I got it, or rather my Burman did, 
 from that prisoner we were questioning this morning. He 
 would not say anything then, but my man got round him, 
 and, believing that he was a spy or something of that kind, 
 the prisoner told him all about it." 
 
 "Are they only going to attack at the pagoda 1 ?" 
 
 "That I cannot say; that is the only point that the 
 man mentioned. I should say that it would only be 
 there." 
 
 "Why should it only be there V 
 
 " Because I should imagine that even the Burmese must 
 be beginning to doubt whether they could defeat our whole 
 force, and as they particularly wish to occupy the pagoda on 
 Friday, they would hardly risk an attack on other points 
 which might end in disaster, while Avhat with the propitious 
 nature of the day and the fact that the Invulnerables have 
 undertaken to capture the pagoda, no doubt they look upon 
 that as certain." 
 
THE PAGODA. 145 
 
 " I suppose that you are right, Brooke. Well, I do hope 
 that the general will let us go up to see the fun." 
 
 "What, even if it is raining?" 
 
 " Of course," the other said indignantly. " What does 
 one care for rain when there is something to do. Why, I 
 believe that if it Avas coming down in a sheet, and the men 
 had to wade through the swamps waist-deep, they would all 
 march in the highest spirits if there was the chance of a 
 fight with the Burmans at the end of the day. However, I 
 am afraid that there is no chance of our getting off unless 
 the chief goes himself. There may be attacks in other 
 places. As you say, it is not likely; but it is possible. 
 Therefore, of course, we should have to be at hand to carry 
 orders. Of course if he takes his post at the pagoda, it will 
 be all right, though the betting is that we shall have to 
 gallop off just at the most interesting moment." 
 
 Presently the two officers left the general. The latter's 
 bell rang, and Stanley went in. 
 
 "You saw the colonel, Mr. Brooke?" 
 
 " Yes, sir; and he begged me to say that he was extremely 
 glad to get the news, and much obliged to you for sending 
 it so promptly." 
 
 "There is no occasion for you and Mr. Tollemache to 
 stay here any longer now, but at five o'clock I ^hall ride out 
 to the pagoda. At any rate, should I want you before then, 
 I shall know where to send for you." 
 
 This was the general order, for in the afternoon there 
 was, when things were quiet, a hush for two or three hours. 
 The work of the aides-de-camp was indeed generally very 
 light, for, as there were no movements of troops, no useless 
 
 ( M 206 ) K 
 
146 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 parades, and very few military orders to be carried, they 
 had a great deal of time on their hands, and usually took it 
 by turns to be on duty for the day, the one off duty being 
 free to pay visits to acquaintances in the various camps or 
 on board ship. During the rainy season, however, very few 
 officers or men went beyond shelter unless obliged to do so, 
 and from two till four or five no small proportion passed 
 the time in sleep. 
 
 Stanley had intended to pay a visit to the Lame, as 
 Captain Marry at, who had dined at the staff mess on the 
 previous evening, had invited him to go on board when- 
 ever it might be convenient to him. The Lame had per- 
 formed good service in the operations against the stockades, 
 and her boats had been particularly active and successful. 
 Her captain was one of the most popular as well as one 
 of the most energetic officers in the service, and was to 
 become as popular with future generations, as the brightest 
 of all writers of sea stories. However, the day was not 
 favourable for an excursion on the water; Stanley there- 
 fore went back to his room, where, divesting himself of his 
 jacket, he sat down at the open window and read up a 
 batch of the last newspapers from England that had been 
 lent him by Colonel Adair. 
 
 At five o'clock Meinik came in to say that his horse was 
 at the general's door. Stanley hastily put on his jacket 
 and cloak, and sallied out. The general came down in a 
 few minutes, followed by Tollemache, and, mounting, they 
 rode to the pagoda. Here Sir Archibald had a talk with the 
 colonel of the 89th and the officer commanding the battery 
 of the Madras Artillery. Both were of opinion that their 
 
THE PAGODA. 147 
 
 force was amply sufficient to resist any attack. The only 
 approach to it from the forest was a long road between two 
 swamps, which, a short distance away, had become lakes 
 since the wet weather set in. 
 
 " Had they taken us by surprise," the colonel said, 
 " some of them might have got across before we were quite 
 ready for them, and might have given us some trouble; but 
 as we shall be prepared I don't think that any of them will 
 reach the foot of this hill, and if they did, none of them 
 would reach this terrace. If an attack were made from the 
 other side, it would of course be a good deal more serious, 
 as the ground is firm and they could attack all along the 
 foot of the hill; but, as they cannot get there until they 
 have defeated the rest of the army, I consider that, even 
 Avithout the assistance of the guns, we could hold the hill 
 with musket and bayonet against any force that they are 
 likely to bring against us." 
 
 "Very well, then; I shall not reinforce you, colonel. Of 
 course we shall keep a considerable number of troops under 
 arms, in case they should attack all along the line, at the 
 same time that they make their principal effort here. I 
 rather hope that the rain will keep on until this affair is 
 over." The colonel looked surprised. 
 
 " I am much more afraid," the general went on, " of fire 
 in the town than I am of an attack without. The number 
 of natives there is constantly increasing. No doubt the 
 greater number of those who come in are natives of the 
 place who have managed, since we cleared out their war- 
 galleys from some of the creeks and channels, to escape 
 from the authorities and to make their way in, either on 
 
148 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 foot or in fishermen's boats; but some of them may be sent 
 in as spies, or to do us harm. I have been having a long 
 talk over it with Colonel Adair this afternoon, and he quite 
 agrees with me that we must reckon on the probability of 
 an attempt to fire the town. It would be a terrible blow 
 to us if they succeeded, for the loss of our stores would 
 completely cripple us. They would naturally choose the 
 occasion of an attack upon our lines for the attempt, for in 
 the first place most of the troops will be under arms and 
 drawn up outside the town, and in the second place the 
 sight of the place on fire would cause much confusion, would 
 inspirit our assailants, and necessitate a considerable force 
 being withdrawn from the field to fight the fire. If the 
 rains continue we need feel no uneasiness whatever, for 
 there would be no getting anything to burn; whereas, in 
 dry weather, a man with a torch might light the thatch 
 as fast as he could run along, and a whole street would be 
 in a blaze in two or three minutes, and if a wind happened 
 to be blowing it might make a sweep of the whole place in 
 spite of all our efforts." 
 
 "I see that, sir. I own that I had never given it a 
 thought before." 
 
 " I shall come up here, colonel, unless we obtain sure news 
 before the time arrives that the attack is going to be a 
 general one; indeed it is in any case the best place to post 
 myself, for I can see over the whole country, and send 
 orders to any point where the enemy may be making pro- 
 gress, or where our men can advance with advantage. The 
 line of fire flashes will be as good a guide at night as the 
 smoke by day." 
 
THE PAGODA. 149 
 
 " I will get a cot rigged up for you, general, as we don't 
 know which night it is to be." 
 
 "Thank you. Yes, I may just as well turn in, all stand- 
 ing, as the sailors say, and get a few hours' sleep, for in this 
 climate one cannot keep at it night and day as we had 
 to do in Spain." 
 
 The two aides-de-camp were kept in suspense as to what 
 the general's intentions were, and it was not until the morn- 
 ing of Tuesday that he said to them : 
 
 " I am going up to the pagoda this evening, Mr. Tolle- 
 mache, and you had better, therefore, put some provisions 
 and a bottle of brandy into your holsters." 
 
 At nine in the evening they rode off. The rain had ceased ; 
 the moon was shining through the clouds. 
 
 " It will be down by twelve o'clock," Tollemache said. 
 "I should think most likely they will wait for that; they 
 will think that we shall not be able to take aim at them 
 in the darkness, and that they will manage to get to the 
 foot of the hill without loss." 
 
 When they reached the platform in front of the pagoda, 
 their syces took their horses. Meinik had begged Stanley 
 to let him take his groom's place on this occasion, and lay- 
 ing aside the dress he ordinarily wore, assumed the light 
 attire of an Indian syce, and had run behind the horses 
 with the others. He had a strong desire to see the fighting, 
 but his principal motive in asking to be allowed to accom- 
 pany Stanley was that, although greatly impressed with 
 what he had seen of the drill and discipline of the white 
 and native regiments, he could not shake off his faith in 
 the Invulnerables, and had a conviction that the pagoda 
 
150 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 would be captured, and therefore wished to be at hand to 
 bring up Stanley's horse at the critical moment, and to aid 
 him to escape from the assailants. Fires were burning, as 
 usual, at several points on the terrace. Two companies were 
 under arms, and were standing well back from the edge of 
 the platform so as to be out of sight of those in the forest. 
 The rest of the men were sitting round the fires; their 
 muskets were piled in lines hard by. 
 
 When he alighted, the general proceeded to the battery. 
 
 " Have you everything in readiness, major?" he asked the 
 officer in command. 
 
 " Yes, sir. The guns are all loaded with grape, and as it 
 Avill be very dark when the moon has set, I have pegged a 
 white tape along just under each gun, so that they can be 
 trained upon the causeway however dark it may be." 
 
 " That is a very good idea," the general said. " There is 
 nothing more difficult than laying guns accurately in the 
 dark." 
 
 The colonel now arrived, a soldier having brought the 
 news to him as soon as the general reached the platform. 
 
 " I see that you are well prepared to give them a hot 
 reception, colonel." 
 
 " 1 hope so, sir. I have a strong patrol out beyond the 
 causeway. My orders are, that they are to resist strongly 
 for a minute or two, so as to give us time to have the 
 whole of our force in readiness here. Then they are to 
 retreat at the double to the foot of the hill, and then to open 
 fire again, so that we may know that they are out of the 
 way, and that we can begin when we like. We have been 
 making some port-fires this afternoon, and I have a dozen 
 
THE PAGODA. 151 
 
 men half-way down the hill, and directly the outposts are 
 safely across they are to light the port-fires, which will 
 enable us to take aim. These white tapes will be guide 
 enough for the artillery, but my men would make very poor 
 shooting if they could not make out the muzzles of their 
 guns. Anyhow I don't think that it is likely that the 
 enemy will get across the causeway however numerous 
 they may be." 
 
 " I don't think they will, colonel. Certainly, so far, they 
 have shown themselves contemptible in attack, and have 
 never made a successful stand, even for a minute, when we 
 once entered their stockades, though they defend them 
 pluckily enough until we have once got a footing inside. 
 Still, these fellows ought to fight well to-night, for if they 
 are beaten it will be a death-blow to their reputation among 
 their countrymen. Besides, many of them do believe in the 
 power they claim, and, as we have found before now in 
 India, fanatics are always formidable." 
 
 After taking a look round with the colonel, the general 
 accompanied him to his quarters, while the two aides-de- 
 camp remained on the terrace chatting with the officers, 
 and then, after a time, went with some of them to the mess- 
 tent, where they sat smoking and talking until midnight, 
 when all went out. The troops were formed up under arms, 
 and all listened impatiently for something that would show 
 that the long-delayed assault would take place that night. 
 At half-past twelve there was the sound of a shot, which 
 sent an electrical thrill through the troops. It was followed 
 almost immediately by others. The troops were at once 
 marched forward to the edge of the platform. A babel of 
 
152 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 wild shouts went up at the sound of the first shots, fol- 
 lowed by a burst of firing. 
 
 The two aides-de-camp had taken their places close to the 
 general, who was standing in the gap between the infantry 
 and the guns, and was looking intently through his night- 
 glasses at the forest. 
 
 "They are in a dense mass," he said; "I cannot see 
 whether they are in any regular order, but they are certainly 
 packed a great deal closer than I have ever before seen 
 them. Those in front have got lanterns. They are coming 
 along fast." 
 
 As yet the enemy were half a mile away, but the lan- 
 terns and the flash of their guns showed their exact posi- 
 tion, while the fire of the outposts was kept up steadily. As 
 the latter fell back along the causeway the interval between 
 the two forces decreased, and then the fire of the outposts 
 ceased as, in accordance with their orders, they broke into 
 the double. The uproar of the advancing crowd was pro- 
 digious. Every man was yelling, at the top of his voice, 
 imprecations upon the defenders of the pagoda, who were 
 standing in absolute silence waiting eagerly for the word of 
 command. Suddenly the firing broke out again at the foot of 
 the hill, and immediately a bright light shot up from its 
 face. The edge of the dense mass of Burmese was now but 
 some fifty yards from the wall that surrounded the foot of 
 the hill, and the causeway behind was occupied by a solid 
 mass of men. Then came the sharp order to the artillery- 
 men, and gun after gun poured its charge of grape into the 
 crowd, while at the same moment the infantry began to 
 fire by companies in steady volleys. 
 
THE BURMESE MAKE A GREAT EFFORT TO CAPTURE PAGODA HILL. 
 
THE PAGODA. 153 
 
 For an instant the din of the assailants was silenced, then 
 their shouts rose again, and after a moment's hesitation they 
 continued their advance. But not for long; none but the 
 most disciplined soldiers could have advanced under that 
 storm of grape and bullets, and in ten minutes they fled in 
 wild confusion, leaving the causeway thickly covered with 
 the dead. Again and again the British cheers rose loud and 
 triumphant, then the infantry were told to fall out, but the 
 guns continued their fire until the fugitives were well in 
 the forest. Between the shots the general listened atten- 
 tively, and examined the country towards the town through 
 his glasses. 
 
 "Everything is quiet," he said. "It is probable that if 
 those fellows had carried the hill they would have made a 
 signal, and there might have been a general attack. As it 
 is, the affair is over for the night, and the Invulnerables 
 will have some difficulty in accounting for their failure and 
 loss. Now, gentlemen, we may as well have up the horses, 
 and ride back. We hardly expected to get away as soon 
 as this." 
 
 "Well, Meinik, what do you think of your Invulnerables 
 now 1 ?" Stanley said, as the Burman, after picketing his 
 horse, came up to his room to see if he wanted anything 
 before lying down on his bed in the passage. 
 
 "I don't know," the Burman replied gravely. "They 
 may be holy men, and proof perhaps against native weapons, 
 but they are no good against your cannon and muskets. I 
 understand now how it is that you beat us so easily. Your 
 men all stood quiet and in order; one only heard the voices 
 of the officers, and the crash as they fired together. Then, 
 
154 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 your guns are terrible. I have seen ours firing, but though 
 our pieces are smaller than yours, your men fire five shots 
 to our one. I stood by while they were loading. It was 
 wonderful. Nobody talked, and nobody gave orders; each 
 man knew what he had to do — one did something, and 
 directly another did something; and almost before the 
 smoke of the last shot was out of the gun, it was ready to 
 be fired again. It is clear to me that we have not learnt 
 how to fight, and that your way of having only a few men, 
 well taught and knowing exactly what they have to do, is 
 better than ours of having great numbers, and letting 
 everyone fight as he pleases. It is bad every way. The 
 brave men get to the front and are killed, and then the 
 others run away. You were right. We shall never turn 
 you out of Rangoon till Bandoola comes. He has all our 
 best troops with him, and he has never been beaten. All 
 the troops know him, and will fight for him as they will 
 not fight for these princes, who know nothing of war, and 
 are chosen only because they are the king's brothers. When 
 he comes, you will see." 
 
 "No doubt we shall, Meinik; and you will see that 
 although they may make a better fight of it than they 
 have done to-night, it will be just the same in the end." 
 
 For the next two months the time passed slowly.- No 
 attacks were made by the enemy after the defeat of the 
 assault upon the pagoda. Peasants and deserters who came 
 in reported that there was profound depression among the 
 Burmese troops. Great numbers had left the colours, and 
 there was no talk of another attack. The troops being 
 therefore relieved of much of their arduous night-duty, the 
 
VICTORIES. 157 
 
 body, and could better find shelter and food. Other forces 
 from Prome, Tannoo, and other quarters were known to be 
 marching towards Donabew. It was soon reported that the 
 dejected forces around Rangoon had gained courage and 
 confidence at the news that Bandoola and his army were 
 coming to their aid, and that the deserters were returning in 
 large numbers from their villages. The British sick were sent 
 away in the shipping to Mergy and Tavoy, two coast towns 
 of which we had taken possession, and both of which were 
 healthily situated. The change had a marvellous effect, 
 and men who would have speedily succumbed to the 
 poisonous exhalations of the swamps round Rangoon, rapidly 
 regained their strength in their new quarters. 
 
 CHAPTER IX 
 
 VICTORIES. 
 
 IN the meantime negotiations had been going on with 
 Siam, between which state and Burma there was the 
 bitterest enmity. It had been thought that Siam would 
 have willingly grasped the opportunity to revenge itself 
 for the many losses of territory that it had suffered at the 
 hands of Burma. This there was no doubt that it would 
 have been glad to do, but our occupation of several points 
 on the coast of Tenasserim roused the fears of Siam, and 
 inclined it to the belief that we might prove an even more 
 dangerous neighbour than Burma. The court of Ava had 
 on its part also sent urgent messages to the king of Siam 
 
158 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 when misfortunes had to some extent lowered its pride, call- 
 ing upon him to make common cause with Burma, and to join 
 it in repelling an enemy who would doubtless be as danger- 
 ous to him as to Burma. Siam, however, determined to steer 
 a middle course. An army was assembled in readiness for 
 any contingency, but Siam believed as little as Burma itself 
 that the British could possibly be victorious over that 
 power, and feared its vengeance if she were to ally herself 
 with us; while upon the other hand, Siam had a long sea- 
 coast, and feared the injury our fleet might inflict upon it 
 were it to join Burma. The king, therefore, gave both 
 powers an assurance of his friendship, and marched his 
 army down to the frontier of the province of Martaban, 
 which bordered on the great Salween river on the Tenas- 
 serim coast, and lay some two hundred miles from Rangoon 
 across the Gulf of Martaban. The intentions of the king 
 being so doubtful, the advance of the Siamese army in this 
 direction could not be regarded with indifference by the 
 British. The town of Martaban was the centre of the Bur- 
 mese military power in Tenasserim, and the advance towards 
 it of the Siamese army would place it in direct communication 
 with that of Burma. On the 13th of October, therefore, a 
 force, consisting of a wing of the 41st Begiment and the 
 3rd Madras Infantry, sailed from Rangoon against the 
 town. The expedition was delayed by light winds, and 
 when it arrived at the mouth of the river found that every 
 preparation had been made for an obstinate defence. They 
 learned from a peasant that strong works had been erected 
 on every eminence round the town, and that the road from 
 the coast had been cut and stockaded. 
 
VICTORIES. 159 
 
 Approach by this route was impossible, for there were 
 twenty miles of country to be traversed, and much of this 
 was under water from the inundations. It was, therefore, 
 determined to go up the river, although this was so shallow 
 and full of shoals that the navigation was extremely diffi- 
 cult. At last, after great labour, incurred by the ships con- 
 stantly getting ashore, they succeeded in making their way 
 up to Martaban and anchored off the town. A heavy can- 
 nonade was carried on for some time between the ships and 
 the enemy's works, then the troops were embarked in boats, 
 which rowed for the shore under a very heavy fire from the 
 enemy. As soon as they landed, and advanced to attack 
 the stockades, the Burmese lost heart and hastily retreated, 
 while the inhabitants received the troops as they entered 
 with the warmest welcome, for they were for the most part 
 natives of Pegu, and still entertained a deep hatred for 
 the Burmese because of the long oppression that they had 
 suffered at their hands. Throughout the rest of Tenas- 
 serim, however, and indeed throughout the whole country 
 traversed by the troops later on, the inhabitants appeared 
 to have entirely forgotten their ancient nationality and the 
 conquest of their country by the Burmans, and to have 
 become completely absorbed by them. Throughout the 
 whole time that we occupied Martaban the people gave no 
 trouble whatever, and indeed offered to raise a force for 
 service with us if we wished it. 
 
 At the end of October the rain ceased, to the intense 
 delight of the troops, and the cold season set in. November 
 was, however, an exceptionally deadly month, the occasional 
 days of fine weather drawing up the exhalations from the 
 
160 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 swamps, and the number of deaths was greater than they 
 had been at any previous time. There was, too, no pro- 
 spect of a forward movement at present. The expedition 
 had come unprovided with boats or other means of trans- 
 port, making sure that an abundant supply would be ob- 
 tained in a country where the whole trade was carried on 
 by the rivers. The promptness with which the native 
 authorities had, on the first appearance of the fleet, sent 
 every boat away, had disappointed this anticipation, and 
 although the opening of some of the other rivers had en- 
 abled the local fishermen to bring their boats to Rangoon, 
 where fish were eagerly purchased, the British troops were 
 still, up to the end of November, without the means of 
 sending a hundred men up the river save in the boats of 
 the fleet. The Indian authorities, believing that when the 
 Burmese found themselves impotent to turn us out of Ran- 
 goon, the court of Ava would be glad to negotiate, had not 
 until the autumn was drawing to a close thought of making 
 any preparations to supply the army Avith Avater-carriage. 
 They now, however, began to bestir themselves. 
 
 Five hundred boatmen were sent from Chittagong, bring- 
 ing many boats down with them, and building others at 
 Rangoon. Transports with draft cattle sailed from Bengal, 
 and a considerable reinforcement of troops was on its way 
 to join at the end of December, for all the natives agreed 
 that no movement could be made by land until the end of 
 January. In November, even Bandoola's army was obliged 
 to make its approach by water. Early in that month it 
 was learned that the Burmese general had given orders 
 for the advance, and preparations were at once begun to 
 
VICTORIES. 161 
 
 meet what none doubted would be a very serious attack. 
 The reinforcements bad not yet arrived, and tbe greatly 
 diminished force was far too small for the length of the line 
 that had to be defended. Redoubts were therefore thrown 
 up, pagodas and other buildings were fortified, and two 
 complete lines of works constructed from the great pagoda 
 to the city, one facing east and the other west. The post 
 at Kemmendine was strengthened, and was supported by 
 H.M. sloop Sophie, a Company's cruiser, and a strong division 
 of gun-boats. The retention of this post was of great im- 
 portance, as it barred the river approach to Rangoon, and 
 prevented the enemy sending clown a huge fleet of war- 
 galleys and fire-rafts to attack the town and set fire to the 
 merchant shipping lying off it. 
 
 In the last week of November, smoke was seen to rise 
 from many points in the forest. Many fugitives came in 
 from their villages, and reported that Bandoola's army 
 were all on their way down the river, and by the end of 
 the month some sixty thousand men, with a large train of 
 artillery and a body of cavalry, were assembled round 
 our position. Of this force, thirty thousand were armed 
 with muskets. They had with them, too, a great number 
 of jingals; these little guns carried ball of from six to 
 twelve ounces, and were mounted on a light carriage, which 
 two men could wheel with ease; the cannon were carried 
 to the scene of action on elephants. The cavalry were 
 seven hundred strong, drawn from the borders of Manipur. 
 The rest of the army were armed with swords and spears, 
 and carried implements for stockading and intrenching. 
 The force was accompanied by a number of astrologers, 
 
 ( M 2GC ) L 
 
162 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 and by the Invulnerables, who had doubtless satisfactorily 
 explained their failure to capture the pagoda. 
 
 A great semicircle of light smoke rising from the trees 
 showed that the position taken up by Bandoola extended 
 from the river above Kemmendine to the neighbourhood 
 of Rangoon. On the night of the 31st, the troops at the 
 pagoda heard a loud and continuous stir in the forest. It 
 gradually approached, and by morning great masses of 
 troops had gathered at the edge of the jungle within mus- 
 ket-shot of the post. The garrison there were drawn up 
 in readiness to repel a sudden rush, but just as the sun 
 rose, a din made by thousands of men engaged in cutting 
 down the trees began, and it was evident that the Burmese 
 were going to adopt their usual plan of intrenching them- 
 selves behind stockades. 
 
 During the time that had elapsed between the re- 
 pulse of the Invulnerables and the arrival of Bandoola's 
 army, Stanley's work was light and the life dull and 
 monotonous. An hour was spent every morning in examin- 
 ing the fugitives who had, by the retreat of the Burmese, 
 been enabled to make their way back to the town, and of 
 women who had escaped from the vigilance of the Burmese 
 police, and had come in from the villages where they had 
 been held as hostages for their husbands. 
 
 Once or twice a week he went off with the general to the 
 hospital-ship to inquire into the state of the sick and to 
 pay a visit to the long line of cots along the main and lower 
 deck. Almost every day he rode, in spite of the weather, 
 to one or other of the regimental camps, and soon came to 
 know most of the officers of the force. His previous experi- 
 
VICTORIES. 163 
 
 ence on the rivers had done much to acclimatize him, and 
 his health continued good. On the evening of the 30th he 
 had, at the general's order, ridden up to the pagoda. It was 
 considered likely that the attack would be delivered there 
 in the first place; and at three o'clock in the morning, when 
 it became evident that a large body of men were approaching 
 through the forest, he galloped back to Eangoon with the 
 news, and at five rode out again with Sir A. Campbell. 
 Among the garrison there was much disappointment when 
 the sound of wood-chopping announced that the Burmese 
 did not intend to attack; but the general, who had been 
 watching the edge of the jungle through his glasses, 
 lowered them and put them into their case with an expres- 
 sion of satisfaction. 
 
 "I don't want them to attack, colonel," he said. "If they 
 do, and we beat them off, we are no nearer the end than 
 before. That sort of thing might be carried on for months, 
 as long, in fact, as there remains a man to bring up. What 
 we want is to inflict such a heavy blow upon them that 
 even the court at Ava may become convinced that they 
 cannot hope to drive us out of Rangoon; in which case 
 they may consent to negotiate, and we may bring the war 
 to an end. Heaven knows that Ave have suffered enough 
 loss at present, and I don't want to have to undertake such 
 a difficult operation as an advance against Ava. I am glad 
 to see that they have begun to construct stockades. I do 
 not intend to interfere until they have completely finished 
 their work, and gained sufficient confidence to make a 
 general attack on us; then we shall be able to give them a 
 heavy lesson. Ah, there they are at work!" 
 
164 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 As he spoke a roar of musketry and artillery broke out 
 suddenly from Kemmendine, and all eyes were turned in 
 that direction. The spot was two miles distant, but the 
 forest shut out alike the view of the river and of the works 
 held by us. The exact position, however, was indicated by 
 the masts of the two war- vessels rising above the trees. 
 Soon great wreaths of heavy white smoke rose above the 
 forest in and around Kemmendine, shutting out all view. 
 The fire continued without abatement, and it was evident 
 that the attack was a hot and determined one. Confident as 
 all felt that the little fort would be able to defend itself 
 successfully, the great smoke clouds were watched with 
 some feeling of anxiety, for the garrison was, after all, 
 but a handful. In momentary intervals of the firing the 
 yells and shouts of the natives could be distinctly heard, 
 and once or twice, after a heavy broadside from the ships of 
 war, the cheers of the British sailors could be plainly re- 
 cognized. After two hours' fighting the din gradually ceased ; 
 the clouds of smoke rolled aAvay, and the masts of the ships 
 became visible, and the garrison of the pagoda raised three 
 hearty cheers to tell the defenders that their successful de- 
 fence bad been watched and welcomed. 
 
 Presently some heavy columns of the enemy issued from 
 the forest on the other side of the river and marched across 
 the plain to Dalla, Avhich faced Rangoon. They moved 
 with great regularity and order, led by their chiefs on 
 horseback, their gilded umbrellas glittering in the rays of 
 the sun. On reaching the bank of the river opposite Ran- 
 goon they began intrenching themselves and throwing up 
 stockades and batteries with the evident intention of open- 
 
VICTORIES. 165 
 
 ing fire on the shipping. Soon afterwards large bodies of 
 men issued from the forest facing the pagoda, and marching 
 along a slight ridge that extended from that point to the 
 creek below Eangoon, took up their position there, and began 
 intrenching themselves all along the line. Thus the British 
 position was now completely surrounded; there was, how- 
 ever, no doubt that the main body of the enemy was still 
 facing the pagoda. 
 
 "We must see what they are doing," the general said. 
 " This is too important a point for us to allow them to erect 
 a strongly fortified position close at hand." 
 
 Accordingly, Tollemache was sent dow T n with an order 
 to the 18th Madras Infantry, supported by a detachment of 
 the 13th Regiment under Major Sale, to advance against the 
 enemy in the jungle. The movements of this force were 
 eagerly watched from the terrace of the pagoda. At a rapid 
 pace they crossed the intervening ground, and a rattle of 
 musketry broke out from the jungle as they approached. 
 The British made no response, but charged with a cheer and 
 were soon lost to sight in the trees. Their regular volleys 
 could be heard at short intervals above the scattered rattle 
 of the Burmese musketeers, and their cheers frequently rose 
 loud and triumphant. In half an hour the red line emerged 
 again from the jungle, having destroyed the stockades the 
 Burmese had erected, captured several guns, a quantity of 
 muskets and intrenching tools thrown away by the Burmese, 
 and killed a large number of the enemy. 
 
 During the day the enemy made repeated efforts to send 
 fire-rafts down the river from above Kemmendine. These 
 rafts were constructed of bamboos, upon which were placed 
 
166 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 great numbers of earthenware pots filled with petroleum. 
 These rafts were skilfully constructed, and made in sections, 
 so that when they drifted against an anchor-chain they 
 would divide, those on each side swinging round, so as to 
 envelop the ship on both sides with fire. The sailors from 
 the sloops and gun-boats rowed up to meet the rafts, and 
 although a heavy fire was kept up by the enemy from the 
 jungles lining the banks, they succeeded in towing most of 
 them safely to shore, while the rest grounded on a projecting 
 spit off Kemmendine. 
 
 So diligently did the Burmese work at all points through- 
 out the day that by the afternoon their whole line of cir- 
 cumvallation was covered with earth-works, behind which 
 they lay entirely hidden from sight. 
 
 " If they could fight as well as they dig and build stock- 
 ades," Sir A. Campbell remarked, " they would be one of 
 the most formidable enemies in the world. No European 
 army ever accomplished the work of intrenching themselves 
 so speedily as they have done. Their arrangements have 
 been admirable; everything has been done without confusion, 
 and each body has taken up the position allotted to it, as 
 is evident by the fact that there is no gap in their lines. 
 As to Bandoola's tactics, I cannot say so much for them. In 
 the first place, he has divided his force into two parts, 
 separated by a river, and incapable of helping each other. 
 In the next place, great as are his numbers, his lines are far 
 too extended. Well, we will let them go on for a time, 
 and then show them the mistake that they have committed." 
 
 Major Sale's report of the intrenchments were, that they 
 consisted of a long line of holes, each capable of containing 
 
VICTORIES. 167 
 
 two men. The earth was dug out on one side so as to form 
 a sort of cave. In this was a bed of straw or brushwood, on 
 which one man could sleep while the other watched. Each 
 hole contained a sufficient supply of rice, water, and even 
 fuel for its inmates. One line of these holes had been com- 
 pleted and another was being dug a short distance in 
 advance. The Burmese do not relieve their men in the 
 trenches; those who occupy the line first made remain 
 there; fresh men dig and occupy the next line, and so the 
 advance is continued until close to the work to be attacked. 
 The system has the great advantage that a shell falling into 
 one of these holes only kills its two occupants instead of 
 destroying many, as it might do if it fell in a continuous 
 trench. 
 
 In the afternoon the general returned to Eangoon, leaving 
 Stanley at the pagoda with orders to ride down should 
 there be any change of importance. In the evening a con- 
 siderable force of Burmese issued from the jungle and pre- 
 pared to intrench themselves near the north-east angle of 
 the pagoda hill. Major Piper therefore took two companies 
 of the 38th, and, descending the hill, drove the Burmese 
 in confusion back to the jungle. 
 
 In the morning it was found that the enemy had in- 
 trenched themselves upon some high and open ground, 
 within musket-shot of the north gate of the pagoda. It was 
 separated from the gate by a large tank, but as their jingals 
 and musketry were able from the point they occupied to 
 sweep the plateau and the huts occupied by the troops, a 
 party of the 38th and the 28th Madras Infantry went out and 
 drove them off. As soon, however, as our troops fell back 
 
168 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 the Burmese reoccupied the position, and for the next few 
 days a constant skirmishing went on at this point, while an 
 artillery fire was maintained by the assailants and defenders 
 along the whole line down to Rangoon, and the enemy's 
 batteries at Dalla kept up an incessant fire on the shipping. 
 Kemmendine was attacked time after time, and many 
 attempts made to launch fire-rafts down the river. 
 
 The work was very harassing for the troops. Night and 
 day they were expecting an attack in force, and there was 
 a general feeling of delight when, on the evening of the 
 4th, orders were issued for a general movement against the 
 enemy. 
 
 The latter had by this time brought the greater portion 
 of their guns up from the jungle, and placed them in their 
 intrenchments, and it was therefore in the power of the 
 British to strike a heavy blow. A division of the flotilla 
 of gun-boats was ordered up the creek by the town. These 
 opened a heavy fire upon the enemy's flank, thus attracting 
 their attention to that point, and after the cannonade had 
 continued for some little time the two columns of attack, 
 the one eight hundred strong, under Major Sale, the other 
 five hundred, under Major Walker of the Madras army, 
 issued out. The latter was to attack the enemy facing the 
 town, the former to force his way through the centre of the 
 their position. He had with him a troop of horse that 
 had landed only the previous day. Major Walker's force 
 was the first to encounter the enemy. Their resistance 
 was for a time obstinate. Major Walker and several other 
 officers fell in the attack on the first line of intrenchments, 
 but the soldiers carried it at the point of the bayonet, and 
 
VICTORIES. 169 
 
 as the enemy broke and retreated, followed them so hotly 
 that the works in the rear fell into their hands with but 
 slight opposition. 
 
 Major Sale's column now began its attack on the enemy's 
 centre. Here the resistance was more feeble, and, bursting 
 through the enemy's lines, the British drove them before 
 them in headlong flight. Then, turning, they swept along 
 the line of intrenchments, carrying all before them until 
 they effected a junction with the other column, which was 
 advancing to meet them. They then drove the Burmese 
 from every part of their works into the jungle, leaving the 
 ground behind them covered with dead and wounded. 
 Except at the point first attacked by Major Walker, the 
 resistance of the Burmese was very feeble, and the British 
 loss inconsiderable, and a large number of guns, intrench- 
 ing tools, and muskets fell into the hands of the victors. 
 The next day Bandoola rallied the troops that had been 
 driven from the plain, and gathered the greatest part of his 
 force in the forest round the pagoda, where they continued 
 to push forward their works with unabated energy. 
 
 The British had a day of rest given them, and on the 
 7th prepared to attack the enemy at this point. Four 
 columns of attack were formed, composed of detachments 
 drawn from all the corps of the army. In the morning a 
 heavy cannonade was opened upon the jungle, the artillery 
 being assisted by several heavy guns, which had with great 
 labour been brought up by the sailors from the ships to the 
 pagoda. The enemy returned it with a steady fire of light 
 artillery, jingals, and musketry. "While the firing was still 
 going on the four columns were already in motion; one had 
 
170 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 entered the jungle on the enemy's left, and another on the 
 right. One of the central columns advanced from the foot 
 of the pagoda hill, while the 38th Eegiment descended the 
 stairs from the north gate, and advanced, one wing on each 
 side of the tank, against the enemy's intrenchments on the 
 high ground. As the four columns approached the enemy 
 our artillery fire ceased. The Burmese appeared for a 
 moment bewildered at the sight of their foes advancing 
 against them from so many directions, but they soon opened 
 a very heavy fire upon the assailants, and kept it up with 
 undiminished steadiness until our troops, advancing at the 
 charge, dashed into their intrenchments, and drove them 
 headlong before them into the thick forest behind, where 
 pursuit, which would at any time have been difficult, was 
 now impossible, the troops, exhausted by their seven days' 
 and nights' watching, being wholly incapable of following 
 their active and lightly-armed enemies. 
 
 There now remained but the force at Dalla to cope with, 
 and in the evening a force composed of the 89th and 43rd 
 Madras Infantry, under Colonel Parlby, embarked in boats. 
 The night was dark, and the troops crossed unobserved. 
 The alarm was not given until the British actually entered 
 the intrenchments and opened fire upon the enemy, who 
 were sitting, unsuspicious of danger, round their fires. 
 Scarcely any opposition was encountered, and the whole 
 of the works, with the guns and the stores, were soon in 
 our hands, while the enemy were flying towards the forest. 
 In the actions during these three days the Burmese lost 
 some 5000 men, 240 pieces of artillery of every kind, 
 and a great number of muskets, and vast supplies of am- 
 
VICTORIES. 171 
 
 munition, while the British had but 50 killed and 300 
 wounded. 
 
 Great numbers of Bandoola's men never rejoined the 
 army, and the whole force was dispersed through the coun- 
 try. Bandoola himself was retiring towards Donabew with 
 but a remnant of his army when he met considerable rein- 
 forcements on their way to join him. During his operations 
 he had left a reserve corps at the village of Kokein, four 
 miles from the pagoda, and these had been busily intrench- 
 ing the position, which commanded the road leading from 
 Rangoon to Donabew. The ground was elevated, and on his 
 arrival there Bandoola set his troops, now some 25,000 in 
 number, to aid in the work. In a marvellously short time 
 the heights were completely stockaded with trunks of trees, 
 and with a broad, deep ditch in front. Beyond this were 
 lines of felled trees, their heads pointing outwards and each 
 branch sharpened, forming a very formidable abattis, and, 
 believing this to be impregnable, Bandoola awaited the 
 attack of the British. 
 
 As soon as his army had been dispersed great numbers 
 of deserters and of the inhabitants of the villages poured 
 into Rangoon. With the deserters were mingled a good 
 many of the troops sent in by Bandoola himself with in- 
 structions to fire the town. In order to lull the suspicions 
 of the British he caused a report to be spread that an im- 
 perial commissioner from the court of Ava would arrive in 
 the course of a few days to treat for terms of peace. 
 
 The general, however, determined to attack Bandoola 
 before the commissioner could arrive, as it was evident 
 that better terms could be obtained after the total disper- 
 
172 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 sion of the Burmese, than if their famous general remained, 
 with 25,000 men, in a formidable position close at hand. 
 He was uneasy at the presence of so large a number of 
 natives in the town, and the precautions that had been 
 taken against fire some time before were now redoubled. 
 Were one to break out not only might the whole of the 
 stores collected for the advance of the army be destroyed, 
 but if Bandoola had his force gathered in readiness at the 
 edge of the jungle, he might take advantage of the con- 
 fusion that would be caused by the fire, and rush forward 
 to the attack of the town. Numbers of troops and of sailors 
 from the fleet patrolled the streets in every direction at 
 night, but, in spite of their efforts, a week after the retreat 
 of Bandoola the dreaded cry of fire was raised. 
 
 At a dozen points on the windward side of the town fires 
 had been lighted by incendiaries, and as there was a brisk 
 wind blowing the danger was extreme. The drums beat to 
 arms along the whole of the British lines. Orders had 
 already been issued as to what was to be done in such an 
 emergency, and while a portion of the troops lined the 
 trenches, the rest were marched at once to the town and 
 formed up between it and the jungle to repel any attack 
 that might be made there, leaving the troops quartered 
 in the town and the sailors of the fleet to battle with 
 the flames. For a time it seemed as if the whole place 
 would be swept away, but by levelling lines of huts and 
 beating out the flames at the barrier so formed, their pro- 
 gress was at length checked, but not until more than half 
 the town had been destroyed. Fortunately this was the 
 half farthest from the river, and with the exception of the 
 
VICTORIES. 173 
 
 commissariat stores for the supply of the troops of the 
 Madras Presidency, the buildings containing the food, 
 ammunition, and necessaries for the army escaped un- 
 harmed. What had happened once might, however, happen 
 again in spite of all precautions. The general therefore 
 determined to attack Bandoola at once, as, were his force 
 once scattered, the motive for these incendiary fires would 
 cease to operate. 
 
 The difficulties were formidable. One or two light field- 
 pieces could at the most be taken with the column. They 
 would have to march by a narrow and winding foot- 
 path through a thick forest, exposed at any moment to a 
 desperate attack by the enemy. Moreover, it would be 
 necessary to leave a strong force for the defence of Rangoon, 
 as Bandoola would be sure to learn from his spies of the 
 intended movement, and having with him men intimately 
 acquainted with every forest track, could make a rush down 
 upon the town during the absence of so many of its de- 
 fenders. 
 
 The general felt it imperative, however, to attack without 
 delay, and early on the morning of the 15th he moved out 
 with a force of 1500 men against Kokein. They marched 
 without molestation through the forest, and on reaching its 
 confines could see the truly formidable nature of the works 
 that they were to attack. 
 
 The moment they issued from the forest a dropping fire 
 was opened upon them by parties of the enemy in flank 
 and rear, and no time was lost in preparing for the assault. 
 
 The 13th Light Infantry and the 18th Madras with 60 cav- 
 alry, under Brigadier-general Cotton, were ordered to move 
 
174 ON THE IRRAWADDY 
 
 round the stockade and assault it on the left rear, while the 
 rest of the troops, some 800 strong, with 100 cavalry under 
 the general himself, were to attack in front. The enemy's 
 works consisted of a central intrenchment connected Avith 
 two large intrenched stockades on its flank, but somewhat 
 advanced in front of it. As soon as the force under General 
 Cotton had gained its position in the rear of the enemy, a 
 gun was fired, and the whole force moved forward to the 
 assault. The Burmans regarded the attack by so insigni- 
 ficant a force upon their works with such contempt that 
 they did not for some time fire a shot, but continued chant- 
 ing a war-song, swaying themselves to its cadence, stamping 
 and beating time with their hands on their breasts. This 
 delay proved fatal to them. When they opened fire their 
 assailants were already close to the ditch, and leaping down 
 into this were sheltered from the fire of the defenders. 
 Scaling-ladders were speedily placed, and the troops run- 
 ning up them, leaped down into the intrenchment. 
 
 Astounded at this sudden entry into the works they had 
 deemed impregnable, the Burmese hesitated; and the assail- 
 ants being joined by their comrades from behind, rushed 
 impetuously upon the enemy. The column in the rear had 
 greater difficulty, for they had several strong stockades to 
 carry before they reached the central work, and lost four 
 officers, and eight men killed, and forty-nine officers and 
 men wounded, in the 1 3th Regiment alone. Fifteen minutes 
 after the first shot Avas fired the whole of the works were 
 in our possession, and the Burmese, who gathered in a con- 
 fused mass, had been decimated by our volleys. They were 
 now in full flight, many being cut down by the cavalry 
 
VICTORIES. 175 
 
 before they reached the shelter of the woods. The British 
 troops marched back to Eangoon, while the Burmese re- 
 treated to Donabew, leaving strong posts on the two rivers 
 leading in that direction. 
 
 Their retirement left it free to the country people to re- 
 turn to Rangoon, and very large numbers came in, including 
 very many of the villagers who had been forced to fight 
 against us. All had alike suffered from famine and hard- 
 ship, even the women had been compelled to labour in the 
 work of stockading, and the sufferings of all had been 
 terrible. The work of rebuilding the town began at once, 
 and the wooden huts sprang up with great rapidity; markets 
 were opened, and in a short time supplies of fish, fruit, game, 
 and vegetables poured in, sufficient not only for the native 
 population, but to effect a most welcome change in the 
 diet of the troops. As most of the natives were accustomed 
 to the construction and management of boats, the work of 
 preparing the flotilla, by which the troops were to proceed 
 up the rivers, went on rapidly, and numbers of men were 
 hired as servants and drivers for the commissariat, with 
 which the force was very insufficiently supplied, as the natives 
 of India of that class for the most part refused, on account 
 of their caste prejudices, to engage themselves for service 
 across the sea. Reinforcements arrived, and Rangoon, 
 which but six weeks before presented a miserable and 
 deserted appearance, was towards the beginning of January 
 a cheerful and bustling town. 
 
 Preparations were being made in other quarters to assume 
 the offensive. Some 3000 men were driving the Burmese 
 out of Assam, and a force 7000 strong was marching from 
 
176 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 Sylhet to expel them from Cachar and capture Manipur, 
 while 11,000 men were assembled at Chittagong, and were 
 advancing into Aracan with the intention of driving the 
 Burmese from that province, and they meant if possible to 
 cross the mountains and effect a junction with Sir Archibald 
 Campbell's force. The first part of the operations were con- 
 ducted with complete success, and Aracan wrested from 
 Burma, but it was found impossible to perform the terrible 
 journey across mountain and swamp or to afford any aid 
 to the main expedition. 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 THE ADVANCE. 
 
 WHILE the preparations for the advance were being 
 made, the general's aides-de-camp had been kept at 
 work from morning until night. There were constant 
 communications between the military and naval authorities, 
 for the expedition was to be a mixed one. Transports were 
 daily arriving with troops and stores, innumerable matters 
 connected with the organization, both of the land and water 
 transport required to be arranged, and the general himself 
 was indefatigable in superintending every detail of the 
 work. It had been settled that the advance could not take 
 place until the second week in February, as the roads would 
 be impassable until that time, and the 11th was fixed for 
 the commencement of operations. 
 
 Upon the day after his arrival at Rangoon, Stanley had 
 written a letter to his uncle, giving him a brief account of 
 
THE ADVANCE. 177 
 
 his adventures, and stating that he had been appointed one 
 of the general's aides-de-camp. He said that he should of 
 course be guided by his uncle's wishes, but that now that 
 he had entered on the campaign as an officer, he should cer- 
 tainly like to remain till the end, when he would at once 
 resign his commission and rejoin him. 
 
