THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 LOS ANGELES 
 
 -*
 
 '/$*5*£, 

 
 ^f|Hl| 
 
 W* 
 
 Capture of the White Elephant. Page 304.
 
 Tin 
 
 WHITE ELEPHANT 
 
 THE HUNTERS OF AVA 
 
 AND 
 
 THE KING OF THE GOLDEN FOOT. 
 
 BY 
 
 WILLIAM D ALTON, 
 
 AUTHOR OF "THE WAR TIGER," "TUB WOLF-BOY OF CHINA," ETC. 
 
 W&fy Illustrations bg paragon Mm. 
 
 NEW YORK: 
 "W. A.. TOWNSEND & C O ]YE P A. :N"5T , 
 
 4G WALKER STREET. 
 
 1860.
 
 
 A FEW WORDS WITH MY READERS. 
 
 While reserving as my own secret the means by 
 ■which I became possessed of Harry Oliver's autobi- 
 ography, I deem it my bounden duty to the kind 
 friends who so warmly received The "War Tiger 
 and The Wolf-Boy of China, to impress upon their 
 minds that Harry's description of notable persons, 
 places, animals, plants, as well as the manners, cus- 
 toms, and superstitions of the semi-barbarous Bur- 
 mans, is substantially exact, as I myself have verified, 
 by reference to the accounts given by ancient and 
 modern travelers, among whom, for the reader's 
 satisfaction or consultation, I may name, the old 
 merchant Ralph Fitch, the envoys Symes, Crawford, 
 and Yule, the missionaries Saggermano and Judson, 
 and the British officers Cox and Snodgrass. 
 
 William Dalton. 
 

 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER PAGH 
 
 I. My Parentage and E ably Adventures 
 
 IL My First Real Trouble 28 
 
 III. I Get an Insight into Burmese Law, and am Put in the 
 
 Stocks 89 
 
 IV. Our Liyes Saved by a Cannon-Ball 52 
 
 V. I Witness A Terrible Scene, and Am Made a Pagoda 
 
 Prisoner 63 
 
 VI. I am Chased by a Serpent, and Taken by the Enemt 75 
 
 VIL Wherein I am nearly Bitten to Death, and Witness the 
 
 Punishment of a Serpent by a Monkey 88 
 
 VIII. A Sad Story — Antelope Slaying — A Hermit's Cave 104 
 
 IX The Nine Princesses op the Silver Mountain 117 
 
 X. Chased by a Crocodile. 129 
 
 XL I Hear the Story of a Despot, and Have an Adventure 
 
 With Some Queer Fish 137 
 
 XII. I Have a Misunderstanding With Some Buffaloes 146 
 
 XIIL The WniTE Ants Cause Naon to Meet With a Disaster. . . . 155 
 
 XIV. A Fight With a Tiger 163 
 
 XV. A Wild Beast Combat — We Seek Shelter From the 
 
 Monsoon ISO 
 
 XVI. We Are Seized By the Enemy, But Rescued By Mtkee. 196 
 
 XVII. A Rhinoceros Hunt 211 
 
 XVIII. Mikee Has His Fortune Told by The Crows, and Under- 
 goes the Ordeal of Water 222 
 
 XIX. A Duel Between a Crocodile and a Tiger 261 
 
 XX. A Wonderful Cave, and a Brahmin Astrologer 241
 
 6 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER 
 
 TAGS 
 
 XXI. Mitcee Obtains News From tiie Nats About a White ELE- 
 PHANT -°* 
 
 XXII. I Narrowly Escape Falling Into the Lion's Mouth 264 
 
 XXIII. Mikee- Proves Himself a Good Judwe of Elephants 273 
 
 XXIV. A Herd of Wild Elephants 2SD 
 
 XXV. We Catch a Lord White Elephant 302 
 
 XXVI. I am Sent as Ambassador from the Lord White Elephant. 309 
 
 XXVII. L Visit the Earth-Oil Wells, and Witness a Festival 31 G 
 
 XXVIII. I iiave an Adventure with a King whom I Find Apickback 363 
 XXIX. An Elephant Fight, and an Audience of the Golden Foot 340 
 
 XXX. Ax Interview With the Golden Foot— A Surprise 851 
 
 XXXL Ax Enemy Destroyed and a Friend Eecovrred 3CG
 
 
 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 MY PARENTAGE AND EARLY ADVENTURES. 
 
 My name is Oliver, Harry Oliver ; I was born in 
 Rangoon, the chief sea-port of the Bnrman Empire, 
 ■which, until the English annexed the great provinces 
 of Arracan, Chittagong, Assam, and the kingdom of 
 Pegu (no small portion, you will find, if you glance 
 at the map of Asia), was the largest and most war- 
 like of those nations which, although from being 
 geographically situated between India and China, 
 are known as Indo-Chinese kingdoms, are in fact 
 near akin to the great Malayan race which originally 
 peopled the greater portion of the lands in, and bor- 
 dering, the mighty Pacific Ocean. 
 
 My father, who for many years before my birth 
 had been settled in Rangoon as a merchant, had by 
 his large dealing in teak timber and the petroleum, or 
 natural earth-oil of the country, not only realized a 
 considerable property, but by his honest dealings and 
 kindly manners acquired the respect of his fellow 
 merchants and the regard of the King's brother, the 
 Prince of Prome, who, as lord, or what the Burmese
 
 8 THE WHITE ELEPHAKT. 
 
 call " eater," of the largest teak forest, was the great- 
 est timber merchant in the empire. As the prince 
 resided chiefly at Ava, the capital, my father fre- 
 quently visited his highness, with the double purpose 
 of business and pleasure — namely, buying the before- 
 mentioned productions, and hunting tigers and ele- 
 phants in the wild country to the west of the capital. 
 