 He sent this to his uncle's agent at Calcutta, but received 
 no answer until the end of December. After expressing his 
 delight at hearing that Stanley had not, as he had supposed, 
 been killed at Ramoo, but was now safe and well in the 
 British camp, he went on: 
 
 " I only received your letter this morning, for I have been 
 moving about from point to point, and owing to the falling 
 off of trade, had no occasion to go to Calcutta until now, 
 and was indeed astounded at finding your letter lying for 
 me here, as they had not forwarded it, having no idea 
 where I was, and knowing that the chance of any letter 
 sent on reaching me was extremely small. By all means, 
 lad, stop where you are; trade is improving again, for now 
 that Bandoola's army has marched away from Ramoo, the 
 scare among the natives has pretty well subsided. Still, I 
 can manage very well without you, and it will certainly be 
 a great advantage to you to serve for a year in the army; 
 and to have been one of Campbell's aides-de-camp will be a 
 feather in your cap, and will give you a good position at 
 all the military stations. I am very glad now that I ab- 
 stained from writing to your mother after the battle at 
 Ramoo. I thought it over and over, and concluded that it 
 was just as well to leave the matter alone for a time; not 
 
 (M266) M 
 
178 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 that I had the slightest idea, or even a hope, that you were 
 alive, but because I thought that the cessation of letters 
 from you would to some extent prepare her mind for the 
 blow when it came. 
 
 " It would be very improbable that she would see the 
 gazette with the list of killed and wounded at Eamoo, and 
 even if she did so, she would not associate the death of 
 Ensign Brooke in any way with you. When we have been 
 trading up country, there have been, once or twice, no means 
 of sending off a letter for a couple of months, and there- 
 fore she could not have begun to feel seriously anxious 
 about you before she received your letter from Rangoon. 
 
 "Every one says that you will not be able to advance until 
 February, so that no doubt this letter will reach you long 
 before you leave. I hear the losses have been very heavy 
 from fever, but I am not anxious about you on that score, 
 for I think that you are thoroughly acclimatized. I am 
 trying to get a contract for the supply of a couple of thou- 
 sand bullocks for the use of the army, and as I know all the 
 country so well, from Chittagong to Sjdhet, and can buy 
 below Indian prices, I think that I shall not only get the 
 contract, but make a very good thing of it, and it may lead 
 to other matters." 
 
 After this, Stanley was hardly surprised when in the 
 last week of January his uncle walked into his quarters. 
 After the first pleasure of meeting was over, Stanley 
 said: 
 
 " I suppose you have got the contract, uncle T' 
 
 " I have, lad. I have come down from Ramgur with six 
 
THE ADVANCE. 179 
 
 dhows packer! full. I have brought a thousand head down, 
 and directly I land them am going back for the remainder, 
 which will be ready for me by the time I get there. I have 
 got hold of an uncommonly good fellow. He was established 
 as a small trader at Chittagong. His business was ruined 
 there, and he was glad to accept my offer of a berth, and 
 he has turned out a very energetic and pushing fellow; 
 he will come down with the next consignment. I myself 
 am going to work my way up along the edge of the 
 Tipperah forest, and shall pick up another thousand head 
 by the time that I get to the Goomtee, and shall send them 
 by water up to Sylhet, and then go up by land, picking up 
 more on the way. I have a contract fcr five thousand, to 
 be sent in, a thousand a month, for the force that is to 
 move against Manipur, while Johnson is to send another 
 two thousand down here, so you see for the present the 
 store business can wait. It is a good line that I have got 
 into; I shall make a big profit out of it, and have hopes 
 that it will be to some extent permanent, for I can get 
 the cattle so cheap in the interior, on the rivers we know, 
 that I can ship them to Calcutta at lower terms than they 
 can buy them in India, and I was as much as told that if 
 I carried out my present contracts satisfactorily I should 
 get the supply of the troops there. Of course, that would 
 not be a very great thing of itself, but as I could work it 
 without trouble in connection with my own business, it 
 would make a handsome addition to the profits." 
 
 "But how about money, uncle 1 " 
 
 " That is all right, lad. I had no difficulty whatever in 
 getting an advance at Calcutta on the strength of my con- 
 
180 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 tract and upon the guarantee of my agents, so that I am all 
 right in that respect." 
 
 "I asked, uncle, because I can let you have eighteen 
 hundred pounds if you want them." 
 
 Tom Pearson looked at him in astonishment: 
 
 " Why, what on earth have you been doing — robbing the 
 treasury of the king of Ava 1 ?" 
 
 "No, uncle. I had a bag of gems given me by some 
 Burmese bandits. When I got down here I took a few of 
 them to a merchant. He advanced fifteen hundred rupees 
 on them, and sent them to Burragee, the jeweller at Madras, 
 and six weeks afterwards he paid me another three thousand 
 five hundred. I sent up another batch, and last week I got 
 an order from the jewellers for fifteen hundred pounds, so 
 that I have more than eighteen hundred in hand now, and 
 I don't think that I have sent more than a third of the 
 gems away." 
 
 "Well, that is a piece of luck, Stanley! Why on earth 
 did the brigands give you the gems'?" 
 
 " Well, uncle, they are things that, from what they told 
 me, there is great difficulty and risk in trying to dispose of. 
 They are a royal monopoly, and nobody dare buy them; or 
 if they do will give next to nothing for them, because of the 
 risk of the transaction, and because they know that the 
 vendors are in a fix and must sell. Besides, there is a 
 strong chance of their handing over anyone who offers such 
 things to the authorities. That was one reason why they 
 gave them to me. Then, too, they had made a good haul of 
 merchandise which was to them a great deal more valuable, 
 as there was no difficulty in disposing of it. Lastly, they 
 
THE ADVANCE. 181 
 
 had taken a fancy to me because I saved one of their com- 
 rades' life — the man who showed you up here." 
 
 "Well, lad, you shall tell me all about it this evening. 
 I must be going down to the commissariat yard to arrange 
 the landing of my beasts. I came straight to see you 
 directly I landed. We dropped anchor here at daybreak." 
 
 " I will go with you, uncle. I will run in and see the 
 chief first and get leave off for the day. I have earned a 
 holiday, for I have been at work pretty well morning, noon, 
 and night for the last two months. You see I have not 
 only the duties of aide-de-camp, but of interpreter, and 
 have helped both the quartermaster's department and the 
 commissariat in making their arrangements with the natives. 
 I daresay I shall be able to help to hurry your business on 
 quicker than you would be able to get it done alone." 
 
 The general at once granted Stanley leave, and he went 
 with his uncle down to the commissariat office and in- 
 troduced him to the senior officer. 
 
 " We shall be glad to do all in our power to help you, 
 Mr. Pearson," the officer said. "We have been expecting 
 your arrival for the last week. Of course, we heard from 
 Calcutta that you had the contract for two thousand head; 
 at least half of these were to be delivered by the tenth of 
 February. We were getting rather anxious about it. The 
 force will probably want to start before that time, and we 
 shall have to victual both the land and water columns. Of 
 course, I did not know that you were a relation of Mr. 
 Brooke, or I should have mentioned to him that you were 
 likely to come." 
 
 " I should like to get off as soon as possible," Tom Pearson 
 
182 ON THE JRRAWADDY. 
 
 said; "for by the time that I get back to Ramgur the rest 
 of the cattle will be in readiness for me." 
 
 " I will write you an order for four large boats at once. 
 If you had come three weeks sooner you might have been 
 kept waiting some days; but such a number of native craft 
 have of late come down the rivers that we are enabled to get 
 sufficient for our work." 
 
 The officer gave him a note to the one in charge of the 
 landing arrangements. 
 
 "It is lucky that you have come just at this moment," 
 the latter said. " We have just made our last trip with the 
 baggage of the 47th, and I have six boats disengaged. You 
 may as well take them all." 
 
 The craft in question were some of those that had been 
 captured — unwieldy craft, that took fish and salt up the 
 river. They were almost as large as the dhows in which 
 the cattle had been brought down, but drew very much less 
 water. They were towed off to the dhows, one by one, by 
 two captured war-canoes, each having thirty rowers. One 
 was taken to each dhow, and the work of transhipping the 
 cattle began at once. These were in good condition, for 
 although closely packed they had been well supplied with 
 food and water on the way down, and a herdsman with 
 four men under him had been sent in each boat to take care 
 of them, as Tom Pearson was very anxious that his first 
 consignment should be reported upon favourably. The 
 animals were all landed in the course of the afternoon, and 
 with the acknowledgment of their receipt in excellent order, 
 in his pocket, the contractor went off again with Stanley to 
 his own dhow. 
 
THE ADVANCE. 183 
 
 " I have told them to have everything in readiness to 
 drop down the river with the tide to-morrow morning. It 
 will turn just about sunrise. That is a rare bit of business, 
 Stanley; and I doubt if a contractor ever got his work 
 through so quickly before. Of course it is principally 
 due to you; they would never have pushed things through 
 so quickly had you not gone with me. I thought that 
 very likely I might be detained here a week before I could 
 get all the cattle on shore — and by that time, if all goes 
 well, I shall be at Ramgur again. Now we can have a 
 comfortable evening's talk, which is very much better than 
 my going to dine with you at mess, for there is a great deal 
 to hear about, and I dare say that I can give you as good a 
 dinner as we should have had on shore." 
 
 "A good deal better," Stanley said. "Things have im- 
 proved immensely during the last month, still our mess cook 
 is certainly not so good as your man; and, at any rate, the 
 quiet of your cabin makes a very pleasant change after 
 always sitting down with a large party." 
 
 After dinner was over, Stanley gave a full account of his 
 adventures from the time that he was taken prisoner. 
 
 "You have done wonderfully well for yourself, lad, 
 wonderfully well. Certainly when you picked up Burmese 
 from my man we had no idea that it was ever likely to turn 
 out so useful. I thought that it would have been an assis- 
 tance among the Mugs on the coast, and I had, too, some 
 idea that the war might lead to the opening of a trade up 
 the Irrawaddy; but it has turned out infinitely more useful 
 than that. If you could not have spoken Burmese Bandoola 
 would never have thought of asking for you to be spared as 
 
184 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 an interpreter, and if he had not done so you would have 
 had your head chopped off at Ava. Of course that leopard 
 business was the turning-point of your fortunes; but, though 
 it has turned out so well, I must say that I hardly think 
 that you were justified in risking your life in such a des- 
 perate act for a native, who might, for aught you know, be 
 already dead. Of course, it was a most gallant action, but 
 the betting was ten to one against your succeeding. How- 
 ever, as it turned out, it was a fortunate business altogether. 
 I don't say that you might not have made your way down 
 to Rangoon unaided, but the odds would have been very 
 heavily against it. However, these rubies were a windfall 
 indeed." 
 
 " Will you take the rest of them, uncle, and sell them at 
 Calcutta— or shall I send them to Madras, or home tc 
 England?" 
 
 "I will take them with me to Calcutta if you like, 
 Stanley. I don't say that there are better men there than 
 the one you sent to at Madras, but I think some of them 
 do a larger business up country with the native princes, 
 who don't care what they give for good gems. At any rate 
 I will take them there and get them valued by an expert, 
 and then try two or three of the leading firms and get their 
 offers. If these are as high as the value put on them by 
 the expert, I would send them to England through my 
 agents, who would do the best they could for you." 
 
 "For us, uncle. Of course it is all in the partnership 
 business. You have just got some contracts that will pay 
 well, and while you have been doing that I have been 
 getting hold of these rubies.' 
 
THE ADVANCE. 185 
 
 " I don't think that that is fair, Stanley," his uncle said 
 gravely. 
 
 " It seems to me perfectly fair ; and, besides, the money 
 put into the business will make a lot of difference, and will 
 certainly pay me a great deal better than it would in any 
 other way. I sent home £100 for my mother directly the 
 money came from Calcutta, and told her that I hoped to be 
 able to send home at least as much every year." 
 
 "A good deal more, lad, if you like. I calculate these 
 contracts that I have got will bring in a pound a head, so 
 that by the time that the war is over I hope to have cleared 
 £8000, which will be about what you will make by your 
 rubies, and when trade begins again we shall be in a posi- 
 tion to do it on a big scale; but I still think that it will not 
 be fair to take that money." 
 
 " Well, uncle, if you won't take it I certainly won't have 
 anything to do with the money that you make while I am 
 away, so please don't let us say anything more about it. 
 Shall I give you that eighteen hundred now, or will you 
 have an order upon the paymaster in Calcutta?" 
 
 " That would be the best way, if you will have it so, lad. 
 I have left money with Johnson at Eamgur for the next 
 herd that is to come down here, and have orders from my 
 agent on their agents at Dalla for those that I am going to 
 buy for the Manipur column, so I don't want the money 
 now, and suppose the dhow were to be lost going up, the 
 cash might go with it. So do you get the order; you had 
 better send it straight to Bothron, and tell him to collect it 
 and credit it to my account. How long do you think that 
 this business is going to last?" 
 
186 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 " It depends how far we have to go before the Burmese 
 decide that they have had enough of it. At present the 
 general hope is that as soon as we arrive at Prome they 
 will give in; if they don't we may have to go up to Ava, 
 and in that case we may not finish it until this time next 
 year, for I suppose operations will have to come to a stop 
 when the wet season begins again, and we could hardly 
 reach Ava before that." 
 
 "I expect some day we shall have to take the whole country, 
 Stanley. You may frighten the court into submission when 
 you approach the capital, but I fancy they will never keep to 
 the terms that we shall insist upon, and that there will have 
 to be another expedition. That is generally our way — it 
 was so at Mysore, it has been so in a dozen other places; 
 when we have done all the work and have got them at our 
 mercy we give them comparatively easy terms. As soon 
 as they recover from the effects of their defeat they set to 
 work again to prepare for another tussle, and then we have 
 all the expense and loss of life to incur again, and then end 
 by annexing their territory, which we might just as well 
 have done in the first place. It may be all very well to be 
 lenient when one is dealing with a European enemy, but 
 magnanimity does not pay when you have to do with 
 Orientals, who don't care a rap for treaty engagements, and 
 who always regard concessions as being simply a proof of 
 weakness. There would not be half the difficulty in annex- 
 ing Burma that there would be in the case of a large province 
 in India, for all the towns, and most even of their villages, 
 lie on rivers, and a couple of dozen gun-boats would suffice 
 to keep the whole country in order. You will see that that 
 
THE ADVANCE. 187 
 
 is what we shall have to do some day, but it will cost us 
 two or three expeditions to do what might just as well be 
 done now." 
 
 " Well, uncle, it is nearly twelve o'clock, and as I shall be 
 on duty at six, I think I had better be going. I wish that 
 you could have stayed for another two or three days, and 
 paid a visit to the pagoda and camps. I am very glad that 
 I have had a sight of you again, though it's a very short 
 one." 
 
 " I should be glad to stay another day or two, Stanley, 
 but it is really of importance for me to get down to Eamgur 
 as soon as I can, and send Johnson off with the cattle, for 
 I want to set about buying the herds for the other column 
 as quickly as possible. I think I have left myself a fair 
 margin of time, but there is nothing like promptitude in 
 delivery, and I want to get a good name, for future business ; 
 and if this affair here is going to last another twelvemonth, 
 regular supplies must be sent up, for as beef is forbidden by 
 the Burmese religion, they keep no cattle except for draught 
 purposes, and the army must get their bullocks by sea." 
 
 Five minutes later Stanley was rowed ashore. The next 
 morning he accompanied the general, and went down to 
 inspect the newly-arrived cattle. 
 
 "They are a capital lot," he said to Stanley; "decidedly 
 the best that we have had yet. You see it is a good deal 
 shorter voyage from Eamgur than from either Calcutta or 
 Madras, and the animals probably had a much shorter land 
 journey before they were shipped. Then, too, as your uncle 
 came down himself, they were no doubt much better looked 
 after than usual on the voyage. However, I will take care 
 
188 ON THE IRRAVVADDY. 
 
 to mention when I write next to Calcutta that the cattle are 
 far above the average, and I shall be glad if they will arrange 
 for such further supplies as we may require, from the same 
 source." 
 
 "Thank you, sir; that will be a great help to my uncle. 
 Hitherto he has had very uphill work of it, though he was 
 beginning to get on very well when the war put a stop to 
 trade ; he knows the whole country so thoroughly that he can 
 certainly buy up cattle at many places where no European 
 trader save himself has ever penetrated." 
 
 "No doubt, Brooke; and I hope for your sake that he 
 will succeed well in this contracting business. He has cer- 
 tainly made an excellent start, and as he is first in the field 
 in the country between Assam and Ramgur he ought to 
 make a good thing of this opportunity that has fallen in his 
 way. I know that it takes a long time to build up a busi- 
 ness, but when the foundation is laid, and a man is quick 
 in taking advantage of an opportunity, he can do as much 
 in a year as he might do in twenty without it. Now, I am 
 going over to the lines of the 47th, to see how they have 
 shaken down into them." 
 
 This regiment had brought out tents, for, as every build- 
 ing was already occupied, it was necessary that they should 
 be put under canvas. The general found that everything 
 was arranged in order, and the encampment certainly pre- 
 sented a pleasing contrast to the irregular and often 
 crowded quarters of the troops who had passed the wet 
 season there. The colonel and three of his officers dined 
 with the general that evening, the party being made up of 
 the military staff, including the two aides-de-camp. Two 
 
THE ADVANCE. 189 
 
 days later, Stanley, with some of the other members of the 
 staff, dined at the 47th mess. Stanley was introduced to 
 several of the officers, and these were specially desirous of 
 making his acquaintance, as they had learned that he had 
 been a prisoner at Ava, and could therefore tell them much 
 more than they had hitherto learned of the country into 
 which they were about to advance. Among them was a 
 young lieutenant, also of the name of Brooke. Stanley had 
 three weeks before attained the same rank; at the time 
 that he was appointed to the 83rd there were already 
 several death vacancies in the regiment, and disease and 
 fighting had carried off six more officers, the whole of the 
 ensigns had consequently obtained their step. At dinner 
 he found himself placed next to his namesake. 
 
 "It is curious our having the same name," the other re- 
 marked as he sat down. "It is not a very common one." 
 
 "No, I have not met anyone of the same name before," 
 Stanley said. " Indeed, until the affair at Ramoo I was 
 nearly three years trading with an uncle of mine up the 
 rivers, and was not much in the way of falling in with white 
 men. But, before that, I had been with my father in a 
 good many stations in India, but I do not, as far as I can 
 remember, recollect meeting anyone of the same name." 
 " Then your father was in the service too?" 
 "Yes. He was a captain in the 15th Native Infantry." 
 "Indeed," the other said in surprise. "Then we are 
 connections. But I had no idea that Captain Brooke was 
 ever married." 
 
 " He was married just after he came out to India," 
 Stanley said; "so it is likely enough that you would 
 
190 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 never have heard of it. He died three years ago, and my 
 mother and sisters are now in England. What is the con- 
 nection between us? I have never heard my father speak 
 much of his family." 
 
 "Your father was a cousin of mine — second cousin, I think. 
 I fancy there was some row between your grandfather and 
 the rest of the family. I don't know anything about the 
 right or wrongs of it, for it was of course many years before 
 we were born ; and I never heard of your father's existence 
 until a fortnight before I left England. Then there were 
 some inquiries made about the family owing to various 
 deaths that took place in it. Do you know that your father 
 was related, distantly of course, to the Earl of Netherley?" 
 
 "I do remember his mentioning it once. I know he said 
 that it was a distant connection, and that he knew nothing 
 whatever about the earl or his family." 
 
 "Well, curiously enough, it is not so distant now," the 
 other said. " I was a pretty distant connection of his ; 
 he was childless, and the family generally don't seem to 
 have been prolific. A good many of them died, and the 
 result was, that the year before I left England, an uncle of 
 mine succeeded to the title. He has no son, and my father 
 was his next brother. My father died two years ago, and 
 the result is that, to my astonishment, I found that I Avas 
 next heir to the title. They wanted me to leave the army 
 when my regiment was ordered out to India, but of course 
 I was not going to do that, for my aunt may die and my 
 uncle marry again and have children. Besides, I was not 
 going to leave anyhow just as the regiment was ordered 
 abroad and might see service. However, there was a great 
 
THE ADVANCE. 191 
 
 hunting by the lawyers in the genealogical tree, and I 
 know it was decided that in case anything happened to 
 me your father would have been the next heir had he 
 been alive. I don't know whether any further inquiries 
 were made, or whether they ever ascertained that he had 
 married. I don't suppose there were, for of course as long 
 as I live the matter is of no importance. So that as things 
 stand now, if a Burmese bullet puts an end to my career 
 you are the next heir to the title." 
 
 "You surprise me, indeed," Stanley said. "From the 
 way my father spoke of the matter I am sure that he had 
 not the slightest idea there was any likelihood whatever 
 that he would have any chance of succeeding to the title." 
 
 " That I can well imagine, for it was not until a few years 
 ago, when the deaths of several who stood between him and 
 the succession occurred, that my uncle regarded his coming 
 into it as a matter worth thinking about, and of course all 
 our family stood between it and your father. However, as 
 you see, we have dwindled away, and if I do not get safely 
 through this business you are the next heir." 
 
 "It is curious news to hear at a dinner in Burma," Stanley 
 said thoughtfully. " At any rate, I can assure you honestly 
 that the news gives me no particular satisfaction. I suppose 
 it would be a nice thing to come in for a peerage, but my 
 prospects out here are good. I have no intention of staying 
 in the army after the end of the war, and am really in 
 partnership with my uncle, with whom I have been for the 
 last three years in business, which is turning out very well. 
 I like the life, and have every chance of making enough to 
 retire on, with ample means. Certainly I should not like 
 
192 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 to come into the title by the death of anyone that I 
 knew." 
 
 " That is the fortune of war," the other said smiling. 
 " We get our steps by death vacancies. We are sorry for 
 the deaths, but the steps are not unwelcome. By the way, 
 my name is Harry. I know that yours is Stanley. I vote 
 that we call each other by them. We are cousins, you 
 know, and I suppose that as you are my heir, you must be 
 my nearest male relation at present, so I vote that we call 
 each other by our Christian names instead of Brookeing 
 each other always." 
 
 "I shall be very glad to do so," Stanley said cordially. 
 " I hope that we shall be close friends as well as distant 
 relations." 
 
 Then, as there was a momentary lull in the conversa- 
 tion, Harry raised his voice and said to the colonel: 
 
 " A very curious thing has just happened, colonel. Brooke 
 and myself have just discovered that we are cousins, and 
 what is still more curious, that if anything happens to me 
 he takes my place as next heir to my uncle, a fact of which 
 he was entirely ignorant." 
 
 " That is certainly a very curious coincidence, Brooke; 
 very singular. Then you have not met before 1 ?" 
 
 "I did not even know of his existence, colonel, and had 
 indeed no idea that Captain Brooke, his father, had been 
 married. The cousinship is a distant one, but there is no 
 question whatever as to his being next in succession to my- 
 self to the peerage." 
 
 The discovery excited general interest, and quite turned 
 the conversation for the time from the subject of the war 
 
THE ADVANCE. 193 
 
 and of their approaching advance. After dinner was 
 finished many of the officers gathered round Stanley 
 asking him questions about the nature of the country, and 
 his experiences as a captive in the hands of the Burmese. 
 Presently Colonel Adair, who had also dined at the mess, 
 joined the group. 
 
 "I suppose, Mr. Brooke," he said, "your newly-found 
 cousin has told you about his adventure with the leopard." 
 
 "No, colonel, he has not said anything about a leopard." 
 
 "He is grievously afflicted with modesty," the colonel 
 went on, "and so I will tell it for him, for I think you 
 ought to know that he is not only able to speak half a 
 dozen languages, but that he is capable of doing deeds of 
 exceptional gallantry. You can go and chat with the 
 colonel, Brooke; he is anxious to hear your report as to the 
 country, and I will be your trumpeter here." 
 
 Stanley gladly moved away, and entered into conversa- 
 tion with the colonel of the 47th, while Colonel Adair 
 related his adventures with the leopard to his cousin and 
 the officers standing round. 
 
 "By Jove, that was a plucky thing!" Harry Brooke said 
 admiringly. 
 
 "It was indeed!" the colonel agreed, as similar exclama- 
 tions went round the circle. " I don't think one man in a 
 hundred would have attacked a leopard with no weapon but 
 a knife, except to save the life of a comrade; even then it 
 would be a most desperate action. I have done a good 
 deal of big-game shooting in India, but I am certain that 
 nothing but a strong affection for a comrade in the grasp 
 of a leopard would induce me to risk almost certain death 
 
 ( M 2CG ) N 
 
194 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 in the way your cousin did. We should never have 
 heard of it if we had not got the details from the man he 
 saved, and who has since attached himself to him as a ser- 
 vant, and is the man who, as I daresay he did tell you, 
 served as his companion and guide in making his way down 
 here. At any rate you see, Brooke, your cousin is an un- 
 commonly fine young fellow, and you have reason to be 
 proud of the relationship." 
 
 " I feel so, colonel, and it is really a pleasure to know 
 that, if one does go down, a thoroughly good fellow will 
 benefit by it, instead of some unknown person who might 
 be a very objectionable representative of the family." 
 
 For the next three or four days the bustle of preparations 
 went on, and on the fifth a detachment was sent up with 
 a sloop and gun-boats to attack an advanced position of the 
 enemy on the Lyne river. Although the 3000 Burmese, who 
 were posted in a strong stockade, were supported by thirty- 
 six guns, the works were carried by storm with little loss. 
 The two branches of the Pellang or Bangoon Biver, by 
 which the force were to advance against Donabew, were 
 on the following day reconnoitred for some distance. A 
 number of fire-rafts were destroyed, but the Burmese were 
 too disheartened to offer any resistance. 
 
 To the disappointment of the troops, the general was 
 able to take with him only a limited force, for the diffi- 
 culties of carriage were enormous, and as experience had 
 shown that the country was likely to be deserted and de- 
 vastated on their approach, it was therefore impossible for 
 the bulk of the army to be taken on by land. 
 
 There were other points, however, where the troops left 
 
THE ADVANCE. 195 
 
 behind could be profitably employed; the capture of the 
 important town of Bassein on the main branch of the Irra- 
 waddy would open the river to the passage of our ships, 
 and put an entire stop to the trade of Ava. 
 
 The force told off for the advance against Donabew was 
 divided into two columns. The first, 2400 strong, consisting 
 of the 38th, 41st, and 47th Kegiments, three native battalions, 
 the troop of body-guard, a battery of Bengal horse artillery, 
 and part of the rocket company, was to march by land. 
 The second column, which was to proceed by water, was 
 1169 strong, and it consisted of the 89th Regiment, the 10th 
 Madras Europeans and 250 of the 18th Native Infantry, a 
 body of dismounted artillery, and the rest of the rocket 
 company. 
 
 This force was commanded by Brigadier-general Cotton. 
 It was to be carried in a flotilla of sixty -two boats, each armed 
 with one or two guns, and the boats of all the ships of war at 
 Rangoon under the command of Captain Alexander, R.N. 
 Major Sale was, at the same time, to advance against 
 Bassein with 600 men of the 13th Regiment and the 12th 
 Madras Native Infantry, with some artillery. After occu- 
 pying the town he was to cross the country lying between 
 the two main arms of the Irrawaddy, and to join the 
 general's force near Donabew. The rest of the force — 
 nearly 4000 men, chiefly native regiments and Europeans 
 who had not as yet recovered sufficient strength to take part 
 in field operations — was to remain at Rangoon, under 
 Brigadier-general M'Creigh, who was to form a reserve 
 column, in readiness to move as directed as soon as suffi- 
 cient transport was collected 
 
196 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 It was to the water force that the capture of Donabew 
 was intrusted, as it lay upon the opposite bank of the 
 Irrawaddy, while the general's force was directed against 
 Tharawa, at the junction of the two main branches of the 
 river. Here they were to be joined by General Cotton's 
 force after the capture of Donabew; then, unless the court 
 of Ava sued for peace, a united advance was to be made on 
 the important town of Prome. 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 DONABEW. 
 
 STANLEY BROOKE did not accompany the land column, 
 as the general said to him two days before, " I have been 
 speaking with General Cotton, and he said that he should 
 be glad if I would attach you to his staff until the force 
 unites again. Not one of his staff officers speaks Burmese, 
 and although he has two or three interpreters with him, it 
 will be better, if Bandoola sends in an officer offering to 
 surrender, that he should be met by a British officer. In 
 the next place, it may be necessary for him to communicate 
 with me, and assuredly, with your experience of the country, 
 you would be able to get through better than any one else. 
 I do not apprehend that there would be any great clanger, 
 for we know that every available fighting man has been 
 impressed by Bandoola, and the passage of our column will 
 completely cow the villagers tying between us and the 
 river. I suppose," he said with a smile, " that you have 
 
DONABEW. 197 
 
 no objection, since it will save you a long, and, I have no 
 doubt, a very unpleasant march, and you will also obtain 
 a view of the affairs at the stockades at Pellang and 
 Donabew." 
 
 The land column started on the 13th of February, the 
 water column on the 16th, and the detachment for Bassein 
 sailed on the following day. Stanley was delighted at being 
 appointed to accompany the boat column. The march 
 through the country would present no novelty to him, and 
 it was probable that the land column would encounter no 
 serious resistance until, after being joined by General 
 Cotton's force, it advanced against Prome. His horses 
 went with those of General Cotton and his staff, under 
 charge of the syce and Meinik. The one steam-boat kept 
 at the start in rear of the great flotilla of boats, so that in 
 case of any of them striking on a sand-bank, it could at once 
 move to her assistance and pull her off. 
 
 The scene was a very bright one, as in all upwards of a 
 hundred craft of various sizes proceeded together. In front 
 were half a dozen gun-boats, next to these came the two 
 sloops of war, followed by the rest of the boats, proceeding 
 in irregular order. There was very little stream, for the 
 rivers were now quite low, and although the flat country 
 was still little more than a swamp, the rains in the hills 
 that supplied the main body of water to them had long since 
 ceased. The ships' boats were, of course, rowed by the blue- 
 jackets. The other craft were, for the most part, manned 
 by natives, though the soldiers on board occasionally lent a 
 hand. Two days after starting the boats destroyed three 
 newly-erected stockades that were found unoccupied, and 
 
198 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 on the 19th reached Pellang, where three very strong 
 stockades had been erected. A battery was thrown up 
 next day, from which, as well as from the steam-boat and 
 sloops of war, shells were thrown into the stockade with 
 such effect that two of the enemy's works were evacuated 
 as soon as the troops took the offensive, and the main Pellang 
 stockade was also abandoned without resistance. The two 
 smaller works were destroyed, and a portion of the 18th 
 Madras Infantry was left here to maintain communication 
 with Rangoon. 
 
 On the 27th the flotilla entered the main stream, and the 
 next day the advance came in sight of Donabew. It was 
 another five daj's before the whole force was in position, 
 for several of the most heavily laden craft stuck fast on 
 the sand-banks at the fork of the river. The next day 
 Donabew was summoned to surrender. Bandoola, who 
 was at the head of 15,000 men, returned a refusal which 
 was given in courteous terms, differing very widely from 
 the haughty and peremptory language in which all previous 
 communications had been couched. The next day a party 
 of the 89th landed on the low-lying ground between the 
 main stockade and the river, and, in spite of the heavy fire, 
 succeeded in ascertaining the strength and nature of the 
 defences. The main work was in the form of a parallelo- 
 gram, about a mile long, and stood on ground rising above 
 the general level, and fifty pieces of cannon of various 
 sizes were in position on the river face. Two outworks, 
 constructed of square beams of timber, with an outer ditch, 
 and a thick abbatis, defended the southern face against 
 an attack from an enemy landing below it. It was neces- 
 
DONABEW. 199 
 
 sary to leave a strong guard on board the flotilla, lest an 
 attack should be made by war-canoes and fire-rafts; the 
 general, therefore, had not more than 600 men available for 
 the assault. 
 
 As the enemjr's guns completely commanded the river, it 
 was necessary to land below it, and on the morning of the 
 7th the troops were disembarked, with two six-pounder guns 
 and a rocket detachment. Forming in two columns they 
 advanced against the lower of the two covering stockades, 
 and after an exchange of fire with the enemy rushed 
 forward and forced an entrance into it, although the enemy 
 resisted with more resolution than they had for some time 
 shown. 280 prisoners were taken, and the rest of the 
 defenders fled to the second work. Two more guns and 
 four mortars were landed and placed in position, and after 
 the stockades had been shelled for a short time, a storming 
 party, under Captain Rose, advanced to the assault. So 
 heavy a fire was opened upon them that the little column 
 was brought to a stand-still and forced to fall back, with the 
 loss of its commander and of Captain Cannon of the 89th, 
 while most of the seamen with the storming-party were 
 either killed or wounded. 
 
 This want of success against a mere outwork showed 
 General Cotton that, with the small force at his disposal, 
 it would be worse than useless to renew the attack, for were 
 the outwork carried the loss would be so great that it 
 would be hopeless to think of attacking Bandoola's main 
 position. He therefore determined to abstain from further 
 attack until reinforced. 
 
 " Now, Mr. Brooke," he said, as soon as the troops had 
 
200 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 been taken on board the boats again, " I must bring your 
 services into requisition. This is just the contingency that 
 we thought might possibly occur. I cannot advance up the 
 river until Donabew is taken, and I cannot attack the place 
 with the force at my command. Therefore I will at once 
 write a despatch to General Campbell for you to carry. 
 You will be accompanied by the two men of the body-guard 
 who have come with me as orderlies. I shall have no use 
 for them here, and three of you together need not fear any 
 molestation from the few people remaining in their villages, 
 and may be able to cut your way through any of the bands 
 of deserters or beaten troops dispersed over the country." 
 
 "Very well, general. I shall also take my Burman on 
 my second charger ; he may be useful in getting news as to 
 roads from the natives, who will as likely as not fly into the 
 jungle when they see us approaching. However, there is 
 not much fear of our losing our way, as it will be along the 
 river as far as Tharawa." 
 
 A boat was at once sent off to the craft carrying the two 
 orderlies, and the horses of the staff". As soon as the 
 despatch was written, Stanley, after shaking hands with 
 his companions, was also rowed to the horse-barge. This 
 was, at a signal of the general, taken in tow by the steamer 
 and piloted to the opposite bank. A boat sounding ahead 
 presently found a spot where there was enough water for 
 the barge to get alongside the bank. The horses were led 
 ashore, and Stanley, the two troopers, and Meinik mounted. 
 
 The Burmese are poor riders, but during the wet season 
 Stanley had often taken Meinik on his spare horse when 
 riding about in the camp, partly because he could trust 
 
DONABEW. 201 
 
 him to look after the horses carefully, and in the second 
 place to accustom him to ride on horseback so as to act, if 
 required, as an orderly. Meinik was cjuite of opinion that 
 there would be no risk whatever in passing through villages, 
 but thought it probable that they might fall in with dis- 
 banded troops, as it was known that the land column had, 
 soon after starting, captured the fort of Mophi, and that 
 its garrison, between two and three thousand strong, had 
 taken to the jungle and dispersed. 
 
 " Still, master," he said, " I don't think it likely that they 
 will attack us. They will be expecting no one, and we 
 shall come upon them by surprise; then they will run into 
 the bushes, thinking that you must have many more troops 
 behind you. No, it is not likely that they will have many 
 guns ; they would throw them away when they fled, partly 
 to run faster through the forest, partly because most of 
 them will be making off to the villages, hoping to lie con- 
 cealed until the war is over; while if they had guns in their 
 hands it would be known that they were deserters, and they 
 might be seized and sent across the river to Bandoola or 
 up to Prome." 
 
 They rode some fifteen miles before dark, and then took 
 up their quarters in a village. The few old men, women, 
 and children inhabiting it fled at their approach; but when 
 Meinik went to the edge of the jungle and shouted out 
 loudly that they need not fear, for that no harm would be 
 done to any of them, and good prices would be given for 
 food, two or three returned, and, finding the statements 
 to be true, one of them went into the jungle again and 
 brought the others back. Fowls and eggs were brought into 
 
202 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 the hut that Stanley occupied, and a good supply of grain 
 for the horses was also purchased. Thus Stanley was able 
 to avoid breaking into the small stock of provisions they had 
 brought with them. The inhabitants of this part of Burma 
 were a tribe known as Carians. They were the tillers of the 
 soil, and were an industrious and hardy race. The country 
 was so rich that they not only raised sufficient for their 
 own wants, but sent large supplies of grain and rice to Ava. 
 They were very heavily taxed, but, as a rule, were exempt 
 from conscription. Nevertheless they had on the present 
 occasion been forced to labour at the stockades, and in 
 transporting food for the troops. 
 
 Their forest villages were small. They consisted of little 
 huts erected either in trees shorn of their branches, or upon 
 very strong poles ; these abodes were only accessible by rough 
 ladders, formed by nailing pieces of wood across the trees 
 or poles. This was absolutely necessary on account of the 
 number of tigers that infested the forest. The village where 
 they had halted was, however, built upon the ground, but 
 was surrounded by a strong stockade. The people assured 
 Stanley that none of the fugitives from Mophi had come 
 that way. 
 
 There had, they said, been many after Bandoola's defeat, 
 but they had seen none of late. They declared that they had 
 far greater fear of these than they had of the English, for 
 that they plundered wherever they went, and if they could 
 not obtain enough to satisfy their expectations, burnt the 
 houses and often killed many of the inhabitants. The 
 villagers volunteered to keep watch all night at the gate of 
 the stockade, although they said that there was no fear of 
 
DONABEW. 203 
 
 anyone approaching, as strangers could not find their way- 
 through the forest in the dark; and even could they do so 
 the fear of tigers Avould prevent them from making the 
 attempt. Stanley agreed to pay some of them to watch, 
 but also stationed one of his own men as sentry, relieving 
 him every three hours. An hour after they reached the 
 village they saw one of the war-boats rowing rapidly up the 
 stream, and had no doubt that it was bearing a message 
 from Bandoola, saying that he had repulsed the attack of 
 the British. Beyond hearing the howling of tigers in the 
 forest Stanley passed the night undisturbed, except when 
 he went to change the sentry; Meinik took his share of 
 watching, and Stanley himself relieved him an hour before 
 daybreak. 
 
 By the time the sun rose the horses had been fed and 
 breakfast taken. After riding some miles the country 
 became more open; cultivated fields succeeded the dense 
 forest; the ground was higher, and little groups of huts 
 could be seen wherever a small elevation rose above the 
 general level. The change was very welcome, for they 
 were able to travel faster, and there was less chance of 
 their coming suddenly upon a party of the disbanded troops. 
 Presently, just as they reached a larger village than usual 
 by the river bank, a thick smoke arose from one of the 
 houses, and they could hear female screams. 
 
 "Come on!" Stanley shouted to the three men riding 
 behind him. " See that your pistols are ready to hand, and 
 draw your swords." 
 
 This village was not, like the last, stockaded, being some 
 miles away from the forest. As they dashed into it they 
 
204 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 saw some twenty Burmese. Two women lay dead in front 
 of one house, and one of the men with a torch was about 
 to fire another. Absorbed in their own doings the Burmese 
 did not notice the coming of the horsemen until the latter 
 were close to them, then, with a cry of consternation, they 
 turned to fly, but it was too late. Stanley cut down the 
 man who was about to fire the hut, and he and the others 
 then fell upon the Burmans with sword and pistol. Six 
 of them were killed, the rest were pursued, but dashing 
 down to the river they plunged in, pistol shots being sent 
 after them. Stanley remained on the bank until he saw 
 that they had fairly started to cross the river, then he re- 
 entered the village. Two or three frightened people came 
 out from their hiding-places when Meinik shouted to them 
 that all was safe. 
 
 "They have all gone," he said, "you need not fear being 
 disturbed by them again. See, there are six guns lying 
 in the road, and you will find plenty of ammunition on 
 those fellows that have fallen. There are some spears and 
 swords, too. Of course you can do nothing if a number of 
 these fellows come, but if there are only two or three, 
 you and the women ought to be able to dispose of them. 
 Now we must ride on." 
 
 On the third day they arrived at Tharawa, and found 
 that Sir A. Campbell, who had been assured by the natives 
 that Bandoola had retreated, had continued his march the 
 day before. The place was so large that Stanley thought 
 it unsafe for them to sleep there, and they rode on to a 
 little village two miles away. Here they were received 
 with great deference, the passage of the troops the day 
 

 "STANLEY CUT DOWN THE MAN WHO WAS ABOUT TO FIRE 
 THE HUT.' 1 
 
DONABEW. 205 
 
 before having profoundly impressed the villagers. After 
 waiting three hours to rest the horses, they again mounted, 
 and, riding all night, arrived in the morning at Yuadit, a 
 village twenty-six miles from Tharawa, and found the force 
 on the point of starting. 
 
 "No bad news, I hope, Mr. Brooke 1 ?" the general said as 
 he rode up to him. 
 
 " I am sorry to say, sir, that my news is not good. Here 
 is the brigadier's despatch." 
 
 "This is unfortunate indeed," the general said when he 
 had run his eye over the document. " Mr. Tollemache, 
 please to ride along the line and say that the column is not 
 to get into motion until further orders." 
 
 Colonel Adair and the other officers of the staff had been 
 on the point of mounting when Stanley rode up. The 
 general called two or three of the senior officers to him. 
 
 " Cotton can neither take Donabew nor get past it," he 
 said. " Here is his despatch. You see he has lost several 
 officers and a good many men, and that in the assault on an 
 out-lying work only. I am afraid that there is nothing for 
 us to do but go back to his assistance." 
 
 "I am afraid not, sir," Colonel Adair said. "Our sup- 
 plies are running short already, and you see we decided 
 upon filling up all the carts at Tharawa, where we made 
 sure that Ave should be met by the boats. The country 
 round here has been completely stripped, and it would be 
 a very serious matter to endeavour to advance to Prome 
 without supplies. Moreover, we might expect a much more 
 serious resistance than we have bargained for. The news 
 that Bandoola has repulsed his assailants — and you may be 
 
206 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 sure that this has been exaggerated into a great victory — 
 will restore the spirit of the Burmese. It is evident that 
 we must turn back and finish off with Bandoola before we 
 advance further." 
 
 Orders were accordingly sent to the officers commanding 
 the various corps that the column was to retrace its steps, 
 and while they passed through the village, Stanley related 
 in much greater detail than had been given in the despatch, 
 the events of the attack and the nature of the defences at 
 Donabew. 
 
 The troops marched along with a cheerful mien. It was 
 of course an annoyance to have to plod back along the road 
 they had before traversed, but upon the other hand there 
 was a general satisfaction that they were after all to take 
 part in the capture of Bandoola's last stronghold. Colonel 
 Adair rode on with the little troop of cavalry. He was to 
 push forward to Tharawa, and was to offer rewards to the 
 natives there for every boat brought in. There was little 
 doubt that many of the fishermen had hauled up their craft 
 into clumps of bushes and brush-wood to prevent their 
 being requisitioned by Bandoola, and although it was not 
 likely that a large number would now be obtained, yet even 
 if but a dozen were found it would be of assistance. The 
 rest of the force reached Tharawa on the following evening, 
 with the exception of a party left to protect the slow-moving 
 wagons. They found that nine canoes had been obtained, 
 and that a considerable portion of the scanty population had 
 been all day employed in cutting bamboos and timber for 
 rafts. 
 
 The next morning the troops were all engaged on the 
 
DONABEW. 207 
 
 same work, and in the construction of rafts, and at nightfall 
 three hundred men of the -i9th were taken across the river 
 to the town of Henzada, in case Bandoola, on hearing of the 
 preparations for crossing, should send a force to oppose the 
 passage. It took four days' continuous labour to get the 
 little army across, as it was necessary to make large timber 
 rafts to carry the carts, horses and bullocks, guns and 
 stores. Hearing that a force was posted some fifteen miles 
 away to intercept the detachment that was marching from 
 Bassein, Colonel Godwin with a party was sent off that 
 night to endeavour to surprise it. The Burmese, however, 
 took the alarm before they were attacked, and scattered 
 in all directions without firing a shot. The army marched 
 along the right bank, and arrived before Donabew on the 
 25th of March. Communications were opened with General 
 Cotton's force below the town, and both divisions set to 
 work to erect batteries. 
 
 The Burmese made several sorties to interrupt the work, 
 and one of these was accompanied by Bandoola's seventeen 
 elephants. The troop of cavalry, horse artillery, and the 
 rocket company charged close up to the elephants, and 
 opened fire upon the howdahs filled with troops that they 
 carried. In a short time most of these and the drivers 
 were killed, and the elephants, many of which also had 
 received wounds, dashed off into the jungle, Avhile the in- 
 fantry fled back into the stockade, into which a discharge 
 of shells and rockets was maintained all day. The next 
 morning — the 1st of April — the mortar batteries were com- 
 pleted, and these and others armed with light guns kept up 
 a continuous fire into the enemy's camp. At daybreak on 
 
208 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 the 2nd the heavy guns of the breaching batteries also 
 opened fire, and in a very short time the enemy were seen 
 pouring out in the rear of their works and making their 
 way into the jungle. As there had been no idea that they 
 would so speedily evacuate the stockade, no preparations 
 had been made for cutting them off, and the garrison 
 therefore effected their escape with but little loss. 
 
 The troops at once occupied the work, and found large 
 stores of grain and ammunition there as well as a great 
 number of guns. From some of the wounded Burmans it 
 was ascertained that the evacuation of the fort was due 
 to the death of Bandoola, who had been killed by the 
 explosion of a shell while watching the operations from 
 a look-out that had been erected for him at the top of a 
 lofty tree. His death had caused the most profound depres- 
 sion among the garrison; their leaders in vain endeavoured 
 to reanimate their courage, the opening of the fire with 
 the heavy guns completed their discomfiture, and they fled 
 without thought of resistance. Indeed, the greater part 
 had stolen away during the night. 
 
 A portion of the fleet had already passed up beyond the 
 fort under a heavy fire, and the rest now came up. The 
 supplies of grain were renewed, and a guard being left to 
 hold the works, which would now serve as a base, the army 
 again started up the river, the water column proceeding 
 to Tharawa, the land force marching back to Henzada, 
 whence they were carried across the river in the boats. 
 Here the force was joined by the reserve column from 
 Rangoon, consisting of several companies of the Royals and 
 the 28th Native Infantry, with a supply of elephants and 
 
DONABEW. 209 
 
 carriage cattle which had arrived from Calcutta. On the 14th 
 Yuadit was again reached. No opposition whatever was en- 
 countered, indeed the whole country was deserted, the inhabi- 
 tants having been ordered away by the Burmese authorities 
 as soon as the fall of Donabew was known. When within 
 four days' march of Prome, two native officials came in 
 with a communication to the effect that the Burmese were 
 ready to treat for peace. As it was known, however, that 
 reinforcements were on their way down from Ava, it was 
 evident that this Avas merely a pretext to gain time, and the 
 general sent word that when he arrived at Prome he would 
 be ready to open negotiations for peace. 
 
 The country through which the army was now passing 
 was very beautiful. In the far distance on the left the 
 mountains of Aracan could be seen, while on the right the 
 country was undulating, richly cultivated, and broken by 
 clumps of timber, with a background of the range of hills 
 running along near the Pegu River. On the 24th the 
 heights of Prome, eight miles away, were visible, and the 
 flotilla could be seen lying at anchor a short distance below 
 the town. Messengers came out that afternoon to endeavour 
 to induce the general not to enter it, but a reply was sent 
 that this was out of the question, that no harm would 
 befall the inhabitants, and that as soon as he entered, the 
 general would be ready to receive any persons qualified to 
 treat for peace. 
 
 Some hours before daybreak the army marched forward, 
 and by sunrise were close to the town. The position was 
 found to be extremely strong. Every hill commanding the 
 place had been fortified to the very summit, strong stockades 
 
 ( M -206 ) o 
 
210 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 ran in every direction, and it was evident that a great 
 number of men must have been engaged for a long time in 
 attempting to render the place impregnable. 
 
 Not a soldier, however, was to be found. A native of 
 the place presently met them with the news that the gov- 
 ernor and troops had evacuated it, with the exception of a 
 small party who were firing the town. This story was 
 corroborated by wreaths of smoke rising at various points. 
 The troops pressed forward at the top of their speed; on 
 entering the town they found that the native population 
 had all been forced to leave, and piling their arms, they 
 set to work to extinguish the flames, which they did not, 
 however, succeed in doing until nearly half the town was 
 destroyed. Fortunately the fire was checked before it 
 reached the great magazines of grain and other stores for 
 the army. 
 
 The belief that the negotiations had been only pretexts 
 to arrest the advance of the troops against the town until 
 the expected reinforcements arrived was confirmed by the 
 natives, who presently came in from hiding-places where 
 they had taken refuge until their army retired. They said 
 that as soon as the news came of the fall of Donabew, fresh 
 levies were ordered to be collected in every part of Upper 
 Burma, while the whole population of the province had been 
 employed in adding to the defences of the town, which had 
 been already very strongly stockaded. 
 
 It was a disappointment to the force, which had hoped 
 that the occupation of Prome would bring about the sub- 
 mission of the court of Ava, and enable them to be taken 
 down the river in boats, and embark before the rainy season 
 
DON ABE W. 211 
 
 again set in. Nevertheless the prospect of passing that 
 season at Prome was vastly more pleasant than if it had 
 to be spent at Rangoon. They were now inland beyond 
 the point where the rains were continuous. The town was 
 situated on high ground, and the country round was open 
 and healthy. Although for some little distance round the 
 cattle had been driven off and the villages destroyed, it was 
 certain that flying columns would be able to bring in any 
 amount of cattle before the wet season began. 
 
 For a short time it was thought that the occupation of 
 Prome would show the king and court that it was useless to 
 continue the struggle any longer, but these hopes were dissi- 
 pated when it was known that a further levy of 30,000 men 
 had been called out. The court, however, was apparently 
 conscious that its commands would no longer be obeyed 
 with the alacrity before manifested. The early levies had 
 obeyed the call with cheerfulness, believing in their invinci- 
 bility, and confident that they would return home laden 
 with spoil, after driving, without difficulty, the audacious 
 strangers into the sea. Things, however, had not turned 
 out so. The troops that had left Ava in high spirits had 
 been routed with very heavy losses. Their great general, 
 Bandoola, had been killed, and fugitives from the army 
 were scattered over the land, bearing with them reports of 
 the extraordinary fighting powers of these Avhite enemies, 
 and of the hopelessness of attempting to resist them. The 
 consequence was that in issuing the order for the new 
 levy, a bounty of twenty pounds, which to the Burmans 
 was a very large sum, was offered to each man who obeyed 
 the call. 
 
212 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 The first step on the part of the British general was to 
 send proclamations through the country guaranteeing pro- 
 tection to all, and inviting the population to return to their 
 towns and villages. The troops were employed in erecting, 
 with the assistance of as much native labour as could be 
 procured, comfortable huts outside the town, so that the 
 natives on returning should find their homes unoccupied 
 and untouched. It was not long before this excellent policy 
 had its due effect. As soon as those who first returned 
 sent the news to their friends, the fugitives came out from 
 their hiding-places in the forests in great numbers and re- 
 turned to the city. Those whose homes were still stand- 
 ing, settled down in them and resumed their ordinary 
 avocations, just as if their native rulers were still in autho- 
 rity, while those whose houses had been burned set to work, 
 with a cheerfulness characteristic of their race, to re-erect 
 their light wooden dwellings. 
 
 So favourable were the reports spread through the 
 country of our conduct that in a short time the population 
 of Prome was considerably larger than it had been before 
 the advance of our army. Similar results were speedily 
 manifest throughout the whole district below the town. 
 From the great forest that covered more than half of it, the 
 villagers poured out, driving before them herds of cattle, and 
 in two or three months the country that had appeared a 
 desert became filled with an industrious population. Order 
 was established ; the local civil officers were again appointed 
 to their former posts, but their powers of oppression and in- 
 timidation were abrogated by the order that no punishment 
 beyond a short term of imprisonment was to be inflicted on 
 
DONABEW. 213 
 
 any person whatever until the case had been brought before 
 the British authorities, and soon the only fear entertained 
 by the people of the rich district of the lower Irrawaddy 
 was that the British troops would march away and leave 
 them again to the oppression and tyranny of their former 
 masters. 
 
 The markets of Prome were abundantly supplied with 
 food of all sorts, and as everything was liberally paid for 
 any number of bullocks were obtainable; for although the 
 Burmese are forbidden by their religion to kill cattle, and 
 therefore keep them only for draught purposes, they had no 
 objection to our killing them, or indeed to eat the meat 
 when they could obtain it. Labour of all kinds was abun- 
 dant, and great numbers of canoes were constructed for the 
 purpose of bringing up supplies from the villages on the 
 river, and for the advance of the force at the end of the 
 wet season. Until this set in in earnest, small bodies of 
 troops marched through the forests, driving out the bands 
 that infested them and plundered and killed the country 
 people without mercy. The general's aides-de-camp had a 
 busy time of it, being constantly employed in carrying 
 orders to the towns and villages, in hearing complaints, 
 and, in Stanley's case, entering into agreements for the 
 purchase of cattle and grain. 
 
 When in Prome he spent a good deal of his spare time 
 with his cousin, who, having bought a horse, frequently 
 obtained leave to accompany him on his excursions on duty. 
 A warm friendship had sprung up between them. Harry 
 was two years older than Stanley, and had been at Eton up 
 to the time that he entered the army. He was, however, in 
 
214 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 manner no older than his cousin, whose work for the three 
 years previous to the outbreak of the war had rendered him 
 graver and more manly than a life spent among lads of his 
 own age could have done. Meinik always accompanied 
 Stanley wherever he went. He had now, to the latter's 
 quiet amusement, modified his Burmese costume, making it 
 look like that of some of the whites, and indeed he would 
 have passed without notice as one of the Goa-Portuguese 
 mess waiters in his suit of white nankeen. When riding, 
 or on any service away from the headquarters camp, he 
 was dressed in a suit of tough brown khaki which he had 
 obtained from one of the traders at Rangoon. The coat 
 differed but little from that of the suit Stanley had handed 
 over to him except that it was somewhat shorter and with- 
 out the small shoulder cape, and in fact resembled closely 
 the modern regimental tunic. Below he wore knee-breeches 
 of the same material, with putties or long bands of cloth, 
 wound round and round the leg, and which possessed many 
 advantages over gaiters. He still clung to the turban, but 
 instead of being white, it was of the same colour as his 
 clothes, and was much larger than the Burmese turban. 
 
 "Burmese are great fools," he often said to Stanley. 
 "They think they know a great deal; they know nothing 
 at all. They think they are great fighters; they are no 
 good at fighting, for one Englishman beats ten of them. 
 Their government is no good — it keeps everyone very poor 
 and miserable. You come here; you know nothing of the 
 country, and yet you make everyone comfortable. We 
 ride through the villages; we see every one rejoicing that 
 they are governed by the English, and hoping that the 
 
HAERY CARRIED OFF. 215 
 
 English will never go aAvay again. What do you think, 
 sir — will you stay here always? You have had much 
 trouble to take the country; a great many people have 
 been ill; a great many died. Now you have got it, why 
 should you go away again?" 
 
 "It is quite certain that we shall not give it all up, 
 Meinik. It has been, as you say, a troublesome and very 
 expensive business; and the farther the king obliges us to 
 go up before he makes peace the more he will have to pay, 
 either in money or territory. Of course I cannot say what 
 the terms of peace will be; but I should think that very 
 likely we shall hold the country from the sea up to here, 
 with Aracan and a strip along the sea-coast of Tenasserim." 
 
 " That will be good," Meinik said. " I shall never go out- 
 side the English land again. There will be plenty to do, 
 and a great trade on the river; every one will be happy 
 and contented. I should be a fool to go back to Upper 
 Burma, where they would chop off my head if they knew 
 that I had been down to Eangoon when the English were 
 there." 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 HARRY CARRIED OFF. 
 
 EARLY in September Stanley was sent to purchase cattle 
 from some of the villages near the foot of the hills, 
 and at the same time to make inquiries as to the movements 
 of a large band of marauders who had been making raids 
 in that neighbourhood. He had with him four troopers of 
 
216 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 the body-guard ; Harry Brooke accompanied him. Although 
 from the healthier situation of Prome the amount of illness 
 during the wet season did not approach that which had 
 been suffered at Rangoon, a great many men were in hos- 
 pital, and there were many deaths. Harry had had a 
 sharp attack of fever, and as he had now recovered to a 
 certain extent, the medical officer of his regiment strongly 
 recommended that he should have a change; and he there- 
 fore without difficulty obtained his colonel's leave to accom- 
 pany Stanley, as the ground would be much higher than 
 that on the river, and the mere fact of getting away from a 
 camp where so many deaths took place every day would in 
 itself be of great value. 
 
 Stanley's daily journeys were not likely to be long ones, 
 as he had instructions to stop at all villages, and to see how 
 things were going on, and whether the people had any 
 complaints to make of oppression and exaction by their 
 local authorities. 
 
 " It is a tremendous pull your being able to speak the 
 language, Stanley," Harry said. "If it hadn't been for that, 
 you would have been stuck at Prome like the rest of us. 
 Instead of that you are always about, and you look as fresh 
 and healthy as if you were at a hill station in India." 
 
 " Yes, it has been an immense advantage to me in all 
 ways. Of course I should never have got my staff appoint- 
 ment if it had not been for that. By the way, I have not 
 told you that while you were down with the fever the 
 gazette containing the confirmation of my appointment by 
 the general and the notice of my commission, dated on the 
 day of my appointment, came out. I had quite a lump 
 
HARRY CARRIED OFF. 217 
 
 sum to draw, for although I have been paid as interpreter 
 all along, the paymaster made a difficulty about my pay as a 
 subaltern until I was gazetted regularly; so I have quite a 
 large sum coming to me on my pay and allowances. I don't 
 know how you stand for cash, but if you are short at all I 
 can let you have anything that you want." 
 
 " I have got really more than I know what to do with, 
 Stanley. 1 bought an uncommonly good native horse, as 
 you know, six weeks ago, and I am going to ride him for 
 the first time now, but, really, that is almost the first 
 penny that I have spent since we left Eangoon. There is 
 nothing to buy here except food, and of course that is a 
 mess business. I had an idea that this was a rich country, 
 but so far one has seen nothing in the way of rich dress 
 materials, or shawls, or carpets, or jewelry that one could 
 send home as presents. Why, in India I was always being 
 tempted; but here it is certainly the useful rather than the 
 ornamental that meets the eye. 
 
 "I saw some nice things at Ava; but, of course, all the 
 upper classes bolted as we came up the country, and the 
 traders in rich goods did the same. Are you going to take 
 a servant with you, Harry 1 I don't think that there is any 
 occasion to do so, for Meinik can look after us both well 
 enough." 
 
 ''Yes, I am thinking of taking my native, the man I 
 hired just after I got here. He is a very good fellow, and 
 made himself very useful while I was ill. I picked up a 
 tat for him yesterday for a few rupees. I know that your 
 man would do very well for us both; but, sometimes, when 
 you make a village your head-quarters and ride to visit 
 
218 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 others from it, I may not feel well enough to go with you, 
 and then he would come in very handy, for he has picked 
 up a good many words of English. Your man is getting on 
 very well that way." 
 
 "Yes; he was some time before he began, for, of course, 
 he had no occasion for it; but now that he has taken to 
 what he considers an English costume, and has made up his 
 mind that he will never settle down again under a Burmese 
 government, he has been trying hard to pick up the language. 
 I found that it was rather a nuisance at first, when, instead 
 of telling him what was wanted in his own language, I had 
 to tell him in English, and then translate it for him. How- 
 ever, he does understand a good deal now, and whenever 
 he has nothing else to do he is talking with the soldiers. 
 Of course, from his riding about so much with me, he is 
 pretty well known now; and as he is a good-tempered, 
 merry fellow he makes himself at home with them, and if 
 the campaign lasts another six months I think he will speak 
 very fair English." 
 
 "I fancy that you will have to make up your mind that 
 he is a permanency, Stanley ; I am sure he intends to follow 
 you wherever you go, whether it is to England, India, or 
 anywhere else." 
 
 "I sha'n't be sorry for that, Harry; certainly not as long 
 as I am out here. In the first place he is really a very 
 handy fellow, and ready to make himself useful in any way; 
 then there is no doubt that he is greatly attached to me, 
 and would go through fire and water for me. A man of 
 that sort is invaluable to anyone knocking about as I shall 
 be when the war is over and I take up trading again. His 
 
HARRY CARRIED OFF. 219 
 
 only fault is that lie is really too anxious to do things for 
 me. Of course when 1 am on duty there is nothing much 
 he can do, but if I am sitting in a room he will squat for 
 hours in the corner and watch me; if my cheroot gets low 
 there he is with a fresh one and a light in a moment; 
 if I drop my handkerchief or a pen, there he is with it, 
 before I have time to stoop. Sometimes I have really to 
 invent errands to send him on, so as to give him something 
 to do for me. I own that I have not contemplated what 
 position he would occupy if I go trading, but I quite re- 
 cognize that he will go with me, and that he would become 
 a portion of my establishment, even if that establishment 
 consisted only of himself. Will you be ready to start at 
 four in the morning 1 The sun is tremendously hot now on 
 the days between the rain; at any rate it will be much 
 better for you, till you get your strength, to travel in the 
 cool of the morning or in the evening." 
 
 " I shall be ready. I will be round here with my servant 
 by that hour. By the way, what shall I bring with me?" 
 
 "Nothing at all; I shall take a couple of chickens and 
 some bread and coffee and sugar, and a bottle of brandy for 
 emergencies ; but we shall have no difficulty in getting food 
 in the villages. The troopers will only carry their day's 
 rations with them; after that I always act as mess caterer, 
 and charge expenses when I get back here." 
 
 Accordingly the next morning they started at four o'clock. 
 Stanley insisted that Harry should ride his second horse 
 for the present, as his own, having been six weeks without 
 exercise, and fed very much better than it had been accus- 
 tomed to, was in much too high spirits to be pleasant for an 
 
220 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 invalid. Meinik, therefore, took Harry's, and the latter 
 rode beside his cousin, whose horse had had abundant 
 exercise, and was well content to canter quietly along by 
 the side of his companion. By the end of ten days Harry 
 had picked up some of his strength; they now reached a 
 village which Stanley decided to use as his head-quarters 
 for a few days, while he made excursions to other places 
 within a day's ride. It was a good place for a halt, standing 
 as it did at some height on the hills, where the air was 
 much cooler at night than in the flat country. It was sur- 
 rounded by a clearing of about a hundred acres in extent, 
 planted with cacao-trees, pepper, and many kinds of vege- 
 tables. 
 
 "This is delightful!" Harry said, as they sat in front of 
 the hut that had been cleared for them and looked over the 
 plain. " It must be twenty degrees cooler here than it was at 
 Prome. I think I shall do nothing to-morrow, Stanley, 
 but just sit here and enjoy myself. I know it is very 
 lazy, for I am feeling quite myself again; still, after ten 
 days' riding I do think that it will be pleasant to have a 
 day's rest." 
 
 "Do, by all means," Stanley said. "I think you had 
 better stay here for the three days that we shall remain. 
 Your man is a very good cook, and there is no lack 
 of food. Those chickens we had just now were excellent, 
 and the people have promised to bring in some game to- 
 morrow. There are plenty of snakes, too, and you lose a 
 good deal, I can assure you, by turning up your nose at 
 them. They are just as good as eels, as Meinik cooks them, 
 stewed with a blade of cinnamon and some hot peppers. I 
 
HARRY CARRIED OFF. 221 
 
 cannot see that they can be a bit more objectionable to eat 
 than eels; indeed, for anything one knows, the eel may have 
 been feasting on a drowned man the day before he was caught, 
 while the snakes only take a meal once a week or so, and 
 then only a small bird of some kind." 
 
 " I dare say that you are quite right, Stanley, and I own 
 that the dishes your man turns out look tempting; but I 
 cannot bring myself to try, at any rate as long as I can get 
 anything else to eat. If I knew that it was a case of snake 
 or nothing I would try it, but till then I prefer sticking to 
 birds and beasts." 
 
 The next morning Stanley rode off with two of his escort 
 and Meinik, who declined altogether to be left behind. 
 
 "No, master," he said, "there is never any saying when 
 you may want me, and what should I ever sa}^ to myself if 
 misfortune Avere to come to you and I were not to be there 1" 
 
 Stanley had a long day's work. As a rule the villagers 
 had few complaints to make, but at the place he went to on 
 this occasion the head-man had been behaving as in the old 
 times, and Stanley had to listen to a long series of com- 
 plaints on behalf of the villagers. The case was fully 
 proved both as to extortion and ill-treatment. Stanley at 
 once deprived the man of his office, and called upon the 
 villagers to assemble and elect another in his place. 
 
 " If you are not satisfied," he said to the fellow, "you 
 can go to Prome and appeal to the general there; but I 
 warn you that if you do you must give notice to the vil- 
 lagers of your intention, so that they may, if they choose, 
 send two or three of their number to repeat the evidence 
 that they have given me. 1 have noted this fully down, 
 
222 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 and I can tell you that the general, when he reads it, will 
 be much more likely to order you a sound flogging than to 
 reinstate you in your office." 
 
 It was dusk when Stanley arrived within two miles of 
 the village where he had left Har^. Meinik, who was 
 riding just behind him, brought his horse up alongside. 
 
 "Do you see that, sir 1 ? There is a light in the sky. It 
 is just over where the village is. I am afraid there is a fire 
 there." 
 
 "You are right, Meinik. I hope nothing has gone 
 wrong." He touched his horse with his heel, and rode on 
 at a gallop. He became more and more anxious as he ap- 
 proached the village. No flames could be seen leaping up, 
 but there was a dull glow in the sky. As he rode into the 
 clearing he reined up his horse in dismay. A number of 
 glowing embers alone marked the place where the village 
 had stood, and no figures were to be seen moving about. 
 
 " There has been foul play, Meinik. Get ready for action, 
 men," he said to the two troopers, and they dashed forward 
 at a gallop. Two or three little groups of people were sitting 
 in an attitude of deep dejection by the remains of their 
 houses. 
 
 "What has happened 1 ?" Stanley shouted as he rode up. 
 
 " The robbers have been here, and have slain many and 
 burned the village." 
 
 "Where is my friend?" 
 
 " They have carried him off, my lord; or at least we can- 
 not find his body. His servant and one of the soldiers are 
 lying dead, but of the other soldier and the officer there 
 are no signs." 
 
HARRY CARRIED OFF. 223 
 
 "This is terrible!" Stanley exclaimed. "Tell me exactly 
 how it happened." 
 
 "It was four hours ago, my lord. The robbers came 
 suddenly out from the plantation and fell upon the people. 
 Many they killed at once, but many also have escaped as 
 we did, by running in among the plantations, and so into 
 the forest. We heard the firing of guns for a little time, 
 then everything was silent, and we knew that the robbers 
 were searching the houses. Half an hour later smoke rose 
 in many places, and then flames; then after a time all was 
 quiet. A boy crept up among the bushes, and came back 
 with the news that they had all gone. Then we came out 
 again. Twenty-three of our people had been killed, and 
 eight carried off, at least we cannot find the bodies; the 
 white officer and one of his soldiers have gone also." 
 
 "Which way did they go?" 
 
 " The tracks show that they went up the hill. Most 
 likely they will have gone to Toungoo if they have gone to 
 any town at all; but indeed we think they have taken the 
 prisoners to get a reward for them." 
 
 Stanley had thrown himself off his horse as he rode up, 
 and he stood for some time silently leaning against it. 
 Then he said to Meinik: 
 
 " Picket the horses, and then come and have a talk 
 with me." Then he turned to the two troopers: "There is 
 nothing to be done now," he said. "You had better look 
 about and see what you can find in the way of food, and 
 then get a grave dug for your comrade and another for Mr. 
 Brooke's servant." 
 
 The two Mahommedan troopers saluted, and led their 
 
224 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 horses away. Meinik, after picketing the animals, re- 
 turned to Stanley, but, seeing that the latter was pacing up 
 and down and evidently not disposed to speak, he went 
 away. There were a good many fowls walking about in a 
 bewildered way near the huts. They had been away as 
 usual searching for food in the plantations and fields when 
 the robber band arrived, and on their return home at dusk 
 had found everything changed. A boy at once caught and 
 killed two of these, plucked them and brought them to 
 Meinik, who, getting some embers from the fires, cut the 
 fowls in two and put them on to roast. A few minutes 
 sufficed to cook them. As soon as they were ready Meinik 
 took them to Stanley. 
 
 " You must eat, master," he said. " You have had nothing 
 since we started this morning, and sorrow alone makes a 
 poor supper. You will want to do something, I know, and 
 will need all your strength." 
 
 " You are right, Meinik. Yes, give me one of them, and 
 take the other one yourself, and while we eat, we can talk. 
 Of course I must make an effort to rescue my cousin from 
 the hands of this band." 
 
 " Yes, master, I knew that you would do that." 
 
 "Did you ask how many there were of them, Meinik 1 ?" 
 
 " Some say forty, some say sixty." 
 
 " If we knew where they are now, and could come up 
 to them, we might manage to get them off while the robbers 
 were asleep." 
 
 Meinik shook his head. " They are sure to keep a strict 
 guard over a white officer," he said; "but if we rushed in 
 and shouted and fired pistols they might all run away." 
 
HARRY CARRIED OFF. 22o 
 
 " I am afraid not, Meinik. There might he a scare for a 
 minute, but directly they saw that there were only two of 
 us they would turn and kill us. Your people are brave 
 enough; they may feel that they cannot stand against our 
 troops owing to our discipline, but they fight bravely hand- 
 to-hand. However, we don't know exactly which way they 
 have gone, and it would be hopeless to search for them in 
 the forest during the darkness. What should they go to 
 Toungoo for?" 
 
 " I have been thinking it over, master, and it seems to me 
 that many of them may belong there or to the villages near. 
 They may not dare return to their homes, because they 
 are afraid that they Avould be punished for having left the 
 army, and would certainly be sent off again to it. Now 
 they may think that if they go back with a white officer 
 and soldier, and tell some story of having beaten a great 
 many English, they will be rewarded, and may even be able 
 to remain some time in their homes before they are sent off, 
 or they may be ordered to march with their prisoners to 
 Ava, where they would get still more reward. I can see no 
 other reason for their carrying off the officer." 
 
 " I think very likely that is so, Meinik. Anyhow we 
 are more likely to rescue my cousin at Toungoo than we 
 should be while on the road. It would be next to impos- 
 sible to find them among all the hills and trees, and even 
 if we did come upon them at night, and could creep into 
 the midst of them, we might find that my cousin is too 
 severely wounded to travel, for, as there was a fight, it is 
 almost certain he must have been wounded before he was 
 captured. Therefore, I think it is best to make straight 
 
 ( M 26G ) P 
 
226 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 for Toungoo. How many miles is it from here, do you 
 think V 
 
 Meinik went over to the natives and asked the question. 
 "About forty-five miles, they say; very bad travelling; all 
 mountains, but ten miles to the north is a road that runs 
 straight there." 
 
 "Then we had better follow that, Meinik. In this 
 broken country and forest we should be losing our way 
 continually." 
 
 "How will you go, master 1 ? On horse or foot?" 
 
 "We will go on horseback as far as we can; we are not 
 likely to meet people travelling along the road at present. 
 Another thing is that, if we can get the horses as near the 
 town as possible, they would be very useful, for if Mr. 
 Brooke has been wounded badly he may not be able to walk 
 far. You do not know whether the country near the town 
 is open or whether the forests approach it closely." 
 
 The natives were again applied to. 
 
 " It is a rich country there, they say, and well cultivated 
 for five or six miles round the town." 
 
 "I will go and have a talk with them presently. It 
 will, of course, be necessary for me to disguise myself 
 again." 
 
 Meinik nodded. " Yes, you must do that, master." 
 
 " Do you think that we can get two or three men to go 
 with us from here?" 
 
 "If you will pay them, master, no doubt they will be 
 ready to go. They are well content with the white rulers. 
 They find that they are not oppressed, and everything is 
 paid for, and that the white officers treat them kindly and 
 
HARRY CARRIED OFF. 227 
 
 well. They have lost many things in this affair to-day, and 
 would be glad to earn a little money. How many would 
 you like to have 1 ?" 
 
 " Four or five, Meinik. I don't exactly know at present 
 what there would be for them to do, but they could help 
 to make fires and keep watch while we are doing something ; 
 at any rate, they may be useful. Of, course I shall get the 
 trooper out too if I can. Very likely they will be confined 
 together, and if we rescue one we can of course rescue the 
 other. Now I must do some writing. Get me a torch of 
 some sort and I will do it while you are speaking to the 
 natives." 
 
 Stanley always carried a note-book and pen and ink to 
 take down statements and complaints as he rode about. 
 He now sat down and wrote an account of what had taken 
 place during his absence. 
 
 " We had no previous news of the existence of the band," 
 he went on, "and the natives themselves had certainly 
 no fear of any attack being imminent. Had I thought 
 that there was the slightest risk I should not have made the 
 village my head-quarters, or have left Mr. Brooke there with 
 only his servant and two troopers. I regret the matter 
 most deeply, and am about to set off to Toungoo with my 
 man. I shall, of course, go in disguise, and shall make 
 every endeavour to free my cousin. I trust, general, that 
 you will grant me leave for this purpose. I am, of course, 
 unable to say how long it may take me; but, however long, 
 I shall persevere until I learn that my cousin is dead or 
 until I am myself killed. I trust that in starting at once, 
 on the assumption that you will grant me leave, I am not 
 
228 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 committing a breach of duty. But if so, and you feel that 
 you cannot, under the circumstances in which you are 
 placed, grant leave to an officer to be absent on private 
 business, I inclose a formal resignation of my commission, 
 stating why I feel myself constrained, even in the presence of 
 the enemy, to endeavour to rescue my cousin from the band 
 that has carried him off. At any rate, it could not be said 
 that I resigned in order to shirk danger. I sent off, two 
 days ago, by one of the natives here, a report of my pro- 
 ceedings up to that date, and have now the honour to inclose 
 the notes I took of my investigations to-day into the conduct 
 of the head-man of Pilboora, and my reasons for depriving 
 him of his office. I shall leave the two troopers of my 
 escort here, with orders to remain until either I return, or 
 they receive instructions from Prome. I am taking a few 
 of the villagers with me. Should anything occur to me 
 at Toungoo they will bring back the news to the troopers, 
 and I shall leave instructions with them to carry it at 
 once to you. If I find that Mr. Brooke has been sent on 
 to Ava I shall, of course, follow and endeavour to effect his 
 rescue on the road. As it is possible, general, that I may 
 not have another opportunity of thanking you for the 
 many kindnesses that you have shown me, allow me to do 
 so most heartily now." 
 
 When Stanley had concluded the letter, and written the 
 paper offering his resignation and giving his reasons for so 
 doing, he called Meinik to him. 
 
 " Well, Meinik, have you found men willing to go with 
 us?" 
 
 "Yes, master, I have got five men; two of them know 
 
HARRY CARRIED OFF. 229 
 
 Toungoo well. All are stout fellows. I offered them the 
 terms that you mentioned, fifty ounces of silver to each man 
 if you succeeded by their aid in rescuing the officer. They 
 were delighted at the offer, which would enable them to 
 replace everything that they have lost. I told them, of 
 course, that if it were necessary to fight they would have 
 to do so, and that as many of their countrymen were 
 enlisted as gun-lascars and in other occupations with the 
 English, and are of course exposed to the attacks of their 
 countrymen, they would only be doing Avhat others have 
 been willing to do. They said that they were ready enough 
 to fight. You were the government now, and you were a 
 good government, and they would fight for you; and, be- 
 sides, as the officer was carried off from their village it was 
 their duty to help to get him back. One of them said, 'These 
 men who attacked us are Burmese soldiers. As they attack 
 us there is no reason why we should not attack them.' So 
 I think, master, that you can count upon them. The Bur- 
 mese have always been fond of fighting, because fighting 
 means booty; the troops don't want to fight any more, 
 because they get no booty, and a number of them are killed. 
 But now that the villagers have been forced to go to the 
 war against their will, and have been plundered and many 
 killed by Burmese soldiers, they are quite ready to take 
 sides with you. Three of them have had wives or children 
 killed to-day, and that makes them full of fight." 
 
 " Well, you had better tell them to cook at once food 
 for two or three days. At four o'clock they are to start 
 through the forest to the road you spoke of. We will set out 
 at the same time on horseback, but we shall have to make 
 
230 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 a detour, so they will be on the road before we are. Tell 
 them when they get there to stop until we come up." 
 
 " Yes, master. It is a good thing that I rode your second 
 horse yesterday instead of Mr. Brooke's animal." 
 
 " Yes, he is worth a good deal more than the other, 
 Meinik, and I should certainly have been sorry to lose him." 
 
 " One of the men who is going with us says that he knows 
 of the ruins of an old temple eight or nine miles this side 
 of Toungoo, and that this would be a good place for us to 
 leave our horses. It is very very old, one of those built 
 by the people who lived in the land before we came to it, 
 and the Burmans do not like to go near it, so that there 
 would be no fear of our being disturbed there. Even these 
 men do not much like going there, but I told them that no 
 evil spirits would come where white men were." 
 
 "It is rather far off, Meinik, but as you say the country 
 is cultivated for some distance round the town, we shall 
 certainly have to leave our horses some six or seven miles 
 away, and two or three miles will not make much difference. 
 We can put on our disguises there. You had better take a 
 couple of boys to look after the horses while we are away." 
 
 "They would not sleep there at night," Meinik said 
 doubtfully. " I don't think the men would either, if you 
 were not there." 
 
 "That would not matter, Meinik, if, as you say, there is 
 no fear of anyone else going there." 
 
 "Certainly, no one else will go there at night, master." 
 
 " At any rate if you can get two boys to go we may as 
 well take them. They might go there in the day and feed 
 and water the horses, and sleep some distance away at night." 
 
HARRY CARRIED OFF. 231 
 
 Meinik found two boys sixteen years old, who said that 
 they would go with thero, and at the hour agreed on Stan- 
 ley and Meinik started on horseback. They descended the 
 hill to the plain at its foot, and, turning to the right, rode 
 for some ten or twelve miles, when they struck into the 
 road, and following this at an easy pace they came in the 
 course of another hour upon the party of villagers sitting 
 by the roadside. The sun was just rising, and they travelled 
 for three hours without meeting anyone; then they drew 
 off into the wood at a point where a small stream crossed 
 the road, and, after eating a meal, and giving a good feed 
 to the horses, lay down to sleep till the heat of the day 
 abated, the natives, who were all armed with spears and 
 swords, keeping watch by turns. At four o'clock they 
 started again, and at ten approached the spot where, in 
 the depth of the wood, lay the temple. The man who 
 knew its position declared, however, that he could not 
 find it at night. Stanley had no doubt that he was 
 really afraid to go there, but as he did not wish to press 
 them against their will, he said carelessly that it made 
 no difference if they halted there or close by the road, and, 
 a fire being speedily lit, they bivouacked round it. Meinik 
 had procured the necessary dyes from a village, and Stan- 
 ley was again stained, and covered with tattoo marks, as 
 before. 
 
 "What am I to do about your- hair, master?" he asked. 
 "It will never do for you to go like this." 
 
 Stanley had not thought of this point, and for a time 
 was completely at a loss. His own hair was now short and 
 could not possibly bo turned up. 
 
232 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 "The only thing that I can see," he said after a long 
 pause, " is for you and the men each to cut off a lock of hair 
 from the top of your heads where it will not show. The 
 six locks would be ample; but I don't see how you are to 
 fasten it below the turban." 
 
 "There are berries we can get wax from," Meinik said. 
 " We boil them in water, and the wax floats at the top. 
 With that, master, we could fasten the hair in among yours, 
 so that it would look all right." 
 
 The men had all laughed at the proposal, but willingly 
 consented to part with a portion of their hair. Meinik 
 therefore proceeded to stain Stanley's close crop black, and 
 the first thing in the morning the boys went out, soon re- 
 turning with a quantity of berries. Some water was poured 
 over them in an earthenware pot and placed over the fire, 
 and in half an hour a thick scum of oil gathered on the 
 surface. Meinik skimmed it off as fast as it formed, and 
 as it cooled it solidified into a tenacious mass somewhat 
 resembling cobblers' wax. The six locks of hair had already 
 been cut off, and the ends were smeared with the wax and 
 worked in among Stanley's own hair; then a little of the 
 hot wax was rubbed in, and the men all declared that no one 
 would notice anything peculiar in his appearance. The long- 
 tresses were curled round at the top of the head and a ring 
 of muslin tied round. The Burmans were immensely amused 
 at the transformation that had been wrought in Stanley's 
 appearance, and followed him through the wood to the 
 temple without any signs of nervousness. 
 
 The ruins were extensive. A considerable portion of the 
 building had been hewn out of the face of a precipitous 
 
HARRY CARRIED OFF. 233 
 
 rock in the manner of some Hindoo temples; and it was 
 evident that it had been the work of a people more closely 
 allied to the Indian race than to the Tartar or Chinese 
 people, from whom the Burmese sprung. Uncouth figures 
 were sculptured on the walls. At these the Burmese looked 
 with some awe, but as Stanley laughed and joked over them, 
 they soon recovered their usual demeanour. 
 
 "I am a great deal more afraid of tigers than of ghosts," 
 Stanley said, "a deserted place like this is just the sort 
 of spot they would be likely to be in. At any rate, if these 
 caves do not go any further into the hill, and there are no 
 signs of their doing so, it may be hoped that the tigers have 
 their superstitions about it too. At any rate, it will be a good 
 thing to pile a great quantity of firewood at the entrance; 
 and I think one of you had better stay here with the boys. 
 They and the horses would be a great deal safer here, with 
 a fire burning, than they would be in the woods, where a 
 tiger might pounce upon them at any moment. As to this 
 folly about spirits, it is only old women's chatter." 
 
 The Burmese talked among themselves, and one of the 
 men finally agreed to stay Avith the boys. An hour was 
 spent in gathering a pile of brushwood and logs, and the 
 man said that he and the two boys would gather plenty 
 more during the day. They were, at four o'clock, to take 
 the horses down to the river, a mile distant, and let them 
 drink their fill. They had brought with them a large bag 
 of grain, which had been carried by the men, a quantity of 
 plantains, and some fowls. Therefore, the party that were 
 to remain would be well provided. Moreover, in collecting 
 the wood a score of snakes had been killed. Some of 
 
234 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 these and a chicken had been cooking while they were at 
 work, and as soon as this was eaten they started for the 
 town. When they came within a mile of it Stanley entered 
 a plantation of fruit-trees, and Meinik and the four men 
 went on. They returned in two hours with the news 
 that a party of ten men had arrived in the town on the 
 previous day with two prisoners. One, a coloured man, had 
 been able to walk ; the other, a white man, had been carried 
 in on a litter. They had both been lodged in the jail. 
 
 By this time the conduct of the English towards the natives 
 at Eangoon and the territory they occupied had had one good 
 effect. Signally as they had been defeated by them, the 
 Burmese had lost their individual hatred of the strangers. 
 They knew that their wounded and prisoners always received 
 kind treatment at their hands; and although the court of 
 Ava remained as arrogant and bigoted as ever, the people 
 in Lower Burma had learned to respect their invaders, and 
 the few prisoners they had taken received much better 
 treatment than those who had been captured at the com- 
 mencement of the war. 
 
 As soon as it was dusk Stanley went with Meinik into 
 the town. It was a place of considerable size, with build- 
 ings at least equal to those at Prome. Toungoo had formed 
 part of the kingdom of Pegu before it had been subdued by 
 the Burmese. The peculiar and characteristic facial outline 
 of the latter was here much less strongly marked, and in 
 many cases entirely absent ; so Stanley felt that, even in day- 
 light, he would pass without attracting any attention. The 
 prison was surrounded by a strong and high bamboo fence, 
 and in the space inclosed by this were eight or ten dwellings 
 
HARRY CARRIED OFF. 235 
 
 of the usual wooden construction. A dozen armed men 
 were seated by a fire in the yard, and two sentries were 
 carelessly leaning against the gate. 
 
 " There should be no difficulty in getting in there with 
 two ropedadders — one to climb up with, and one to drop 
 on the other side," Stanley said. "You may be sure that 
 most of the guard go to sleep at night. The first thing to 
 ascertain is which house the prisoners are kept in, and in 
 the second place how my cousin is going on. We can do 
 nothing until he is able to walk for a short distance. Let 
 us move round to the other side of the inclosure. It may 
 be that a sentry is posted at their door." 
 
 On getting to the other side and looking through the 
 crevices between the bamboos, they could make out two 
 figures squatted by the door of one of the houses, and had 
 no doubt that this was the one in which Harry Brooke was 
 confined. 
 
 "Now, Meinik, the first thing is for you to go and buy 
 a rope. When the place gets quite quiet we will make a 
 loop and throw it over the top of the palisade behind that 
 hut, then I will climb up and let myself down inside, and 
 then crawl up to the hut and see what is going on there. 
 If my cousin is alone I will endeavour to speak to him, but 
 of course there may be a guard inside as well as at the 
 door. If he is very ill there will probably be a light." 
 
 " Let me go, master ! " 
 
 "No, Meinik, I would rather go myself. I shall be able 
 to judge how he is if I can catch a sight of him." 
 
236 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 PREPARING A RESCUE. 
 
 STANLEY remained where he was until Meinik returned 
 in half an hour with the rope. Stanley made a loop 
 at one end, and then knotted it at distances of about a foot 
 apart to enable him to climb it more easily. Then they 
 waited until the guard-fire burnt down low, and most of 
 the men went off into a hut a few yards distant, three only 
 remaining talking before the fire. Then Stanley moved 
 round to the other side of the palisade, and, choosing a spot 
 immediately behind the hut where the sentries were posted, 
 threw up the rope. It needed many attempts before the 
 loop caught at the top of one of the bamboos. As soon as 
 it did so, he climbed up. He found that the position was 
 an exceedingly unpleasant one. The bamboos were all so 
 cut that each of them terminated in three spikes, and so 
 impossible was it to cross this that he had to slip down 
 the rope again. On telling Meinik what was the matter, 
 the latter at once took off his garment, and folded it up 
 into a roll two feet long. 
 
 "If you lay that on the top, master, you will be able to 
 cross." 
 
 This time Stanley had little difficulty. On reaching the 
 top he laid the roll on the bamboo spikes, and was able 
 to raise himself on to it and sit there, while he pulled up 
 the rope and dropped it on the inside. Descending, he at 
 once began to crawl towards the hut. As he had seen before 
 climbing, a light was burning within, and the window was 
 
PREPARING A RESCUE. 237 
 
 at the back of the house. This was but some twenty- 
 yards from the palisade, and when he reached it he stood 
 up and cautiously looked in. The Indian trooper was seated 
 in a chair asleep, without his tunic. One arm was bandaged, 
 and a blood-stained cloth was wrapped round his head. On 
 a bamboo pallet, with a dark rug thrown over it, was 
 another figure. The lamp on the wall gave too feeble a 
 light for Stanley to be able to make out whether the figure 
 lying there was Harry, but he had no doubt that it was so. In 
 a low tone he said, in Hindustani, "Wake up, man!" The 
 soldier moved a little. Stanley repeated the words in a 
 somewhat louder tone, and the trooper sprang to his feet, 
 and looked round in a bewildered way. 
 
 "Come to the window," Stanley said; "it is I, your 
 officer." 
 
 The man's glance turned to the window; but, surprised 
 at seeing a Burmese peasant, as he supposed, instead of the 
 officer, he stood hesitating. 
 
 "Come on," Stanley said. "I am Lieutenant Brooke." 
 
 The soldier recognized the voice, drew himself up, made 
 the military salute, and then stepped to the window. 
 
 "I have come," Stanley said, "to try and rescue Lieu- 
 tenant Brooke and yourself. I have some friends without. 
 How is he?" 
 
 " He is very ill, sir. He is badly wounded, and is un- 
 conscious. Sometimes he lies for hours without moving, 
 sometimes he talks to himself, but as I cannot understand 
 the language I know not what he says; but sometimes he 
 certainly calls upon you. He uses your name often. I do 
 what I can for him, but it is very little. I bathe his fore- 
 
238 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 head with water, and pour it between his lips. Of course 
 he can eat nothing, but I keep the water my rice is boiled 
 in, and when it is cool give it him to drink. There is some 
 strength in it." 
 
 "Then nothing can be done at present," Stanley said. 
 " To-morrow night I will bring some fruit. You can squeeze 
 the juice of some limes into a little water, and give it to 
 him. There is nothing better for fever. As soon as he is 
 well enough for us to get him through the palisades, we will 
 have a litter ready for him, and carry him off; but nothing 
 can be done until then. How are you treated?" 
 
 " They give me plenty of rice, sahib, and I am at liberty 
 to go out into the court-yard in the daytime, and now that 
 I know that you are near I shall have no fear. I have been 
 expecting that they would send me to Ava, where, no 
 doubt, they would kill me; but I have thought most that 
 if they were to send me away from here, and there was no 
 one to look after the sahib, he would surely die." 
 
 At this moment Stanley felt a hand roughly placed on 
 his shoulder. Turning round, he struck out with all his 
 strength full in a man's face, and he fell like a log. 
 
 " If they ask you who was here," he said hastily to the 
 trooper, " say that you know not who it was. A Burmese 
 came and spoke to you, but of course you thought that he 
 was one of the guard." 
 
 Then he ran to the rope, climbed up, and as he got over 
 pulled it up, and threw it down to Meinik, as he thought 
 that there might be some difficulty in shaking it off from 
 the bamboo, then he dropped to the ground, bringing down 
 the pad with him. 
 
PREPARING A RESCUE. 239 
 
 "Did you kill him, master?" Meinik asked as they hurried 
 away. " I was watching the window and saw you talking 
 to someone inside; then I saw a man suddenly come into 
 the light and put his hand upon you, and saw you turn 
 round, and he fell without a sound being heard." 
 