 The Burmese are one of the most warlike of Asiatic 
 nations, and for centuries, sO successful had they 
 been in conquering neighboring states that their ar- 
 rogance and belief in their invincibility knew no 
 bounds ; indeed, jealous of the English power in In- 
 dia (of the greatness of which they were as ignorant 
 as of geography), they at one time entertained insane 
 but serious notions not only of driving them from 
 the great presidency of Bengal (a feat popularly sup- 
 posed to be attended with no great difficulty), but 
 absolutely of marching an army into London, although 
 how they were to pass across the ocean to the white 
 clifis of Old England, was never very distinctly laid 
 down by the courtiers who propounded the plan. 
 
 One of the kingdoms with which the "Golden 
 Foot," as the King of Ava is termed, was at war, 
 some years prior to the first war with the English, 
 was Laos, a country situate between Burma and Siam. 
 At the time when the contest between the Burmese 
 and the Laosians was at its greatest height, my father 
 happened to be paying a visit to the Prince of Prome 
 at Ava. A party of Burmese soldiers succeeded in 
 plundering one of the chief towns of the enemy, and 
 brought many prisoners to the capital. Among these
 
 MY PARENTAGE AND EARLY ADVENTURES. 9 
 
 was a Laosian lady, whom my father purchased from 
 her captors and married. — That lady was my mother. 
 
 Such being my birth, you will not be astonished at 
 finding the ease with which I made myself at homo 
 among the semi-barbarous Burmans, or took to an 
 adventurous career, for you know " what is bred in 
 the bone will not come out of the flesh." Neither 
 must you be surprised at the adventures themselves ; 
 for truly, I- can verify of my own knowledge that not 
 only are there many lands and peoples of which our 
 all knowing countrymen are yet ignorant, but that 
 every day strange adventures happen in various parts 
 of the world to persons who having neither time, in- 
 clination, nor taste to record them in book shape, a 
 vast amount of entertainment, experience, and instruc- 
 tion becomes lost to the world. 
 
 As my father was determined that his son should 
 grow up with the muscles and mind of an English- 
 man, and far from the temptations and bad influence 
 of Rangoon (which town is to China and Siam what 
 Boulogne is to England — namely the rendezvous or 
 depot for insolvent debtors who have run away from 
 their creditors), he sent me to London, consigned to 
 the care of his only parent, my grandmother ; not, 
 however, without a great, though loving battle, with 
 my mother, who, at length gave her sanction to my 
 departure, provisionally, that my native nurse should 
 accompany me to England. 
 
 Matters being thus arranged, the nurse was smug- 
 gled on board the ship in a large earthenware jar, for it 
 is against the law for a native woman to leave the coun-
 
 10 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 try ; I followed, and after a rough and very long pas- 
 sage — for steamships were then unknown — my nurse 
 and myself were carefully packed in an old hackney- 
 coach which stood in readiness in the East India 
 Docks, and we were shortly afterward delivered over 
 to the charge of my grandmother. 
 
 Now although it may seem disrespectful on my 
 part, I cannot but believe that my troubles dated 
 from the time of my arrival ; for so great was my 
 aged relative's dislike to foreigners, all of whom she 
 thought to be created for the especial annoyance of 
 Mr. and Mrs. John Bull, and to " that nasty negro- 
 woman," as she persisted in calling my blotting-papei'- 
 tinted,but good-natured nurse, that to the time of my 
 being sent " out of her way" (for that was the term 
 she used for sending me to boarding-school), a day 
 never passed without her giving me a good snubbing ; 
 indeed, although I am bound to admit, it might 
 have been in consequence of my undutiful and wild 
 (for you will keep hi memory that by birth I am half 
 a savage) behavior, I never felt happy with my 
 grandmother. One reason was, perhaps, that she 
 persisted in calling my dear mother a black woman, 
 although but for the peculiar twist of her short nose, 
 and the tone of her voice, which made me understand 
 that she intended it as an opprobrious epithet, I 
 could not for the life of me comprehend why a black 
 woman should not be as good as a white woman. 
 
 As, however, you will care less to hear of my 
 childhood than the adventures of my youth, which it 
 is my purpose to relate, I will simply inform you
 
 MY PARENTAGE AND EAIILY ADVENTURES. 11 
 
 that the few years passed in England were the most 
 unhappy of my life ; therefore you may imagine my 
 delight when, on the very day I completed my thir- 
 teenth year, the day after the " break-up" of the last 
 half at "Marathon House," Fnlham, I received a 
 letter from my father, ordering me to return to Ran- 
 goon by the first outward-bound ship. 
 
 Oh, how my heart bounded! It was the first 
 "break-up" that I really enjoyed. How jolly I was 
 when I made one of the fourth coach-load of boys 
 going home for the holidays ! 
 
 " Farewell hedges ! Farewell ditches 1 
 Farewell all the Fulham witches !" 
 
 still rings in my ears, as on that cold winter's day, 
 when these lines, which tradition stated to have been 
 composed as a half-yearly anthem by some former 
 head of the first form, were poured forth from the 
 throats of my homeward bound schoolmates. 
 
 Then the bustle of preparation for my voyage — 
 the tedious three months to wait before I could get a 
 ship. Then, when the day came for my departure, 
 and the old hackney-coach that was to carry me, my 
 old nurse, and the baggage to the dock, stood at the 
 door, how my heart leaped for joy — indeed I almost 
 loved my cross old grandmother — God bless> the old 
 lady's memory, for after all, perhaps it was her 
 rheumatism that made her so queer-tempered. 
 
 Once on board, and the white cliffs of England 
 fading from my sight, my whole mind was bent for- 
 ward, thousands of miles across the great ocean to
 
 12 THE WHITE ELEITJAKT. 
 
 my father and mother's home, and for months my 
 mind was thus stretched with anxiety, for in those 
 days a voyage to the East was long and dangerous 
 enough to form an epoch in a life. 
 
 Tedious as our voyage would have "been under 
 ordinary circumstances, it was rendered doubly so, 
 as when the ship arrived off Madras, the captain was 
 induced to convey a large quantity of stores to the 
 Great Andaman, an island, which at that time, had 
 not been many years chosen as a settlement, or penal 
 colony, to which to send convicts from Bengal. By 
 the way, you may remember that this island was 
 originally chosen as the place of banishment of the 
 last of the Great Moguls, the aged king of Delhi, but 
 who has since been transported to the opposite coast 
 of Rangoon. 
 
 Having shipped the stores, we again set sail, and 
 in five days sighted the Great and Little Cocoa 
 Islands, two small tracts of land which, although 
 abounding with luxuriant cocoa trees, are so fiat and 
 swampy and destitute of fresh water, that they arc 
 uninhabited. Once, indeed, some adventurers settled 
 upon one of the islands with the hope of making a for- 
 tune by expressing oil from the cocoa-nut ; but the 
 scheme was rendered abortive by the climate, which 
 speedily destroyed one half of the party, and drove 
 the remainder from the island in despair. 
 
 Passing between the southernmost Cocoa and the 
 north side of the Great Andaman, the captain, who 
 had never before touched at the latter islands, kept a 
 sharp look-out for the harbor, within which, upon a
 
 MY PARENTAGE AND EARLY ADVENTURES. 13 : 
 
 small island, is situated the British settlement of Port 
 Conrwallis. 
 
 The next day, late in the afternoon, we made out 
 an opening in the land, when the captain, notwith- 
 standing it was not laid down in his chart, believing 
 it to l>e the harbor, sent out a boat-party of six Las- 
 cars and two Europeans to make soundings, and sur- 
 vey the opening. Scarcely, however, had the party 
 proceeded half a mile from the ship than a north- 
 east wind set in, which drove them forward with 
 fearful velocity. 
 
 " That boat will never live in such a gale," said 
 the captain, alarmed, and straining his eyes toward 
 the littte craft, which, however, seemed to bear up 
 bravely against the hurricane. 
 
 " Hurrah ! they have made the harbor, if harbor 
 it is," cried the mate. 
 
 Suddenly the heavens grew dark as midnight ; 
 every object more than fifty yards from the ship be- 
 came obscured from our view, so nothing could be 
 done but to wait patiently the return of the boat 
 party. 
 
 Our curiosity was not to be gratified that night, 
 for as hours passed, the boat remained absent ; that, 
 however, was not to be wondered at, for so great was 
 the darkness, and so strongly did the wind blow in 
 shore that no boat could have reached the ship. All, 
 then, we could do was to commiserate the poor fel- 
 lows for the long night they would pass on land, at 
 the risk of being overpowered by the savage natives, 
 and await patiently the return of daylight.
 
 14 THE WP1TE ELEPIIAKT. 
 
 But imagine the consternation of all on board the 
 next morning, when, although the winds had become 
 hushed, and the sky clear — so clear that we could 
 now with the naked eye trace the whole coast, nay, 
 even the summit of the Saddle Peak Mountains, the 
 dense forests, and moreover the small dark figures of 
 the natives clambering among the rocks, no traces 
 whatever of the boat or her crew were visible. 
 Many were the surmises as to the cause. 
 "The lubbers have deserted," said one sailor. 
 " They have been dashed through some narrow chan- 
 nel, and carried away by the current," said another. 
 
 " These savage Andamanners are cannibals ; they 
 eat men raw," said the mate. 
 
 " Yes, without cooking, I've heerd say," put in the 
 purser's mate, a young cockney on his first voyage. 
 
 "The savages it is," exclaimed the captain, thought- 
 fully; then adding to the mate, "Man a boat, Mr. 
 Jones ; we may yet be in time to save the poor fel- 
 lows." 
 
 " Ay, ay, sir," replied the mate ; and in a minute 
 or so a boat was alongside filled with a dozen men 
 armed with cutlasses and pistols. 
 
 This was the first occasion of my spirit taking fire ; 
 for no sooner did I hear this order than gliding down 
 the hatchways into my berth, I snatched up a double- 
 barrelled gun, which I had bought as a present for 
 my father, and had learned to use upon the voyage, 
 and running up to the captain, said, as I touched my 
 cap after the fashion of the two midshipmen on board, 
 "I join, sir."
 
 MY PARENTAGE AND EAELY ADVENTURES. 15 
 
 " Go to your cabin, sir," was the disagreeable re- 
 
 " I join, sir," I repeated, for my blood was up. 
 
 " Take this lad below," said the uncompromising 
 captain, as he went forward. 
 
 That going forward, however, was my opportu- 
 nity; for no sooner was his face turned from me than 
 I was over the sides and in the boat, which was 
 manned and awaiting the mate. 
 
 "Blow me if this isn't mutiny," said Davis the 
 cockswain ; but as he laughed, as if in admiration of 
 my boldness, I took courage. 
 
 "Let me lie down astern till Mr. Jones is on 
 board," said I ; and the sailors, who always admire 
 pluck, made way for me. 
 
 Mr. Jones came into the boat, and I remained in 
 the sternsheets without his knowledge till we had 
 reached within half a mile of the shore, when seeing 
 it crowded with natives, whose vociferations, antics, 
 and the bows, spears, and other primitive weapons 
 which they flourished defiantly, evinced sufficient 
 proof of their hostile intentions, he said, " Look ahead, 
 lads ; the varmint mean mischief" 
 
 N"o sooner was this caution delivered than, burn- 
 ing with indignation at the sight of the wretches who 
 I believed had killed and eaten the boat's crew, I was 
 upon my knees with my gun hanging over the side. 
 
 "How came you here, you young rascal?" ex- 
 claimed the mate, with an accompaniment that made 
 my ears tingle, and sent me full length in the bottom 
 of the boat.
 
 1G THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 You will tliink this rather a disgraceful commence- 
 ment for one who was to become the hero of many 
 adventure's ; but in justification of Mr. Jones, I am 
 bound to admit that I fully merited the punishment, 
 for by an accident had my piece discharged, it would 
 have brought our expedition to a premature termina- 
 tion. 
 