 " There is no fear of his being killed, Meinik. I simply 
 hit him hard, and he went down, I have no doubt, stunned. 
 It is unfortunate, but though they may set extra guards for 
 a time I think they will not believe the man's story; or at 
 any rate will suppose that it was only one of the guard, 
 who, not being able to sleep, wandered round there and 
 looked into the hut from behind. The worst of it is that 
 I am afraid that there is no chance of my being able to take 
 my cousin some limes and other fruit to-morrow night, as I 
 said I would. He is very ill, and quite unconscious." 
 
 "That is very bad, master; I will try and take him in 
 some fruit to-morrow. If they won't let me in I will watch 
 outside the gates, and when one of the guard comes out 
 will take him aside, and I have no doubt that for a small 
 bribe he will carry in the fruit and give it to the trooper. 
 I wonder that they put them into that hut with the window 
 at the back." 
 
 " I don't suppose they would have done so if my cousin 
 had not been so ill that it was evident that he could not for 
 some time attempt to escape." 
 
 They joined the villagers outside the town, and telling 
 them that there was nothing to do that night, returned to 
 the temple. They found the man and the two boys sitting 
 by a great fire, but shivering with terror. 
 
 "What is the matter 1 ?" Stanley asked. 
 
240 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 "The spirits have been making all sorts of noises outside, 
 and there are other noises at the end of the cave, close to 
 the horses." 
 
 Stanley took a brand and went over to them. They were 
 both munching their grain quietly. 
 
 "Well, you see the horses are not frightened; so you 
 may be sure that whatever were the noises you heard, there 
 was nothing unnatural about them. What were they 
 like?" 
 
 The question was not answered, for at that moment a 
 sound like a loud deep sigh was heard overhead. The 
 natives started back, and even Stanley felt for a moment 
 uncomfortable. 
 
 "It is only the wind," he said. "There must be some 
 opening above there, and the wind makes a noise in it just 
 as it does in a chimney. We will see all about it in the 
 morning. Now as to the noises outside." 
 
 " They were wailing cries," the man said. 
 
 " Pooh ! they must have been tigers or leopards, or per- 
 haps only wild-cats. No doubt they smelt you and the 
 horses, but were too much afraid of the fire to come any 
 nearer. Why, you must have heard tigers often enough to 
 know their cries." 
 
 " I thought myself that they were tigers," the man said 
 rather shamefacedly, " but the boys said they were certain 
 that they were not, and I was not sure myself one way or 
 the other." 
 
 Sitting down by the fire, Stanley told the men the exact 
 position of the prisoners, and said that he feared it would 
 be altogether impossible to get Harry out for the present. 
 
PREPARING A RESCUE. 241 
 
 " I would give anything to have him here," he said; "but 
 it would be impossible to get him over the palisade." 
 
 "We might cut through it, master," Meinik said; "with 
 a sharp saw we could cut a hole big enough in an hour 
 to carry his litter out. The only thing is, we could not get 
 his bed through that window." 
 
 "We might get over that by making a narrow litter," 
 Stanley said, "and lifting him from the bed on to it. The 
 difficulty would be, what to do with him when Ave got him 
 out; as to carrying him any distance in his present state it 
 would be out of the question; besides, the guard are sure to 
 be vigilant for some considerable time. I think that the 
 best plan would be for you all to go back to your village 
 to-morrow, taking the horses with you, and for one of you 
 to come over every other day for orders. Then there would 
 be no occasion for anyone to watch the horses; they cer- 
 tainly will be of no use to us at present, for it will be weeks 
 before my cousin is strong enough to ride. Meinik and I 
 will take up our abode close to the edge of the forest, for that 
 will save us some four or five miles' walk each day. The 
 first thing in the morning you shall go with me and choose 
 a spot, so that you may both know where to find us. Two 
 of you have got axes, and we will make a shelter in a tree, 
 so as to be able to sleep without fear of tigers when we go 
 out there, though I dare say that we shall generally sleep 
 near the town. However, one or other of us will always 
 be at the spot at mid-day on the days when you are to 
 meet us. Now that I think of it, two of you may as well 
 stay at the shelter for the present while the other three 
 and the two boys go home. Then there will be no occa- 
 
 ( M 266 ) Q 
 
242 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 sion to take the long journey so often. When we do get 
 my cousin out we shall have to take up our abode for a time 
 either here or in the forest, until he is well enough to bear 
 the journey." 
 
 In the morning Stanley closely examined the roof of the 
 cave, but could see no opening to account for the noise that 
 he had heard. He had, however, no doubt that one ex- 
 isted somewhere. He left a man with the two boys in 
 charge of the horses, and went with the others until they 
 approached the edge of the forest. They kept along 
 Avithin the trees for half a mile, so that any fire they might 
 light would be unseen by people travelling along the road. 
 The men considered this precaution needless, as they 
 declared that no one would venture to pass along it after 
 nightfall, partly owing to the fear of tigers, and partly to 
 the vicinity of the temple. A suitable tree was soon fixed 
 on, and the Burmese, now in their element, ascended it by 
 driving in pegs at distances of two feet apart. Once among 
 the high branches they lopped off all small boughs that 
 would be in the way, and then, descending, cut a number 
 of poles and many lengths of tough creeper, and with these 
 they constructed a platform among the higher branches, 
 and on it erected a sort of arbour, amply sufficient to hold 
 four or five people lying down. This arbour would hardly 
 be noticed even by persons searching, as it was to a great 
 extent hidden by the foliage beneath it. Stanley told 
 Meinik that they had better buy some rope for a ladder, 
 and take out the pegs, as these might catch the eye of a 
 passer-by, and cause him to make a close search above. 
 
 As soon as the work was finished two of the men went 
 
PREPARING A RESCUE. 243 
 
 back to the temple to start at once for home with their 
 companion, the boys, and the horses. Stanley had brought 
 with him his pistols, the two horse blankets, and other things 
 that might be useful, and when these were stored above, 
 he, with Meinik and the two men, went towards the town. 
 He stopped, as before, a short distance outside. Just as it 
 was dusk the men returned carrying the rope that Meinik 
 had bought, and a store of food. With these they were 
 sent to the shelter, and Stanley entered the town, where 
 he met Meinik. 
 
 "I have sent in the fruit," the latter said; "I had no 
 difficulty about it. I told the first soldier who came out 
 after I had bought it that I came from the village where 
 the white officer had been captured by the bandits. He 
 had been very kind to us all, and as we knew that he had 
 been carried off badly wounded, I had come over to get 
 some fruit for him, but I found that they would not let me 
 in at the gate. I said I would give an ounce of silver to 
 him if he would hand the things to the prisoner for me. 
 He said at once that he would do so. He had heaixl that 
 the whites always treated their wounded prisoners very 
 well, and that there would be no difficulty about it, for that 
 there was a window at the back of the hut where he was 
 lying, and he could easily pass things in there without any- 
 one noticing it. If the prisoner was, as I said, a good man, 
 it was only right that he should be helped. I told him that 
 I should look out for him, and might want him to do the 
 same another day. I think that he was an honest fellow, 
 and might have passed the fruit in even without a reward. 
 Still, everyone is glad to earn a little money. He told me 
 
244 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 that a strange thing had happened last night. One of his 
 comrades had declared that he had found a giant standing 
 at the window where the prisoner was. He put his hand 
 upon him when he was struck down by lightning. No one 
 would have believed his tale at all if it had not been that 
 his nose was broken. The other prisoner had been ques- 
 tioned, but as he did not understand Burmese, they could 
 learn nothing from him. Two guards were in future to be 
 placed at the back of the house as well as in the front." 
 
 "That part of the business is bad, Meinik." 
 
 " I dare say we shall be able to bribe them, master. You 
 may be sure that most of them are eager to get back to 
 their own villages, and for a few ounces of silver they would 
 be glad enough to help us and then to make their escape 
 and go off to their homes. The man I saw to-day might 
 find one among them ready to do so with him, especially 
 if their homes happened to be on the other side of the hills : 
 and there would then be no chance of their being seized 
 and sent back again by their head-man. The sentry would 
 only have to let us know what night he would arrange for 
 them both to be on guard together behind the hut; then 
 we should be able to manage it well." 
 
 " It would be a capital plan that, Meinik, if it could be 
 arranged. Well, it is a great comfort to know that the fruit 
 has got in safely; the limes especially will be a great help 
 to my cousin. Next time you see the man you must try 
 and get him to find out how he is going on." 
 
 For a fortnight Stanley remained in the forest. Meinik 
 met the soldier every other day, and sent in fruit, and at 
 the end of the ten days he heard that the prisoner had re- 
 
PREPARING A RESCUE. 245 
 
 covered his senses. It was said that as soon as he was well 
 enough to move he was to be sent to Ava. 
 
 "Now you had better begin to sound the man as to his 
 willingness to aid him to escape." 
 
 "I have very little doubt about it, master, for I have 
 already learned that his home is on the other side of the 
 hills. He went down with Bandoola, and returned after 
 his defeat with a number of others, travelling up the bank 
 of the Pegu river. If they had not had their military chief 
 with them they would have started straight for home. But 
 they were marched here, and have been kept on duty in the 
 town ever since. He has heard how well off the people are 
 on the other side of the hills under English rule; so I feel 
 sure that he will be glad to escape if he sees a chance of 
 getting off." 
 
 "That is good. In the first place, let him know that the 
 other English officer who was at the village with the one they 
 captured, had said that he would be ready to pay well any- 
 one who would aid in his escape. If he says that he would 
 willingly do so if he also could get away, tell him that one 
 man would be of no use, but that if he could get another to 
 join him, so that they could both go on guard together 
 behind the house, it could be managed. But say that, in 
 the first place, I must myself speak to the white officer, and 
 learn exactly how he is, and whether he can endure a journey 
 as far as this tree or the temple — whichever we may decide 
 upon as best. When I have seen him I will send for the 
 other men from the village. I am in no hurry to get him 
 away, for the longer he stays quiet the better. But at any 
 moment the governor may decide that he is sufficiently 
 
246 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 recovered to be carried, and may send him off to Ava under 
 a strong escort. Therefore, although we will put off moving 
 him as long as possible, we must not run the risk of his 
 being sent away." 
 
 Four days later Meinik said that the man had arranged 
 with another to join him, and that both would be on duty 
 behind the hut that evening between nine and midnight. 
 Accordingly at ten o'clock Stanley arrived with Meinik and 
 the two villagers at the palisade. Meinik had insisted upon 
 accompanying him to the hut. 
 
 " I believe that the man is to be trusted, master, indeed 
 I am sure he is, but I do not know the second man. He 
 may have pretended to accept the offer only on purpose to 
 betray his comrade, and to obtain honour and reward for 
 preventing the escape of the white man. Therefore, I must 
 be with you in case you are attacked. Our other two men 
 may be useful to give the alarm if a party is sent round to 
 cut us off." 
 
 Stanley, who had brought a horse blanket with him to 
 lay on the top of the palisade, was the first to drop into 
 the inclosure. Meinik followed him closely. Nothing had 
 been said to the guard as to the white officer, of whom 
 Meinik had spoken, being himself of the party, and Stanley 
 had purposely left his pistols behind him lest he should be 
 tempted to use them. In case he was attacked he carried a 
 spear and a long Burmese knife. Meinik had begged to be 
 allowed to go forward first, while Stanley remained by the 
 rope. He pointed out that some change might possibly 
 have been made and that other men might have been 
 placed on sentry. 
 
PREPARING A RESCUE. 247 
 
 "I know you, master," he said; "if you got there, and 
 found two strangers, and they attacked you, you would 
 fight; then they would give the alarm, and others would 
 come up before you could cross the palisade. I shall steal 
 up; when I am close I shall make a noise like the hiss of a 
 snake. If my men are both there they will repeat the sound. 
 If they are not, and one comes forward to look for and kill 
 the snake, I shall slay him before he has time to utter a 
 sound. If the other runs forward at the sound of his fall 
 I shall kill him also. If no alarm is given you can come 
 forward and speak to your cousin. If there is an alarm 
 you must climb the rope. They will not know which way 
 I have run, and I shall have plenty of time to get over the 
 palisade and pull up the rope; then they will think that the 
 guards have been killed by some of their comrades." 
 
 "I hope no such misfortune will happen," Stanley said 
 gravely, "for there would then be no chance whatever of 
 our getting him away. He would probably be moved to 
 some other place, and our one hope would be that we 
 might rescue him on the road, which would be a difficult 
 matter indeed if he were sent, as he certainly would be, 
 under a strong escort. However, your plan is no doubt 
 the best, for if I were killed or captured there would be an 
 end of any chance of his being rescued." 
 
 Meinik crawled forward, and in a minute or two Stanley 
 heard a low hissing sound, followed by two others. He 
 walked forward a step or two to meet Meinik as he came 
 back. 
 
 "It is all right, master; you can go on fearlessly." 
 Meinik returned with him to the window and posted him- 
 
248 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 self outside, standing in the shadow, while Stanley stepped 
 in through the open casement, which, indeed, was provided 
 only with a shutter, outside. This would ordinarily have 
 been closed; but owing to the illness of the prisoner and 
 the strong desire of the governor that he should live to be 
 sent to Ava, it had been opened to allow a free passage of 
 air. The trooper sprung from his couch as Stanley made 
 a slight sound before attempting to enter, but Stanley said 
 in Hindustani, "Silence! it is I, — Mr. Brooke." 
 
 The trooper stared doubtfully at the dark, tattooed, half- 
 naked figure. 
 
 "It is I, Runkoor, but I am disguised. I was like this 
 when I spoke to you through the window a fortnight since, 
 but you could not then see my figure. Are you awake, 
 Harry 1 ?" he asked in English, as he approached the pallet. 
 
 " Yes, I am awake; at least I think so. Is it really you, 
 Stanley?" 
 
 "It is I, sure enough, man," Stanley replied; as he pressed 
 the thin hands of the invalid. " Did not Runkoor tell you 
 that I had been here before 1 ?" 
 
 But Harry had broken down altogether; the surprise and 
 delight was too much for him in his weak state. 
 
 "Of course," Stanley went on quietly, "I knew that he 
 could not speak English, but I thought that he might make 
 signs." 
 
 " He did make a sign. Each time he gave me fruit, he 
 said 'Sahib Brooke', pointed outside, and waved his arms 
 about, but I could not make head or tail of what he meant. 
 Why he should keep on repeating my name each time he 
 gave me the fruit was a complete puzzle for me; as to the 
 
PREPARING A RESCUE. 249 
 
 signs that he made it seemed to me that he had gone off his 
 head. I have been too weak to think it over, so I gave up 
 worrying about it, and it never once struck me that it was 
 you who sent me the fruit. What an awful figure you 
 are?" 
 
 " Never mind about that, Harry. I have come in to see 
 how strong you are. 1 have bribed the two guards stationed 
 behind." 
 
 " I can just sit up in bed to take my food, Stanley, that 
 is all; I could not walk a step to save my life." 
 
 "I did not expect you to walk. What I want to know is 
 whether you are strong enough to be carried a few miles 
 on a litter. I have five men from the village where we were, 
 and they can cut through the palisading behind the hut. I 
 want to give you as long a time as possible, but I am afraid 
 that any day the governor may have you taken out and 
 sent in a litter to Ava, under a strong escort." 
 
 " I could bear being carried out, no doubt, but if I could 
 not, I should think it would do me no harm so long as my 
 wounds do not break out afresh. I suppose the worst that 
 could happen to me would be that I should faint before I 
 got to the end of the journey. Are you sure, old man, that 
 th'.s is not a dream 1 ?" 
 
 "Quite certain; if you were well enough I would give 
 you a sharp pinch. If you are willing to venture I will 
 make my preparations at once. I have to send to the 
 village, but in three days I shall be ready, and the first night 
 after that the men manage to be on guard together behind, 
 we shall be here. It may be a week, it may be more, but 
 at any rate don't worry about it if they take you away 
 
250 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 suddenly. I shall try to get you out of their hands some- 
 how." 
 
 "My dear Stanley," Harry said, with a feeble laugh, "do 
 you know that you are spoiling your chance of an earldom." 
 
 "You may take it that if you don't succeed to the title, 
 old fellow, I sha'n't, for if you go under I shall too. Now 
 good-bye; it would be fatal were I to be caught here. Try 
 to get yourself as strong as you can, but don't let them 
 notice that you are doing so." 
 
 Without giving Harry time to reply, Stanley pressed his 
 hand and left his bedside. He paused for a minute to in- 
 form the trooper of the plans for the escape, and then he got 
 through the window. Meinik joined him at once, and with- 
 out a word being spoken they crossed the palisade, threw 
 down the rope and blankets, and dropped after them to the 
 ground. 
 
 On their way back to their tree Stanley told the two men 
 that the officer was better, and that the next morning at 
 daybreak one of them must start for the village to fetch 
 their three comrades. The boys were also to come back 
 with him, as they were big fellows and carried spears, 
 and might, as Stanley thought, be useful either in a light 
 or in assisting to carry Harry. 
 
 On the following morning after the man had starte 1, 
 Stanley went with Meinik to examine the temple more 
 closely than he had done before. He thought that it would 
 be a far better hiding-place than their hut in the tree. 
 There would certainly be a hot pursuit, and the next day 
 they might be discovered, whether in the temple or in the 
 tree, but in the latter they would be powerless to defend 
 
PREPARING A RESCUE. 251 
 
 themselves, for the Burmese with their axes would be able 
 to fell it in a few minutes, whereas in the temple a stout 
 defence might be made for a time ; moreover, the rock 
 chambers would be far cooler in the middle of the day than 
 the hut. 
 
 His chief object in visiting the temple was to find a 
 chamber with a narrow entrance that could be held by half 
 a dozen men against a number of foes; and it was desirable, 
 if possible, to find one so situated that they might, in case 
 of necessity, retreat into another chamber, or into the open 
 air. Meinik was so confident in the white man's power to 
 combat even evil spirits that he approached the temple 
 with Stanley without betraying any nervousness. They 
 had provided themselves with some torches of resinous 
 wood, and Meinik carried a couple of brands from their 
 fire. The chamber they had before been in was apparently 
 the largest in the temple, but there were several other 
 openings in the rock. 
 
 "That is the entrance we will try first," Stanley said, 
 pointing to one some ten feet from the ground. " You see 
 there were once some steps leading up to it. No doubt 
 where we are standing there was a temple built against the 
 face of that rock, and probably that doorway led into one of 
 the priests' chambers." 
 
 It was necessary to pile three or four blocks of stone on 
 the top of the two steps that alone remained intact, in 
 order to enable them to reach the entrance. 
 
 " Let me light the torches before you go in," Meinik said. 
 " There may be snakes." 
 
 " That is hardly likely, Meinik. You see the face of the 
 
252 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 rock has been chiselled flat, and I don't think any snake 
 could climb up to that entrance." 
 
 "Perhaps not, master, but it is best to be ready for 
 them." 
 
 They lighted two torches, and passed through the door- 
 way. There was an angry hiss some distance away. 
 
 "That is a snake, sure enough, Meinik. I wonder how 
 it got here." 
 
 Holding their torches above their heads, they saw that 
 the chamber was some fourteen feet wide and twenty long. 
 In the corner to the left something was lying, and above it 
 a dark object was moving backwards and forwards. 
 
 "It is a big boa," Meinik said. "Now, master, do you 
 take the two torches in one hand and have your knife ready 
 in the other. If it coils round you cut through it at once. 
 This is a good place for fighting it, for there is nothing here 
 for it to get its tail round, and a boa cannot squeeze very 
 hard unless he does that." 
 
 Stanley, feeling that in a combat of this sort the Burman 
 would be perfectly at home, while he himself knew nothing 
 about it, did as he was told, determining to rush in should 
 it attack his follower. 
 
 "You can advance straight towards him, master; I will 
 steal round. He will be watching you, and I may get a cut 
 at him before he notices me." 
 
 Stanley moved slowly forward. As he did so the great 
 snake moved its head higher and higher, hissing angrily, 
 with its eyes fixed on the torches. Stanley did not take 
 his gaze from it, but advanced grasping his knife. He 
 knew that the boa's bite was harmless, and that it was only 
 
"THE GREAT SNAKE MOVED HIS HEAD HIGHER AND HIGHER, 
 HISSING ANGRILY." 
 
PREPARING A RESCUE. 253 
 
 its embrace that was to be feared. He was within some 
 eight feet of the reptile, when there was a spring. The 
 snake's head disappeared, and in a moment it Avas writhing, 
 twisting, and lashing its tail so quickly that his eyes could 
 hardly follow its contortions. 
 
 "Stand back, master," Meinik shouted. "If its tail 
 strikes you it might do you an injury. It is harmless other- 
 wise. I have cut its head off." 
 
 Stanley stepped back a pace or two, and stood gazing in 
 awe at the tremendous writhing of the headless snake. 
 
 "It is a monster, Meinik," he said. 
 
 " It is a big snake, master. Indeed, I should say that it 
 must be about forty feet long, and it is as thick as my body. 
 It would be more than a match for a tiger." 
 
 "Well, I hope there are not many more of them about, 
 Meinik." 
 
 "That depends, master; it may have its mate, but it is 
 more likely there will be no other. It would eat any smaller 
 ones of its own kind, of course, but there may be some 
 small poisonous ones about." 
 
 As the writhing of the snake ceased, Stanley looked round 
 and saw a narrow doorway in the corner opposite that in 
 which it had been lying. 
 
 " Here is a passage, Meinik. Let us see where it goes 
 to." 
 
 Meinik had by this time lighted two more torches. 
 
 "The more light the better," he said, "when you are 
 looking for snakes;" and, holding them in one hand and his 
 knife in the other, he passed through the doorway, which 
 was about four feet high. Stanley followed him. The 
 
254 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 apartment was similar to the last, but narrower, and was 
 lighted by an opening not more than a foot square. 
 
 " See, Meinik, there is a staircase in the corner facing us." 
 
 The steps were very narrow, but in perfect preservation. 
 Without staying to examine the room, Meinik led the way 
 up, examining every step carefully, and holding the knife 
 in readiness to strike. They mounted some forty steps, 
 and then entered a room about ten feet square. Except a 
 window some eighteen inches by three feet, there was no 
 apparent exit from the chamber. 
 
 " I should think that there must be some way out of this 
 place, Meinik. Why should they have taken the trouble to 
 cut that long flight of steps through the rock just to reach 
 this miserable little chamber?" 
 
 Meinik shook his head. The ways of these ancient 
 builders were beyond him. 
 
 "There must be an outlet somewhere, if we could but 
 find it. Besides, we have not found where the snake came 
 in yet." 
 
 " He could have come in at the door, master. A small 
 snake could not have climbed up, but that big fellow could 
 rear his head up and come in quite easily; we have found 
 no little snakes at all." 
 
 " Well, that may be so, but I still think that there must 
 be some way out from here. Why should men go to the 
 labour of cutting this long stair and excavating this cham- 
 ber here without any reason whatever 1 Let us look through 
 the window, Meinik." 
 
 It was a passage rather than a window, for the rock 
 face had been left four feet in thickness. Crawling out, 
 
PREPARING A RESCUE. 255 
 
 Stanley saw that lie was fifty feet above the foot of the 
 cliff; a yard below him was a ledge of rock some two feet 
 wide, it was level, and had deep grooves cut at regular 
 intervals across it. He had no doubt that the roof of the 
 outside temple had started from this point, and that 
 the grooves were made for the ends of massive rafters 
 of teak or stone. At that time the passage to the chamber 
 that he had left was doubtless used for an exit on to the 
 flat roof. Stepping on to the ledge, he called Meinik to 
 him. "Now, Meinik," he said, "we will follow this ledge; 
 there may be some way up from it." 
 
 Walking with a good deal of care, Stanley made his way 
 along to a point where the ledge stopped abruptly. Look- 
 ing down, he saw the remains of a wall of solid masonry, 
 and perceived that he had been correct in his surmise as 
 to the purpose of the ledge. Then they turned and went 
 back to the other end of the ledge. A few feet before they 
 reached this Meinik, who was now leading the way, stopped. 
 
 "Here is a passage, master." 
 
 The entrance was about the same size as that through 
 which they had stepped out on to the ledge, but instead of 
 going straight in, it started upwards. 
 
 " Another flight of steps, Meinik. I am beginning to hope 
 that we shall find some way out at the top. If we can do 
 so, it will make us safe. We could defend those stairs and 
 the entrance for a long time, and when Ave wanted to get 
 away we could make quietly off without anyone knowing 
 that we had left." 
 
256 ON THE IRRAWADDY 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 IN THE TEMPLE. 
 
 rpHEY went up the flight of steps for a considerable 
 •*■ distance; then they found the passage blocked by a 
 number of great stones. Stanley uttered an exclamation of 
 disgust. 
 
 "It has fallen in," he said. "No doubt we are near the 
 top of the rock. Either the staircase was roofed in or there 
 was a building erected over the entrance, and either the 
 roof or building, whichever it was, has fallen in. That is 
 very unlucky. When we go down we will climb up the 
 hill and see if we can discover anything about it. "With 
 plenty of food and water," he went on, as they descended 
 into the lowest chamber, " one could hold this place for 
 any time." 
 
 " Yes, master, one could store away the food, but where 
 should we store the water 1 We might bring skins in that 
 would last us for a week, perhaps two weeks, but after 
 that?" 
 
 "After that we should make our way off somehow, 
 Meinik," Stanley said confidently. " Well, there is no 
 doubt that this is the place to shelter in; they are less 
 likely to find us here than anywhere, and if they do find 
 us, we can defend ourselves stoutly. I should say, too, that 
 if we think it over, Ave ought to be able to hit upon some 
 plan for making noises that would frighten them. You 
 know how scared the man and the two bovs were at that 
 
IN THE TEMPLE. 257 
 
 sighing sound in the other chamber. We certainly could 
 make more alarming noises than that." 
 
 Meinik nodded. "That we could, master. With some 
 reeds of different sizes I could make noises, some as deep 
 as the roar of a tiger, and others like the singing of a 
 bird." 
 
 " Then we will certainly bring some reeds in here with 
 us, Meinik. I don't suppose they will mind in the daytime 
 what sounds they hear; but at night I don't think even 
 their officers would care to move about here if we can but 
 make a few noises they do not understand. Well, for the 
 present we have done our work here, and you had best 
 go off with the Burman to buy food to serve in case of a 
 siege. You had better go to some of the cultivators' houses 
 near the edge of the wood for rice and fruit; if you can 
 get the food there you will be able to make two or three 
 journeys a day instead of one. But before we start back, 
 we will climb round to the top of the hill and see what has 
 happened to shut up the staircase." 
 
 It took them a quarter of an hour's climbing through the 
 forest and undergrowth before they reached the upper edge 
 of the rock wall in which the chambers had been excavated. 
 It had evidently, in the first place, been a natural cliff, for 
 when on the ledge, Stanley had noticed that while below 
 that point the rock was as smooth as a built wall, above it 
 was rough, and evidently untouched by the hand of man. 
 Following the edge of the cliff until standing as nearly as 
 they could guess above the entrance to the steps, they 
 walked back among the trees; at a distance of some thirty 
 yards they came upon a ruin. It was built of massive stones, 
 
 ( M 260 ) R 
 
258 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 like those which strewed the ground where the temple had 
 stood. A great tree rose on one side, and it was evident 
 that its growth had, in the first place, overthrown the wall 
 at this point; climbers and shrubs had thrust their roots in 
 between the blocks that had been but slightly moved by 
 the growth of the tree, and had in time forced them asunder, 
 and so gradually the whole building had collapsed. 
 
 " This tree must be a very old one," Stanley said, looking 
 up at it, " for it is evident that this wall was thrown down 
 a great many years ago." 
 
 "Very old, master; it is one of our hardest woods, 
 and such trees live, they say, five or six hundred years. 
 There are some which are known to be even older than 
 that." 
 
 "Well, it is clear that the staircase came up here, but 
 we have no means of knowing how far the point we reached 
 is below this. I should say that the stones we saw are the 
 remains of the pavement and roof, for you see these great 
 blocks that formed the walls don't go as far as the middle, 
 where there is a great depression; still, of course, the steps 
 may have come up on one side or the other, and not just in 
 the middle of this little temple; for, no doubt, it was a 
 temple. Now you see the reason for the steps up to that 
 little square room are explained. Probably those three 
 chambers were the apartments of the principal priests, and 
 from them they could either go out on to the roof of the 
 temple, or could, by taking the upper staircase to this 
 point, leave or enter without observation. Now let us 
 be off." 
 
 On arriving at their tree-shelter they found that the Bur- 
 
IN THE TEMPLE. 259 
 
 man had got a meal ready, and after partaking of this, 
 Meinik, with the man, started to buy provisions. It was 
 fortunate that Stanley had, before starting from Prome, 
 drawn some twenty pounds' worth of silver from the pay- 
 master. He had expected to be away for three or four 
 weeks, and during that time would have had to buy pro- 
 visions for himself, Harry, and the four troopers, and might 
 possibly have occasion for money for other matters. He 
 had not paid the men from the village; for he knew that 
 one of these would willingly accompany him to Prome to 
 receive payment for them all. A very small amount of 
 silver sufficed for the purchase of a considerable quantity of 
 food in Burma. Fruit, of which many kinds grew wild in 
 the woods, was extremely cheap, as was rice and grain. 
 Therefore, as yet, with the exception of the small sum 
 expended in Toungoo, his money was virtually untouched. 
 The two Burmans made three journeys before nightfall, 
 and returned each time with large baskets of fruit, grain, and 
 rice. On the following morning they went into the town 
 and bought six of the largest-sized water-skins, such as are 
 carried for the use of the troops in India, one on each side 
 of a bullock. As soon as they returned with these they 
 started for the temple. At a stream about a hundred yards 
 from the entrance they partially filled one of the skins, and 
 placing a strong bamboo through the straps sewn on it 
 for the purpose, Meinik and the Burmans carried it to the 
 temple, and, with Stanley's assistance, lifted it into the 
 lower chamber. The others were one by one placed beside 
 it, then water was carried in the smaller skins and poured 
 in until they were all as full as they could hold. 
 
260 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 " There is water enough to last us for a month, if needs 
 be," Stanley said, as, after securely tying up the mouths, 
 they laid the skins down, side by side. The smaller mus- 
 sucks were then filled and placed with the large skins, and 
 then, having done a long day's work, they returned to their 
 tree just as the sun was setting. The four men and two 
 boys were already there, they having done the sixty miles 
 from the village without a halt. They had already cooked 
 some rice and some slices of venison, which Meinik had 
 brought with the water-skins from the town that morning, 
 and were now lying smoking their cigars with placid con- 
 tentment. 
 
 For the next six days Meinik went to the town every 
 afternoon. On his return on the last evening he said that 
 the guard had told him that the governor had paid a visit 
 to the prison that day and had seen the white captive, and 
 had decided that he was now well enough to travel, and that 
 in two days' time he was to start for Ava, the court having 
 sent down an urgent order that he should be carried there 
 as soon as he was well enough to bear the fatigue. 
 
 " Then to-morrow we must get him out," Stanley said. 
 "Will our two men be on duty?" 
 
 "Yes, master, they have not been on since the last night 
 we were there. They will form the second watch, and will 
 go on guard at midnight. I have bought two very sharp 
 saws, and have cut two strong bamboos for the litter." 
 
 This was constructed the next day. It was very simple, 
 being formed by sewing a blanket strongly to the two 
 bamboos. Two slighter bamboos, each four feet long, were 
 tied loosely to the main poles. These were to be lashed 
 
IN THE TEMPLE. 261 
 
 across as soon as they had got beyond the palisade, so as to 
 keep the poles three feet apart, which, as the blanket was 
 four feet from pole to pole, would allow it to bag com- 
 fortably. The cross pieces could not be attached until they 
 were beyond the palisade, for the window was but two feet 
 wide, and it was therefore proposed to make the gap through 
 the palisade the same width only. Late in the evening 
 they entered the town and sat down in a deserted corner 
 until the time came for them to begin their work. At last 
 Meinik said that, by the stars, it was already past midnight, 
 and they then proceeded to the spot where they had before 
 climbed the palisade. Here they at once set to work. The 
 saws were well oiled, and in a very few minutes five bamboos 
 were cut away at the level of the ground and six feet above 
 it ; as the stockade was bound together by cross pieces 
 behind, the other portions of the bamboos remained in their 
 places. Meinik and Stanley went first, followed by three of 
 the Burmans, one of whom carried the litter. The other two 
 Burmans with the boys remained on guard at the opening. 
 
 All were barefooted, except that Stanley wore a pair of 
 the lightest leather sandals. They went noiselessly up to the 
 window, the guard as before responding to Meinik's hiss. 
 Without a word one after another entered the chamber. 
 The trooper had been sitting at the table, evidently anxiously 
 expecting their arrival. Stanley went up to the bed. 
 
 "Are you better, Harry?" he asked in a whisper. 
 
 "Better, but still weak." 
 
 Everything had been aminged beforehand. The litter 
 was laid down on the ground, with the poles as far apart as 
 possible. Then Stanley made a sign to the trooper to take 
 
262 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 one end of the rug on which Harry was lying, while he took 
 the other. The Burmans ranged themselves on each side, 
 and the blanket was lifted up with the occupant and the 
 pillow composed of his clothes, and laid quietly on to the 
 blanket of the litter. Then two Burmans went outside while 
 the other four men lifted the poles and carried one end to 
 the window. The Burmans outside held the ends well 
 above their heads, Stanley and the trooper raising their 
 hands similarly. The other Burmans then crawled under 
 it out of the window. As the litter was moved forward 
 through the window, they took the places of Stanley and the 
 trooper at the poles and silently moved on towards the 
 palisade. Stanley and Meinik followed, joined by the two 
 Burmese guards. Not the slightest sound was made as the 
 eight men crossed the short distance to the palisade and 
 passed through the opening, where the others, spear in 
 hand, were awaiting them, ready to rush in and take part 
 in the fray should an alarm be given. Stanley breathed a 
 great sigh of relief as they passed out; a few paces further 
 they halted and the cross pieces were lashed to the poles. 
 
 " Thank God that you are out, Harry ! " Stanley said, as 
 soon as they did this. "Has it hurt you much 1 ?" 
 
 "Nothing to speak of," Harry replied; "you managed 
 it marvellously. Am I really outside the place alto- 
 gether 1" 
 
 "Yes, fairly out. You will be more comfortable when 
 we have lashed these cross pieces; you will not be lying 
 then at the bottom of a bag, as you are now." 
 
 When the work was completed, they proceeded at a rapid 
 pace, for Harry's weight, reduced by fever as he had been, 
 
IN THE TEMPLE. 263 
 
 was a trifle to his bearers. The others followed close behind, 
 and in a quarter of an hour they were well beyond the 
 town. Stanley spoke to Harry once or twice but received 
 no answer; so he had no doubt that his cousin had dozed 
 quietly off to sleep. The gentle motion of the litter would 
 be likely to have that effect, especially as Harry had pro- 
 bably been lying awake for the last night or two, listening 
 for the friends who might arrive at any time. 
 
 When they reached the confines of the forest the torches, 
 which had been carried by the boys, were all lit, and each 
 carried two, with the excej^tion of the bearers, who had but 
 one each, while all kept close together round the litter. 
 They waved their torches as they went; and although they 
 heard the cries of several tigers in the forest, they had no 
 fear of being attacked, as so many waving lights would 
 deter the most hungry beast from venturing near. 
 
 Once in the chamber at the temple the litter was laid 
 doAvn on a pile of reeds and leaves, that had been gathered 
 the day before, together with a great store of brushwood 
 and logs, Harry still sleeping quietly. In a short time a 
 bright fire was blazing, and with this and the light of the 
 torches the chamber assumed quite a cheerful appearance. 
 On the way Stanley had spoken to the two guards, thanked 
 them for their service, and assured them that they would 
 receive the reward promised by Meinik. 
 
 "I am the British officer," he said, "who was at the 
 village with my friend, though 1 was absent when he was 
 carried off. As you see, I am disguised." 
 
 Both had shown signs of uneasiness when they approached 
 the temple, but Meinik had assured them that the spirits 
 
264 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 would not venture to approach a party having a white man 
 with them, and that a night had already been passed in the 
 temple without any harm coming of it. A meal, consisting 
 of slices of venison, was at once prepared, and when this 
 was eaten, and the whole party had lighted cigars, their 
 spirits rose at the success of the enterprise. The soldiers, 
 however, had been disappointed at hearing that there was 
 going to be a stay for some little time there, to enable the 
 wounded man to gain strength. 
 
 "We may not stop long," Stanley said; "but, you see, 
 with the litter we could not travel fast, and you may be 
 sure by this time the alarm has been given, for when they 
 came to relieve you at the end of three hours it would be 
 found that you were missing, and then they would at once 
 discover that the captives had gone too. By daybreak the 
 whole garrison will be out. How many are there of 
 them?" 
 
 "There are three thousand men in the town," the guard 
 said. " After a party of your soldiers came within a short 
 distance of it two months ago, fifteen hundred men were 
 added to the garrison." 
 
 "Well, you see, with three thousand men they could 
 scour all the woods, and if they overtook us we should be 
 unable to make any defence. Here we may hope that they 
 will not discover us, but if they do we can make a desperate 
 resistance, for, as only one man can enter that door at 
 a time, it would be next to impossible for them to force 
 their way in. You have your guns, and I have a brace of 
 pistols, and as all the others have spears, it will be as much 
 as the three thousand men could do to get in through that 
 
IN THE TEMPLE. 265 
 
 door. If they did, there is a still narrower door in the 
 corner to defend, and beyond that there is a long, narrow, 
 steep flight of stairs that one man could hold against a 
 host. The first thing in the morning, we will carry our 
 stores to the upper chamber. We have water and rice 
 enough to last us for a month if we are careful, so that, 
 although I hope they won't find us, I shall not be at all 
 afraid of our beating them off if they do so." 
 
 As soon as it was daylight the stones that had been 
 added to the steps at the doorway were flung down, and 
 then by their united efforts the two remaining steps were 
 removed. Then they helped each other up, the last man 
 being aided by two of his comrades above. 
 
 "There," Stanley said; "if they do come to search for 
 us they are not likely to suspect that we have got a badly 
 wounded man up here. They may search the big chamber 
 that we were in before, and any other's there may be on the 
 same level] but this narrow entrance, ten feet above them, 
 is scarcely likely to attract their attention. If it does, as I 
 said, we must fight it out, but it will be a wonderfully hard 
 nut for them to crack." 
 
 He then ordered the men to carry all the stores to the 
 upper chamber. Just as they began the work there was a 
 slight movement on the bed. Stanley at once went up to 
 it. Harry was looking round in a bewildered way. 
 
 "Well, Harry, how are you feeling 1 ? You have had a 
 capital sleep." 
 
 " Oh, is it you, Stanley 1 I was not quite sure but that I 
 was dreaming. Where am II I must have gone off to sleep 
 directly we started, for I don't remember anything after 
 
266 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 you spoke to me when they were making the hammock 
 more comfortable." 
 
 " You are in a temple some four or five thousand years 
 old, I should say, and this is a rock chamber. The temple 
 itself is in ruins. We are ten miles from Toungoo, and shall 
 wait here till the pursuit for you has slackened. In an- 
 other week you will be more fit to move than you are at 
 present. I should not like to carry you far as you are 
 now; besides, if we had pushed on, they would have been 
 sure to overtake us, for these fellows can run like hares." 
 "But why should not they find us here, Stanley?" 
 " Well, of course, they may do so, but the entrance to this 
 chamber is ten feet above the ground ; and another thing is, 
 they have all sorts of superstitions about the place. Nothing 
 would induce them to approach it after nightfall, and even 
 in the daytime they don't like coming near it. Lastly, if 
 they do find us, it will take them all their time to force 
 their way in. I have five men and two young fellows 
 quite capable of fighting; then there are your two guards, 
 Meinik, the trooper, and myself; so you see we muster 
 twelve. We have two guns and a brace of pistols, and spears 
 for us all, and if Ave cannot defend that narrow passage 
 against any number of Burmans, we shall deserve our fate. 
 Besides, there is another and even narrower door in the 
 corner behind you. They would have to force that, and in 
 the chamber beyond there is a narrow, straight staircase, 
 some forty feet high, which a man with an axe ought to be 
 able to hold against an army. They are taking the stores 
 up there now. We have got provisions and water for a 
 month. When everything is straight there we shall carry 
 
IN THE TEMPLE. 267 
 
 you up, and unless they sit down in front of this place 
 and regularly starve us out, we are as safe as if we were in 
 Prome." 
 
 " I wish to goodness you had that hideous dye off you, 
 Stanley. I know it is you by your voice, but what with 
 the colour and all that tattooing and your extraordinary 
 hair, I don't know you in the least." 
 
 " I am in just the same disguise as that in which I made 
 my way down from Ava," Stanley laughed. "I felt very un- 
 comfortable at first with nothing on but this short petticoat 
 thing, but I have got accustomed to it now, and I am bound 
 to say that it is cool and comfortable. Now, tell me about 
 your wounds." 
 
 "They are not very serious, Stanley. I had a lick across 
 the head with a sword, — that was the one that brought me 
 down, — and a slice taken out of my arm from the elbow 
 nearly up to the shoulder ; also a spear-wound in the side ; 
 but that was a trifle, as it glanced off the ribs. If I had 
 been left as I fell, and somebody had bound up my wounds 
 at once, I should have been all right by this time. The 
 fellows did bandage them up to some extent, but the move- 
 ment of the litter set them off bleeding again, and I fancy 
 that I lost pretty nearly all the blood in my body. I think 
 that it was pure weakness rather than fever that kept me 
 unconscious so long, for I gathered from the pantomime of 
 the trooper that I must have been nearly a fortnight un- 
 conscious." 
 
 " Yes ; you were certainly so when I came the first time, 
 Harry ; but I think, perhaps, on the whole, it is lucky that 
 you were. You would probably have had a great deal 
 
268 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 more fever if you had not been so very weak ; and if you 
 had escaped that and had gone on well, you might have 
 been sent off to Ava before I could get all the arrangements 
 made for your escape." 
 
 " Tell me all about it," Harry said ; " it seems to me 
 wonderful how you managed it." 
 
 Stanley told him the whole story. By the time that he 
 had finished the stores had all been taken upstairs, and the 
 fire most carefully extinguished, as the smoke would at 
 once have betrayed them. The cross pieces of the litter 
 had been taken off to allow Harry to be carried in through 
 the door, and he was now lifted. Two of the men took off 
 their cloths and wrapped the materials of the bed into these, 
 carrying them up at once. As soon as they had gone on, 
 Harry was slowly and carefully taken to the upper chamber 
 and laid down again on the bed. Stanley took his place 
 beside him, and the rest of the party went down to the 
 lower room having received the strictest orders not to show 
 themselves near the entrance, and not to smoke until well 
 assured that their pursuers must have passed on ahead. The 
 bamboos of the litter were converted into a rough ladder, 
 and on this Meinik took his post at the little window in the 
 second of the lower rooms. Owing to the immense thick- 
 ness of the rock wall he did not get an extensive view, but 
 he could see the path by which anyone coming up through 
 the forest would approach the temple. 
 
 It was now about half-past seven, and by this time the 
 pursuers might be at hand ; in ten minutes, indeed, distant 
 shouts could be heard, and Stanley at once went down and 
 joined the men below. He placed himself in the line of the 
 
IN THE TEMPLE. 269 
 
 doorway; as the wall here was four feet thick, the room 
 was in semi-darkness, and, standing well back, he was certain 
 that his figure could not be perceived by anyone standing in 
 the glare of sunshine outside. The sounds grew louder and 
 louder, and in a minute or two an officer, followed by some 
 twenty men, emerged from the trees. All paused when 
 they saw the temple. The men would have drawn back at 
 once, but the officer shouted to them to advance, although 
 showing small inclination to do so himself. They were still 
 standing irresolute when a superior officer on horseback, 
 followed by some fifty footmen, came up the path. 
 
 He shouted orders for them to search the temple, and as 
 the fear of him was even greater than their dread of the 
 spirits, the whole of the men made their way over the fallen 
 stones and up to the face of the rock. They first entered 
 the chamber where the horses had been stabled. The officer 
 who had first arrived went in with his men, and, coming 
 out, reported to his senior that there had been a fire made 
 and that some horses had also been there, but that three 
 weeks or a month must have passed since then. 
 
 "Are you sure of that?" 
 
 " Quite certain, my lord. It is extraordinary that any- 
 one should have dared to enter there, still less to stable 
 horses, when, as everyone knows, the temple is haunted by 
 evil spirits." 
 
 "I care nothing for spirits," the officer said; "it is men 
 we are in search of. Go and look into any other chambers 
 there may be." 
 
 At this moment a deep mournful sound was heard; 
 louder and louder it rose, and then gradually died away. 
 
270 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 The soldiers stood as if paralysed; even the high official, 
 who had been obliged to leave his horse and make his way 
 across the fallen blocks on foot, stepped back a pace with 
 an expression of awe. He soon recovered himself, and 
 shouted angrily to the men to go on. But again the dirge- 
 like noise rose louder and louder. It swelled, and then as 
 gradually died away; but this time with a quavering modu- 
 lation. The men looked up and round, some gazed at the 
 upper part of the rock, some straight ahead, while others 
 turned round and faced the forest. 
 
 "Search!" the officer shouted furiously. "Evil spirits 01 
 no evil spirits, not a man shall stir from here until the place 
 is searched." 
 
 Then rose a shrill, vibrating sound, as if of eerie laughter. 
 Not even the officer's authority or the fear of punishment 
 could restrain the soldiers. With cries of alarm they rushed 
 across the ruins and plunged into the forest, followed, at 
 a rate which he tried in vain to make dignified, by the 
 officer, who, as soon as he reached his horse, leapt upon it 
 and galloped away. The Burmese keenly appreciate a joke, 
 and as soon as the troops had fled, the villagers and guards 
 inside the temple threw themselves down on the ground 
 and roared with laughter. 
 
 Stanley at once made his way into the upper room. 
 
 " Splendidly done, Meinik ! It was like the note of an 
 organ. Although I knew what you were going to do, I felt 
 almost startled myself when that deep note rose. No wonder 
 they were frightened." 
 
 "Well, at any rate, master, we are safe for the present." 
 
 " For the present, no doubt, Meinik : but I question if we 
 
IN THE TEMPLE. 271 
 
 sha'n't hear of them again. That officer was a determined- 
 looking fellow, and though he was scared, too, he stuck to 
 it like a man." 
 
 " That is the governor of the town, master. I saw him 
 carried through the streets in his chair. Everyone was 
 bending to the ground as he passed. He was a famous 
 general at one time, and they say that he is likely to com- 
 mand a part of the army again Avhen fighting begins." 
 
 " Well, I think that we shall hear of them again, Meinik. 
 I don't suppose that he really thought that we were here, 
 for certainly no Burman would take up his abode in this 
 place even to save his life. They will push on the chase 
 through the woods all day, and by that time they will feel 
 sure that they would have overtaken us had we gone 
 straight on. Then I should not be at all surprised if he 
 tries here again." 
 
 " Perhaps he will, master. Like enough he will chop off 
 the heads of some of the men that ran away, and pick out 
 some of his best troops for the search. Still, 1 hope he won't 
 think of it." 
 
 Stanley shook his head. 
 
 " I hope so too, Meinik. There is one thing about which 
 I feel certain — if he does find us here, he will stay here, or 
 at any rate leave some troops here until he gets us. He 
 would know that he would get into trouble at Ava for letting 
 the prisoners escape, and it would be all-important for him 
 to recapture them. Now we are up here, Meinik, we will 
 go and have a look at that upper staircase again. If we 
 are besieged that is our only hope of safety." 
 
 They again went along the ledge and up the staircase. 
 
272 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 Stanley examined the stones that blocked the passage for 
 some time, and at last exclaimed : 
 
 "There, Meinik, look along by the side of this stone ; I 
 can see a ray of light. Yes, and some leaves. I don't think 
 they are more than thirty feet above us." 
 
 Meinik applied his eye to the crevice. "I see them, 
 master. Yes, I don't think those leaves are more than 
 that distance away." 
 
 "That is what I came to look for," Stanley said. "It was 
 evident that this rubbish could only be the stones of the roof 
 and pavement over the depression in the middle of the ruin, 
 and that these could not block up this staircase very far. 
 The question is, will it be possible to clear them away? 
 Evidently it will be frightfully dangerous work. One might 
 manage to get one stone out at a time in safety. But at 
 any moment the loosening of one stone might bring a number 
 of others down with a run, and anyone on this narrow 
 staircase would be swept away like a straw." 
 
 Meinik agreed as to the danger. 
 
 " Well, we need not think it over now, Meinik, but if we 
 are really besieged, it is by this way that we must escape, 
 if at all. We must hope that we sha'n't be beset, but if 
 we are we must try here. I would rather be killed at 
 once by the fall of a stone on my head than tortured to 
 death." 
 
 Meinik nodded, and they descended the stairs, put out 
 the torches that they had used there, and returned along 
 the ledge to the chamber where Harry was lying. 
 
 "So Meinik scared them away," the latter said as Stanley 
 sat down beside him. " I could not think what he was 
 
IN THE TEMPLE. 273 
 
 going to do Avhen he came up here with that long reed as 
 thick as my leg. He showed it to me, and I saw that it 
 had a sort of mouthpiece fixed into it, and he made signs 
 that he was going to blow down it. When he did it was 
 tremendous, and as it got louder and louder, I put my 
 hands to my ears ; everything seemed to quiver. The other 
 row — that diabolical laughing noise — he made with a smaller 
 one; it was frightful; but the big note was more like a 
 trombone, only twenty times louder. Well, do you think 
 that we have done with them 1 ?" 
 
 "I hope so, Harry. At any rate you can be assured that 
 they will never fight their way up here, and long before 
 our provisions are finished I have no doubt that I shall be 
 able to hit on some plan of escape." 
 
 The day passed cpiietly, the woods were as silent as 
 usual. The Burmans were all in high spirits at the success 
 of Meinik's horn. When it became dark they hung a 
 blanket before the entrance, placed one of the lads on 
 watch just outside it, and then lighted a fire. Stanley took 
 a couple of torches and went up to Harry, taking the pre- 
 caution to hang a cloth before the window. 
 
 "I have not said much about thanking you, old fellow/' 
 Harry said, " but you must know how I feci." 
 
 "You had better say nothing about it, Harry; I have 
 only done what you would have done had you been in 
 my place; had you been in charge of that party, and I 
 had been carried off, I know you would have done all in 
 your power to rescue me. You might not have succeeded 
 quite so well, because you do not know their language, but 
 I know that you would have tried. After all, I have not 
 
 ( M 2G6 ) s 
 
274 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 run anything like so much risk as I did when I rescued 
 Meinik from the leopard. And he, of course, was an 
 absolute stranger to me. Besides, you are not rescued yet, 
 and we won't holloa until we are out of the wood." 
 
 "It is very cool and pleasant here," Harry said, after 
 lying without speaking for a few minutes. " It was dread- 
 fully hot in that hut in the middle of the day, and I used 
 to feel that I lost almost as much strength in the day as I 
 picked up at night. I am wonderfully better this evening. 
 Of course, that long sleep had something to do with it, and 
 the pleasure of being free and with you had still more, but 
 certainly the coolness, and the air blowing through that 
 opening, have counted for something." 
 
 "Well, we shall feed you up as long as you are here, 
 Harry, and I hope in a fortnight to see you pretty firm on 
 your legs again, and then if there is nothing to prevent it 
 we will carry you off triumphantly." 
 
 Meinik here came in with two bowls of broth, for they 
 had bought a few earthenware utensils on one of the visits 
 to Toungoo. 
 
 "That is first-rate!" Harry said, as he finished his first 
 one. "What is it made of V 
 
 " I never ask questions," Stanley replied, who tried, 
 successfully, to keep down a smile. " Meinik is a capital 
 cook, and turns out all sorts of nice little dishes. Here 
 comes his step again. What have you there, Meinik 1 ?" he 
 asked, as the Burman entered with two plates. 
 
 "A slice of mutton done on sticks over the fire, master, 
 and some rice with it." 
 
 "That is first-rate !" Harry said heartily, when he had 
 
IN THE TEMPLE. 275 
 
 finished. " They did not give me meat in prison. I suppose 
 they thought that I was not strong enough for it." 
 
 " They eat very little meat themselves, Harry. Xow I 
 fancy your dinner is done, except some fruit. We have got 
 plenty of that." 
 
 There were, however, some fried bananas, and Harry 
 declared that he had feasted like a king. " If this goes on, 
 Stanley, I will wager that I shall be about in a week, and 
 shall be offering to run a race with you in a fortnight." 
 
 " You will be a good deal longer than that before you are 
 fit to walk any distance. Still, with a good appetite, — which 
 you are sure to have after your illness, — plenty of food, and 
 the cool air in these caves, I do expect that you will pick 
 up fast," 
 
 The next day passed cpiietly. 
 
 " I shall be glad when to-morrow is over," Stanley said 
 to Meinik the last thing before going up to Harry's cell. 
 " To-day I expect they are all marching back again, and 
 if they pay us another visit it will be early to-morrow 
 morning. Be sure that two men are on watch. They can 
 relieve each other every hour, and I shall come down myself 
 occasionally to see that all is right, but I don't think that 
 even the governor could get his men to come near this place 
 after dark." 
 
 " We will keep good watch, master, but I have no fear of 
 their coming." 
 
276 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 THE ATTACK. 
 
 STANLEY got up several times during the night, and 
 went below to the watchers, as he felt sure they would 
 be nervous, for though they had now, to a large extent, got 
 over their superstitious fears, they would still be timid at 
 night. They reported that everything was still, round the 
 temple, but that they had heard distant sounds in the 
 woods; and on the first of these occasions he had, after re- 
 turning to the room above, gone out on to the ledge, and 
 from that height could see the reflection in the sky of a 
 number of fires extending in a semicircle, at a distance of a 
 mile or so from the temple. From this he felt convinced 
 that the governor was determined to have a thorough search 
 made in the morning. As soon as it was daylight the sound 
 of the blowing of horns and the beating of drums was 
 heard in the forest, and half an hour later a large body of 
 men poured out from the trees, headed by the governor 
 himself. 
 
 "Now," he shouted, "this place is to be searched in every 
 hole and corner. As to the evil spirits, there is no fear of 
 them either by day or night. Did you ever hear of their 
 attacking a large body of men 1 They may strangle a single 
 traveller who ventures into their haunts, but no one ever 
 heard of a Burmese army being attacked by them. Now, 
 every man has to do his duty, and the first who wavers, his 
 head is to be struck off at once. Forward!" 
 
 The troops rushed impetuously across the ruins, pene- 
 
THE ATTACK. 277 
 
 trated into the various chambers in the rock, and in a few 
 minutes all these were reported to be empty. 
 
 "There are chambers higher up," the governor said. 
 " We will search them, and — look at that door up there, it 
 must lead to somewhere. Bring stones, and make a stair 
 up to it." 
 
 It was evident now that there was no longer any hope of 
 concealment, and Stanley stepped to the entrance. "My lord- 
 governor," he shouted, "there is a strong force here, and all 
 your army could not gain an entrance. We do not wish to 
 take the lives of brave men, but if we are attacked we must 
 defend ourselves, and I pray you to withdraw with them 
 and not to throw away life." 
 
 This address from an apparent peasant excited the wrath 
 of the governor, who shouted: "Shoot him, men!" 
 
 But before the order could be obeyed Stanley had 
 stepped back into the chamber, where he had already 
 ordered the men to stand out of the line of the door. A 
 number of muskets were fired, and several bullets struck 
 the back wall of the chamber. The firing continued, and 
 Stanley said: "Keep where you are, men, until they have 
 finished, then approach the door, for directly they begin the 
 attack the men behind must stop firing. They will be some 
 minutes yet." He ran quickly up to Harry's room. 
 
 "They are attacking us," Harry exclaimed; "oh, how I 
 wish I could come down and help!" 
 
 " They can never get in, Harry. British soldiers might 
 do it, but not these fellows. They can only enter two 
 abreast, and with a dozen spear-points facing them what can 
 they do 1 ? I thought that I would just come up and tell you 
 
278 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 it was all right. It will take them five minutes, at least, to 
 pile up stones level with the doorway." 
 
 Stanley again joined those below. Meinik, the trooper, 
 and one of the Burmese were to form the first line; the 
 four other Burmese were to stand behind, with their spears, 
 between the men in front ; the two guards with their mus- 
 kets, and the boys, were to act as a reserve. Stanley had 
 armed himself with one of the axes, and was to stand by 
 the side of the entrance, so that if the spearmen were pressed 
 back, and any of the assailants succeeded in passing the en- 
 trance, he would strike them down. Presently there was a 
 silence outside. 
 
 " Keep well back," he said. " They have laid their 
 stones, and we shall have a rush directly, but they will 
 most likely pour in a volley first." 
 
 The pause lasted for a minute or two. Then a drum was 
 beaten, and a hundred muskets were fired. A rain of bullets 
 flew into the cave. 
 
 "Now," Stanley shouted, "form up!" 
 
 A wild yell was raised by the Burmese. Now they knew 
 that they were fighting human foes, their courage returned 
 and there was a rush of men up the pile of stones to the 
 entrance, but in vain they tried to force their way into the 
 chamber. Those in front fell pierced by the spears, and 
 while the defenders could see their figures against the light, 
 the assailants, coming out from the sunshine, could see 
 nothing in the chamber, which was now darkened by their 
 filling up the entrance. Not once was it necessary for 
 Stanley to strike. The Burmans' spears did their work 
 thoroughly, and in two or three minutes the entrance was 
 
w rkJf 
 
 U 2 K IS 
 
 "IN VAIN THE BURMESE TRIED TO FORCE THEIR WAY INTO 
 THE CHAMBER." 
 
THE ATTACK. 279 
 
 nigh choked up with dead bodies, adding to the difficulty of 
 the assailants. Pressed on by those behind, the foremost 
 fell over these obstacles, and were instantly pierced by 
 -the spears, until it was no longer possible to get through 
 the outer entrance, much less make their way into the 
 chamber. Again and again the attack was repeated and as 
 often repulsed. 
 
 Before advancing, the Burmese each time endeavoured to 
 clear the passage by drawing out the bodies of their comrades, 
 but the two guards now posted themselves in front, and 
 shot man after man who made the attempt. At last the 
 Burmese drew off, but not till some fifty or sixty had been 
 killed. The governor was seen gesticulating furiously to 
 a party of officers, and presently a final attack was made, 
 led by several officers of rank. This was as unsuccessful as 
 the others; the bodies, indeed, of the killed now forming 
 a well-nigh impassable barrier, and after several of the 
 officers and many of the bravest men had fallen, the re- 
 mainder withdrew suddenly. The governor appeared to 
 recognize that the task was an impossible one, and two or 
 three hundred men were at once set to work felling trees, 
 and by nightfall a high stockade had been erected round 
 the open ground in front of the temple. 
 
 " They are going to try to starve us out," Stanley said. 
 " There is no more chance of fighting to-night." 
 
 As soon as the stockade was finished musketeers took 
 their place behind it and opened a dropping fire at the 
 entrance, while the wood-cutters continued to fell trees. 
 
 "We must get rid of these dead bodies if we can," 
 Stanley said, " or the place will be uninhabitable in a day 
 
280 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 or two. Get those two bamboos we had for the litter, 
 Meinik; we will push the bodies out, one by one, begin- 
 ning with those on the top of the heap. We can keep 
 down behind the shelter of the pile till we have got most 
 of them out; after that we must take our chance of a 
 shot." 
 
 It took them some hours' work, but at last the passage 
 was cleared, and the bodies all thrown outside. The fire 
 was lighted in the next room, and Stanley, bidding two men 
 listen attentively for any movement, went up again to 
 Harry, to whom he had paid a flying visit as soon as the 
 Burmese drew off. 
 
 "We cannot risk having a light here, Harry," he said. 
 " I don't want them to have any idea that this chamber, 
 which is nearly fifty feet above the entrance, is in any way 
 connected with the rooms below. If such an idea struck 
 them they might lower men from above by ropes, and so 
 take us in the rear." 
 
 "Did you say that we are regularly shut up in front by 
 that stockade?" 
 
 "Yes; there is certainly no getting out that way. Behind, 
 you know, it is a sheer wall of rock, and the only possibility 
 that I can see, is that we may clear a staircase, which runs 
 up through the rock, from a ledge on the level of this room, 
 to the ruins of a building above. At present the upper part 
 is entirely choked up with blocks of stone and rubbish, and 
 it will be a very awkward job to get through it; but so far, 
 it seems to me, it is that or nothing." 
 
 "What are they going on chopping down trees for?" 
 
 " I believe their general is doing it to bring large numbers 
 
THE ATTACK. 281 
 
 of his troops close up to the stockade; partly perhaps to 
 keep up the spirits of the front line by their company, partly 
 to render impossible any attempt on our part to make our 
 way out by a sudden rush. Of course, they don't know 
 what our strength is; but they have had so sharp a lesson 
 to-day that they will take every precaution in future. Well, 
 what is it, Meinik 1 " 
 
 "We have been talking together, master, and we think 
 that if we were to call out that they might take the bodies 
 away without any interference by us they would do so. 
 Several officers of rank have fallen there, and it is our 
 custom alwaj-s to carry off the dead when it is possible." 
 
 " It would be worth trying the experiment anyhow, 
 Meinik. But we must all stand to arms while they are 
 doing it, as they might make a sudden rush. However, 
 we would risk that, for those bodies have been worrying me 
 very much, and I would give anything to have them taken 
 away. I will go down with you." 
 
 Meinik accordingly went down to the entrance and shouted 
 out : " Peace, peace ! I am ordered by the English officer to 
 say that he would wish those who have fought so bravely 
 to be honoured after death, and that no shot shall be fired 
 and no interference made with those who come to carry 
 away the dead." 
 
 There was silence for two or three minutes, and then a 
 voice called back: "It is well; for two hours there shall be 
 peace between us." 
 
 " I have no doubt the governor is as glad to do this as we 
 are. It is considered a disgrace if the dead are not carried 
 off the ground to burial; and if he sends despatches to Ava 
 
282 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 he will be glad to be able to put in that the brave men who 
 fell have all been buried with due honours. Besides, 
 Meinik, it would not be encouraging to his troops for them 
 to have that pile of dead bodies before them; and, indeed, 
 would be enough to cause a pestilence in a few days." 
 
 The men were formed up again round the entrance. The 
 Burmese did their work silently. Occasionally a slight move- 
 ment was heard, but no one could have imagined that a 
 hundred men were busy outside. A number of them carried 
 torches, and all worked steadily and in good order under 
 the direction of two or three officers. One of the posts of 
 the stockade had been pulled up, and through this the bodies 
 were carried. It was less than two hours before a horn 
 sounded, and there was a loud call of: "The peace is over; 
 all is done." 
 
 Beyond the stockade great fires blazed among the trees. 
 The work of chopping down the forest continued, and by 
 the morning the ground had been cleared for a distance of 
 thirty or forty yards from the paling. Then the Burmese 
 raised another stockade forty feet behind the first, so that, 
 if by carelessness or treachery the besieged should manage 
 to pass through the first line, there would yet be another in 
 front of them. 
 
 "I expect, master," Meinik said, as standing well back he 
 watched the men at work, "the general is building this 
 second line, not because he thinks that there is a chance of 
 our getting through the first, but to keep the men at work 
 so as to prevent them from thinking anything about the 
 spirits. Now that they have passed one night there they 
 will have got somewhat over their fear, and of course every 
 
THE ATTACK. 283 
 
 day that passes without ill befalling them they will think 
 less and less about the evil ones." 
 
 "Do you believe in them, Meinik?" 
 
 Meinik hesitated. "Everyone knows, master, that evil 
 spirits guard the treasures of the people that lived in the 
 land long, long ago. No one can doubt that people who 
 have rashly sought the treasures have been found dead 
 with staring eyes and swollen bodies; but as at present 
 they must know well that neither we nor those outside are 
 searching for treasure, they may not interfere." 
 
 " Then you think that there are treasures buried here 
 somewhere?" 
 
 "I cannot say, master; everyone says so. The story has 
 been handed down that this was once the greatest of the 
 temples of the old people, and that when they were defeated 
 by tribes from the east — I know not whether it was us or 
 some people before us — the priests from all the other temples 
 came here. The remains of their army came here too and 
 fought outside the temple until all were killed. When the 
 conquerors entered they found the priests all lying in regular 
 lines on the pavements. All were dead. One story is that 
 they had stabbed themselves; another, that they had taken 
 poison. At any rate, no treasures were found, although it 
 was known that the riches of the temple were great, and 
 that all the other priests that had come here had brought 
 the treasures from their temples with them. That was the 
 beginning of the destruction of the place, for the pavement 
 was torn up, and the walls in some places levelled, and the 
 images of the gods broken up in search for the treasures. 
 The work of the guardian spirits had already begun. They 
 
284 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 say that all who took part in the search died of a terrible 
 pestilence that broke out. Since that time the place has 
 been accursed. Once or twice kings have sent bodies of 
 troops to search, and they say that some could never find 
 the temple, but wandered about the forest for days searching 
 in vain for it; others found so thick a darkness, like the 
 blackest of smoke, filling the forest, that even the bravest 
 dare not enter. I say not that those things were so; I 
 only say that these are the stories that have come down to 
 us." 
 
 " Well, Meinik, we are not going to search for the trea- 
 sure, and it is evident that the spirits bear us no ill-will; 
 indeed I feel obliged to them, for it is likely enough that 
 the soldiers will put down their misfortune to their influence, 
 and that even the governor may feel that it would be useless 
 to try to get them to renew the assault. This evening we 
 will go up and have another look at the stairs and see how 
 we can best set to work to clear them. There is no great 
 hurry about it, but the sooner we set to work the better." 
 
 All day long a dropping fire was maintained on the 
 entrance by the troops behind the first stockade; but as, 
 with the exception of three men kept always on watch, the 
 defenders were stationed in the next chamber, the bullets 
 pattered harmlessly against the wall. During the night the 
 accumulated dust of ages had been swept up from the floor, 
 and this had been strewn three inches deep in the passage 
 between the outer air and the chamber, so as to cover the 
 blood that had been shed there. As soon as it was quite 
 dark, Stanley, Meinik, and three of the villagers went out on 
 to the ledge in front of the upper opening, made their way 
 
THE ATTACK. 285 
 
 along it to the entrance of the stairs and mounted. They 
 carried with them two or three glowing brands from the 
 fire in one of the earthenware cooking pots, which was 
 covered with a cloth to prevent the slightest glow being 
 noticed by the enemy. The men, by Stanley's order, 
 brought with them the bamboos of the litter, the saw they 
 had used at the stockade, a hatchet, and some blocks of 
 firewood. When they got to the point where the steps were 
 choked up, they lighted the two torches, the men who 
 brought up the rear of the party holding up a rug to pre- 
 vent any reflection from the torches being seen outside. 
 When Stanley and Meinik had again examined the obstacle, 
 the latter retired, and the Burmans one by one came up 
 and looked at it. 
 
 "What do you think of it?" Stanley asked them. 
 
 " It would be dangerous to touch it, my lord," one of 
 them said. " If only one stone moved out from its place 
 it would be death to us all. They are firm now, quite 
 firm, but if two or three were disturbed the whole might 
 come down at once." 
 
 "I quite see that," Stanley said. "Can any of you 
 suggest a plan by which we could get out without much 
 risk of setting them in motion 1 ?" 
 
 The Burmese were silent. 
 
 " I will tell you my scheme then. I propose to cut the 
 bamboos into lengths that will just reach across the passage. 
 It is the lower stones that one is most afraid of. So long 
 as these remain fixed there is no fear of any general move 
 merit, but if they went, the whole mass might come down. 
 This passage is less than three feet wide, and the bamboos are 
 
286 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 twelve feet long, so that each would make four the width of 
 the passage. I propose to drive them tightly in and fix 
 them firmly with wedges. They must be put in so that 
 they will actually touch the stones, so as to prevent their 
 making the slightest downward movement. If they began to 
 slide, no doubt they would carry away the bamboos, but if 
 these were fixed firmly by wedges they ought to be sufficient 
 to prevent any movement from taking place, especially as 
 there would be enough of them almost to touch each other, 
 extending from this lowest step on which the rocks rest, 
 some five feet upwards, that is, to within some two feet 
 of the roof, which would be sufficient for us to crawl 
 through, and the bamboos would serve as a ladder. Then I 
 propose that we should work our way along the top, passing 
 the small stones and rubbish backwards, after filling up all 
 the cracks and crevices below us. 
 
 " I see, of course, that we should meet with many ob- 
 stacles. Great stones may be sticking up, perhaps jammed 
 against the roof, these would have to be broken off or 
 chipped in pieces. No doubt the work will take time; but 
 at any rate there is plenty of food for three weeks, and 
 working by turns night and day we ought to be able to 
 burrow our way out. As we get on we may not find the 
 stones so tightly pressed together as they are here. At 
 any rate, as we saw the light above us only some thirty feet 
 up, there ought not to be above twenty feet of closely- 
 packed stuff to get through. No doubt the work will be 
 dangerous as well as hard; but as we know that if we do 
 not succeed all our lives are forfeited, we can face the 
 danger. Every one of us will take his share in turn; I 
 
THE ATTACK. 287 
 
 shall do so myself, and shall direct the work in general. 
 What do you think of the plan?" 
 
 "I think that it is possible, master," Meinik said. "At 
 any rate we must try it, since it is the only way that offers 
 us any chance of life." 
 
 The Burmese all agreed, and they at once set to work. 
 The bamboos were first cut into lengths, and then, by 
 means of the axe and wedges, were jammed so firmly from 
 side to side, that it would have required great force to dis- 
 lodge them. These supports were somewhat irregularly 
 placed, as it was necessary that they should absolutely 
 touch the stones. As they proceeded with the work, the 
 spaces behind the bamboos were filled tightly up with 
 rubble, so as to solidify the whole. 
 
 When the last support was in its place, Stanley said: 
 " Now, Meinik, do you with these three work to-night, four 
 others will take your place before dawn. Mind, at first I 
 don't want you to attempt to move any fixed stones, but 
 simply to clear away all small stones and rubble; you can 
 stow a good deal behind the two upper bamboos, the rest 
 you must put on the stairs. I will see to-night what we 
 can manage in the way of tools for chipping away the big 
 stones that cannot be moved. You had better relieve each 
 other very often; the three who are not at work should sit 
 down on the ledge outside, so that any stone accidentally dis- 
 lodged will not fall on anyone. Every ten minutes one will 
 come up to take the place of the man at work. Be sure that 
 each as he passes up or down replaces the blanket carefully." 
 
 They had, indeed, before beginning to saw up the bamboos 
 fastened the blanket to one of the cross pieces of the 
 
288 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 stretcher, and cutting this to the width of the passage, had 
 jammed it close up to the roof, so that the curtain hanging 
 down effectually shut off the light. Stanley then descended 
 the steps and rejoined Harry below. Before going down 
 further, Stanley, who had during the day informed Harry 
 of his plan, told him of the start that they had made. 
 
 " Of course it all depends upon what stones you meet 
 with," Harry said. " If you come to a big solid block I 
 don't see how you are going to get through it." 
 
 " We have the hatchets and can whittle it away, and 
 perhaps we can make some chisels from the ramrods of your 
 guards' guns. A lot can be done with patience and plenty 
 of hands." 
 
 Stanley then went down below and explained to the others 
 the plan proposed. The news gave them great satisfaction; 
 for although Meinik had told them there was a staircase 
 above blocked with stones, it had seemed so impossible to 
 him to clear it that he had placed no stress upon the fact, 
 and the preparations made by the enemy to cut off any 
 possible retreat had greatly depressed them. Stanley took 
 one of the iron ramrods, and raking some of the embers 
 from the fire, placed it in them about a foot from one end; 
 then he directed the others to fan the embers until they 
 raised them almost to white heat. Taking the ramrod out, 
 he laid the edge of one of their knives upon it, and striking 
 its back with a stone, soon cut through the glowing rod. 
 He repeated the operation, and had then three short rods 
 of equal length. He now heated one end of each, and lay- 
 ing it on an axe on the ground, hammered it into chisel shape 
 with, the back of a light hatchet, repeating this several times 
 
THE ATTACK. 289 
 
 until it had the required shape and sharpness, then he 
 plunged this into a pot of water. 
 
 He did the same with the other two, and had now three 
 chisels with which he hoped to be able to chip away the 
 stones. The other ramrod he left intact, except that he 
 sharpened one end, then going up to Harry's room he lay 
 down and slept for some hours, putting the two boys on 
 watch and bidding the trooper look after them. The two 
 Burmans, with one of the guards, were to go to work with 
 him. Several times he woke; the last time, on looking 
 out, he thought that there was a faint light in the sky, 
 and going down called up the three men, and bidding 
 them bring up the two heavy axes, a light hatchet, and 
 the three short chisels, he led them up the steps to the 
 working party. 
 
 " How have you got on, Meinikl" 
 
 " We have cleared four feet, master, but there is a big 
 stone sticking up now, and we can do nothing with it." 
 
 " We will have a try, and do you all go down at once. 
 Take off your cloth, one of you, and fill it with this rubbish 
 on the steps. Do it as quickly as you can, the day will be 
 breaking in a few minutes." 
 
 Stanley now climbed up and investigated the passage. 
 The bottom was level, every crack and crevice between 
 the stones being filled up with rubbish. The obstacle 
 Meinik had spoken of evidently formed part of a flat 
 slab. It reached within an inch of the roof, and at one side 
 touched the rock Avail ; at the other there was an interval of 
 some four or five inches, and the earth and rubbish had 
 already been scraped out from behind it. Putting his hand 
 
 ( M 266 ) T 
 
290 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 in lie found that the block was some four inches in thick- 
 ness. He thought that if he could but get a fair blow at 
 it with the back of one of the heavy axes he might break 
 it off, but this was impossible. The total width of the 
 passage did not exceed three feet, and as the men had, as 
 they went, worked down somewhat, there was now about 
 thirty inches between the bed of earth and rubbish on which 
 he was lying and the roof. Taking the handle of the axe 
 in both hands he used the head as a battering-ram, but 
 without any success. He then called up the slightest of the 
 three men, and told him to crawl in beside him, and with 
 their united strength they pounded the stone for some 
 time. Finding that nothing could be done this way, 
 Stanley sent the man back again, and then taking one of 
 the three chisels and a small hatchet, he proceeded to mark 
 a line along the bottom of the stone, and then for ten 
 minutes worked away on it with the chisel and hammer. 
 Then he called up one of the others, and showed him what 
 he was to do. All day they worked by turns, and though 
 progress was very slow, by nightfall the groove was half an 
 inch deep. 
 
 Stanley and the strongest Burman then went in to- 
 gether, and lying on their backs again tried the effect of 
 the heavy axe, but still without success. Then Stanley 
 told the man to get down and take out the wedge at the 
 top of the axe, and to cut away the wood below the head, 
 so that the latter would slip down four or five inches, 
 then to take off the head of the other heavy axe and put it 
 on above it, and replace the wedge. In a few minutes the 
 man rejoined him. 
 
THE ATTACK. 291 
 
 "We must strike it as near the roof as we can," Stanley 
 said. Both grasped the handle firmly. " We will sway 
 it backwards and forwards three times, and the third time 
 strike. One, two, three — hooray!" 
 
 As the two-headed axe, driven with their united force, 
 struck the stone, there was a sharp crack. 
 
 " That has done it," Stanley said, turning over. There 
 was a dark line along the groove, and the top of the stone 
 inclined back two inches from the perpendicular, being 
 kept in its place by the rubbish behind it. Stanley put his 
 hand into the hole, and got his fingers behind the stone, 
 while the Burmese put the chisel into the crack and used it 
 as a lever. In two or three minutes the stone was moved 
 out of its position, taken out of the hole, and laid down on 
 the steps. Half an hour later Meinik came up with a 
 trooper, another guard, and one of the boys, and was 
 delighted to find that the obstacle, which had seemed to 
 him fatal to their hopes, had been removed. Stanley showed 
 how they had carried out the work, and then with his 
 party went down into the rock chambers. 
 
 " It was pretty tiring work, Harry," he said, "though we 
 were only at it about a quarter of an hour at a time. My 
 wrists and arms and shoulders are aching as if I had been 
 beaten with sticks. To-morrow I Avill take up a good 
 supply of fire-wood. The chisels got blunted before we had 
 worked an hour, and we should get on a deal faster if we 
 could sharpen them frequently." 
 
 "Is the stone hard?" 
 
 "No; it is a sort of marble, I think. We had the under- 
 part of the slab on our side, and I did not think of looking 
 
292 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 when we took it down. Anyhow, it was not very hard, 
 and with a good strong chisel and a short, heavy hammer 
 I am sure we could have done it in an hour. Anyhow, 
 it is a comfort that nothing came down on top of us. I 
 examined the pile carefully, and there had not been 
 the slightest movement among the lower stones; so that 
 part of the difficulty seems to have been got over. Now, 
 I must go down and get something to eat, and then I will 
 go in for a good sleep. You are feeling all right, I 
 hope?" 
 
 "Could not be doing better, Stanley. I have eaten 
 three solid meals to-day, and have been sitting up on the 
 edge of my bed for some time. I tried standing, but it 
 was no go; still, I do think that in a day or two I shall 
 manage it." 
 
 For six days the work continued. One party watched, 
 another slept, and the third worked, by turns. Some of the 
 stones gave much greater trouble than the first they had 
 net with, but having the fire close by proved a great assist- 
 ance, as the chisels could be frequently sharpened. The 
 men became more accustomed to the work, and the steady 
 progress they made greatly excited their hopes. At the 
 end of the week but one stone barred the way. This, how- 
 ever, was much the most formidable that they had encoun- 
 tered. It seemed to have been a pillar or a huge gate-post, 
 and was square, measuring some twenty inches on each face. 
 The obstacle was all the more formidable, as the upper end 
 was inclined towards them, greatly increasing the difficulty 
 in using the chisel. Beyond this, as far as they could see, 
 there was merely a mass of smaller stones. The party who 
 
THE ATTACK. 293 
 
 had been working upon this block were much disheartened 
 when Stanley went up to relieve them. Owing to the in- 
 clination of the stone, their chisels could get but little bite, 
 and though they had been working for six hours at it, they 
 had scarcely made any impression; indeed at only one point 
 had they so far broken the face that the chisel would cut. 
 Meinik had come down tAvo hours before to report to Stanley 
 the nature of the obstacle, and when he went up he took 
 with him the second ramrod, which had not hitherto been 
 used. 
 
 He saw at once that, as Meinik had told him, it would be 
 impossible to get through this block by the same means as 
 before, for as the groove deepened the labour would become 
 greater and greater, and from the inclination of the stone 
 they would in time arrive at a point where the axe could 
 no longer be used to strike the chisel. The point at which 
 the slight indentation had been made was nearly at the 
 corner of the stone. This was gradually enlarged by hammer- 
 ing upon it with the head of the axe, and after an hour's 
 work the surface had been so far pounded that the chisel 
 could get a flat hold upon it. Then Stanley and one of the 
 Burmans lay down and placed the cutting end of the long 
 ramrod against it, and the others by turns struck the 
 end with the back of a light hatchet, those holding the 
 rod turning it slightly after each blow. Every half-hour 
 the edge of the chisel was resharpened, and by the time 
 the next party relieved them, a hole of half an inch in 
 diameter and two inches deep had been drilled in the stone. 
 Stanley remained with the new-comers for half an hour, 
 instructing them in the work, and then went below. 
 
294 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 "Well, Stanley, what are you going to do with this mon- 
 strous stone Meinik tells me of?" 
 
 " There is only one thing to do with it, Harry ; that is, to 
 blast it. The block is so inclined that one can do nothing 
 with the chisels, and we are now drilling a hole. I don't 
 know that I shall succeed, but at any rate I am going to 
 have a try. If it fails, I must hit on some other way. The 
 provisions are holding out all right, and Meinik calculates 
 that, with a little stinginess, we could manage for another 
 three weeks. We have drilled the hole in two inches to- 
 day, and as we get more accustomed to the work I dare 
 say we could do three inches in each shift. The block is 
 twenty inches through on the straight, and may be two 
 feet on the line that we follow, so that in four days we shall 
 be nearly through it. In three weeks we shall have made 
 five holes, which will weaken it so that we may be able 
 to break it off. However, I hope we shall find one hole 
 sufficient. I shall make it fifteen inches deep, and then 
 charge it with the contents of a dozen cartridges. I think 
 that ought to do it." 
 
 In two days and a half the hole was of the required depth. 
 Harry had progressed so rapidly that he was able that morn- 
 ing to walk across his room. 
 
 "We must try the shot at once," Stanley said, "because 
 if it fails we must go on working; if it succeeds we can, 
 if we like, wait for another week before we make off. By 
 that time you will be strong enough to be got through that 
 low passage, and walk for a little distance, when we can cut 
 some poles and rig up that hammock again. Do you know 
 anything about mining, for I know nothing 1 ? I only had 
 
THE ATTACK. 295 
 
 an idea how to drill the hole from seeing some engineers 
 at work at Agra years ago, but I am sure I don't know 
 how they fired the shot or prepared it." 
 
 " I can tell you a little about it, Stanley, for I have been 
 down a coal-mine once or twice, and watched the men 
 doing it. They first of all put in the charge, then they put 
 in a wooden rod just the thickness of the fuse they use, 
 then they dropped in a little dry dust round it, which they 
 pressed down very carefully with a small wooden rod; then 
 they damped some dust, and hammered that down hard. 
 After putting in about half an inch of this, they used dust 
 slightly moistened, beating it down as before. When it 
 was quite full they pulled out the centre stick, and put the 
 fuse into the hole that it left." 
 
 "We have not got any fuse," Stanley said; "but I think 
 that if we take a narrow strip of cloth, moisten it, and 
 rub gunpowder into it, let it dry, and then roll it up, it 
 would be all right. Then we could lay a train of damp 
 powder to it, set the end alight, and bolt." 
 
 "I should think that that would do," Harry agreed; 
 " but you would have to bolt very sharp, for if it went off 
 before you got to the bottom of the steps it might be very 
 awkward." 
 
 "I don't think the effect of the shock will be as great 
 as that, Harry. It may crack the stone, but I should 
 hardly think it would send anything flying out of the hole." 
 
296 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 REJOINING. 
 
 TjWERY day since the siege had begun the defenders had 
 ■*-* fired an occasional shot at the stockade, not with any 
 idea of doing any damage, but in order that the assailants 
 should know that they were still in the cavern. That 
 evening, when the hole had got to the proper depth, 
 Stanley, having prepared his fuse, went up with twenty 
 cartridges in his pocket, accompanied by Meinik. The 
 hole was charged and tamped and the fuse inserted; this 
 took a considerable time. The fuse had been cut so that 
 an inch of it projected outside the hole. The other eight 
 cartridges were then broken up, and the powder moistened, 
 and a train some two feet long laid from the fuse towards 
 the entrance of the hole. Then a piece of rag was wrapped 
 round one end of the ramrod, and this, again, was tied to 
 a long rod that had the night before been cut by one of 
 the boys, who had slipped out noiselessly from the en- 
 trance. The rag had been moistened and rubbed with gun- 
 powder. 
 
 " Now, Meinik," Stanley said, " everything is ready. This 
 rod is sixteen feet long, so that, lying down, my feet will 
 be just at the edge of the hole, and I shall be able to drop 
 down as soon as I have lighted the train, and bolt. I 
 shall fix a torch a foot or so from the train, then I shall 
 only have to lift the rod to it, light the rag, set fire to the 
 train, and then slide down and bolt Now, you must go 
 down first." 
 
REJOINING. 297 
 
 "No, master," Meinik said firmly; " I will light the train. 
 I do not think that there is any danger, but whether there 
 is or not I shall undertake it. If I am killed it does not 
 matter, while if you were killed all would be lost, for if 
 the explosion did not burst the stone, I am sure that we 
 should never be able to get through it without you to 
 direct us. No, master, if you stay, I stay, and that would 
 only lessen our chances of running down the steps in 
 time." 
 
 Stanley argued, and even ordered, but Meinik was ob- 
 stinate, and seeing that the faithful Burman was not to be 
 moved, he reluctantly left the matter in his hands, and went 
 downstairs. He moved a short distance along the ledge 
 and waited. The time seemed an age to him, so that he 
 gave an exclamation of delight when Meinik suddenly came 
 into sight, and took his place beside him. 
 
 " I have lit the train, master. The powder fizzed up, 
 but did not seem to burn very fast." 
 
 It was indeed another two minutes before a deep muffled 
 roar was heard. There was no further noise, but they 
 heard shouts from the Burmans behind the stockades. 
 
 "They will be wondering what the sound is," Stanley 
 said, " but they will not be able to tell from what direction 
 it came, for I expect they were pretty nearly all sound 
 asleep. Now let us go up and see the result." 
 
 They made their way up the steps, which were now in 
 entire darkness. The curtain still hung in its place some ten 
 feet below the obstacle. They lit a torch from the embers 
 in the pan, and then Stanley climbed up into the passage 
 and hastily crawled along. He gave a cry of satisfaction as 
 
298 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 lie approached the end. The explosion had been com- 
 pletely successful — the end of the block lay on the ground ; 
 whether the whole of it had been blown off or not he could 
 not see, but he felt sure that the greater portion must have 
 split off. It was evident that it would take a considerable 
 amount of time, and would require the strength of several 
 men to get the block out. They therefore descended at 
 once to gladden the hearts of those below, with the news 
 that the way out was now available to them whenever they 
 chose to leave. 
 
 Harry manifested no surprise whatever at the news. " I 
 made sure that you would succeed, Stanley. After getting 
 me off as you did, and making your own escape before, it 
 seems to me that you have got hold of the ' open sesame ' of 
 Ali Baba, and have only to use the cabalistic words to walk 
 in and out wherever you want to go." 
 
 " I don't feel by any means so certain of my own powers 
 as you seem to be, Harry, and I can assure you I was very 
 doubtful whether that shot would succeed. I hoped at any 
 rate that it would blow a good bit of the stone out, and in 
 that case we could have got the chisels to work again. It 
 was the slanting position of the block that beat us. However, 
 thank goodness, the work is done now, and you have only 
 to get a bit stronger, and we will be off." 
 
 "I am quite ready to start now, Stanley; I think it is 
 absurd waiting any longer, for there is never any saying 
 what might take place. That Burmese general, who seems 
 to be an obstinate beggar, might take it into his head to 
 place a guard on the top of the hill, and then all your labour 
 will have been thrown away." 
 
REJOINING. 299 
 
 " That is true enough, Harry ; and as I really don't think 
 that travelling now would be likely to do you any serious 
 harm I will decide on to-morrow. At any rate, I will take 
 some men up at once and get that stone out." 
 
 The task was a difficult one. The block of stone was so 
 nearly the size of the passage that they could not get a rope 
 round behind it, and after trying for two hours in vain they 
 determined that the only course was to push it before them. 
 They soon found, however, that this was impossible, and 
 that a part at least of the stone was remaining in its place. 
 Finally, they succeeded in pushing a loop in the rope over 
 the top of the block, and then by main force eight of them 
 pulled it out of the hole and lowered it on to the top 
 step. By the time that they had done this dawn was 
 approaching, and they therefore returned at once to the 
 chambers below. 
 
 The men were all much pleased when Stanley told them 
 that they would leave that night. Confident as they felt 
 that the Burmese could not force their way in, a new feel- 
 ing of nervousness seized them, now that the way was open, 
 lest some unforeseen circumstances might occur to prevent 
 their going. The rice that remained was made up into 
 three or four packages; the meat had long before been 
 finished. Stanley had a discussion with Meinik as to how 
 Harry had best be taken through the passage. He could, 
 they agreed, walk along the ledge with one before and 
 one behind to steady him, and could then be carried up 
 the steps in a blanket by four men. He must, of course, 
 be lifted into the passage and dragged through it to the 
 end; after that it would be easy enough. Six men could 
 
300 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 carry him in a blanket until far enough away for them to 
 chop poles without the sound of the axes being heard by 
 the Burmese. From the time they began their work, every 
 pains had been taken to deaden sounds. The blanket hung 
 across the passage had acted as a muffler to some extent, 
 but a piece of cloth had always been tied over the hammer 
 heads of the axes to prevent the sharp clinking sounds of 
 the blows on the chisels or stone being heard. 
 
 As soon as it was dark enough for them to pass along 
 the ledge Meinik went with Stanley to examine the ground. 
 Fortunately the portion of stone that remained above the 
 level and prevented the rock from being rolled back was 
 but small, and they were able to break it up in half an 
 hour with the axes. Then, making their way along with- 
 out difficulty for another four feet, they found themselves 
 standing upright in the depression in the centre of the ruin. 
 Mounting six more steps, they were among the bushes 
 that covered the site of the temple. They now carefully 
 cleared away every fragment of stone from the floor of the 
 passage, and returning, Stanley gave orders for the start to 
 be made. Two or three shots were fired from the lower 
 entrance to show the enemy that they were there and on 
 the watch, and then all went up to Harry's room. He had 
 been dressed for the first time and was ready for the start. 
 Two of the strongest of the Burmans went on first. 
 
 "Now, Harry, you are to put your hands on my shoulders. 
 Meinik will follow close behind you, and will keep his arms 
 round you in case you need help. Of course we shall go 
 along very slowly." 
 
 " I don't think that all these precautions are necessary," 
 
REJOINING. 301 
 
 Harry said. "I am sure that I can walk that distance easily- 
 enough. Why, you say the stair is only about forty 
 feet." 
 
 "I dare say you could, Harry; but we don't want to 
 run any risks. Your head is not very strong at present, 
 and you might turn giddy, or you might stumble. So at 
 present you will have just to do as you are told. Let us 
 start." 
 
 Harry did not find it as easy as he had expected getting 
 out through the lower opening, and he was by no means 
 sorry to have the support of Stanley and Meinik as he pro- 
 ceeded along the ledge. They moved very carefully and 
 slowly, and all were greatly relieved when he sat down on 
 a blanket laid on the steps. 
 
 "Now lie back, Harry; we shall have no difficulty in 
 getting you up here." 
 
 Two Burmans took the upper end of the blanket, Stanley 
 and Meinik the lower, and they were soon at the top of 
 the steps. 
 
 " You are not very heavy now, Harry, but you are a good 
 deal heavier than you were when we brought you in below. 
 Now the next is the most difficult part of the work — once 
 we get you through this passage it will be plain sailing. 
 You see, you will have to be dragged. The place is only 
 two feet high, so that it would be impossible to lift you at 
 all. We have made the floor as smooth as we can, but I 
 am afraid that there are a good many projecting corners 
 that will try you a good deal." 
 