 As it was, by judiciously hiding the arms, and the 
 waving of handkerchiefs as we reached the shore, the 
 natives sufficiently understood our pacific intentions 
 to so far alter their warlike attitude, that we hoped 
 to effect a landing without molestation — a hope, how- 
 ever, that became a little dimmed when upon nearer 
 view we saw what might have been easily mistaken 
 for a tribe from Pandemonium. 
 
 There, stretching almost in a straight line along 
 the shore, stood some four or five hundred bipeds; they 
 could scarcely be likened to human beings, the tallest 
 of whom did not reach five feet, perfectly naked, with 
 skeleton limbs, large protuberant stomachs, high 
 shoulders, great unshapely heads covered with woolly 
 hair, dyed with red ochre, sooty black skins plastered 
 over with mud, flat noses, thick lips, and small red 
 eyes which glistened over their famine-stricken coun- 
 tenances ; moreover, armed with small bows of bam- 
 boo and strings of the fibre of a tree, with reed ar- 
 rows headed with fish-bone, spears of heavy wood 
 sharply pointed, and shields made of bark; all of 
 whom, as we neared the shore, we could hear chatter- 
 ing together like so many monkeys. 
 
 "Rest on your oars, my lads; the brutes mean
 
 MY PARENTAGE AND EARLY ADVENTURES. 17 
 
 mischief, 1 ' said the mate, as he saw these armed sava- 
 ges coming down to the water's edge. 
 
 "Let's try 'em with this here; it's pretty," said 
 the cockswain, as he held up a tobacco-box of shining 
 brass. 
 
 " Or a knife," said a sailor. 
 
 "Or a few buttons," said another; each as he 
 spoke holding the article above his head. 
 
 " Ay, ay, presents it is, my lads," said the mate, 
 collecting the articles named and leaping ashore. 
 
 The hasty step Mr. Jones had taken was an impru- 
 dent one ; for scarcely had his feet touched the shin- 
 gles upon the beach than an arrow whistling within 
 an inch of his head grazed the arm of a sailor behind, 
 who smarting with pain and indignation, at once dis- 
 charged his musket at one of the savages, who fell 
 dead. 
 
 The mate swore terribly at the sailor for his im- 
 prudence. As for myself, I trembled for the conse- 
 quences, now war had been declared, and we were in 
 the midst of hundreds of enraged savages ; indeed 
 our escape was miraculous. The scene that followed 
 the report of the gun and the death of the savage, I 
 can only compare to the sudden death from a fowling- 
 piece of one of a flock of young rooks, who will 
 hover and whirl above their dead companion for some 
 time in consternation, regardless of the risk of losing 
 their own lives. 
 
 So it was with the savages, who evidently had 
 never before heard the report of a gun, for at the 
 sound they placed their fingers in their ears, and ap« 
 2
 
 IS THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 peared half stunned ; then they hovered around their 
 fallen companion in wonderment at so singular a 
 death ; but, as if suddenly comprehending that the 
 man who could have killed him at so great a distance, 
 and by means of a loud noise and a puff of smoke, 
 could be no other than the malignant fiend of the 
 storm, in whom they believed, the whole tribe took 
 to their heels and fled as fast as their legs would 
 carry them into the dense forest which skirts and 
 partly covers the mountains. 
 
 " It's lucky the brutes mistook you for the old 'un 
 hisself, or that ere shot o' yours' d cost every man 
 Jack on us the number of his mess," said an old 
 sailor to the man who had fired the gun. 
 
 "Mayhaps because there isn't enough on 'em they 
 have gone to fetch some of their relations to help 
 'em," said the cockswain, Davis. 
 
 " No, no, the varmint have had such a fright with 
 the gun they wont return in a hurry," replied the 
 mate. 
 
 " Howsomdever, we had better look pretty sharp, 
 sir, as they may get over the novelty of the thing." 
 
 " Right, Davis ; so just hold on with half a dozen 
 of the lads while we search yonder bay — if bay it is," 
 said the mate. 
 
 "Bay!" said Davis, while the men were preparing 
 to follow. " To my thinking the skipper's out in his 
 reckoning, for as far as I can make out, yonder open- 
 ing is neither a harbor or a bay, but just a creek." 
 
 "You are right, Davis; it is neither, and it is a 
 creek," replied the mate, looking through his glass
 
 MY PARENTAGE AND EARLY ADVENTURES. 19 
 
 at the opening which, as far as we could make out, 
 appeared to be about a mile along the coast ; adding 
 "then the boat-party must have fallen into the hands 
 of these black devils. So forward, my lads ; as for 
 you, youngster, as you seem fond of the smell of 
 powder, you may stay with the boat, or follow, as 
 you please." 
 
 The latter being addressed to me, I chose to go 
 with the search-party. In all, our number consisted 
 of six well-armed men, for I counted myself as a man. 
 We proceeded stealthily along the shore, keeping a 
 good lookout on all sides, till we had proceeded 
 about half a mile, when, as the land abutted out to a 
 great distance into the sea, and the mate wanted to 
 make a short cut to the creek, he led us through a 
 dense jungle. Clearing this without meeting with 
 any other obstruction than swarms of annoying in- 
 sects, rotting trees, deep pools of pestilential water, 
 a few snakes, and now and then a stray hog, we 
 came to a clearing, when the mate cried out, 
 
 " Keep a sharp lookout, my lads. Yonder is the 
 lair of some wild beast." 
 
 With lingers upon triggers we approached the 
 place pointed out by the mate. It was not very in- 
 geniously constructed, even for the work of a wild 
 animal ; for it consisted of only four sticks stuck in 
 the ground, fastened at the top and crossed trans- 
 versely by others, the whole being covered with leafy 
 branches of the palm-tree. 
 
 " This ain't the lair of no wild beast, but the hut 
 of one of them savages," said a sailor, as we crept
 
 20 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 stealthily into the place, adding with a shudder, as 
 he caught sight of a string of skulls and other bones 
 suspended from the roof, " Lord have mercy on us ! 
 The devils have made quick work with our mates. 
 We hadn't need look any further. Lord have mercy 
 upon us !" 
 
 " Dick, you lubber, these are the bones of hogs 
 and turtles," said the mate ; adding " however, 
 this hut will do for a rendezvous, so hoist a rag 
 that we can all see, and let us search in different di- 
 rections." 
 
 Accordingly several handkerchiefs were tied to- 
 gether and hoisted upon a long pole from the top of 
 the hut. Two men were left in charge of the station 
 two others proceeded to the east, while the mate and 
 myself went in the direction of the creek, in search 
 of the missing crew ; it being understood that the 
 report of a gim should be the signal for the rallying 
 together again of our whole party. 
 
 Beating our way through the tall jungle, yet keep- 
 ing as near the sea as possible, we continued our 
 journey for some two hours ; and so wild and deso- 
 late was the surrounding scenery that, but for positive 
 evidence to the contrary, we should have concluded 
 the island to have been uninhabited. At length, we 
 reached the supposed creek ; it proved, however, to 
 be a channel, which, as it became wider as it ran in- 
 land and stretched beyond our vision, we felt assured 
 must run its course through the island. This was 
 disheartening ; still, reluctant to give up all hope of 
 finding the missing party — who might be resting,
 
 MY PARENTAGE AND EARLY ADVENTURES. 21 
 
 either as prisoners or guests, in some savage village 
 yet to be discovered — we kept our course along the 
 shore of the channel. As, however, we were mak- 
 ing our way through some tall bamboo-shoots, the 
 mate called out, "Listen! — footsteps! lie down." 
 
 Simultaneously falling upon our hands and knees, 
 through the canes we saw two savages approaching 
 toward the channel : they were young women, meagre 
 and half famished in appearance, with baskets of a rough 
 kind of wickerwork slung across their backs, and 
 carrying in their hands short spears. Having reached 
 the water's edge they crouched stealthily like cats, 
 each poising her spear between her fingers, to which 
 we could now perceive it was attached by a fibrous 
 string ; thus for some few minutes each watched the 
 leaping fish with gleaming eyes, and awaited the op- 
 portunity of a good aim. At length a spear was 
 darted forth, and a fish transfixed as it jumped from 
 the water; and when, after this manner they had 
 filled their baskets with a day's provision for their 
 husbands and families, with lightened steps, and eyes 
 glistening at the prospect of a meal (for it is only at 
 certain seasons of the year that these poor and more 
 than half-starved Andamaners can procure even the 
 luxury of fish), they left the creek. But they were 
 hungered, and at a few yards' distance stopped to 
 prepare and indulge in a temporary meal. So col- 
 lecting some dried underwood, and having, by means 
 of a flint which they carried with them, kindled a 
 fire, the fish was thrown into the flames ; but before 
 it had time to become warmed throughout, the fam-
 
 22 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 ished creatures snatched them out again and began 
 to tear them with their claw-like fingers. 
 
 Their evidently long-looked-for repast was, how- 
 ever, suddenly interrupted by a dark-skinned man, 
 who, darting forth from behind a crag of rock, with 
 two rapid blows from a thick stick stretched the poor 
 creatures upon the earth, after which he began to 
 unfasten the baskets from their shoulders. Need I 
 tell you my felings at that moment ? No — for right 
 or wrong, and without stopping to consider the pru- 
 dence of the act, I discharged my gun, when the fel- 
 low giving one loud yell, fell stretched upon the 
 earth. 
 
 As for the mate, although he swore at my impru- 
 dence, with one leap he bounded toward the fallen 
 coward. At the moment of my firing, the women 
 were about crawling upon their hands and feet, as if 
 by that means they could escape their enemy. The 
 report of the gun, however, so shocked them that 
 they fell flat upon their faces, and thrust their fingers 
 into then- ears as if it had been the shock of doom. 
 
 " Don't let them escape, youngster. Let them see 
 we are friends — show them their fish," said the 
 mate. 
 
 Snatching up the basket of fish I ran forward to 
 the poor creatures and held it forth, making signs for 
 them to take it. Recovering from the shock they 
 arose to their feet, and with eager staring eyes one 
 ventured to approach me, held out her hand, then 
 withdrew, and it was not until after many efforts I 
 could satisfy her of my friendly intentions. Indeed,
 
 MY PARENTAGE AND EARLY ADVENTURES 23 
 
 I believe they would have both scampered off had 
 they not been convinced, by seeing their enemy with 
 his arms bound by a neckerchief, dragged forward by 
 the mate. Perceiving this, however, they capered 
 about with joy and gratitude, uttering sounds more 
 like those of wild beasts than any thing human. 
 
 " We must secure these women, for by their means 
 we may discover the fate of the boat-party," said the 
 mate. 
 
 To talk about securing these two savages was one 
 thing, to do it another. Fortunately, however, the 
 report of the gun had alarmed our party, whom at 
 that moment we saw coming through the jungle. At 
 their appearance the women trembled with fear, and 
 would have escaped but for two words the prisoner 
 spoke to them in their own language — if such mis- 
 erable sounds could be called a language — and in 
 another minute they were surrounded, so that they 
 could not escape. 
 
 When the prisoner saw himself surrounded by the 
 English sailors, he trembled violently, and in suppli- 
 cating tones addressed the mate in a language then 
 unknown to me. 
 
 " Can any of you lads make out this fellow's lingo?" 
 said the mate. _7* 
 
 "Ay, ay, sir; it is Hindoostanee. "I've picked 
 up enough to make him out," said a man named 
 Thompson, who had been many years in the Indian 
 navy. 
 
 " Ask him who he is, and how he came here ?" 
 
 Taking time to remember words sufficient, Thomp-
 
 24 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 son put the question. Then, after a labored attempt 
 on both sides to comprehend each other, he said, — 
 
 "He says he's a Sepoy, from Bengal, unjustly 
 transported to the British settlement, from which he 
 managed to escape three months ago, since which he 
 has been wandering about the jungle." 
 