 " It cannot be helped, Stanley. Fire away as soon as you 
 like." 
 
302 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 The rest of the party were now all gathered on the 
 steps below, and Meinik and Stanley, getting up first into 
 the hole, received Harry as the others lifted him, and with 
 the aid of two of the Burmans laid him on his blanket in 
 the passage. 
 
 "Now," Stanley said to the two men who took the other 
 end of the blanket, " keep it as tight as you can, and when 
 I say ' lift ' we will all lift together and move him forward 
 a few inches. Do not hurry over it — we have plenty of 
 time before us." 
 
 They were packed so closely that they had each but one 
 arm available. Little by little they moved him along, gain- 
 ing some six inches each time; then all had to move so as 
 to place themselves for the next effort. However, in five 
 or six minutes they had him through, and carried him up 
 into the open air. The rest of the party at once joined 
 them, and, with three of the natives on each side of the 
 blanket, they were soon beyond the circle of ruins, and 
 making at a brisk pace through the forest. After going for 
 a quarter of a mile they stopped, cut some poles for the 
 hammock, and in a short time were on their way again, 
 having placed in it one of the bags of rice as a pillow for 
 Harry. 
 
 They travelled for some hours, and then halted to cook 
 some rice. All had slept a good deal during the day, so that 
 after resting for an hour they proceeded on their way again. 
 They had no fear whatever of pursuit, and the only danger 
 that they could incur was from meeting with a band similar 
 to that which had carried Harry off. When they rigged up 
 the hammock, they had cut wood for torches to protect 
 
REJOINING. 303 
 
 themselves from tigers; these were thrown away as soon as 
 daylight broke. At mid-day they halted again for another 
 hour, and then, continuing their journey, arrived at the 
 village before nightfall. They were received with great joy, 
 the villagers setting up a shout of welcome, the friends of 
 the men and boys being specially exuberant in their joy, for 
 they had become extremely anxious at their long absence. 
 The two troopers were still there, and these saluted Stanley 
 with less than the usual stiff formality of the Mohammedan 
 soldier. He himself laughed. 
 
 " I don't look much like a British officer at present," he 
 said in their language. "Well, has everything been quiet 
 heref 
 
 "Yes, sahib; a sowar brought us orders from the general 
 to remain here, and to send at once if we heard any news 
 of you. We sent off one of the villagers when the man 
 came back to fetch the others, and said that you had good 
 hopes of getting Lieutenant Brooke sahib out of the hands 
 of the Burmese." 
 
 "I will write a note," Stanley said. "Get your horse 
 saddled at once. Directly we have made Mr. Brooke com- 
 fortable, I -will give you the letter." 
 
 During the time that Stanley had been absent the houses 
 had been re-erected, and the village had assumed its general 
 appearance. A hut was at once handed over to them, and 
 Harry laid on a bamboo pallet. He had slept most of the 
 way down. 
 
 "You see I was quite right, Stanley. I told you that the 
 journey would be nothing." 
 
 " Fortunately it has turned out so. Meinik has already 
 
304 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 killed a chicken, and will make it into broth for you. It 
 will be a change for you after your diet of rice. The cooking 
 was excellent for the first three or four days, but it fell off 
 sadly. That was one of the reasons why I gave way to 
 your wish to start at once. You have done wonderfully 
 well, but a constant diet of rice is not quite the thing for 
 building up a sick man. 
 
 "Now I am going to write a few lines to the general to 
 say that you have got safely down, but will need at least 
 another week before you are able to sit on a horse. Of 
 course you can be carried on; but I think that the air here 
 is a great deal more healthy and bracing than it is at Prome, 
 and the longer you stay here the better." 
 
 Stanley's note was a short one; it merely said that he 
 had succeeded in getting his cousin and the trooper who was 
 carried off at the same time, from the hands of the Burmese, 
 but that Harry was still very weak, and that if he himself 
 could be spared he would stay with him at the village for 
 another week or ten days, at the end of which time he 
 would ride by easy stages to Prome. Three days later the 
 trooper returned with a note from the general. 
 
 "7 congratulate you most heartily on having rescued your 
 cousin," he wrote. " By all means stay where you are until he is 
 quite strong again; this place is not at all healthy at present. We 
 shall not be moving forward for another three weeks." 
 
 Stanley remained at the village for another fortnight, and 
 at the end of that time Harry had so far recovered that he 
 was quite capable of making a short day's journey on horse- 
 back. Two of the men who had aided in the rescue had 
 
REJOINING. 305 
 
 gone to Prome with an order from Stanley on the staff pay- 
 master, for the rewards that had been promised to the 
 villagers and the two Burmese soldiers. They returned 
 with the money, and the men were all highly delighted at 
 the result of the expedition. 
 
 Stanley retained the services of the two soldiers as long 
 as he remained in the village. He had no fear whatever of 
 the same band returning that had before visited the village, 
 and he learned that no others had been heard of in the 
 neighbourhood; but at the same time he thought it as well 
 that a man should be on guard night and clay at each end of 
 the village. The peasants agreed to watch at one end, 
 while the two Burmese soldiers and the troopers took charge 
 of the other end. The bulk of the villagers were engaged in 
 forming a strong stockade round it to defend themselves in 
 case of further attack, and Stanley promised to send them 
 down twenty muskets and a supply of ammunition as soon 
 as he got to Prome. There was real regret on the part of 
 the Burmese when the time came for the party to start. It 
 had been something altogether new to them to have officials 
 among them who paid for everything. These Englishmen 
 had treated them kindly, and were pleased and contented 
 with everything. The money that the five men and two 
 boys had earned had enriched the village, and had enabled 
 them to more than replace their losses by the recent raid, 
 and if Stanley had accepted all the presents of fruit, fowls, 
 and eggs they would have given him, he would have needed 
 a couple of extra horses to convey them. A strong pony had 
 been purchased for Meinik, and after taking a hearty leave 
 of the villagers the party rode off. 
 
 ( M 206 ) u 
 
306 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 " I wish we had such a good cook as your man is, Stanley," 
 Harry said as they journeyed along at a walk. " I never 
 tasted better soup than he serves up. I must really get 
 him to teach our mess cook how to make it." 
 
 "Do you know what it is, Harry?" 
 
 "I have not the least idea; it might be anything. I 
 think that it tasted to me more like stewed eels than any- 
 thing else." 
 
 " You are not very far out. It is made of the creatures 
 you turned up your nose at — snakes." 
 
 "Nonsense, Stanley!" 
 
 " It is, I can assure you. I would not tell you before 
 because it might have set you against it. That soup you 
 had in the cave was made from snake-flesh. The recesses 
 in parts of the caves swarmed with them, and the men laid 
 in quite a store of them before we were besieged. Unfor- 
 tunately they would not keep well even in these cool 
 chambers, so we had to fall back on rice. You liked it so 
 much that, though there was no occasion to have gone on 
 with snake soup after we got to the village, I continued to 
 give it to you, for it is very nourishing." 
 
 " Well, I am glad you did not tell me at the time, but I 
 must own that it was excellent, and I think that in future 
 I shall have no objection to snake in that form."- 
 
 " They are just as good in other ways," Stanley replied. 
 " The Burmans are no fools, and I consider that snake and 
 lizards are very much better eating than their mutton, 
 which is tasteless stuff at the best." 
 
 " We shall have to have a big settlement when we get 
 back, Stanley. Of course all those men you paid and the 
 
REJOINING. 307 
 
 guards you bribed are entirely my account, to say nothing 
 of my share of the general expenditure." 
 
 "The general expenses are practically nothing, Harry. 
 I invited you to come with me, and of course you were my 
 guest. As to the other matter, that also is my business. I 
 would not say so if I had not plenty of funds, but what 
 with my pay as interpreter, and the year of back pay that 
 I got when the Gazette came out, I have plenty out of my 
 income to pay for it without breaking in upon the amount 
 I told you I had got for those rubies." 
 
 " I should pay you, Stanley, if you were rolling in money. 
 Not that I should mind taking money from you if I wanted 
 it, but my expenses since I landed here have not been any- 
 thing approaching my pay and allowances; and I have 
 besides, as I told you, an income of £500 a year of my own. 
 You have risked your life for me, and I am not going to let 
 you pay the piper as well." 
 
 " All right, if it pleases you, Harry. I am delighted at 
 having been able to save you, and just at present money 
 does not seem an important matter one way or the other, 
 so if it really would be a satisfaction to you to pay I will 
 certainly not deprive you of it." 
 
 Although they only travelled ten miles the first day, 
 Harry acknowledged that he was as tired as a dog when he 
 dismounted, and was so stiff the next morning that he had 
 to be helped on to his horse. However, this gradually 
 wore off, and on the evening of the fourth day, they arrived 
 at Prome. Leaving Harry at his regimental camp, Stanley 
 rode to the head-quarters, and there dismounted. Meinik 
 had led the second horse after Harry dismounted, and now 
 
308 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 took them both across to the lines with the air of a man 
 who has only been away a few hours. Stanley at once 
 went up to the general. 
 
 "Welcome back, lad!" Sir Archibald said, "you have 
 been longer away than we expected when you started. I 
 am glad, indeed, that you succeeded in rescuing your 
 cousin; and we are all burning to hear about it. I wrote 
 that note to you in a hurry, for I was on the point of going 
 on a round of inspection of the camp when your sowar 
 arrived. I intended to question him concerning you on 
 my return, for I had no idea that after making such a long 
 journey he would start back at once, but I found that he 
 had ridden straight off directly the note was handed to him. 
 You must dine with me to-day, and tell me all the story. 
 I see from the colour of your skin that you have been in 
 disguise again." 
 
 " Yes, sir; there were materials for dyeing the skin in the 
 village, but nothing that availed to take it off. It is grad- 
 ually going, and as I shall be now able to get some strong 
 alkali from the doctor, I hope I shall be presentable by to- 
 morrow." 
 
 " They are honourable marks," the general said with a 
 smile. "I don't think any of us would mind being so 
 coloured for a bit if -we had done such good work as you 
 have; but I won't detain you now, for dinner will be ready 
 in half an hour." 
 
 Stanley hurried to his room, took a bath, donned his 
 mess uniform, and was ready by the time the bugle sounded. 
 Three or four of the staff were, as usual, members of the 
 party. After the meal was over, he was requested to narrate 
 
REJOINING. 309 
 
 his adventures at full length. The story was necessarily 
 a long one, and when he concluded all joined the general in 
 hearty commendation for the manner in which he had 
 carried out the adventure. 
 
 " Your last story was a stirring one, Mr. Brooke," the 
 general said; "but this is even more so. When I received 
 your first note I thought it next door to madness for you to 
 try to get your cousin, badly wounded as you knew him to 
 be, from the hands of the Burmese. It is not an easy thing 
 to get any man out of prison, but when the man was unable 
 to help himself it seemed well-nigh impossible; and I was 
 greatly afraid that, instead of saving his life, you would lose 
 your own. Of course, the fact that jon had successfully 
 traversed the country before, was strongly in your favour; 
 but then you were unencumbered, and the two things were, 
 therefore, not to be compared with each other. I shall, of 
 course, put you in orders to-morrow as having performed a 
 singularly gallant action in rescuing Lieutenant Brooke of 
 the 47th and a sowar, from their captivity by the Burmese 
 in a prison at Toungoo. You have arrived just in time, 
 for after endeavouring to fool us for the past three months 
 by negotiations never meant to come to anything, the enemy 
 are now advancing in great force, and are within a few 
 miles of the town. So we are likely to have hot work of 
 it, for, from all accounts, they have got nearly as large an 
 army together as Bandoola had. I don't know whether they 
 have learned anything from his misfortunes, but I am bound 
 to say that the court does not seem to have taken the 
 lesson in the slightest degree to heart, and their arrogance 
 is just as insufferable as it was before a shot was fired." 
 
310 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 Stanley learnt that there had already been one fight. The 
 enemy were advancing in three columns; their right, con- 
 sisting of 15,000 men, commanded by Sudda Woon, had 
 crossed the Irrawaddy and was marching down the other 
 bank with the apparent object of recrossing below Prome 
 and cutting the British line of communication; the centre, 
 from 25,000 to 30,000 strong, commanded by the Kee 
 Wongee, was coming down the left bank of the river, ac- 
 companied by a great fleet of war-boats; the left division, 
 15,000 strong, led by an old and experienced general, Maha 
 Nemiow, was moving parallel with the others, about ten 
 miles distant from the centre, but separated from it by 
 a thick and impenetrable forest; a reserve of 10,000 men, 
 commanded by the king's half-brother, occupied a strongly 
 fortified post at Melloon. In addition to these, a large 
 force was gathered near Pegu, and threatened an attack 
 upon Rangoon. On the 10th of November, a fortnight 
 before Stanley's return, two brigades of native infantry, 
 under Colonel M'Dowall, had marched out to dislodge Maha 
 Nemiow, whose division threatened to turn the British 
 right and to move round to its rear. 
 
 The force was divided into three columns, one moving 
 directly towards the enemy's position, the others marching 
 by circuitous routes, so arranged as to arrive at the point 
 of attack at the same time, were to attack in flank and rear, 
 while the main body assailed the enemy in front. The Bur- 
 mese had, however, obtained information from spies of the 
 intended movement, and advancing boldly met the British 
 columns half-way, skirmishing with them hotly in the woods 
 and threatening an attack by large bodies of horse. The 
 
REJOINING. 311 
 
 centre drove the Burmese before them and reached their 
 stockaded position. Colonel M 'Do wall, while reconnoitring 
 it, was killed by a ball from a musket; and as the two flank- 
 ing columns did not arrive as expected, the force was com- 
 pelled to fall back. The retreat was conducted in good 
 order, but the loss was heavy, as the Burmese pressed hotly 
 upon them for several miles. 
 
 Since this unfortunate affair the enemy had steadily 
 advanced. Maha Nemiow had moved directly upon Prome, 
 advancing slowly, and constantly stockading himself. The 
 centre had also advanced, and was now fortifying some 
 heights above the river five miles away, within sight of 
 Prome. Sudda Woon was intrenching himself on the opposite 
 bank. All these divisions were working day and night, 
 advancing steadily but slowly and erecting formidable lines 
 of intrenchments as they went; and it seemed to be the 
 intention of the Burmese general to proceed in that manner 
 until the whole of his troops were gathered within a very 
 short distance of the town, and then to rush upon it from 
 all sides. 
 
 In the morning Stanley went to the lines of the 47th. 
 Harry had of course told his story on his arrival, and the 
 tale had circulated generally through the regiment, and as 
 he rode in, the men ran out from their huts and cheered 
 him heartily. No less warm a greeting did he receive from 
 the officers, in spite of his protest that there had really been 
 no great difficulty or danger in the affair. 
 
 " What I specially admire," one of the officers said, laugh- 
 ing, " is that any man should have run all this risk on 
 purpose to prevent himself from coming into an earldom. 
 
312 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 You had only to leave the matter alone, and there you 
 were — heir to title and estates." 
 
 "I should have been haunted by Harry's ghost," Stanley 
 laughed. " It would have been as bad as Banquo and 
 Macbeth; he would have sat at my table and stood at the 
 head of my bed. No, no; that would have been a much 
 more serious affair to face, than a party of Burmese. The 
 title and estates would have been too dear at the price." 
 
 "Well, you behaved like a brick, anyhow," the colonel 
 said, "and there is not a man in the regiment who would 
 not have been proud indeed if he had accomplished such a 
 feat. Half my subalterns were talking at dinner last night 
 of learning the language, so that if the chance fell in their 
 way they might emulate your doings." 
 
 " It is rather a tough language to master," Stanley replied. 
 " It gave me more trouble than the four or five Indian lan- 
 guages I speak. I am afraid the campaign will be over a 
 long time before any of your officers learn to talk Burmese 
 well enough to pass as natives." 
 
 After the failure of the expedition of the 10th no further 
 effort had been made against the enemy. Indeed, the troops 
 had been withdrawn from their outlying positions, and there 
 had even been a feint made of embarking stores, as if with 
 the intention of retiring down the river, in hopes of tempt- 
 ing the Burmese to make an attack. 
 
 The season had now come when operations could again 
 be carried on, and the general was anxious to strike a 
 decisive blow at the enemy, and then to set forward on the 
 march towards Ava. As to the result of the fight, no one 
 entertained the slightest doubt, although the disparity in 
 
REJOINING. 313 
 
 numbers was very great, for while the Burmese commander 
 had nearly 70,000 men at his disposal, Sir Archibald Camp- 
 bell had no more than 6000, of whom about one-half were 
 British. It was determined that the main attack should 
 be made on the division of Maha Nemiow. 
 
 This was now some six or seven miles away, and beyond 
 the fact that it was very strongly intrenched in the jungle, 
 no information whatever -could be gained; for the most 
 vigilant watch was kept up by them, and all efforts to pass 
 native spies into their lines failed. But it was known that 
 among his division were 8000 Shans from Upper Burma; 
 and as these men had not hitherto come in contact with us, 
 it Avas expected that they would fight with more courage 
 and resolution than those who had become acquainted with 
 our power. A large number of princes and nobles were with 
 the force; and great reliance was placed by the Burmese upon 
 three young ladies of high rank who were believed by them 
 to be endowed with supernatural gifts, and to have the 
 power of rendering the missiles of the English innocuous. 
 These young women, dressed in warlike costume, constantly 
 rode among the troops, animating them by their presence, 
 and exhorting them to deeds of courage. The English 
 had received vague rumours of the doings of these Burmese 
 Joans of Arc, and thought it probable that the enemy 
 would fight better than usual. 
 
 On November 30th arrangements were made for attack- 
 ing the enemy on the following morning. The flotilla 
 were to open a furious cannonade upon their works on both 
 sides of the river; a body of native infantry were to drive 
 in the advance posts of the centre, while the main force was 
 
314 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 to attack their left in two columns, one moving directly 
 against it, while the other was to attack on the right flank, 
 thus preventing the enemy from retreating in the direction 
 of the centre. Four regiments of native infantry were left 
 in Prome. 
 
 General Cotton commanded the main attack, and soon 
 after the column moved out from the camp a tremendous 
 cannonade showed that the flotilla was engaged with the 
 Burmese on both sides of the river. The column, which was 
 composed of the 41st and 89th Begiments, with two battalions 
 of native infantry, proceeded some distance before becoming 
 engaged with the enemy's outposts, as the Burmese had 
 been deceived by the cannonade and believed that the attack 
 was entirely upon the centre ; the troops, therefore, reached 
 their main position around two native villages without 
 serious opposition. As they issued from the jungle into the 
 cleared space in front of the stockade they rapidly formed 
 up under a tremendous fire and rushed forward to the attack. 
 The old Burmese general, who was too infirm to walk, 
 could be seen carried from point to point in a litter cheering 
 on his men, while the three Amazons exposed themselves 
 fearlessly to the fire. The ladder parties, however, rushed 
 forward unchecked, and, in spite of the opposition of the 
 enemy, scaled the stockade at one point and won a footing 
 on the rampart of earth behind it. 
 
 Others pressed after them, and soon a destructive fire was 
 opened upon the crowded mass pent up between the outer 
 stockade and the next. The Burmese method of forming 
 stockade behind stockade was useful against a foe of no 
 greater dash and energy than themselves, but was absolutely 
 

 t.. 
 
REJOINING. 315 
 
 fatal when opposed to English troops, who gave them no 
 time to fall back through the narrow openings in the 
 palings. These were soon blocked by the dying and dead. 
 Some of the Shans, led by their chiefs, fought with desperate 
 courage, but were unable to stand the advance of the British, 
 whose steady volleys, poured in at distances of a few yards, 
 swept them away. Wounded horses rushing wildly about 
 in the throng added to the terrible confusion. Groups of 
 men endeavoured to cut a way through the stockades behind, 
 others strove to climb over. Maha Nemiow was killed while 
 bravely exhorting his men to stand their ground, and one of 
 the heroic Amazons was shot. As soon as the troops reached 
 the spot where she fell and saw that she was a woman, she 
 was carried into a cottage, and there died a few hours after- 
 wards. 
 
 Stockade after stockade was carried until the whole posi- 
 tion fell into our hands. In the meantime the other column, 
 commanded by General Campbell himself, and consisting of 
 the 13th, 38th, 47th, and 87th Regiments and the 38th 
 Madras Infantry, had moved down on the other side of the 
 Nawine river and taken up a position to command the ford 
 there, by which the fugitives from the stockade must cross 
 on their way to join the centre. As the crowd of frightened 
 men issued from the jungle and poured across the ford the 
 artillery opened upon them with shrapnel and completed 
 their discomfiture. All thought of joining the centre was 
 abandoned, and, re-entering the jungle, they scattered, and 
 the greater portion of them started for their homes, intent 
 only on avoiding another contest with their foes. Another 
 of the Burmese heroines was killed at the ford. Three 
 
316 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 hundred men had been killed at the storming of the stockade, 
 but a far greater loss took place in the retreat, very few 
 of the Shans ever regaining their country, the greater 
 portion perishing from starvation in the great forests 
 through which they travelled in order to escape the Bur- 
 mese authorities, who would have forced them to rejoin the 
 army. 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 THE PRIDE OF BURMA HUMBLED. 
 
 AS soon as the victory was completed the troops piled 
 arms, and were allowed two hours' rest. Then they 
 marched back to the point where General Campbell's divi- 
 sion had forded the Nawine river in the morning. From 
 this point a path led towards the enemy's centre; this it 
 was determined to attack at daybreak on the following 
 morning before the news of the defeat of its left could reach 
 it. The day had been a long and fatiguing one, and it 
 was late before the troops all reached their halting-place. 
 A meal was served out, and then all lay down to rest. A 
 messenger was sent to Prome to announce the success that 
 had been gained, and to request the commander of the 
 flotilla to open fire in the morning as soon as the foe was 
 seen to issue from the jungle in front of the Wongee's main 
 position at Napadee. 
 
 Long before daylight the troops were in motion. General 
 Campbell's division led the way along the narrow track 
 leading towards the river, while General Cotton, who 
 
THE PRIDE OF BURMA HUMBLED. 317 
 
 followed, was ordered to break off at any path, which led 
 towards the Burmese division, to make his way through the 
 forest, and to attack the stockades directly he reached them. 
 The main division Avould attack as soon as they heard his 
 guns. 
 
 After a two hours' march the first division came out on 
 open ground by the river side, signalled their arrival to the 
 flotilla, and formed up in front of the stockaded heights of 
 Napadee. The position was an extremely strong one. The 
 enemy occupied three ranges of hills rising one behind the 
 other, and each commanding the one in front of it. One 
 flank of these hills was protected by the river, the other by 
 the almost impenetrable forest. The hills were all covered 
 with stockades; and as they moved forward, the troops were 
 exposed to so heavy a fire from an enemy intrenched at the 
 edge of the jungle on the right, that before they could 
 advance further, it was necessary to first drive them from 
 this position. Six companies of the 87th were sent back 
 into the forest, and making their way through this, came 
 down in the rear of the stockades, speedily cleared them of 
 their defenders, and compelled the advanced force of the 
 enemy to join their main body. 
 
 The troops then moved forward to the foot of the first hill, 
 where two strong redoubts had been erected by the enemy. 
 The fleet opened fire, but the column was halted for a 
 time awaiting the sound of firing that should tell them 
 that General Cotton's column was engaged. No sound, 
 however, was heard, for this force had been unable to make 
 its way through the dense forest, and General Campbell at 
 last gave the order for the attack. It was commenced by 
 
318 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 the 47th and 38th Native Infantry under Colonel Elving- 
 ton, who pushed through the jungle and forest until they 
 reached some of the flanking outworks on the hill. These 
 they attacked with such dash and determination that they 
 speedily obtained possession of them, and thus produced a 
 favourable diversion for the main attack. This, consisting 
 of the 13th, 38th, and 87th Regiments, advanced steadily 
 without returning a shot to the incessant fire from the 
 enemy's various intrenchments, captured the two redoubts 
 at the bottom of the hill, and then pressed upwards, carrying 
 position after position at the point of the bayonet, till they 
 arrived at the summit of the first hill. 
 
 The Burmese fugitives, as they fled to the next line of 
 defence, shook the courage of the troops there, and the British 
 pushing forward hotly on the rear of the flying crowd, 
 carried work after work, until in the course of an hour the 
 whole position, nearly three miles in extent, was entirely in 
 their possession. Between forty and fifty guns were captured, 
 and the enemy's loss in killed and wounded was very great, 
 while by desertion alone the Wongee lost a third of his army. 
 While the attack had been going on, the flotilla had passed 
 the works protecting the river face of the hills, and had 
 captured all the boats and stores filled with supplies for 
 the use of the Burmese army. 
 
 Thus two of the three Burmese divisions had now been 
 completely routed, and there remained only that of Sudda 
 Woon on the other side of the river. The troops were 
 allowed two days' rest, and on the morning of the fifth a 
 force advanced on board the flotilla. Their passage across 
 the river was covered by the fire of a rocket-brigade and a 
 
THE PRIDE OF BURMA HUMBLED. 319 
 
 mortar-battery, which had on the previous night been estab- 
 lished on an island, and they landed at some distance above 
 the enemy's stockades. They then marched round and 
 attacked these in flank and rear, while the batteries and 
 boats of the flotilla cannonaded them in front. 
 
 The enemy's troops were already disheartened by the 
 defeat they had seen inflicted upon the Wongee's army, 
 and after a feeble resistance fled to a second line of stockades 
 in the jungle to their rear. The troops, however, pressed 
 so hotly upon them that they were unable to make any 
 effectual opposition here. Numbers fell Avhile endeavouring 
 to pass through the narrow entrances of the work, and the 
 rest fled in terror into the woods. 
 
 These extensive operations had been carried out with the 
 loss of six officers and some seventy or eighty men only. 
 
 It was known that the enemy had very strongly fortified 
 several positions in and around Meaday, and it was deter- 
 mined to push forward at once on the long march of three 
 hundred miles to Ava, before the enemy could rally from 
 their defeat and gather for the defence of these positions. 
 On the 9th the first division, under General Campbell him- 
 self, started from Prome. The roads were extremely bad, 
 and they were able to move but slowly. Their course was 
 first directed inland, as it was intended to turn the enemy's 
 position at Meaday, by following a road several miles from 
 the river and thus forcing them to fall back as we advanced. 
 On the next day the force reached the spot where Colonel 
 M'Dowall had been killed in the unsuccessful attack upon 
 Maha NemioAv, and it then turned north and followed the 
 road parallel to the river. 
 
320 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 On the 12th tremendous rains for some hours converted 
 the road into a morass, and although the march was but 
 five miles long, the greater portion of the column failed 
 to reach its destination. This, however, was not the worst. 
 Cholera broke out at once, and carried off a large number 
 of victims — two of the British regiments being rendered 
 almost unfit for service by its ravages. On the 14th the 
 division encamped on dry ground, on a ridge of wooded 
 hills, and waited for a couple of days to allow the baggage 
 train to come up. The change greatly benefited the health 
 of the troops, and amusement was afforded by the partridges, 
 jungle-fowl, and deer which abounded in the neighbourhood 
 of the camp. Up to this point no single native had been 
 seen, the villages were all destroyed, and the country was 
 completely deserted. On the 16th a strong Burmese fortifi- 
 cation was taken, it being unoccupied save by a small picket, 
 which retired on our advance. This had evidently been 
 erected for the purpose of preventing the river fortifications 
 from being turned, and its abandonment proved that the 
 object of the land march had been gained, and that the 
 enemy had abandoned the positions they had with so much 
 care prepared for the defence of the river. 
 
 On the 18th they joined General Cotton's column, and 
 the next day entered Meaday. Here a terrible spectacle 
 was met with. The town and the ground within the 
 stockades was strewn with dead and dying, some from 
 wounds, others from cholera — for the ravages of this plague 
 had been as great among the Burmese as in the British 
 force. A number of men were found crucified on gibbets, 
 doubtless as a punishment for attempting to desert. The 
 
THE PRIDE OF BURMA HUMBLED. 321 
 
 air was pestilent, and the force was glad indeed to march 
 on the next morning from the locality. They gained 
 something, but not much, from the change. For the next 
 fifty miles dead bodies were met with at very short inter- 
 vals, and each day before camping many corpses had to be 
 removed before the tents could be fixed. It was now known 
 that the Burmese army, in its retreat, had been concentrated 
 at Melloon, where the reserve of 10,000 men had been 
 posted. On the 27th the division encamped within four 
 miles of that town. They had now marched a hundred and 
 forty miles from Prome without meeting a single inhabitant 
 of the country or being enabled to obtain any cattle what- 
 ever for the supply of the troops, so effectually had the 
 enemy wasted the country as they retired. 
 
 Melloon stood on the opposite bank of the Irrawaddy, and 
 letters had arrived from that town, saying that a commis- 
 sioner had arrived from Ava with full powers from the 
 king to conclude a treaty of peace. Colonel Adair and 
 Stanley accordingly were sent off the next morning to Mel- 
 loon to arrange for an immediate meeting for the commis- 
 sioners. However, they could come to no arrangement, 
 the Burmese leaders insisting that so important a business 
 could only be carried on when a favourable day arrived, 
 and that no time could at present be stated. Seeing that 
 the principal object of the Burmese was to gain time, 
 The colonel informed them, through Stanley, that as no 
 arrangements had been made, the troops would recom- 
 mence their advance as soon as he returned to the camp, 
 and accordingly the next morning the division moved 
 forward to a town immediately opposite Melloon. That 
 
 ( M 266 ) x 
 
322 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 place stood on the face of a sloping hill, and as the Irra- 
 waddy was here but 600 yards broad, a good view was 
 obtained of the fortifications. The principal stockade was 
 in the form of a square, about a mile on each face, mount- 
 ing a considerable number of guns, especially on the side 
 facing the river, and a succession of stockades extended 
 for a mile farther along the banks. The great work was 
 crowded with men. 
 
 In front of the town lay a large fleet of war-boats, and 
 larger craft with stores. A short time after the troops 
 reached the spot, a great noise of gongs, drums, and other 
 warlike instruments arose on the other side, and crowds of 
 boatmen were seen running down to the vessels. These 
 were soon manned, and oars got out, and they began to row 
 up the river. As, owing to the intricacy of the channel, 
 the steam-boat and flotilla had not yet arrived, a few shots 
 were fired at the boats by the field-guns. This had the 
 desired effect, many of the boatmen jumping overboard, 
 leaving their craft to drift down the river, while the great 
 bulk hastily turned their vessels about, and anchored in 
 their former position. As soon as the steamer with the 
 flotilla came up, two war-boats pushed off from shore, 
 saluted the steamer, and rowed alongside of her, until she 
 and the flotilla were safely anchored above the town. This 
 was so evidently a mark of a real desire for the suspension 
 of hostilities that the two officers were again sent across 
 the river. A truce was agreed upon, and an arrangement 
 made for the meeting of the negotiators upon the follow- 
 ing clay. 
 
 Four meetings were held between the two commissioners 
 
THE PRIDE OF BURMA HUMBLED. 323 
 
 and those appointed by the British general, the meetings 
 taking place on boats moored in the centre of the river. 
 At length the treaty was accepted and signed by the Bur- 
 mese, and fifteen days' truce allowed for the ratification of 
 the treaty by the king. As the end of that period ap- 
 proached, the Burmese protested that they had not yet 
 received an answer, and asked for further time, which was 
 refused, unless on the condition that Melloon was evacuated, 
 and the Burmese army fell back until the ratification of the 
 treaty reached them. As had been for some time strongly 
 suspected, the negotiations were simply a device to arrest 
 our advance, and the treaty was afterwards found in the 
 Burmese camp, it never having been forwarded to Ava. At 
 midnight, on the eighteenth, when the armistice came to a 
 conclusion, the troops began throwing up earthworks, the 
 heavy guns were landed from the flotilla, and at ten o'clock 
 the next morning twenty-eight guns were in position ready 
 to open fire. 
 
 In spite of remonstrances that had been made, the Bur- 
 mese had, night after night during the armistice, continued 
 to work surreptitiously at their intrenchments. It was 
 hoped for a moment that when they saw the speed with 
 which our batteries had been thrown up and armed they 
 would offer no further resistance. As, however, they 
 were evidently preparing for action our guns opened fire 
 at eleven o'clock. This was kept up for two hours. While 
 it was going on, the troops intended for the assault were 
 embarked in boats some distance up the river so as to 
 ensure their not being carried by the force of the stream 
 across the face of the Burmese works and exposed to the 
 
324 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 concentrated fire of the enemy. They were divided into 
 four brigades, the first of which, consisting of the 13th 
 and 38th Regiments under Lieutenant-colonel Sale, were to 
 land below the stockade, and to attack its south-western 
 angle, while the other three brigades were to land above it, 
 to carry some outworks there, and to attack the northern 
 face. 
 
 A strong northerly wind and the violent current prevented 
 the assaults being made simultaneously. The first brigade 
 was carried too far across, and as it passed the stockade was 
 exposed to the fire of the guns and musketry of the river 
 defences, while the three other brigades were unable for 
 some time to reach their intended landing-places. Colonel 
 Sale was among those wounded by the Burmese fire, but 
 directly the first brigade reached the shore they formed up 
 under the partial cover of a shelving bank, and, led by 
 Lieutenant-colonel Frith, moved forward to the assault in 
 admirable order. "When within a short distance, there was 
 a forward rush, in spite of the storm of shot, the ladder-party 
 gained the foot of the stockade, and placing the ladders, 
 climbed up, and leapt down among the surging crowd of 
 the enemy. Others followed, and soon a firm footing was 
 obtained in the works. Then the men of the two regiments, 
 whose total strength did not exceed five hundred, advanced 
 steadily, drove before them some 10,000 armed men, and 
 expelled them from the works that the Burmese had deemed 
 impregnable. 
 
 While this was going on the other three brigades had 
 landed above the stockade, and now falling upon the enemy 
 as they poured out from their works, completed their defeat. 
 
THE PRIDE OP BURMA HUMBLED. 325 
 
 All the stockades were carried, and the whole of the artillery 
 and stores fell into our possession. 
 
 Four days later the army again began its advance. They 
 were met by four Englishmen who had been taken prisoners, 
 and an American, who had also been held in confinement. 
 These had been sent to assure the English general that the 
 king was in earnest in his desire for peace. It was but 
 too evident, however, that no confidence could be placed 
 in Burmese negotiations, and it was, moreover, known that 
 another army was being assembled in the greatest haste to 
 bar the advance. On the 14th of February the British reached 
 Pakang-Yay, having passed Sembeughewn on the opposite 
 shore. This was the point where the road from Aracan 
 reached the Irrawaddy, and it had been arranged that the 
 force that had been operating in Aracan should, if possible, 
 effect a junction with Sir Archibald Campbell here. 
 
 A message brought down by a native was, however, re- 
 ceived, stating that the force had suffered very severely from 
 fever and cholera, and that the natural obstacles were found 
 to be too great to be overcome by troops debilitated by 
 disease, that the attempt had therefore been abandoned. 
 Fortunately the English general was well able to do without 
 this addition to his strength. He had already proved that 
 his command was perfectly capable of defeating any Burmese 
 force that could be brought against him, and an addition 
 would only have increased the difficulty of transport. On 
 the 9th of March the British force, which, owing to the 
 necessity for leaving strong bodies to hold Melloon and 
 other points that had been captured, now mustered less 
 than 2000 fighting men, advanced to attack the enemy, 
 
326 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 whose numbers were estimated at 16,000. The new com- 
 mander of the Burmese adopted other tactics than his pre- 
 decessors. His stockaded position was in front of the town 
 of Pagahn, but he occupied the jungle in great force and 
 attacked our advance-guard five miles from the town. 
 
 As the enemy occupied the hills on both sides of the main 
 road, Sir A. Campbell divided his force and led half of it 
 through the jungle on the right, Avhile General Cotton led 
 the other half through the woods on the left. The Burmese 
 fought with considerable obstinacy. General Campbell and 
 his staff, with thirty-eight troopers and fifty men of the 13th, 
 were somewhat in advance of the column, when the enemy 
 closed in on both flanks and even got in their rear. These 
 were, however, dispersed by the rest of the 13th, and, driving 
 back the Burmese on the flanks, the advance was continued. 
 Presently, however, as the British issued from the jungle, a 
 mass of the enemy's horse charged down, drove back the 
 skirmishers, and for a time the position of the general and 
 his staff was one of great peril. 
 
 His little body of troopers, however, dashed boldly at the 
 assailants and held them in check until the guns that had 
 followed the staff were brought forward from the jungle; 
 then the troopers divided and rode right and left, and the 
 guns, opening fire, checked the assailants until the infantry 
 came up. The Burmese army was now seen drawn up in 
 the form of a semicircle in the open. The two British 
 columns were united and together moved forward to attack 
 the centre of the crescent, disregarding the fire from its 
 wings. When within charging distance, they went forward 
 with a rush, and, cheering lustily, fell upon the Burmese, 
 
THE PRIDE OF BURMA HUMBLED. 327 
 
 and broke their centre, thus isolating the two wings. 
 The Burmese at once retreated with the greatest haste to 
 the stockaded position in their rear. As usual the narrow 
 entrances to the stockades caused great delay, and the 
 British were upon them before they were in any way pre- 
 pared to resist the assault. Heralding their advance by 
 sweeping volleys they fell upon the Burmese with the bayonet 
 and drove them out of their works. The enemy made an 
 attempt to rally behind the walls and in the pagodas of the 
 town, but the effort was vain; they were driven out with 
 great slaughter, hundreds were drowned in endeavouring 
 to swim the river, and the army was finally dispersed in all 
 directions. 
 
 The effect of this victory was at once apparent. The 
 country people who had, on the advance of the British force 
 from Prome, been cleared out from the villages along the 
 whole line of route, being now freed from the restraint of 
 their troops, came flocking back in great numbers, some by 
 the roads and some in boats; and it was evident that they 
 regarded the struggle as definitely terminated. There was, 
 indeed, no possibility of further resistance, as the armies of 
 Burma, raised with immense difficulty and by heavy boun- 
 ties and the promises of great reward, were hopelessly scat- 
 tered, and Ava lay open to the British advance. In other 
 directions their position was equally desperate. Aracan had 
 been wholly rescued from their grasp. A British force in 
 Pegu had marched up the river Sitang, and after the repulse 
 of a party of a hundred and fifty men imprudently sent to 
 attack Sitang itself, captured the place after a sharp fight, 
 and, receiving reinforcements from Rangoon, continued their 
 
328 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 way up the river and captured Toungoo; while the northern 
 force had driven the Burmese out of Manipur, and had 
 reached the river Ningti by the 2nd of February, and were 
 in a position to advance direct upon Ava. 
 
 After a halt of two days, General Campbell advanced on 
 the 12th of February; Mr. Price, the American who had 
 been sent down after the capture of Melloon, went forward 
 to Ava with the treaty that had been drawn up before the 
 capture of that place; and the king had no longer any 
 hesitation in complying with its terms, and was, indeed, 
 delighted to find that the recent victory of the invaders had 
 not increased their demands. He at once sent down to 
 accept them, but as no official ratification was sent, the 
 march continued, while Mr. Price again returned to Ava. 
 When the force was within four days' march of the capital 
 the latter returned with the Burmese commissioners and 
 other high functionaries with the ratified treaty, and the 
 first instalment of the money that was to be paid. 
 
 It was a disappointment to the army that after their long 
 march and many sufferings they were not to be allowed to 
 enter the enemy's capital in triumph. Undoubtedly, how- 
 ever, the course taken was the wisest. Ava was regarded 
 as a sacred city, and it was to save it from the humiliation 
 of being occupied by the invaders that the king had brought 
 himself to accept the terms of the treaty. Had the English 
 general insisted upon entering the capital and signing the 
 treaty there, he would have found no one to meet him, the 
 population would have been driven out, the king and court 
 would have retired farther up the country, and the war 
 mia;ht have continued for an indefinite time. 
 
THE PRIDE OF BURMA HUMBLED. 329 
 
 Already its cost had been enormous, exceeding £5,000,000 
 sterling. During; the first eleven months after landing; at 
 Rangoon, nearly half of the Europeans died, and from the 
 time they advanced from that town with fresh reinforce- 
 ments from India, to the arrival near Ava, a similarly heavy 
 loss was sustained. Four per cent of the number engaged 
 was killed in action. The climate of Aracan was still more 
 deadly, as three-fourths of the white troops employed there 
 died, and very few of the survivors were ever fit for service 
 afterwards. The sepoys suffered less in Aracan, losing only 
 ten per cent of their number, though nearly half the force 
 were in hospital for some time. 
 
 According to agreement, the Burmese, as soon as peace 
 was concluded, sent down a large number of boats for the 
 conveyance of the troops down the river. As they descended 
 it, the garrisons left at Melloon and other places were with- 
 drawn. One of the native regiments with some elephants 
 and guns left the force at Sembeughewn, and marched 
 thence to Aracan, for the purpose of investigating the 
 country and proving whether it was practicable for the 
 passage of troops in case another advance upon Ava should 
 ever be necessary. They found the road unexpectedly good, 
 and met with no resistance whatever, except in the passage 
 of some passes over the mountains. 
 
 At Melloon, Stanley was very glad to meet his cousin 
 again, for the 47th had been left in garrison there. Harry 
 had been down again with a sharp attack of fever, but was 
 now recovering. 
 
 " So it is all over, Stanley, and your chances of an earldom 
 have nearly slipped through your fingers." 
 
330 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 "I am glad, indeed, that it is so," Stanley laughed, "in 
 the first place, because I could only have succeeded to it 
 at your death; and in the second place, because I have 
 no ambition whatever for a title. I am not nineteen yet, 
 and should greatly prefer to make my own way, than 
 to find myself with nothing whatever to do, except to 
 spend money as it dropped into my lap. Now that every- 
 thing is settled, and that Aracan has become English, and 
 we have the seaports on the Tenasserim coast, trade will 
 increase tremendously. You may be sure that the Burmese 
 will be only too glad to flock into our provinces, and to live 
 under a fair rule, to escape the tyranny of their own officials, 
 and my .uncle is just the man to take advantage of the new 
 openings. I don't say that I want to live out here all my 
 life. At any rate I hope by the time that I am thirty to 
 be able to come home for a year's holiday, and it is just 
 possible that by then we may have grown into such a big 
 firm that we may establish head-quarters in London, instead 
 of getting all our goods from Calcutta. 
 
 "There is certain to be a very big trade here in teak 
 alone. The price in Pegu is a great deal below that in India, 
 and if we had a house in London, we should avoid having 
 to pay commissions, and perhaps get better prices for our 
 wood. Of course, my uncle may by that time think of re- 
 tiring himself, and in that case I might have to stay some- 
 what longer out here, but I know that he likes the climate, 
 and I have heard him say that, as he has very few ac- 
 quaintances in England, he thinks that he should prefer a 
 life in Calcutta to one in London." 
 
 "I should not wonder if I go home very shortly," Harry 
 
THE PRIDE OF BURMA HUMBLED. 331 
 
 said ; " niy last letter told me that my uncle was in failing 
 health, and that he would like to have me at home with 
 him. If the next letter confirms that, I am afraid I shall 
 have either to resign my commission or exchange into a 
 regiment at home. Of course, at his death I should have 
 to leave the army anyhow. It would be ridiculous for a 
 subaltern to be an earl; besides, there are things one would 
 have to do. I suppose there are estates to be looked after, 
 and all sorts of nuisances. Anyhow I shall always be glad 
 I have had my share in this expedition; I have learned 
 what campaigning is, and I must say that under such cir- 
 cumstances as we have gone through, it is not quite so 
 pleasurable as I had expected. Half one's friends are dead 
 or invalided home, and one never knows when one wakes in 
 the morning whether one may not be down with cholera 
 before night. The fighting is all well enough, but, after 
 all, that takes up but a very small portion of one's time, 
 and marching, and I may say, living generally in this hot, 
 sweltering climate, with its six months of rain, is not envi- 
 able work. However, I have gone through one regular 
 campaign, and that as severe a one as British troops have 
 ever performed, and, above all, old man, I have met you, 
 and we have come to be great friends, and I have learned 
 what one fellow will do for another." 
 
 " I am sure I am very glad to have gone through it, 
 too. I have been fortunate indeed in never having been 
 laid up for a single day, and there is no doubt that having 
 served on the staff will be of great advantage to me even 
 as a trader. I own that I should like to have retired a 
 captain. Of course, promotion has been tremendously fast 
 
332 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 owing to the death vacancies, but I have still two lieutenants 
 over me." 
 
 " You are sure to get the step, Stanley. You have been 
 in general orders twice, besides that notice you got for my 
 rescue; also, the doctors say that a number of the men who 
 have been sent down to the coast are not likely to live many 
 weeks, and as five of your seniors have been invalided, you 
 may get your step, in the natural course of things, at any 
 moment. If I were you I should ask for three months' 
 leave before rejoining your regiment. There will be no 
 difficulty about that after you have been upwards of two 
 years in constant work, and the general will certainly not 
 refuse. Before the end of that time you will have seen your 
 uncle and talked matters over. Then, if you choose to re- 
 sign your commission, you can, of course, do so; but as you 
 are pretty sure to get your step by death before the end of 
 the three months, and as the general's despatches strongly 
 recommend your services, you may get your brevet majority 
 before your resignation reaches England. A man who has 
 been mentioned two or three times in despatches, and is 
 specially recommended for honours, is sure to get his brevet 
 majority directly he gets his company." 
 
 On reaching Rangoon, Stanley learned that two of the 
 invalids had died either on the way down or before they 
 could be put on board a ship, and that one of the majors, 
 who had been sent to India for change four months before, 
 had also succumbed, so that he had already obtained his 
 company — a promotion which would have been at any 
 other time extraordinary, but which in a campaign where 
 half those engaged were carried off was nothing remarkable. 
 
THE PRIDE OF BURMA HUMBLED. 333 
 
 Being still on the head-quarters staff, he embarked with Sir 
 Archibald Campbell. 
 
 "You still hold firm to your determination to leave the 
 service, Captain Brooke," the general said, in the course of 
 the passage to Calcutta. 
 
 "Yes, sir; I am sure that it is best for me." 
 
 " I think it is, Brooke. Of course, you have been ex- 
 ceptionally fortunate in getting such rapid promotion. 
 Still, a good business is a great deal better than soldiering. 
 I wrote very strongly in your favour when I sent off my 
 despatches the day we came down to the coast, and you are 
 certain of your brevet. Still, it is just as well that the news 
 of your resignation should not get home before the Gazette 
 comes out with your name in it. I think the best thing 
 that I can do is to give you leave for a time as soon as we 
 get to Calcutta. I am sure that you deserve a rest, for your 
 work has been terribly heavy." 
 
 "Thank you, sir; that was just the favour that I was 
 going to ask you. I shall find out as soon as I get there 
 where my uncle is, and join him. My own mind is quite 
 made up, but he has certainly a right to be consulted before 
 I take any final step." 
 
 " Quite right. I feel no doubt that his opinion will agree 
 with yours, and I think that you are showing a good deal 
 more wisdom than most fellows would do, to give up the ser- 
 vice when you have distinguished yourself and have a much 
 better chance than falls to the lot of one man in a hundred. 
 Still, there can be no real doubt that a man in a good business 
 out here can retire early and go home with a fortune, while 
 in the army you are liable at any time, after you get to the 
 
334 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 rank of colonel, to be laid on the shelf for years. Besides, 
 you will be your own master, which is more than anyone in 
 the army can say. You can go home when you like either 
 for a stay or for a permanency, and you are not liable to 
 have to run the risk of another campaign such as this has 
 been." 
 
 " If one was sure of campaigns, I don't think that I could 
 possibly bring myself to leave the service, but it is the pro- 
 bability of being kept for three or four years at a time, 
 doing nothing, at Calcutta or Madras that decided me." 
 
 The general nodded. " You are quite right, Brooke; on 
 active service a soldier's life is, indeed, a stirring one, but 
 there is nothing more dull and monotonous than garrison 
 life in peace time." 
 
 Accordingly as soon as they landed in Calcutta, Stanley 
 was put in orders for absence on leave for three months. 
 He learned from his uncle's agent that they had heard 
 from him only a few days before at Chittagong, and that 
 he was then on the point of leaving for Aracan, whither he 
 had ordered a large consignment of goods to be forwarded 
 to him by the next ship. Three days later, Stanley started 
 to join him, leaving his address at Aracan with Sir Archi- 
 bald Campbell, in case there should be need to recall him 
 before the three months' leave expired. The vessel in 
 which he was sailing carried the consignment of goods to 
 his uncle, and he had therefore no fear of finding that the 
 latter had left Aracan before his arrival. Meinik was still 
 with him. He had left the army after the last battle had 
 been fought, and had travelled to the spot where he had 
 buried his money before embarking with Stanley in the 
 
THE PRIDE OF BURMA HUMBLED. 335 
 
 canoe, and, after an absence of three days, rejoined the 
 force. On the way down to Rangoon, Stanley had a long 
 talk with him as to his future plans. 
 
 " I have only one plan, master, and that is to stay with 
 you as long as I live." 
 
 " But you will have plenty to live comfortably upon now, 
 Meinik. For, after all that you have done for me, of course 
 I shall arrange for you to have a sum that will keep you 
 in comfort." 
 
 Meinik shook his head. 
 
 " Burma is a bad country, master. After living with the 
 English, I would not go back to live under the king's 
 officers in any case; any money that I had would be 
 squeezed out of me before long. No, master, I will go 
 with you, unless you drive me from you; if you do, I will 
 go to Chittagong, and live there; but I do not think that 
 you will do that." 
 
 " Certainly not, Meinik. As long as you are willing to 
 remain with me I shall be very glad indeed to have you; 
 but if at any time you wish to marry and settle down on 
 land of your own, I shall give you five hundred pounds, 
 which is only a small portion of the sum those rubies, which 
 you got your band to give me, brought me in." 
 
 "I daresay I shall marry," Meinik said, "but that will 
 make no difference. As long as I live, I shall stay with 
 you." 
 
 Meinik had been astounded at Calcutta, which presented 
 a strong contrast, indeed, to the city which, as a Burrnan, 
 he had regarded as the most important place in the 
 world. 
 
336 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 "The Burmese are fools, master; they should have sent 
 two or three men here before they made up their minds to 
 go to war. If they had been truly told what Calcutta was 
 like, they would never have ventured to make war with the 
 English." 
 
 CHAPTER XVIIL. 
 
 IN BUSINESS AGAIN. 
 
 TT7HEN the vessel arrived at the mouth of the Aracan 
 ' ' river, a canoe was seen coming out from Akyah, a 
 town situated at the entrance to the principal of the several 
 channels by which the river makes its way through a num- 
 ber of sand-banks and islands into the sea. As it approached, 
 Stanley recognized his uncle sitting in the stern. 
 
 "Well, uncle, how are you 1 ?" he called out as the boat 
 approached the side. 
 
 "What, is it you, Stanley 1 ? I am glad indeed to see 
 you. I have watched the papers anxiously to see if your 
 name appeared among those who have been killed or have 
 died; not seeing it I hoped that you were all right. Of 
 course we heard from the Madras regiment that came across 
 from Sembeughewn that it was all over, and that all the 
 troops would be shipped off as soon as they went down to 
 Rangoon, but I have not seen any papers lately, and so 
 have not had a chance of learning any news of you. I 
 fancied, though, that you would be back at Calcutta by 
 this time, and thought that I might get a letter from you 
 by this ship." 
 
IN BUSINESS AGAIN. 337 
 
 By this time lie was on deck, and after a hearty shaking 
 of hands Stanley asked what he was doing here. 
 
 " I did not expect to see you until we got to Aracan." 
 
 " I have been up there, lad. It is a decaying old place, 
 and the stream is in many places shallow, so that it would 
 be very difficult to take up a ship of any size. I foresee, 
 therefore, that this is going to be the chief port of the pro- 
 vince; timber Avill be floated down here, and rice brought 
 down in native boats, so I shall make my head-quarters 
 here as far as this district is concerned, and put Johnson in 
 charge. I doubt whether for a time we shall do as much 
 trade as we shall higher up the coast, but everyone expects 
 a great Burmese immigration, and a large trade is likely 
 to spring up in time. I have not quite determined on my 
 next move, and it is not improbable that I shall go down 
 in this ship and establish myself for a time at Martaban 
 and open a trade in Tenasserim. If I decide on that, I 
 shall only get on shore a portion of my goods and take the 
 rest on with me there. Now what are you going to do, 
 Stanley?" 
 
 "Just what you think best, uncle. I should have thought 
 that, as I speak the language, it would be better for me to 
 go on to Martaban, and for you to work Chittagong and 
 the district up to Assam." 
 
 "Then you are going to stay with me, lad!" his uncle 
 exclaimed in a tone of much satisfaction. " I was afraid 
 that yon would have got so fond of soldiering that you 
 would have thrown this over altogether." 
 
 "Not a bit of it, uncle. I am on three months' leave at 
 present, and at the end of that time I shall resign. You know 
 
 ( hi 266 ) Y 
 
338 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 I am a captain now, that is to say, that I have got my rank 
 by death vacancies, though until the gazette comes out from 
 England, I can hardly be said to be a pucka captain; and, 
 what is more, the general himself assured me that after 
 being mentioned in despatches two or three times, and at 
 his strong commendation of my services, I was sure of the 
 brevet rank of major." 
 
 His uncle took off his hat gravely. 
 
 "I must apologize to you," he said, "for addressing you 
 as 'lad'. I had no idea that you were a full-grown captain, 
 still less that you might soon be a major." 
 
 "I don't care a snap for the titles, uncle," Stanley said 
 laughing, " except that it may be an advantage to me in 
 places where there are garrisons, and indeed generally 
 where there are Avhite officials." 
 
 " A very great advantage, Stanley. Well, lad, I have been 
 coining money since I saw you at Rangoon. I have been 
 sending a consignment of bullocks down there every week, 
 and have done almost as much Avith the Manipur force; 
 I have also got the contract regularly now for the supply of 
 the troops at Calcutta. Other trade has of course been at 
 a stand-still. Now that everything has quieted down, there 
 will be a perfect rush, and I have been sorely troubled 
 in my mind whether it would be best to stay up here and 
 take advantage of it, or to be one of the first to open 
 trade at these new ports. Of course, if you are ready to 
 take Martaban that will decide me, and I shall take pas- 
 sage in the first ship going up to Chittagong. My own 
 boat and the dhow are both there, and I shall at once 
 work up all the rivers, and set things going again. I have 
 
IN BUSINESS AGAIN. 339 
 
 a capital fellow, a native, who is carrying on the cattle 
 business for me, and at Chittagong I shall try and get hold 
 of three or four more trustworthy fellows to take charge of 
 depots. I see a big future before us, and that before long. 
 I did well with those gems of yours — they fetched £3500, 
 which I used, besides what you handed over to me, for there 
 was no buying up the cattle without cash, and as I generally 
 have to wait two months after they are shipped before I get 
 paid, ready money was invaluable, and indeed I could not 
 have gone into the thing on anything like the same scale if 
 it had not been for your money. The Calcutta people would 
 have helped me to a certain point, but they would never 
 have ventured upon such advances as I required. Your 
 £5000 has doubled itself since I met you at Rangoon. I 
 calculate that our stores at the different depdts are worth 
 £4000, so that at the present moment the firm of Pearson 
 and Brooke have at their command a capital of £14,000." 
 
 A portion of the cargo was landed at Akyah. Stanley 
 went down with the rest to Martaban, and his uncle sailed 
 for Chittagong. A few months later a store was opened at 
 Rangoon. Parsee store-keepers were sent from Calcutta 
 by Tom Pearson, and these were placed in control of the 
 stores there and at Martaban, Stanley being in charge of 
 these two stations and Akyah, and having a native craft of 
 his own, and a boat for river work similar to that of his 
 uncle. 
 
 A year later he received a letter from Harry, saying 
 that his uncle had died a month after his return to Eng- 
 land, and that he was now established as one of the pillars 
 of the state. 
 
340 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 "As I went through London on my arrival," he said, "I 
 looked up your mother at the address you gave me at 
 Dulwich. I found her very well and very comfortable. She 
 was full of your praises, and as I was equally so, your ears 
 ought to have tingled while we were together. Of course 
 they wanted to hear all about you, and most of it was new 
 to them, for you had said nothing of your adventure with 
 that leopard, and only a few lines about the rescue of 
 your humble servant, though you had told them that I 
 stood in your way of the earldom. Your mother said that 
 she was prouder of you than if you were an earl, only that 
 she would have liked to have you at home. I told her 
 that you and your uncle were shaking the pagoda tree, 
 and that you would come home as yellow as a guinea and 
 as rich as a nabob in the course of a few years. 
 
 "Your sisters are older than I expected to find them. 
 Of course you always spoke of them as when you saw them 
 last. They are both growing into very pretty girls, the 
 elder especially. I made your mother promise to bring 
 them down to stay with me for a bit, when I came into 
 the title, which I knew could not be long, for I had called 
 that morning on my uncle's solicitors, and they told me 
 that he was not expected to live many weeks. As it is 
 only a month since he died, I suppose I ought not to have 
 visitors just yet; but in a few weeks I shall go up to town 
 and bring them down with me. I cannot help thinking 
 that it is a little selfish; for when they see this place they 
 would not be human if they did not feel that it would have 
 been yours if it had not been for your getting me out of 
 the hands of those Burmese. I see that you are gazetted 
 
IN BUSINESS AGAIN. 341 
 
 captain this week. I suppose, long before this, you have 
 settled down to your old work of going up sluggish 
 streams, and trying to stir up the equally sluggish native 
 to a sense of the advantages of British goods. At present 
 I am quite content to do nothing particular, to ride and 
 drive about, return calls, and so on; but I expect, before 
 very long, I shall get restless, and want to be doing some- 
 thing. However, there is the Continent open to one, and 
 decent hotels to stop at. No fevers there, and no Burmese 
 brigands." 
 
 A month later he had a letter from his mother which 
 had been written before that of Harry, but had been sent 
 to Calcutta and thence to Akyah, and had there lain until 
 his return, two months later, from a boat journey up to 
 Pegu. She said how kind it was of his cousin to come in 
 to give them news of him the very day he arrived in 
 London. 
 
 "Of course we were delighted with all that he told us 
 about you, but it made us anxious to think of your running 
 into so many dangers. We like him very much; we could 
 not help laughing because he seemed quite concerned that 
 you should not have the peerage instead of him. He seems 
 likely to come into it soon, for he tells us that the earl is 
 very ill. He says that we must come down and pay him a 
 visit as soon as he is master there; but I don't know whether 
 that can be. Of course it would be a nice change, and I 
 believe that it is a very fine place. I said that it would seem 
 strange our going there, when there are no ladies, and that 
 bachelors did not generally entertain; but he said that, in 
 the first place, he should have his sisters there, who were 
 
342 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 about the same age as my girls, and that as we were his 
 nearest relations, and you were at present his heir, it would 
 be quite the right and proper thing for us to come down. 
 He seemed quite in earnest about it, and I should not be 
 surprised if we go." 
 
 Three months later, Stanley heard that the visit had 
 been paid, and that they had stayed a fortnight there. 
 
 "It feels quite funny settling down here again after being 
 in that big house with all those servants and grandeur; 
 not that there is any grandeur about Harry. He insists, 
 being relations, that we shall call him by his Christian 
 name. Everything was delightful; every afternoon we 
 used to go drives, and of a morning he generally rode 
 with the girls. He had a very pretty gentle horse for 
 Agnes, and a grey pony, a beauty, for Kate. I have a 
 strong suspicion that he had bought them both on purpose. 
 I should not be surprised — but no, I won't say anything 
 about it." 
 
 Stanley puzzled over this sentence, which was followed 
 by: "His sisters are very nice girls." 
 
 " It is evidently something about Harry," he said to 
 himself; "possibly she has taken the idea into her head 
 that he may fall in love with Agnes. That, certainly, 
 Avould be a very nice thing, but I don't suppose it is any- 
 thing more than an idea of mother's." 
 
 However, four months later he received a letter from 
 Harry announcing his engagement. 
 
 " I told your mother that she must let me write by the 
 mail before she did, as it was only right that I should have 
 the pleasure of telling you the news myself. It is splendid. 
 
IN BUSINESS AGAIN. 343 
 
 old man ; upon my word I don't know which I ought to feel, — 
 most grateful to you for saving my life, or for getting me to 
 know your sister. It seems to me a regular dispensation of 
 Providence. You did everything you could to prevent your- 
 self from coming into a title, and now your sister is going 
 to take it and me. It is quite right that we should come to 
 be brothers-in-law, for we are quite like brothers already. 
 We are to be married in the spring. How I wish you 
 could be with us! Your absence will be the only thing 
 wanting to make everything perfect. I do hope you don't 
 mean to stay grilling out there many years. It seems to 
 me monstrous that I should be having estates and a big 
 income, and all that sort of thing, when I have done nothing 
 to deserve it, and that you should be toiling in that beastly 
 climate. If I thought that there Avas the least chance of 
 your rushing home when you get this letter, I declare that 
 I would put off the marriage for a month or so, so that you 
 should be here in time; but as I feel sure that you won't do 
 anything of the sort, it will be of no use for me to make 
 such a noble sacrifice." 
 
 Stanley had received the news that he was gazetted 
 brevet-major a month after he was promoted to the rank 
 of captain, and two months before his name appeared as 
 having retired from the army. He derived, as he expected, 
 much benefit from his connection with the army, in his 
 position at his three receiving ports, as it placed him on a 
 very pleasant footing with the military and civil officials; 
 and it rendered his occasional visits to Calcutta and Madras 
 exceedingly pleasant, for in both towns he found many 
 officers whose acquaintance he had made during the expedi- 
 
344 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 tion. He was always made an honorary member of the 
 messes and clnbs during his stays there. 
 
 The business grew rapidly; the work of the earlier years 
 had so well paved the way for larger operations, that they 
 were able to more than hold their own against other traders 
 who, after the troubles were at an end, sought to establish 
 themselves at various points on the western coast of the 
 peninsula, and, after six more years of hard and continuous 
 work, the business became to be a very large and important 
 one. 
 
 "I think it more than probable," Stanley wrote to his 
 mother, "that before very long I shall be returning home. 
 My uncle spoke about it the last time that I saw him, and 
 said that Ave were outgrowing Calcutta, and ought to estab- 
 lish ourselves in London. ' We can hold on a bit longer,' 
 he said, 'but we must come to that sooner or later, and 
 when it does you must be the one to go to England and 
 take charge. I may go home before that for a few months, 
 but I have no wish or desire to stop there. We have now 
 got a good staff, and I shall probably fix myself permanently 
 at Calcutta.'" 
 
 Two years later Tom Pearson, on his return from 
 England, brought back a wife with him, and established 
 himself at Calcutta. Stanley joined him there three weeks 
 after his return. They had a long talk together that even- 
 ing. 
 
 "I see, Stanley," his uncle said, "that things have gone 
 on improving since I have been away, and that our turn- 
 over last year was £150,000, and the profits close upon 
 .£15,000. I think now that it is high time we opened a 
 
IN BUSINESS AGAIN. 345 
 
 place in London. We have almost a monopoly of the teak 
 trade in Burma, and it would be much more advantageous 
 for us to make our purchases in England instead of here. 
 We should save in carriage and in transhipment, besides 
 the profits that the people here make out of their sales to 
 us. I have made a great many inquiries at home, as to 
 the prices for cash in Manchester and Birmingham, and 
 find that we should get goods there some fifteen per cent 
 cheaper than we pay at Calcutta, even after putting on the 
 freights ; so you see it is an important matter. Besides there 
 would be a better choice of goods, and you know exactly 
 the sort of thing that we require, and the quantities that 
 we can get rid of, and would be able therefore to send con- 
 signments each month without waiting for advices from 
 me, and so we should get the things just as readily as we 
 do now from here. I will give you the names of some 
 of the firms that I have visited and with whom I have 
 already paved the way for opening extensive transac- 
 tions. 
 
 "During the eighteen months that I have been away, 
 you have learned all about the banking business, and will 
 find no more difficulty in managing in London than here. 
 Your brother-in-law Netherley went with me to the Bank 
 of England, and introduced me to one of the directors. I 
 told him that we intended to open a house in London, and 
 that as soon as Ave did so, we should open an account with 
 them by paying in £30,000, and that we should of course 
 require some facilities, but probably not to a large extent, 
 as our payments for teak there would fairly balance our 
 exports from England, and that I reckoned our trade to be, 
 
346 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 as a minimum, =£50,000 each way. The matter was made 
 extremely easy by Netherley saying, to my astonishment: 
 ' You can let them draw what they like, Mr. Townshend, 
 for I will give my personal guarantee up to £50,000.' I 
 remonstrated, but he would not hear anything said. ' Ridi- 
 culous,' he exclaimed, hotly ; 'Stanley is my brother-in-law; 
 he risked his life for me, and you don't suppose that I 
 should mind risking £50,000 for him. Not,' he went on, 
 turning to the director, ' that there is any risk in the 
 matter; I know all about the business they do in India, and 
 that there is not a shadow of risk in it. I know that my 
 guarantee will be a mere form, but as it may put them on 
 a better footing with you to begin with, I shall be very 
 pleased to do it.' 
 
 " Of course, we know that there will be no risk in it, the 
 greater portion of our business is a ready-money one; and 
 although of late we have been dealing more with native 
 local firms instead of selling direct from our own stores, 
 the amounts are never large, and so far we have never lost 
 a penny. Of course, I shall let you know by every mail 
 how things are going on at all our dep6ts, and you will then 
 be able to form an estimate as to the amount of goods you 
 will have to despatch to each, sending them direct, of 
 course, if there happens to be a ship going. But all these 
 things, of course, we shall go into at length before you 
 start for England." 
 
 " Did you go down to Harry's place?" 
 
 " Yes, I stopped there a week. Your sister seems per- 
 fectly happy, and plays the part of queen of the county 
 admirably. The four youngsters are jolly little things. 
 
IN BUSINESS AGAIN. 347 
 
 As to your mother, you will find very little change in her. 
 I really don't think that she looks a day older than when 
 we saw her off at Calcutta, something like ten years ago. 
 Of course then she was cut up with her loss, but quiet and 
 comfort have agreed with her, and the climate is a good 
 deal less trying than it is out here. At any rate, I should 
 not take her for a day over forty, and she is something like 
 five years older than that." 
 
 Three months later Stanley sailed for England. There 
 was the same argument between him and Meinik that there 
 had been when Stanley first left Rangoon, but this time it 
 terminated differently. 
 
 " You would be out of your element in England, Meinik. 
 Of course my life there will be very different from what it 
 is here. I shall go away from home to business every 
 morning, and not get back until perhaps seven o'clock in 
 the evening. As a consequence there would be nothing 
 for you to do for me, and we should see very little of each 
 other. You know I should like to have you with me, and 
 would do all that I could to make you comfortable, but I 
 am sure that you would not like the life. Here you have 
 always been on the move, and there is always something 
 for you to do and think of. I have spoken to my uncle 
 about you, and he will be glad to appoint you to the posi- 
 tion of purchaser for our house of teak and other native 
 products in these provinces. Besides being buyer, you 
 would go up the country and see to the felling and getting 
 the timber down to the coast, as you have often done before. 
 He knows how absolutely I trust you, and how much you 
 have done for me, and he said that he should be very glad 
 
348 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 to have you in charge of the buying side of the work here. 
 Besides, you know you have now a wife and children, and 
 even if you could make yourself comfortable in England, 
 they would never be able to do so, and the bitter cold that 
 we sometimes have in winter would try them terribly and 
 might even carry them all off." 
 
 To these arguments Meinik had reluctantly yielded. 
 He was somewhat proud of the position that he occupied as 
 one of some authority in the establishment of the principal 
 merchants on the coast. He was fond of his wife and little 
 children, and felt that to be established among strangers 
 of different habits and race would be very terrible for 
 them. Stanley bought him a nice house at Rangoon, and 
 as his rate of pay, which had been gradually increased, was 
 now sufficient to cause him to rank high among the native 
 population, he himself came to feel that he had done wisely 
 in accepting Stanley's advice. 
 
 The voyage to England was an uneventful one, and to 
 Stanley, after the active life he had had for ten years, the 
 five months spent at sea seemed almost interminable. 
 
 " I should not have known you in the least," his mother 
 said after the first joyful greetings were over. "How 
 much you have gone through since we parted at Cal- 
 cutta." 
 
 " I had a pretty rough time of it for two years, mother, 
 during the war, but with that exception my life has been 
 a very pleasant one, and I have had nothing whatever to 
 grumble about. This is a pretty house that you have 
 chosen, mother, and the garden is charming. How I have 
 longed sometimes for the sight of an English garden. Of 
 
IN BUSINESS AGAIN. 349 
 
 course I have never seen one before, but I have heard you 
 talk of them, and thought how delightful the green grass 
 must be. Of course we had flowers in Burma, plenty of 
 them and shrubs, but it was not green like this. It is 
 charming." 
 
 " Yes, it is a pretty house, Stanley. We moved in here 
 five years ago, thanks to you, dear boy, and it has been a 
 very quiet happy time. We have a good many friends 
 now among our neighbours, and have quite as much society 
 as I care for. I suppose you have not yet decided whether 
 you will live here with us," she said a little anxiously, "or 
 set up an establishment of your own." 
 
 " Of course I shall stay here, mother. I never thought 
 of anything else. I see that you have some stables. I 
 shall get a couple of horses and drive into town in the 
 mornings. I have got out of the way of walking altogether. 
 And where is Kate 1 " 
 
 "You will see her presently. She will be here to dinner 
 Avith Agnes and Harry. I sent her off because I wanted 
 to have you all to myself for the first hour. The others came 
 up to town three days ago on purpose to be here when you 
 arrived. Of course we heard when your ship called at Pry- 
 mouth. AVe had been looking for her, for your last letter 
 told us the name of the vessel that you were coming by, so 
 I wrote to them and they came up at once. They wanted 
 us to go and dine with them, but I would not hear of it. 
 I was sure that you would much rather dine quietly here 
 than in state in Portman Square with three or four footmen 
 behind our chairs." 
 
 "Ever so much better, mother. I suppose I shall hardly 
 
350 ON THE IRRAWADDY. 
 
 know Agnes, but Harry cannot have altered much; besides, 
 I have seen him four years later than her." 
 
 Harry's greeting was of the heartiest kind; Stanley's 
 sisters felt at first a little strange with this brother of whom 
 they had but a faint remembrance. 
 
 " It docs not seem to me, Harry, that your dignities 
 have tamed you down much." 
 
 "No, indeed," Harry laughed. "I find it sometimes 
 very difficult to act up to my position. I never quite feel 
 that I am an earl except on the rare occasions when I go 
 to the House of Lords, which I only do when my vote is 
 wanted on an important division. The gloom of that place 
 is enough to sober anyone. I can assure you that when I 
 heard of the fire I felt absolutely pleased. Of course, 
 they will build another one, perhaps grander than the last 
 and as gloomy; but, thank goodness, it must be years before 
 it can be finished, and until then we shall have to put up 
 with temporary premises. Your chances of an earldom are 
 getting more and more remote, Stanley. There are three 
 boys barring the way already. I had proposed to myself 
 not to marry, in which case you or a son of yours would 
 have followed me, but your sister overpersuadecl me." 
 
 Agnes tossed her head as she said : 
 
 " At any rate, Harry, if you made that resolution, it was 
 not worth much, as you gave it up at the first oppor- 
 tunity. I was the first girl you met when you arrived in 
 England, and 1 doubt whether you had seen another before 
 we came down to stay at Netherley. I had not been there 
 two days before you began to make love to me." 
 
 "The temptation would excuse anything, my dear," 
 
IN BUSINESS AGAIN. 351 
 
 Harry laughed; "besides, you see, I saw at once that it 
 was but fair and right to Stanley, that if he could not get 
 the peerage himself, he might some day have the satis- 
 faction of being uncle to an earl. And so you are home for 
 good, old fellow." 
 
 "Yes, and just at present I feel very much at sea as 
 to how to get to work, as Tom Pearson arranged nothing 
 except as to the banking account, everything else he has 
 left to me. I know nothing of London, and have no idea 
 of the situation where I should look for offices." 
 
 ' I will put you up to all that, Stanley. I don't know 
 anything about it myself, as you may suppose, but if you 
 will go with me to my solicitors to-morrow, they will be 
 able to tell you. But I do know that Leadenhall Street is 
 the centre of the Indian trade, and it's somewhere about 
 there that you will have to fix yourself. Of course, when 
 you have taken a place you will have to get hold of some 
 clerks. If you put an advertisement in the paper you will 
 get any number of applicants, or possibly my men may, 
 through their connection with merchants, be able to hear of 
 some to suit you; anyhow, I am sure that you will find no 
 difficulty." 
 
 Thanks to Harry's introductions, Stanley was established 
 in a handsome suite of offices with three clerks, with much 
 greater ease than he had anticipated. Being thoroughly 
 versed in business, he was not long before he was at home 
 in his new life. 
 
 Three years after his return, he married Harry's youngest 
 sister. The firm flourished greatly and became one of the 
 leading houses in the Eastern trade. At the age of sixty 
 
352 ON THE IERAWADDY. 
 
 Stanley retired from business with a large fortune. He 
 could do this comfortably, as his eldest son and a nephew 
 had become active partners in the firm. He still lives at 
 the age of eighty-six in a noble mansion near Staines, and 
 retains all the faculties even at advanced age. 
 
 THE END. 
 
 PRINTED BY BLACKIE AND SON, LIMITED, GLASGOW. 
 
BLACKIE & SON'S 
 BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE 
 
 BY G. A. HENTY. 
 In Grown 8i>o, cloth elegant, olivine edges. 
 
 The Tiger of Mysore: A Story of the War with Tippoo 
 
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 A Knight of the White Cross: a Tale of the Siege f 
 
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 When London Burned : A Story of Eestoration Times and 
 
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 [11 ] A 
 
BLACK! E cfc SON'S BOOKS FOB YOU NO PEOPLE. 
 
 BY G. A. HENTY. 
 
 " Among writers of stories of adventure for boys Mr. Henty stands in the very 
 first rank. " — Academy. 
 
 In crown 8vo, cloth elegant, olivine edges. 
 
 The Lion Of St. Mark : A Tale of Venice in the Fourteenth 
 
 Century. By G-. A. Henty. With 10 page Illustrations by 
 
 Gordon Browne. 6s. 
 
 " Every boy should read The Lion of St. Mark. Mr. Henty has never produced 
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 By England's Aid: The Freeing of the Netherlands (1585- 
 
 1604). By G. A. Henty. "With 10 page Illustrations by Alfred 
 
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 By G. A. Henty. Illustrated with 12 page Pictures by Gordon 
 
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 "A model of what a boys' story-book should be. Mr. Henty has a great power 
 of infusing into the dead facts of history new life, and as no pains are spared by 
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 Bonnie Prince Charlie: A Tale of Fontenoy and Culloden. 
 
 By G. A. Henty. Illustrated with 12 page Pictures by Gordon 
 
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 "Ronald, the hero, is very like the hero of Quehtin Durward. The lad's 
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 G. A. Henty. With 10 page Illustrations by S. J. Solomon, and 
 
 a Coloured Map. 6s. 
 
 " Mr. Henty's graphic prose pictures of the hopeless Jewish resistance to Roman 
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 True tO the Old Flag": A Tale of the American War of 
 Independence. By G. A. Henty. With 12 page Illustrations by 
 Gordon Browne. 6s. 
 
 "Does justice to the pluck and determination of the British soldiers. The son 
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 " Mr. Henty undoubtedly possesses the secret of writing eminently successful 
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Specimen Illustration from " THE TIGER OF MYSORE' 
 
 " DICK TOOK STEADY AIM, AND FIRED AT THE TIGER." 
 
4 BLACK IE <fc SON'S BOOKS FOR TOUNQ PEOPLE. 
 
 BY G. A. HENTY. 
 
 " Mr. Henty is one of our most successful writers of historical tales." — Scotsman. 
 
 In crown 8vo, cloth elegant, olivine edges. 
 
 The Lion Of the North: A Tale of Gustavua Adolphus and 
 
 the Wars of Religion. By G. A. Henty. With 12 page Pictures 
 
 by J. Schonberg. 6s. 
 
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 The Young" Carthaginian : A story of the Times of 
 
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 With Clive in India: or, The Beginnings of an Empire. 
 
 By G. A. Henty. Illustrated by Gordon Browne. 6s. 
 
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 In Greek Waters: A Story of the Grecian War of Inde- 
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 The Dash for KhartOUm: A Tale of the Nile Expedition. 
 
 By G. A. Henty. With 10 page Illustrations by J. Schonberg and 
 
 J. Nash, and 4 Plans. 6s. 
 
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BLACKIE & SOS'S BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. 
 
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 In crown 8vo, cloth elegant, olivine edges 
 
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 campaign, but, what is still more useful, an account of a territory and its inhabi- 
 tants which must for a long time possess a supreme interest for Englishmen, as 
 being the key to our Indian Empire." — Glasgow Herald. 
 
 A Jacobite Exile: Being the Adventures of a Young English- 
 man in the Service of Charles XII. of Sweden. By G. A. Henty. 
 With 8 page Illustrations by Paul Hardy, and a Map. 5s. 
 
 " Incident succeeds incident, and adventure is piled upon adventure, and at the 
 end the reader, be he boy or man, will have experienced breathless enjoyment 
 in a romantic story that must have taught him much at its close." — Army and 
 
 Navy Gazette. 
 
 Held Fast for England: A Tale of the Siege of Gibraltar. 
 
 By G. A. Henty. Illustrated by Gordon Browne. 5s. 
 
 "Among them we would place first in interest and wholesome educational 
 value the story of the siege of Gibraltar. . . . There is no cessation of exciting 
 incident throughout the story." — Athenceum. 
 
Specimen Illustration from ''THROUGH RUSSIAN SNOWS' 
 
 " I AM THE COUNTESS STEPHANIE WORONSKI. I AM GLAD 
 TO SEE YOU." 
 
10 BLACKIE tfs SOU'S BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. 
 
 BY G. A. HENTY. 
 "Mr. Plenty's books are always alive with moving- incident." — Revieiv of Reviews. 
 
 In crown 8vo, cloth elegant. 
 
 Condemned as a Nihilist : A Story of Escape from Siberia. 
 By G. A. Henty. Illustrated by Walter Paget. 5s. 
 "The best of this year's Henty. His narrative is more interesting than many 
 of the tales with which the public is familiar, of escape from Siberia. Despite 
 their superior claim to authenticity these tales are without doubt no less fic- 
 titious than Mr. Henty's, and he beats them hollow in the matter of sensations." 
 — National Observer. 
 
 Orange and Green: A Tale of the Boyne and Limerick. 
 By Gr. A. Henty. Illustrated by Gordon Browne. 5s. 
 "The narrative is free from the vice of prejudice, and ripples with life as 
 vivacious as if what is being described were really passing before the eye. . . . 
 Should be in the bands of every young student of Irish history." — Belfast News. 
 
 In the Reign Of Terror: The Adventures of a Westminster 
 Boy. By G. A. Henty. Illustrated by J. SohoNBEBG. 5s. 
 " Harry Sandwith, the Westminster hoy, may fairly be said to beat Mr. Henty's 
 record. His adventures will delight boys by the audacity and peril they depict. 
 The story is one of Mr. Henty's best. " — Saturday Review. 
 
 By Sheer PlllCk: A Tale of the Ashauti War. By G. A. 
 Henty. With 8 full-page Pictures by Gordon Browne. 5s. 
 "Morally, the book is everything that could he desired, setting before the boys 
 a bright and bracing ideal of the English gentleman." — Christian Leader. 
 
 The Dragon and the Raven: or, The Days of King 
 
 Alfred. By G. A. Henty. With 8 page Illustrations by C. J. 
 
 Staniland, r.i. 5s. 
 
 " A story that may justly be styled remarkable. Boys, in reading it, will be 
 
 surprised to find how Alfred persevered, through years of bloodshed and times 
 
 of peace, to rescue his people from the thraldom of the Danes. We hope the 
 
 book will soon be widely known in all our schools." — Schoolmaster. 
 
 A Final Reckoning": A Tale of Bush Life in Australia. 
 
 By G. A. Henty. Illustrated by W. B. Wollen. 5s. 
 " All boys will read this story with eager and unflagging interest. The episodes 
 are in Mr. Henty's very best vein — graphic, exciting, realistic; and, as in all Mr. 
 Henty's books, the tendency is to the formation of an honourable, manly, and 
 even heroic character." — Birmingham Post. 
 
 Facing" Death: or, The Hero of the Vaughan Pit. A Tale of 
 the Coal Mines. By G. A. Henty. With 8 page Pictures by 
 Gordon Browne. 5s. 
 " If any father, godfather, clergyman, or schoolmaster is on the look-out for a 
 
 good book to give as a present to a boy who is worth his salt, this is the book we 
 
 would recommend." — Standard. 
 
 A Chapter Of Adventures: or, Through the Bombard- 
 ment of Alexandria. By G. A. Henty. With 6 page Illustrations 
 by W. H. Overend. 3s. 6d. 
 "Jack Kolison and his two companions have their fill of excitement, and their 
 
 chapter of adventures is so brisk and entertaining we could have wished it longer 
 
 than it is." — Saturday Revieiv. 
 
BLACKIE & SOU'S BOOKS FOR YOUXG PEOPLE. 
 
 11 
 
 BY KIRK MUNROE. 
 
 In crown 8vo, cloth elegant, olivine edges. 
 
 At War With PontiaC: or, The Totem of the Bear. 
 Kirk Munroe. Illus- 
 
 trated 
 
 MORE. 
 
 J. FlNNE- 
 
 "Is in the best manner of 
 Cooper. There is a character 
 who is the parallel of Hawk- 
 eye, as the Chingachgooks and 
 Uncas have likewise their 
 counterparts." — The Times. 
 
 The White Con- 
 querors of 
 
 Mexico: A Tale 
 
 of Toltec and Aztec. 
 
 By Kirk Munroe. 
 
 Illustrated by W. S. 
 
 Stacet. 5s. 
 
 "Mr. Munroe gives most 
 vivid pictures of the religious 
 and civil polity of the Aztecs, 
 and of everyday life, as he 
 imagines it, in the streets and 
 market-places of the magnifi- 
 cent capital of Montezuma." 
 — The Times. 
 
 Crown 8vo, cloth elegant. 
 
 Two Thousand 
 Years Ago: or, 
 
 The Adventures of a 
 
 itrationfrom "At Warvrith Pontine". 
 With 12 page Illus- 
 
 Roman Boy. By Professor A. J. Church. 
 
 trations by Adrien Marie. 6$. 
 
 "Adventures well worth the telling. The book is extremely entertaining as 
 well as useful, and there is a wonderful freshness in the Roman scenes "and 
 characters." — The Times. 
 
 With 
 
 The Clever Miss Follett. By J. K. H. Denny. 
 
 12 page Illustrations by Gertrude D. Hammond. 6s. 
 
 "Just the book to give to girls, who will delight both in the letterpress and 
 the illustrations. Miss Hammond has never done better work. ' — Review of 
 Reviews. 
 
 The Heiress of Courtleroy. By Anne Beale. With 8 
 
 page Illustrations by T. C. H. Castle. 5s. 
 "We can speak highly of the grace with which iliss Beale relates how the 
 young 'Heiress of Courtleroy' had such good influence over her uncle as to win 
 him from his intensely selfish ways." — Guardian. 
 
12 BLACK IE & SON'S BOOKS FOR i'OUNG PEOPLE. 
 
 BY GEORGE MANVILLE FENN. 
 
 " Mr. Fenn stands in the foremost rank of writers in this department." — Daily 
 
 Neivs. 
 
 In crown 8vo, cloth elegant. 
 
 Dick 0' the Fens : A Eomance of the Great East Swamp. By 
 G. Manville Fenn. Illustrated by Frank Dadd. 6s. 
 "We conscientiously believe that boys will find it capital reading. It is full 
 of incident and mystery, and the mystery is kept up to the last moment. It is 
 rich in effective local colouring; and it has a historical interest."— Times. 
 
 Devon Boys: A Tale of the North Shore. By G. Manville 
 Fenn. With 12 page Illustrations by Gordon Browne. 6s. 
 "An admirable story, as remarkable for the individuality of its young heroes 
 as for the excellent descriptions of coast scenery and life in North Devon. It is 
 one of the best books we have seen this season. "—Athenceum. 
 
 The Golden Magnet: A Tale of the Land of the Incas. By 
 
 G. Manville Fenn. Illustrated by Gordon Browne. 6s. 
 "There could be no more welcome present for a boy. There is not a dull page 
 in the book, and many will be read with breathless interest. 'The Golden Mag- 
 net' is, of course, the same one that attracted Raleigh and the heroes of West- 
 ward Ho!" — Journal of Education. 
 
 In the King's Name: or, The Cruise of the Kestrel. By 
 
 G. Manville Fenn. Illustrated by Gordon Browne. 6s. 
 " The best of all Mr Fenn's productions in this field. It has the great quality 
 of always 'moving on', adventure following adventure in constant succession."— 
 Daily News. 
 
 Nat the Naturalist: A Boy's Adventures in the Eastern 
 Seas. By G. Manville Fenn. With 8 page Pictures. 5s. 
 "This sort of book encourages independence of character, develops resource, 
 and teaches a boy to keep his eyes open." — Saturday lieview. 
 
 Bunyip Land: The Story of a Wild Journey in New Guinea. 
 By G. Manville Fenn. Illustrated by Gordon Browne. 4s. 
 " Mr. Fenn deserves the thanks of everybody for Bunyip Land, and we may ven- 
 ture to promise that a quiet week may be reckoned on whilst the youngsters have 
 such fascinating literature provided for their evenings' amusement."—" Spectator. 
 
 Quicksilver: or, A Boy with no Skid to his Wheel. By 
 George Manville Fenn. With 6 page Illustrations by Frank 
 Dadd. New edition, 3s. 6d. 
 " Quicksilver is little short of an inspiration. In it that prince of story writers 
 
 for boys — George Manville Fenn— has surpassed himself. It is an ideal book for 
 
 a boy's library." — Practical Teacher. 
 
 Brownsmith's Boy: A Eomance in a Garden. By G. 
 Manville Fenn. With 6 page Illustrations. 3s. 6c/. 
 " Mr. Fenn's books are among the best, if not altogether the best, of the stories 
 for boys. Mr. Fenn is at his best in Brownsmith's Boy."— Pictorial World. 
 
 For other Books by G. Manville Fenn, see page 22. 
 
BLACK IE & SON'S BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. 13 
 
 BY GEORGE MAC DONALD. 
 
 In crown 8vo, cloth elegant. 
 
 A R0Ug"h Shaking". By George Mac Donald. With 
 
 12 page Illustrations by W. Parkinson. 6s. 
 
 "One of the very best books for boys that has been written. It is full of 
 material peculiarly well adapted for the young, containing in a marked degree 
 the elements of all that is necessary to make up a perfect boys' book."-- 
 Teachers' Aid. 
 
 At the Back of the North Wind. By George Mao 
 
 Donald. With 75 Illustrations by Arthur Hughes. 5s. 
 
 " The story is thoroughly original, full of fancy and pathos. . . . We stand 
 with one foot in fairyland and one on common earth." — The Times. 
 
 Ranald Bannerman's Boyhood. By Geo. Mac Donald. 
 
 With 36 Illustrations by Arthur Hughes. 5s. 
 "The sympathy with boy-nature in Ranald Bannerman's Boyhood is perfect. 
 It is a beautiful picture of childhood, teaching by its impressions and suggestions 
 all noble things." — British Quarterly Review. 
 
 The Princess and the Goblin. By George Mac Donald. 
 
 With 32 Illustrations. 3s. Gd. 
 
 " Little of what is written for children has the lightness of touch and play of 
 fancy which are characteristic of George Mac Donald's fairy tales. Mr. Arthur 
 Hughes's illustrations are all that illustrations should be. "—Manchester Guardian. 
 
 The Princess and Curdie. By George Mac Donald. 
 
 With 8 page Illustrations. 3s. Qd. 
 
 " There is the finest and rarest genius in this brilliant story. TTpgrown people 
 would do wisely occasionally to lay aside their newspapers and magazines to 
 spend an hour with Curdie and the Princess. "— Sheffield Independent. 
 
 BY HARRY COLLINGWOOD. 
 
 The Pirate Island : A Story of the South Pacific. By 
 
 Hakry Collingwooo. With 8 page Pictures by C. J. Staniland 
 
 and J. E. Wells. 5s. 
 
 "A capital story of the sea; indeed in our opinion the author is superior in some 
 respects as a marine novelist to the better-known Mr. Clark Russell."— 77i? Times. 
 
 The Log" Of the "Flying 1 Fish": A Story of Aerial ami 
 
 Submarine Adventure. By Harry Cou.rNGWOOD. With 6 page 
 
 Illustrations by Gordon Browne. 3s. 6c/. 
 
 "The Fining Fish actually surpasses all Jules Verne's creations; with incred- 
 ible speed she flies through the air, skims over the surface of the water, and darts 
 along the ocean bed. We strongly recommend our school-boy friends to possess 
 themselves of her log."— Athenceum. 
 
 For other Books by Harry Collingwood, see pages 22 and 23. 
 
14 BLACK1E A SON'S BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. 
 
 BY ROBERT LEIGHTON. 
 
 In crown Sro, cloth elegant, olivine edges. 
 
 Olaf the GlOFiOUS. By Eobert Leighton. With 8 page 
 Illustrations by Ralph Peacock, and a Map. 5s. 
 
 "Is as good as anything of the kind we have met with. Mr. Leighton more 
 than holds his own with Eider Haggard and Baring-Gould." — The Times. 
 
 "Among the books best liked by boys of the sturdy English type few will take 
 a higher place than Olaf the Glorious. . . . " — National Observer. 
 
 The Wreck of "The Golden Fleece": The story of a 
 
 North Sea Fisher-boy. By Robert Leighton. With 8 page 
 
 Illustrations by F. Brangwyn. 5s. 
 
 " This story should add considerably to Mr. Leighton's high reputation. Ex- 
 cellent in every respect, it contains every variety of incident. The plot is very 
 cleverly devised, and the types of the North Sea sailors are capital." — The Times. 
 