 " Ask him how far we are from the settlement." 
 
 " Having put the question, Thompson replied, " All 
 I can make out is, we are ten miles too far south." 
 
 "Ask him if he knows any thing of the boat- 
 party." 
 
 Thompson obeyed; the man gesticulated vehe- 
 mently. 
 
 " What does the fellow mean by all those antics ?" 
 said the mate. 
 
 " Nothing, sir, 'cept he won't open his jaws any 
 more without the sahib will promise not to give him 
 up to the commander of the settlement." 
 
 " Promise him, for we can't remain ashore all 
 night." 
 
 Thompson obeyed. 
 
 " Now, what says he ?" added the mate. 
 
 " "Why, sir, that he seed the party enter the open- 
 ing of the channel ; and that when they entered, the 
 gale blew so that the current must have swept them 
 through the passage," 
 
 "It is what I feared," said the mate: adding "ask 
 him whether it isn't likely the savages may have fal- 
 len upon them, and that they are hidden somewhere 
 on this island." 
 
 Having put the question, Thompson replied,
 
 MY PARENTAGE AND EARLY ADVENTURES. 25 
 
 " All I can make out of the nigger, sir, is, that 
 p'raps they are and p'raps they ain't ; hut them two 
 black gals is the wives of two chiefs ; and so he says, 
 if you takes 'em on hoard you can keep 'em thera 
 till you find out by dumb motions, when you can 
 keep one on board and send t'other ashore, to bar- 
 gain for giving up the boat's crew ; that is, if so be 
 that the savages have got 'em." 
 
 "A sensible suggestion it is," said the mate. 
 "Now ask the rascal why he attacked these two 
 women." 
 
 Having again put the question, Thompson said, 
 
 " He says he has been many days without food, or 
 the means of procuring it, and that he did not intend 
 to harm the women, but took the fish and spear in 
 order to support himself for the future." 
 
 "Down to the boat, then," said the mate, now 
 convinced nothing more could be done. As for the 
 women, when, in order to prevent their escape, we 
 secured their arms, you cannot imagine their piteous 
 cries ; turning, however, a deaf ear to their waitings 
 we hastened to the boat, and having embarked our 
 prisoners were soon again on board the ship. 
 
 When the mate made his report, the captain, 
 anxious to obtain information about the missing crew, 
 attempted by a series of dumb motions, by kindness, 
 by offers of fish and other food, and the aid of the 
 Sepoy, to obtain some information from the two 
 women about his missing men. Whether from fear 
 or obstinacy I know not, but that night they continued 
 dumb. Hoping, therefore, better things the next
 
 26 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 morning, the captain appropriated to their use a cabin 
 next his own, and further ordered the wife of the 
 steward to supply them plentifully with fish and 
 cocoa-nut, and moreover, to stay with them till morn- 
 ing. 
 
 That night, as you may imagine, after my day's 
 fatigue, I could have slept without turning in my 
 "berth. Before, however, the morning, there was a 
 great commotion in the ship. The two savages had 
 cunningly watched till the stewardess was asleep, 
 when, running through the captain's cabin, at one 
 leap through the stern window they were overboard, 
 and swimming to the shore, and of course, as no person 
 on board wished to harm the poor creatures by firing 
 shot, it was the last we saw of them ; and so we lost 
 all chance of hearing of our lost shipmates, at least 
 till some time after reaching Rangoon, when we were 
 shocked to hear that when the boat entered the chan- 
 nel the violence of the wind and the strength of the 
 current swept her onward into the Bay of Bengal, 
 where eighteen days afterward she was picked up by 
 a merchantman ; and it was discovered that two of 
 the Lascars had been killed and eaten by their com- 
 panions, an incident which, for the sake of my own 
 veracity, I must tell you is recorded in sober verita- 
 ble history. 
 
 The next day, by steering to the southward, we 
 reached Chatham Island, and a more beautiful spot I 
 have never since seen. The scene is wild and incom- 
 parably grand — the harbor is one vast sheet of water, 
 landlocked upon all sides, but dotted with small
 
 MY PARENTAGE AND EARLY ADVENTURES. 27 
 
 islands, while lofty mountains, clothed with impene- 
 trable forests, and inhabited by none but monkeys, 
 guanas, and many of the other animals common to 
 tropical forests. 
 
 At this settlement we were so hospitably received 
 by the authorities that, having delivered the stores, 
 it was with considerable regret we set sail for Ran- 
 goon, at which city we arrived after a rough voyage 
 of seven days.
 
 28 THE WHITE ELEPHA3TT, 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 MY FIRST REAL TROUBLE. 
 
 I shall never forget the sensation of pleasure I 
 felt as our gallant ship anchored in Rangoon road- 
 stead. I was about to rejoin my parents ; my heart 
 bounded with delight. Would they be surprised at 
 my manly appeai'ance ? How great would be their 
 joy ! Should I know them ; would they recognize 
 their son ? I would play them a trick ; for when 
 they came on board, as I felt sure they would, 1 
 would gaze at them and await their recognition. All 
 this, however, was very foolish, as days must elapse 
 before my eyes could rest upon them. Those days, 
 however, passed ; but oh, how painful was the strain 
 upon my patience ! 
 
 It was night when we entered the roads ; lights 
 were visible upon the beach. The next morning we 
 could see the long streak of low land, but it was sick- 
 ening to me to find the land was so much further off 
 than it had appeared the previous evening. But pa- 
 tience; patience, indeed, for our captain kept us 
 waiting for a pilot eight days — now standing off, now 
 on, the shore, making short tacks in the daytime, and 
 again anchoring during the night, and all uselessly, 
 for notwithstanding our signal guns and colors, none 
 came off.
 
 MY FIEST HEAL TROUBLE. 29 
 
 At length even the captain's patience overcame his 
 caution ; the wind was fair, so sending a hoat ashore 
 and steering by landmarks, we dashed across the sand 
 bar and entered the Rangoon river, when our progress, 
 although slow, was sure. 
 
 The river was covered with boats, some like those 
 used by the South Sea islanders — long, narrow, with 
 elevated stern ornamented with peacocks' feathers 
 and the tails of Thibetan cows, affixed to long flexible 
 painted poles which hung from the stern, and was 
 surmounted by a golden ball. Others with sails like 
 balloons, and hulls so low in the water that they had 
 the appearance of so many giant butterflies. 
 
 Another day, and Ave had answered the inquiries 
 of the officials of the Custom-house, and laid the ship 
 alongside the wharf. Then how my hopes, anxieties, 
 and fears increased! Neither father nor mother 
 were awaiting my arrival ; no person came on board 
 making anxious inquiries. Thinking, dreaming, ex- 
 pecting, I stood looking into the faces of the crowd 
 which thronged the wharf till my eyes ached — nay, 
 more, became damp with tears of bitterest disappoint- 
 ment. There assembled, were people of all nations — 
 Burmans, Peguers, Chinese, Armenians, Siamese, Por- 
 tuguese, and Englishmen; tradesmen, laborers, mis- 
 sionaries, and merchants ; but among them all not 
 one who cared one jot for me who had traveled so 
 many thousands of miles to rejoin all I loved in the 
 world, or valued me at the price of a bundle of the 
 rattans on deck. 
 
 I sat upon a coil of rope, with my eyes fixed to the
 
 30 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 shore, unheeding the bustle upon deck, as melancholy, 
 as resignedly as if I had been the sole inhabitant of 
 a drowning world. Suddenly my arm was clutched; 
 the words, "My poor boy!" fell on my ears. I 
 started, tears of joy rolled down my face — I had not, 
 then, been forgotten — my parent stood before me. 
 Upon the instant I thought — I hoped so. One glance, 
 however ; and pushing him from me, I exclaimed — 
 
 "You are not my father;" and the bitterness of 
 my disappointment, the expression of my features, 
 brought tears into the eyes of the stranger, wdio then 
 kindly taking my hands between his own, said — 
 
 " Be calm, listen ; I know your story, my poor boy." 
 
 " My parents ! tell me of my parents. Why, oh, 
 why are they not here ?" I said passionately. 
 
 " Your parents are — " 
 
 " What !" and I started with affright ; for a flash 
 of light, a shock like that from a galvanic battery, 
 shot through my mind. 
 
 " They are in a better world — dead," he said mourn- 
 fully. 
 
 " Dead, dead !" I exclaimed, stupified, but — Can I 
 paint my feelings at that moment ? No, it is impos- 
 sible. I threw myself upon the deck and sobbed in 
 impotent sorrow. 
 
 The stranger spoke not a word for many minutes. 
 God was good to me, for with a deep sensitiveness 
 he had also implanted in my heart a feeling of resig- 
 nation to his will. I recovered my presence of mind, 
 and forming a resolution to quit that hateful country 
 as soon as possible, in silent sorrow permitted the
 
 MY FIRST REAL TROUBLE. 31 
 
 stranger to lead me from the ship. We passed through 
 the suburbs to the inner town on foot to his house, 
 where, as soon as the first outburstings of my grief 
 had become softened, he told me that my parents had 
 died but three months before my arrival — of fever, 
 in Ava, at which capital they had been some time 
 resident. 
 
 " Oh, that I had been permitted but to arrive soon 
 enough to soothe their last moments," said I. 
 
 "It would indeed have been a consolation to them; 
 while to you, my poor boy, it would have been for- 
 tune." 
 
 " What mean you, sir ?" I said, astonished at these 
 words. 
 
 " Had you been with them at the time of their 
 death, you might have taken quick possession of your 
 father's property." 
 
 " My father's property," I repeated, not under- 
 standing why I could not take possession as it 
 was. 
 
 " It has been seized by the Myo-wun" (governor of 
 the town). 
 
 " Surely this cannot be possible ; for am I not my 
 father's heir ?" 
 
 " Unfortunately, my poor boy, any thing is possi- 
 ble in this barbarous land that it may please the chiefs 
 to do." 
 
 " But there are laws even here." 
 
 " True ; and one is, that the property of any for- 
 eigner who may die without heirs shall immediately 
 fall to the King of Burma."
 
 32 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 " But my father did not die without an heir. Am 
 I not living ?" 
 
 " Your father was rich, my poor boy, and his 
 riches were chiefly accumulated by the favor of his 
 friend, the Prince of Prome ; therefore, no sooner 
 did the king hear of his death than, assuming that 
 you were not in existence, he ordered the Myo-wun 
 to seize any property he might have possessed in this 
 country." 
 
 " But you say his majesty's brother, the Prince of 
 Prome, was my poor father's friend ; if so, he will 
 not permit his only son to be thus plundered." 
 
 " It is a poor chance, yet your only one ; for death 
 buries friendship, and the Prince of Prome loves gold ; 
 still, I have communicated to his highness your exist- 
 ence, and as a friend of your father's, prayed of him 
 to restore to you the property." 
 
 " His answer ?" I asked, impatiently. 
 
 " May be many weeks before it arrives here," re- 
 plied Mr. Johnson (for that was the name of my new 
 friend) ; " adding " In the meantime, you must make 
 my house your own." 
 
 Thus was I, who had gone out from England with 
 a buoyant heart, great hopes, and a fair prospect, 
 left suddenly alone in the world in a far-distant 
 country, penniless, and dependent upon a stranger 
 for my daily bread. But deeply as I felt Mr. John- 
 son's kindness, and gratefully as I accepted his offer, 
 I at the same time was of far too independent, and I 
 trust honorable, a spirit, not to offer to make myself 
 as useful to him as possible in his counting-house, a
 
 MY FIRST EEAL TROUBLE. 33 
 
 return which he gladly accepted ; and so I soon found 
 myself deep in the mercantile mysteries of the natural 
 products of the empire — such as teak timber, carda- 
 moms, indigo, elephants' teeth, saffron wood, and that 
 petroleum or earth-oil by which my father had real- 
 ized a fortune. 
 