 The Pilots Of Pomona: A Story of the Orkney Islands. 
 
 By Robert Leighton. Illustrated by John Leighton. 5s. 
 
 " A story which is quite as good in its way as Treasure Island, and is full of 
 adventure of a stirring yet most natural kind. Although it is primarily a boys' 
 book, it is a real godsend to the elderly reader." — Glasgow Evening Times. 
 
 The Thirsty Sword: A Story of the Norse Invasion of 
 Scotland (1262-63). By Robert Leighton. With 8 page Illus- 
 trations by A. Pearse. 5s. 
 
 "This is one of the most fascinating stories for bnys that it has ever been our 
 pleasure to read. From first to last the interest never flags. Boys will worship 
 Kenric, who is a hero in every sense of the word." — Scliouliiiaster. 
 
 BY ROSA MULHOLLAND. 
 
 Banshee Castle. By Rosa Mulholland. With 12 page 
 
 Illustrations by John H. Bacon. 6s. 
 
 "One of the mnst fascinating of Miss Rosa Mulhollnnd's many fascinating 
 stories. . . . The charm of the tale lies in the telling of it. The three 
 heroines are admirably drawn characters." — Athenaeum. 
 
 Giannetta : A Girl's Story of Herself. By Rosa Mulholland. 
 
 With 8 page Illustrations by Lockhart Bogle. 5s. 
 
 "Giannetta is a true heroine— warm-hearted, self-sacrificing, and, as all good 
 women nowadays are, largely touched with the enthusiasm of humanity. One 
 of the most attractive gift-books of the season." — The Academy. 
 
 A Fair Claimant: Being a Story for Giils. By Frances 
 
 Armstrong. Illustrated by Gertrude D. Hammond. 5s. 
 
 " As a gift-book for big girls it is among the best new books of the kind. The 
 story is interesting and natural, from first to last." — Westminster Gazette. 
 
Specimen Illustration from "A FAIR CLAIMANT". 
 
 "olive leavt into her mother's arms.' 
 
16 BLACK IE & SON'S BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. 
 
 TWELFTH EDITION OF THE UNIVERSE. 
 
 The Universe : or, The Infinitely Great and the Infinitely Little. 
 A Sketch of Contrasts in Creation, and Marvels revealed and 
 explained by Natural Science. By F. A. Pouchet, m.d. With 
 272 Engravings on wood, of which 55 are full-page size, and 4 
 Coloured Illustrations. Twelfth Edition, medium 8vo, cloth ele- 
 gant, gilt edges, 7s. Gd.; also morocco antique, 16s. 
 
 "Dr. Pouehet's wonderful work on The Universe, than which there is no book 
 better calculated to encourage the study of nature." — Pall Mall Gazette. 
 " We know no better book of the kind for a schoolroom library." — Bookman. 
 
 BY G. NORWAY. 
 
 In crown 8vo, cloth elegant. 
 
 A Prisoner Of War: A Story of the Time of Napoleon 
 
 Bonaparte. By Gr. Norway. With 6 page Illustrations by Robt. 
 
 Barnes, a.r.w.s. 3s. Gd. 
 
 " More hairbreadth escapes from death by starvation, by ice, by fighting, &c. , 
 were never before surmounted. . . . It is a tine yarn." — The Guardian. 
 
 A True Cornish Maid. By G. Norway. With 6 page 
 
 Illustrations by J. Finnemore. 3s. Gd. 
 
 " There is some excellent reading. . . . Mrs. Norway brings before the eyes 
 of her readers the good Cornish folk, their speech, their manners, and their ways. 
 A True Cumish Maid deserves to be popular." — Athenaeum. 
 
 %.* For other Books by G-. Norway see p. 23. 
 
 Young 1 Travellers' Tales. By Ascott b. Hope. With 
 
 6 Illustrations by H. J. Draper. 3s. Gd. 
 " Possess a high value for instruction as well as for entertainment. His quiet, 
 level humour bubbles up on every page."— Daily Chronicle. 
 
 The Seven Wise Scholars. By Ascott B. Hope. With 
 
 nearly 100 Illustrations by Gordon Browne. 5s. 
 
 "As full of fun as a volume of Punch; with illustrations, more laughter- 
 provoking than most we have seen since Leech died." — Sheffield Independent. 
 
 Stories Of Old Renown: Tales of Knights and Heroes. 
 By Ascott B. Hope. With 100 Illustrations by Gordon Browne. 
 3s. Gd. 
 " A really fascinating book worthy of its telling title. There is, we venture to 
 say, not a dull page in the book, not a story which will not bear a second read- 
 ing." -Guardian. 
 
 Under False Colours: A Story from Two Girls' Lives. 
 
 By Sarah Doudney. Illustrated by G. G. Kilburne. 4s. 
 
 •' Sarah Doudney has no superior as a writer of high-toned stories— pure in 
 style and original in conception ; but we have seen nothing from her pen equal 
 in dramatic energy to this book." — Christian Leader. 
 
BLACK IE & SOX'S BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. 
 
 17 
 
 BY DR. GORDON STABLES. 
 
 In crown 8vo, cloth elegant. 
 
 For Life and Liberty: A Story of Battle by Land and 
 
 Sea. By Dr. Gordon 
 Stables, r.n. With 8 
 Illustrations by Syd- 
 ney Paget, and a Map. 
 
 " The story is lively and 
 spirited, with abundance of 
 blockade- running, hard fight- 
 ing, narrow escapes, and intro- 
 ductions to some of the most 
 distinguished generals on both 
 sides." — The Times. 
 
 To Greenland and 
 the Pole. By 
 
 Gordon Stables, m.d. 
 With 8 page Illustra- 
 tions by G. C. Hind- 
 ley, and a Map. 5s. 
 
 "His Arctic explorers have 
 the versimilitude of life. It 
 is one of the books of the sea- 
 son, and one of the best Mr. 
 Stables has ever written."' — 
 Truth. 
 
 Westward with Co- 
 lumbus. By Gor- 
 don Stables, m. d. 
 With 8 page Illustra- 
 tions by A. Pearse. 5s. 
 " We must place Westward with Columbus anion 
 
 ought to read.'' — The Spectator. 
 
 'Twixt School and College: A Tale of Self-reliance. By 
 
 Gordon Stables, cm., m.d., r.n. Illustrated by W. Parkinson. 5s. 
 
 "One of the best of a prolific writer's bonks for boys, being full of practical 
 instructions as to keeping pets, and inculcates in a way which a little recalls Miss 
 Edgeworth's 'Frank' the virtue of self-reliance. " — Athenaeum. 
 
 Reduced Illustration from "To Greenland". 
 
 those books that all boys 
 
 With the Sea King's: A Story of the Days of Lord Nelson. 
 By F. H. Winder. Illustrated by W. S. Stacey. 4*. 
 
 "Just the book to put into a boy's hands. Every chapter contains boardings, 
 cuttings out, fighting pirates, escapes of thrilling audacity, and captures by corsairs, 
 sufficient to turn the quietest boy's head. The story culminates in a vigorous 
 account of the battle of Trafalgar. Happy boys ! "- The Academy. 
 
 [11] B 
 
IS BLACKIE & SONS BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. 
 
 BY HUGH ST. LEGER. 
 
 In crown 8vo, cloth elegant. 
 
 Hallowe'en Ahoy! or, Lost on the Crozet Islands. By 
 Hugh St. Leger. With 6 Illustrations by H. J. Draper. 4s. 
 "One of the best stories of seafaring life and adventure which have appeared 
 this season. It contains a capital ' fo'c's'le' ghost and a thrilling shipwreck. No 
 hoy who begins it but will wish to join the Britannia long before he finishes 
 these delightful pages." — Academy. 
 
 Sou'wester and SwOPd. By Hugh St. Leger. With 6 
 
 page Illustrations by Hal Hurst. 4s. 
 
 "As racy a tale of life at sea and war adventure as we have met with for some 
 time. . . . Altogether the sort of book that boys will revel in." — A thenceum. 
 
 BY ALICE CORKRAN. 
 
 Meg'S Friend. By Alice Corkran. With 6 page Illustra- 
 tions by Robert Fowler. 3s. 6rt. 
 
 "One of Miss Corkran's charming books for girls, narrated in that simple 
 and picturesque style which marks the authoress as one of the first amongst 
 writers for young people." — The Spectator. 
 
 Margery Merton'S Girlhood. By Alice Corkran. With 
 
 (i page Pictures by Gordon Browne. 3s. 6d. 
 
 "Another book for girls we can warmly commend. There is a delightful 
 piquancy in the experiences and trials of a young English girl who studies 
 painting in Paris." — Saturday Review. 
 
 DOWn the SnOW Stairs: or, From Good-night to Good- 
 morning. By Alice Corkran. With 60 Illustrations by Gordon 
 Browne. 3s. 6c/. 
 "A gem of the first water, bearing upon every page the mark of genius. It is 
 
 indeed a Little Pilgrim's Progress. " — Christian Leader. 
 
 Grettir the Outlaw: A Story of Iceland. By S. Baring- 
 Gould. With 6 page Illustrations by M. Zeno Diemer, and a 
 Coloured Map. 4s. 
 
 " Is the boys' bonk of its year. That is, of course, as much as to say that it 
 will do for men grown as well as juniors. It is told in simple, straightforward 
 English, as all stories should be, and it has a freshness, a freedom, a sense of sun 
 and wind and the open air, which make it irresistible. " — National Observer. 
 
 Gold, Gold, in CaribOO: A Story of Adventure in British 
 Columbia. By Clive Phillipps-Wolley. With 6 page Illustra- 
 tions by G. C. Hindlet. 3s. 6d. 
 
 " It would be difficult to say too much in favour of Gold, Gold, in Cariboo. We 
 have seldom read a more exciting tale of wild mining adventure in a singularly 
 inaccessible country. There is a capital plot, and the interest is sustained to the 
 last page." — The Times. 
 
BLACK IE <fc SON'S BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. 19 
 
 BY EDGAR PICKERING. 
 
 In crown 8vo, cloth elegant. 
 
 TWO Gallant Rebels: A Story of the Great Struggle in La 
 
 Vendee. By Edgar Pickering. With 6 Illustrations by W. H. 
 
 Overend. 3s. 6(7. 
 
 " There is something very attractive about Mr. Pickering's style. . . . Boys 
 will relish the relation of those dreadful and moving events, which, indeed, will 
 never lose their fascination for readers of all ages." — The Spectator. 
 
 In Press-Gang" Days. By Edgar Pickering. With 6 
 
 Illustrations by W. G. Stacey. 3s. 6cZ. 
 
 "It is of Marryat we think as we read this delightful story; for it is not 
 only a story of adventure with incidents well conceived and arranged, hut the 
 characters are interesting and well-distinguished." — Academy. 
 
 An Old-Time Yarn: Wherein is set forth divers desperate 
 
 mischances which befell Anthony Ingram and his shipmates in the 
 
 West Indies and Mexico with Hawkins and Drake. By Edgar 
 
 Pickering. Illustrated by Alfred Pearse. 3s. 6d. 
 
 " And a very good yarn it is, with not a dull page from first to last. There is a 
 flavour of Westward Ho! in this attractive book." — Educational Review. 
 
 Silas Vemey: A Tale of the Time of Charles II. By Edgar 
 Pickering. With 6 page Illustrations by Alfred Pearse. 3s. 6c?, 
 " Altogether this is an excellent story for boys." — Saturday Review. 
 
 A Thane Of Wessex: Being the Story of the Great Viking 
 
 Paid of 845. By Charles W. Whistler. With 6 Illustrations 
 
 by W. II. Makgetson. 3s. 67/. 
 
 "This is one of the best books of the season. . . . The story is told with 
 spirit and force, and affords an excellent picture of the life of the period." — 
 Standard. 
 
 His First KangarOO: An Australian Story for Boys. By 
 
 Arthur Ferres. Illustrated by Percy F. S. Spence. 3s. 6c?. 
 
 "A lively story of life on an Australian stock-station, where the monotony of 
 things is agreeably diversified by not only the bounding kangaroo, but also the 
 up-sticking bushranger. " — Scotsman. 
 
 A Champion Of the Faith: A Tale of Prince Hal and the 
 
 Lollards, By J. M. Callwell. With 6 page Illustrations by 
 
 Herbert J. Draper. 4s. 
 
 " Will not be less enjoyed than Mr. Henty's books. Sir John Oldcastle's pathetic 
 story, anil the history of his brave young squire, will make every boy enjoy this 
 lively story." — London Quarterly. 
 
2) BLACKIE & SON'S BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. 
 
 BY ANNIE E. ARMSTRONG. 
 
 In crown 8vo, cloth elegant. 
 
 Three Bright Girls: A Story of Chance and Mischance. 
 
 By Annie E. Armstrong. Illustrated by W. Parkinson. 3s. 6d. 
 
 "Among many good stories for girls this is undoubtedly one of the very best." 
 — Teachers' Aid. 
 
 A Very Odd Girl: or, Life at the Gabled Farm. By Annie 
 
 E. Armstrong. Illustrated. 3s. 6d. 
 
 "The book is one we can heartily recommend, for it is not only bright and 
 interesting, but also pure and healthy in tone and teaching." — The Lady. 
 
 The Captured Cruiser: By c. J. Htne. illustrated by 
 
 Frank Brangwyn. 3s. Qd. 
 
 "The two lads and the two skippers are admirably drawn. Mr. Hyne has 
 now secured a position in the first rank of writers of fiction for boys."— Spectator. 
 
 Afloat at Last : A Sailor Boy's Log of his Life at Sea. By 
 
 John C. Hutcheson. 3s. Qd. 
 
 "As healthy and breezy a book as one could wish to put into the hands of 
 a boy." — Academy . 
 
 Picked Up at Sea: or, The Gold Miners of Minturne Creek. 
 By J. C. Hutcheson. With 6 page Pictures. 3s. 6d. 
 
 Brother and Sister: or, The Trials of the Moore Family. 
 By Elizabeth J. Lysaght. 3s. 6d. 
 
 The Search for the Talisman: A story of Labrador. 
 
 By Henry Frith. Illustrated by J. Schonberg. 3s. 6d. 
 
 " Mr. Frith's volume will be among those most read and highest valued. The 
 adventures among seals, whales, and icebergs in Labrador will delight many a 
 young reader." — I'all Mall Gazette. 
 
 Dora : or, A Girl without a Home. By Mrs. R. H. Read. With 
 
 6 page Illustrations. 3s. 6d. 
 "It is no slight thing, in an age of rubbish, to get a story so pure and healthy 
 as this." — The Academy. 
 
 Storied Holidays: A Cycle of Reddetter Days. By E. S. 
 
 Brooks. With 12 page Illustrations by Howard Pyle. 3s. 6d. 
 
 " It is a downright good book for a senior boy, and is eminently readable from 
 first to last." — Schoolmaster. 
 
BLACRIE & SON'S BOOKS FOR TOITNG PEOPLE. 21 
 
 In crown 8vo, cloth elegant. 
 
 ChivalriC Days: Stories of Courtesy and Courage in the 
 
 Olden Times. By E. S. Brooks. With 20 Illustrations. 3s. Qd. 
 
 "We have seldom come across a prettier collection of tales. These charming 
 stories of boys and girls of olden days are no mere fictitious or imaginary sketches, 
 but are real and actual records of their sayings and doings." — Literary World. 
 
 Historic Boys: Their Endeavours, their Achievements, and 
 
 their Times. By E. S. Brooks. With 12 page Illustrations. 3s. 6tf. 
 
 "A wholesome book, manly in tone; altogether one that should incite boys to 
 further acquaintance with those rulers of men whose careers are narrated. We 
 advise teachers to put it on their list of prizes." — Knowledge. 
 
 Dr. Jolliffe'S Boys: A Tale of Weston School. By Lewis 
 
 Hough. With 6 page Pictures. 3s. Qd. 
 
 " Young people who appreciate Tom Brown's School-days will find this story a 
 worthy companion to that fascinating book." — Newcastle Journal. 
 
 The Bubbling" Teapot. A Wonder Story. By Mrs. L. W. 
 
 Ohampnet. With 12 page Pictures by Walter Satterlke. 3s. Qd. 
 
 " Very literally a 'wonder story'. Nevertheless it is made realistic enough, and 
 there is a good deal of information to be gained from it." — The Times. 
 
 Thomdyke MailOP: A Tale of Jacobite Times. By Mary 
 
 C. Rowsell. Illustrated by L. Leslie Brooke. 3s. Qd. 
 
 ".Miss Rowsell has never written a more attractive book than Thomdyke 
 Ma nor. " — Belfast News-Letter. 
 
 Traitor Or Patriot? A Tale of the Eye-House Plot. By 
 
 Mary 0. Rowsell. Illustrated. 3s. Qd. 
 
 " Here the Rye-House Plot serves as the groundwork for a romantic love 
 episode, whose true characters are lifelike beings." — Graphic. 
 
 BLACKIE'S NEW THREE-SHILLING SERIES. 
 
 Beautifully illustrated and handsomely bound. 
 
 Highways and High Seas: Cyril Harley's Adventures on 
 
 both. By F. Frankfort Moore. With 6 page Illustrations by 
 
 Alfred Pearse. New Edition. 3s. 
 
 "This is one of the best stories Mr. Moore has written, perhaps the very best. 
 The exciting adventures are sure to attract boys." — Spectator. 
 
 Under Hatches: or, Ned Woodthorpe's Adventures. By 
 
 F. Frankfort Moore. Illustrated by A. Fokestier. 3s. 
 
 "The story as a story is one that will just suit boys all the world over. The 
 characters are well drawn and consistent." — Schoolmaster. 
 
22 BLACKIE & SOX'S BOOKS FOR YOUSG PEOPLE. 
 
 THREE-SHILLING SERIES-Continued. 
 
 Beautifully illustrated and handsomely bound. 
 
 The Missing" Merchantman. By Harry Collingwood. 
 
 With 6 page Illustrations by W. H. Overexd. 3s. 
 
 " One of the author's best sea stories. The hero is as heroic as any boy could 
 desire, and the endiug is extremely happy." — British Weekly. 
 
 MenhardOC: A Story of Cornish Nets and Mines. By G. 
 
 Maxville Fexx. Illustrated by C. J. Stanilaxd, r.i. 3s. 
 
 "The Cornish fishermen are drawn from life, and stand out from the pages in 
 their jerseys and sea-boots all sprinkled with silvery pilchard scales.' — Spectator. 
 
 YusSUf the Guide: or, The Mountain Bandits. By G. Max- 
 ville Fenn. With 6 page Illustrations by J. Schoxberg. 3s. 
 
 "Told with such real freshness and vigour that the reader feels he is actually 
 one of the party, sharing in the fun and facing the dangers. "—Pall Mall Gazette. 
 
 Patience Wins: or, War in the Works. By George Max- 
 
 ville Fexx. With 6 page Illustrations. 3s. 
 
 " ilr. Fenn has never hit upon a happier plan than in writing this story of 
 Yorkshire factory life. The whole book is all aglow with life." — Pall Mall Gazette. 
 
 Mother Carey's Chicken: Her Voyage to the Unknown 
 Isle. By G-. Maxville Fexx. With 6 page Illustrations by A. 
 
 FORESTIER. 3s. 
 
 " Undoubtedly one of the best Mr. Fenn has written. The incidents are of 
 thrilling interest, while the characters are drawn with a care and completeness 
 rarely found in a boy's book." — Literary World. 
 
 Robinson Crusoe. With lOO Illustrations by Gordox 
 
 Browxe. 3s. 
 
 "One of the best issues, if not absolutely the best, of Defoe's work which has 
 ever appeared."— The Standard. 
 
 Gulliver's Travels, With lOO Illustrations by Gordox 
 
 Browxe. 3s. 
 
 " Mr. Gordon Browne is, to my thinking, incomparably the most artistic, 
 spirited, and brilliant of our illustrators of books for boys, and one of the most 
 humorous also, as his illustrations of ' Gulliver ' amply testify. " — Truth. 
 
 The Wigwam and the War-path: stories of the Eed 
 
 Indians. By Ascott R. Hope. With 6 page Illustrations. 3s. 
 
 "Is notably good. It gives a very vivid picture of life among the Indians, 
 which will delight the heart of many a schoolboy." — Spectator. 
 
BLACKIE <fc SON'S BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. 
 
 23 
 
 THREE-SHILLING SERIES-Continued. 
 
 Beautifully illustrated and handsomely bound. 
 
 The Loss of John Humble: 
 
 Came of It. By G-. 
 Norway. With 6 page 
 Illustrations by John 
 Schonberg. New Edi- 
 tion. 3s. 
 
 " This story will place the 
 author at once in the front rank. 
 It is full of life and adventure. 
 The interest of the story is sus- 
 tained without a break from first 
 to last. " — Standard. 
 
 What Led to It, and What 
 
 Hussein the 
 tage: or, A 
 
 Hos- 
 
 Boy's 
 
 Adventures in Persia. 
 
 By G. Norway. With 
 
 6 page Illustrations by 
 
 John Schonberg. 3s. 
 
 "Hussein the Hostage is full 
 of originality and vigour. The 
 characters are lifelike, there is 
 plenty of stirring incident, the 
 interest is sustained throughout, 
 and every boy will enjoy follow- 
 ing the fortunes ol the hero." — 
 Journal of Education. 
 
 Cousin Geoffrey and 
 
 I. By Caroline 
 Austin. With 6 page 
 Illustrations by W. 
 Parkinson. 3s. 
 "Miss Austin's story is bright, clever, and well developed."— Saturday Review. 
 
 The Rover's Secret: A Tale of the Pirate Cays and Lagoons 
 
 of Cuba. By Harry Collingwood. With 6 page Illustrations by 
 
 W. C. Symons. 3s. 
 
 " The Rover's Secret is by far the best sea story we have read for years, and is 
 certain to give unalloyed pleasure to boys."— Saturday Review. 
 
 The CongX) Rovers : A Story of the Slave Squadron. By 
 Harry Collingwood. With 6 page Illustrations. 3s. 
 
 "No better sea story has lately been written than the Congo Rovers. It is as 
 original as any boy could desire.'' — Morning Post. 
 
 Reduced 111 
 
24 BLACK1E & SON'S BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. 
 
 THREE-SHILLING SERIES— Continued. 
 
 Beautifully illustrated and handsomely bound. 
 
 Perseverance Island: or, The Robinson Crusoe of the 19th 
 
 Century. By Douglas Frazar. With 6 page Illustrations. 3s. 
 
 "This is an interesting story, written with studied simplicity of style, much in 
 Defoe's vein of apparent sincerity and scrupulous veracity; while for practical 
 instruction it is even better than Robinson Crusoe." — Illustrated London News. 
 
 Girl Neighbours: or, The Old Fashion and the New. By 
 
 Sarah Tytler. Illustrated by C. T. Garland. 3s. 
 
 " One of the most effective and quietly humorous of Miss Sarah Ty tier's stories. 
 It is very healthy, very agreeable, and very well written." — The Spectator. 
 
 BLACKIE'S HALF-CROWN SERIES. 
 
 Illustrated by eminent Artists. In crown 8vo, cloth elegant. 
 
 A Musical GeniUS. By the Author of the "Two Dorothys". 
 
 " Tt is brightly written, well illustrated, and daintily bound, and can be strongly 
 recommended as a really good prize-book." — Teachers' Aid. 
 
 For the Sake Of a Friend : A Story of School Life. By 
 Margaret Parker. 
 " An excellent school-girl story. . . . Susie Snow and hei friend, Trix Beres- 
 ford, are charming girls." — Athenceum. 
 
 Under the Black Eagle. By Andrew Hilliard. 
 
 "The rapid movement of the story, and the strange scenes through which it 
 passes, give it a full interest of surprise and adventure." — Scotsman. 
 
 The Secret of the Australian Desert. By Ernest 
 
 Favenc. 
 "We recommend the book most heartily; it is certain to please boys and 
 girls, and even some grown-ups." — Guardian. 
 
 Reefer and Rifleman: A Tale of the Two Services. By 
 
 Lieut. -Col. Percy-Groves. 
 
 " A good, old-fashioned, amphibious story of our fighting with the Frenchmen in 
 the beginning of our century, with a fair sprinkling of fun and frolic." — Times. 
 
 A Little Handful. By Harriet J. Scripps. 
 
 "He is a real type of a boy." — The Schoolmaster. 
 
 A Golden Age : A Story of Four Merry Children. By Ismay 
 Thorn. Illustrated by Gordon Browne. 
 " Ought to have a place of honour on the nursery shelf." — The Athenceum. 
 
BLACKIE & SOS'S BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. 
 
 HALF-CROWN SERIES-Continued. 
 
 Illustrated by eminent Artists. In crown 8vo, cloth elegant. 
 
 BY BEATRICE HARRADEN. 
 
 Things Will Take a Turn. By Beatrice Harraden. 
 With 44 Illustrations 
 by John H. Bacon. 
 
 " Perhaps the most bril- 
 liant is Things Will Take a 
 
 Turn. ... A tale of humble 
 child life in East London. It 
 is a delightful blending of 
 comedy and tragedy, with an 
 excellent plot." — The Times. 
 
 The Whispering* 
 
 Winds, and the 
 Tales that they Told. 
 By Mary H. Dkben- 
 Ham. With 25 Illus- 
 trations by Paul 
 Hardy. 
 
 " We wish the winds would 
 tell «s stories like these. It 
 would be worth while to climb 
 Primrose Hill, or even to the 
 giddy heights of Hampstead 
 Heatli in a bitter east wind, 
 if we could only be sure of 
 hearing such a sweet, sad, 
 tender, and stirring story as 
 that of Hilda Brave Heart, or 
 even one that was half so 
 good."— Academy. From " Things will Take a Turn". (Reduced.) 
 
 Hal Hungerford. By J. B. Hutchinson, b.a. 
 "Altogether, Hal Hungerford is a distinct literary success." — Spectator 
 
 The Secret Of the Old House. By E. Everett-Green. 
 
 "Tim, the little Jacobite, is a charming creation." — Academy. 
 
 White Lilae: or, The Queen of the May. By Amy Walton. 
 " Every rural parish ought to add White Lilac to its library."— Academy. 
 
 Miriam's Ambition. 
 
 " Miss Green's children are rt 
 
 The Brig "Audacious". By Alan Cole. 
 
 " Fresh and wholesome as a breath of sea air." — Court Journal. 
 
 By Evelyn Everett-Green. 
 
 British boys and girls." — Liverpool Mercury. 
 
26 BLACKIE <fc SON'S BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. 
 
 HALF-CROWN SERIES-Continued. 
 
 Illustrated by eminent Artists. In crown 8vo, cloth elegant. 
 The Saucy May. By Henry Frith. 
 
 ' ' Mr. Frith gives a new picture of life on the ocean wave."— Sheffield Independent. 
 
 Jasper's Conquest. By Elizabeth J. Lysaght. 
 " One of the best boys' books of the season." — Schoolmaster. 
 
 Little Lady Clare. By Evelyn Everett-Green. 
 "Reminds us in its quaintness of Mrs. Ewing's delightful tales." — Liter. World. 
 
 The Eversley Secrets. By Evelyn Everett-Green. 
 
 " Roy Eversley is a very touching picture of high principle." — Guardian. 
 
 The Hermit Hunter of the Wilds. By G. Stables, r.n. 
 
 " Will gladden the heart of many a bright boy." — Methodist Recorder. 
 
 Sturdy and Strong". By G. A. Hentt. 
 
 " A hero who stands as a good instance of chivalry in domestic life." — The 
 Empire. 
 
 Gutta Percha Willie. By George Mac Donald. 
 
 " Get it for your boys and girls to read for themselves." — Practical Teacher. 
 
 The War Of the Axe : or, Adventures in South Africa. By 
 J. Percy-Groves. 
 "The story is well and brilliantly told." — Literary World. 
 
 The Lads of Little Clayton. By b. Stead. 
 
 "A capital book for boys." — Schoolmaster. 
 
 Ten Boys who lived on the Road from Long Ago to Now. 
 By Jane Andrews. With 20 Illustrations. 
 " The idea is a very happy one, and admirably carried out." — Practical Teacher. 
 
 A Waif Of the Sea: or, The Lost Found. By Kate Wood. 
 
 "Written with tenderness and grace." — Morning Advertiser. 
 
 Winnie's Secret. By Kate Wood. 
 " One of the best story-books we have read." — Schoolmaster. 
 
 Miss WillOWburn's Offer. By Sarah Doudney. 
 
 "Patience Willowburn is one of Miss Doudney's best creations." — Spectator. 
 
 A Garland for Girls. By Louisa M. Alcott. 
 " These little tales are the beau ideal of girls' stories."— Christian World. 
 
 Hetty Gray: or, Nobody's Bairn. By Rosa Mulholland. 
 "Hetty is a delightful creature— piquant, tender, and true." — World. 
 
 Brothers in Arms : A Story of the Crusades. By F. Bay- 
 ford Harrison. 
 
 "Sure to prove interesting to young people of both sexes." — Guardian. 
 
 Miss Fenwick's Failures. By Esme' Stuart. 
 
 "A girl true to real life, who will put no nonsense into young heads."— Graphic. 
 
 Gytha's Message. By Emma Leslie. 
 
 " This is the sort of book that all girls like."— Journal of Education. 
 
BLACKIE & SON'S BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. 
 
 27 
 
 HALF-CROWN SERIES— Continued. 
 
 Illustrated by eminent Artists. In crown Svo, cloth elegant. 
 
 Hammond's Hard Lines. By Skelton Kuppord. 
 
 " It is just what a buy would 
 choose if the selection of a 
 story-book is left in his own 
 hand. " — School Guardian. 
 
 Dulcie King": A Story 
 
 for Girls. By M. 
 
 Corbet-Seymour. 
 
 "An extremely graceful, 
 well-told tale of domestic life. 
 . . . The heroine, Dulcie, is a 
 charming person, and worthy 
 of the good fortune which she 
 causes and shares." — Guar- 
 dian. 
 
 Hugh Herbert's In- 
 heritance. By 
 
 Caroline Austin. 
 
 "Will please by its simpli- 
 city, its tenderness, and its 
 healthy interesting motive. 
 It is admirably written." — 
 Scotsman. 
 
 NiCOla: The Career of 
 a Girl Musician. By 
 M. Corbet-Seymour. 
 
 Jack o' Lanthorn: 
 
 A Tale of Adventure. 
 Bv Henry Frith. 
 
 Reductfl Illustration from "'Hammond's Hard Lines". 
 
 My Mistress the Queen. By M. A. Paull. 
 The Stories of Wasa and Menzikoff. 
 Stories of the Sea in Former Days. 
 Tales of Captivity and Exile. 
 Famous Discoveries by Sea and Land. 
 Stirring* Events of History. 
 Adventures in Field, Flood, and Forest. 
 
 "It would be difficult to place in the hands of young people books which 
 combine interest and instruction in a higher degree." — Manchester Courier. 
 
 A Rough Road: or, How the Boy Made a Man of Himself. 
 By Mrs. (x. Linn.eus Banks. 
 " Mrs. Banks lias not written a better book than A Hough Pond." —Spectator. 
 
28 BLACKIE & SOX'S BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. 
 
 HALF-CROWN SERIES— Continued. 
 
 Laugh and Learn: The Easiest Book of Nursery Lessons 
 and Nursery Games. By Jennett Humphreys. Charmingly 
 Illustrated. Square 8vo, cloth extra, 2s. 6rf. 
 "One of the best books of the kind imaginable, full of practical teaching in 
 
 word and picture, and helping the little ones pleasantly along a right royal road 
 
 to learning." — Graphic. 
 
 The TWO Dorothys. By Mrs. Herbert Martin. 
 
 "A book that will interest and please all girls." — The Lady. 
 
 Penelope and the Others. By Amy Walton. 
 
 "This is a charming book for children. Miss Walton proves herself a perfect 
 adept in understanding of school-room joys and sorrows." — Christian Leader. 
 
 A Cruise in ClOUdland. By Henry Frith. 
 "A thoroughly interesting story." — St. James's Gazette. 
 
 Marian and Dorothy. By Annie E. Armstrong. 
 
 " This is distinctively a book for girls. A bright wholesome story."— Academy. 
 
 StilHSOn'S Reef: A Tale of Adventure. By C. J. Hyne. 
 
 " It may almost vie with Mr. It. L. Stevenson's Treasure Island." — Guardian 
 
 Gladys Anstruther. By Louisa Thompson. 
 
 " It is a clever book : novel and striking in the highest degree." — Schoolmistress. 
 
 BLACKIE'S TWO-SHILLING SERIES. 
 
 Illustrated by eminent Artists. In crown 8vo, cloth elegant. 
 
 In the Days Of Drake. Being the Adventures of Humphrey 
 Salkeld. By J. S. Fletcher. 
 
 Wilful Joyce. By W. L. Rooper. 
 
 Proud Miss Sydney. By Geraldine Mockler. 
 
 Queen Of the Daffodils : A Story of High School Life. By 
 Leslie Laing. 
 
 The Girleen. By Edith Johnstone. 
 
 The Organist's Baby. By Kathleen Knox. 
 
 Seh00l-DayS in France. By An Old Girl. 
 
 The Ravensworth Scholarship: A High School Story 
 
 for Girls. By Mrs. Henry Clarke. 
 Sir Walter's Ward : A Tale of the Crusades. By William 
 Everard. 
 
 Raff's Ranche : A Story of Adventure among Cow-boys and 
 Indians. Bv F. M. Holmes. 
 
BLACK IE £ SOU'S BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. 29 
 
 TWO-SHILLING SERIES-Continued. 
 
 Illustrated by eminent Artists. In crown &vo, cloth elegant. 
 
 An Unexpected Hero. By Eliz. j. Ltsaght. 
 
 The Bushrang'er'S Secret. By Mrs. Henry Clarke, m.a. 
 
 The White Squall. By John c. Hutcheson. 
 
 The Wreck of the "Nancy Bell". By j. c. Hutcheson. 
 
 The Lonely Pyramid. By J. H. Yoxall. 
 
 Bab: or, The Triumph of Unselfishness. By Ismay Thorn. 
 Brave and True, and other Stories. By Gregson Gow. 
 The Light Princess. By George Mac Donald. 
 
 Nutbrown Roger and I. By J. h. Yoxall. 
 Sam Silvan's Sacrifice. By Jesse Colman. 
 
 Insect Ways On Summer Days in Garden, Forest, Field, 
 and Stream. By Jennett Humphreys. With 70 Illustrations. 
 
 Susan. By Amy Walton. 
 
 A Pair Of ClOgS. By Amy Walton. 
 
 The Hawthorns. By Amy Walton. 
 
 Dorothy's Dilemma. By Caroline Austin. 
 
 Marie's Home. By Caroline Austin. 
 
 A Warrior King. By J. Evelyn. 
 
 Aboard the "Atalanta". By Henry Frith. 
 
 The Penang Pirate. By John C Hutcheson. 
 
 Teddy: The Story of a "Little Pickle ". By John C. Hutcheson. 
 
 A Rash Promise. By Cecilia Selby Lowndes. 
 
 Linda and the Boys. By Cecilia Selby Lowndes. 
 
 SwiSS Stories for Children. From the German of Madam 
 Johanna Spyri. By Lucy Wheelock. 
 
 The Squire's Grandson. By J. M. Callwell. 
 
 Magna Charta Stories. Edited by Arthur Gilman, a.m. 
 
 The WingS Of Courage; and The Cloud -Spinner. 
 Translated from the French of George Sand, by Mrs. Corkran. 
 
 Chirp and Chatter: Or, Lessons from Field and Tree. 
 By Alice Banks. With 54 Illustrations by Gordon Browne. 
 
 Four Little Mischiefs. By Rosa Mulholland. 
 
30 
 
 BLACK IE & SON'S BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. 
 
 TWO-SHILLING SERIES— Continued. 
 
 Illustrated by eminent Artists. In crown 8vo, cloth elegant. 
 
 New Light through Old Windows. By Gregson Gow. 
 
 Little Tottie, and Two Other Stories. By Thomas Archer. 
 
 Naughty Miss Bunny. By Clara Mulholland. 
 Adventures of Mrs. Wishing-to-be. By Alice Corkran. 
 
 The JoyOUS Story Of TotO. By Laura E. Bichards. 
 Our Dolly : Her Words and Ways. By Mrs. B. H. Bead. 
 Fairy Fancy : What she Heard and Saw. By Mrs. Bead. 
 
 LIBRARY OF FAMOUS BOOKS FOR 
 BOYS AND GIRLS. 
 
 In Crown 8vo. Illustrated. Cloth extra, Is. (id. each. 
 
 Miss Austen's Northanger Abbey. 
 
 Miss Edgeworth's The Good Gov- 
 erness. 
 
 Martineau's Feats on the Fiord. 
 
 Marryat's Poor Jack. 
 
 The Snowstorm. By Mrs. Gore. 
 
 Life of Dampier. 
 
 The Cruise of the Midge. M. Scott. 
 
 Lives and Voyages of Drake and 
 Cavendish. 
 
 Edgeworth's Moral Tales. 
 
 Marryat's The Settlers in Canada. 
 
 Michael Scott's Tom Cringle's Log. 
 
 White's Natural History of Sel- 
 borne. 
 
 Waterton's Wanderings in S. 
 America. 
 
 Anson's Voyage Round the World. 
 
 Autobiography of Franklin. 
 
 Lamb's Tales from Shakspeare. 
 
 Southey's Life of Nelson. 
 
 Miss Mitford's Our Village. 
 
 Two Years Before the Mast. 
 
 Marryat's Children of the New 
 Forest. 
 
 Scott's The Talisman. 
 
 The Basket of Flowers. 
 
 Marryat's Masterman Ready. 
 
 Alcott's Little Women. 
 
 Cooper's Deerslayer. 
 
 The Lamplighter. By Miss Cummins. 
 
 Cooper's Pathfinder. 
 
 The Vicar of Wakefield. 
 
 Plutarch's Lives of Greek Heroes. 
 
 Poe's Tales of Romance and Fan- 
 tasy. 
 
 BLACKIE'S EIGHTEENPENNY SERIES. 
 
 With Illustrations. In crown 8vo, cloth elegant. 
 
 Down and Up Again. By Gregson 
 
 The Little Girl from Next Door. 
 
 By Geraldine Mockler. 
 Uncle Jem's Stella. By Author of 
 
 "The Two Dorothys". 
 
 The Ball of Fortune. By C. Pearse. 
 The Family Failing. By Darley 
 
 Dale. 
 Warner's Chase : Or, The Gentle 
 
 Heart. By Annie S. Swan. 
 Climbing the Hill. By Annie S. 
 
 Swan. 
 
 Into the Haven. By Annie S, Swan. 
 
 Madge's Mistake. By Annie E. 
 
 Armstrong. 
 The Troubles and Triumphs of 
 
 Little Tim. By Gregson Gow. 
 The Happy Lad : A Story of Peasant 
 
 Life in Norway. By B. Bjornson. 
 A Box of Stories. Packed for Young 
 
 Folk by Horace Happyman. 
 
 The Patriot Martyr, and other Nar- 
 ratives of Female Heroism, 
 
BLACK IE d SOX'S BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. 
 
 31 
 
 THE EIGHTEENPENNY SERIES.— Continued. 
 
 With Illustrations. In crown 8vo, cloth elegant. 
 
 Olive and Robin : or, A Journey to 
 Nowhere. By the author of " The 
 Two Dorothys". 
 
 Mona's Trust : A Story for Girls. By 
 
 Penelope Leslie. 
 
 By F. Bayford 
 By 
 
 From " Pleasures and Pranks 
 
 Little Jimmy: A Story of Adventure. 
 By Rev. D. Rice-Jones, m.a. 
 
 Pleasures and Pranks. By Isa- 
 bella Pearson. 
 
 In a Stranger's Garden : A Story 
 for Boys and Girls. By Constance 
 Cuming. 
 
 A Soldier's Son : The Story of a Boy 
 who Succeeded. By Annette Lys- 
 ter. 
 
 By 
 
 Mischief and Merry-making-, 
 Isabella Pearson. 
 
 Littlebourne Lock 
 
 Harrison 
 Wild Meg and Wee Dickie. 
 
 Mary E. Ropes. 
 Grannie. By Elizabeth J. Lysaght. 
 The Seed She Sowed. By 
 
 Emma Leslie. 
 Unlucky : A Fragment of a 
 Girl's Life. By CAROLINE 
 Austin. 
 Everybody's Business: Or, A 
 Friend in Need. By Ismay 
 Thorn. 
 Tales of Daring and Dan- 
 ger. By G. A. Henty. 
 The Seven Golden Keys. By 
 
 James E. Arnold. 
 The Story of a Queen. By 
 
 Mary C. Rovtsell. 
 Edwy: Or. Was he a Coward? 
 By Annette Lyster. 
 
 The Battlefield Treasure. 
 By F. BAYFORD Harrison. 
 
 Joan's Adventures at the 
 
 North Pole. By Alice 
 
 Corkran. 
 Filled with Gold. By J. Per- 
 
 rett. 
 Our General : A Story for 
 
 Girls. By Elizabeth J. 
 
 Lysaght. 
 Aunt Hesba's Charge. By 
 
 Elizabeth J. Lysaght. 
 
 By Order of Queen Maude : 
 A Story of Home Life. By 
 Louisa Crow. 
 
 The Late Miss Hollingford. 
 
 By Rosa Mulholland. 
 Our Frank. B.vAmy Walton. 
 A Terrible Coward. By G. 
 
 Manville Fenn. 
 Yarns on the Beach. By 
 
 G. A. HENTY. 
 Tom Finch's Monkey. By J. C. 
 
 HUTCHESON. 
 
 Miss Grantley's Girls and the Stories 
 
 she Told Them. By Thus. ARCHER. 
 
 The Pedlar and his Dog. By Mary 
 
 C. ROWSELL. 
 
 Town Mice in the Country. By 
 M. E. Francis. 
 
 By Ismay 
 
 Phil and his Father. 
 
 Thorn. 
 Prim's Story. By L. E. Tiddeman. 
 Also a large selection of Rewards at Is., Del., Gd., 3d., 2d., and Id. A 
 complete list will he sent post free on application to the Publishers. 
 
32 
 
 BLACK IE & SON'S BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. 
 
 BLACKIE'S 
 SCHOOL AND HOME LIBRARY. 
 
 Under the above title the publishers have arranged to issue, for 
 School Libraries and the Home Circle, a selection of the best and most 
 interesting books in the English language. The Library will include 
 lives of heroes, ancient and modern, records of travel and adventure by 
 sea and land, fiction of the highest class, historical romances, books of 
 natural history, and tales of domestic life. 
 
 The greatest care will be devoted to the get-up of the Library. The 
 volumes will be clearly printed on good paper, and the binding made 
 specially durable, to withstand the wear and tear to which well-circu- 
 lated books are necessarily subjected. 
 
 In crown Svo volumes. Strongly boun 
 
 Dana's Two Years before the Mast. 
 
 Southey's Life of Nelson. 
 
 Waterton'sWanderings in S.America. 
 
 Anson's Voyage Round the World. 
 
 Lamb's Tales from Shakspeare. 
 
 Autobiographyof Benjamin Franklin. 
 
 Marryat's Children of the New Forest. 
 
 Miss Mitford's Our Village. 
 
 Scott's Talisman. 
 
 The Basket of Flowers. 
 
 Marryat's Masterman Ready. 
 
 Alcott's Little Women. 
 
 Cooper's Deerslayer. 
 
 Parry's Third Voyage. 
 
 Dickens' Old Curiosity Shop. 2 vols. 
 
 Plutarch's Lives of Greek Heroes. 
 
 The Lamplighter. 
 
 Cooper's Pathfinder, 
 
 The Vicar of Wakefield. 
 
 White's Natural History of Selborne. 
 
 Scott's Ivanhoe. 2 vols. 
 
 To be followed by a new volu 
 
 d in iniperial cloth. Price is. jd. each. 
 
 Michael Scott's Tom Cringle's Log. 
 Irving's Conquest of Granada. 2 vols. 
 Lives of Drake and Cavendish. 
 Michael Scott's Cruise of the Midge 
 Edgeworth's Moral Tales. 
 Passages in the Lifeof aGalley-Slave. 
 The Snowstorm. By Mrs.. Gore. 
 Life of Dampier. 
 
 Marryat's The Settlers in Canada. 
 Martineau's Feats on the Fiord. 
 Marryat's Poor Jack. 
 The Good Governess. By Maria 
 
 Edgeworth. 
 Northanger Abbey. By Jane Austen. 
 The Log Book of a Midshipman. 
 Autobiographies of Boyhood. 
 Holiday House. By Catherine Sinclair. 
 Wreck of the "Wager". 
 What Katy Did. By Miss Coolidge. 
 What Katy Did at School. By Do. 
 Scott's Life of Napoleon. 
 
 me on the first of each month. 
 
 " We feel sure that they will form a collection which boys and girls alike, 
 but especially the former, will highly prize; for whilst they contain interest- 
 ing, and at times very exciting reading, the tone throughout is of that 
 vigorous, stirring kind which is always appreciated by the young." — 
 Sheffield Independent. 
 
 Detailed Prospectus and Press Opinions will be sent post free on Application . 
 
 LONDON: 
 BLACKIE & SON, Limited, 50 OLD BAILEY, E.C.