 Day by day I awaited to hear from the Prince of 
 Prome. Messenger after messenger was sent to the 
 capital city by Mr. Johnson, but without obtaining 
 any thing more substantial than vague promises. 
 Thus anxiously passed two years ; a period which I 
 did not permit to escape without assiduously apply- 
 ing myself to the study of the Burmese language. 
 
 As, however, this town in which I passed those 
 anxious twenty-four months, is, I believe, something 
 totally different from any town you have either visit- 
 ed or read about, I will endeavor to give you a sketch 
 of its peculiarities. 
 
 Rangoon, which signifies "peace effected," and 
 was so named by its founder, the King Alompra, who 
 built the city in memory of his conquest of Pegu, 
 which till his time was an independent kingdom, con- 
 sists of two towns, one within the other, situated 
 twenty miles from the sea, up the river Syriam, a 
 branch of the great Irrawaddi which traverses through 
 the entire empire; and, rising to a considerable 
 height above water level, these towns are compara- 
 tively free from the terrible inundations common to 
 other Burman cities and villages during the rainy 
 season. 
 
 The inner town, or fort, in which the European
 
 34 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 merchants and natives of importance had their resi- 
 dences, was encompassed by a stockade ; that is, a 
 tall bamboo paling, eighteen feet high, which was 
 again surrounded by a deep dirty ditch. Around 
 the inner side of the stockade ran a platform for 
 musketeers, upon which were placed twelve miserable 
 cannon. To give you a notion of the interior, which 
 was then populated by some 30,000 people, I must 
 ask you to picture to yourself a vast city of human 
 hutches, made of bamboos, and erected upon posts 
 three feet from, the ground, with pools of stagnant 
 water beneath, but regularly arranged in nicely paved 
 streets, intersected by gutters, across which were 
 thrown planks for the convenience of pedestrians. A 
 large herd of pigs, independent and ownerless, which, 
 but that they acted as scavengers by devouring the 
 refuse matter beneath the city, would have been as 
 insufferable as the hundreds of ugly little yelping, 
 barkincr cur doo's which ever infest the streets of Ran- 
 goon, to the annoyance of the merchant who may be 
 pursuing his affairs, or getting between the legs, to 
 the monstrous disturbance of the shaven-pated priests, 
 who, wrapped around with an ample yellow sheet, 
 with a fan of the palm leaf in one hand, and a large 
 blue lacquered box in the other, perambulate the 
 streets, with eyes turned neither to the right nor to 
 the left, but fixed upon the ground, to gather from 
 the venerating multitude the daily food for themselves 
 and their brethren of the Kioums, or monasteries — 
 food, by the way, which must be placed in the box 
 ready cooked ; for the lives of these holy personages
 
 MY FIKST KEAL TROUBLE. 35 
 
 being given up to abstract speculations upon the 
 divine essence of their god Gaudama, it would be 
 regarded as an impious waste of time for them to 
 cook with their own hands. 
 
 Then imagine a would-be civilized population, half- 
 naked, the garments of the higher classes consisting 
 chiefly of a double piece of cloth loosely wrapped 
 about the body, a slight frock with sleeves, and a 
 handkerchief tied around the brow for a head-dress, 
 with bodies tattooed or imprinted with lions, tigers, 
 monkeys, hogs, crows, demons, or fabulous animals — 
 a style of bodily decoration which, although pei'- 
 formed by the painful operation of puncturing the 
 skin with a needle dipped in paint, is, notwithstand- 
 ing, so fashionable that many of the professionals in 
 that peculiar line of art obtain large sums of money 
 for their services. Then, as for their teeth (" although 
 the fashion of blackening them is not so common as 
 in former ages), they are invariably of a sooty hue 
 from their constant practice of chewing the areca, or 
 betel-nut. 
 
 One custom, however, which struck me as being 
 comical in a high degree, was that of boring in the 
 lobe of the ear a large hole, in which (according to 
 an individual's wealth or position), he or she stuffs a 
 gold, silver, paper gilt, or wooden ornament ; and 
 invariably, when the aperture is not otherwise oc- 
 cupied, men, women, and boys, use it as a cigar- 
 holder ; that is, suppose they are interrupted in the 
 enjoyment of the cigar, they as instantly clap the un- 
 burned portion within the ear as a butcher, when
 
 36 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 making use of both his bands, places his knife in his 
 month. Then, although none wear shoes, boots, or 
 stockings, and not always sandals, few are to be seen 
 without the tee, or umbrella, the color and material 
 of which (white being exclusively royal) marks the 
 rank or office in every class of society. 
 
 Such was the town and such the people among 
 whom I impatiently and anxiously awaited two whole 
 years. As I have said, my time was chiefly occupied 
 in Mr. Johnson's business, or in studying the language. 
 Moreover, at our house, which was near the Ex- 
 change, where the Europeans assembled in the cool 
 of the morning, and also to the Go-down, or Custom- 
 house, Ave were seldom without society. Then, again, 
 we mixed in the society of the higher class natives ; 
 indeed, so popular at one time was Mr. Johnson, 
 that we had the entree to the family parties of the 
 governor himself — that governor who, forgetful that 
 we had "eaten his salt," afterward became our tyrant 
 and persecutor. 
 
 The first of those parties was to me so comical, 
 and will, I believe, prove so interesting to you, that 
 I will relate the events of the day. 
 
 On the 12th of April, the last day of the Burman 
 year, Mr. Johnson and myself were invited to bear a 
 part in a sport that is universally practiced throughout 
 the Burman dominions on the concluding day of their 
 annual cycle. To wash away the impurities of the 
 past, and commence the new year free from stain, 
 the women on this day are accustomed to throw 
 water on every man they meet, and the men have
 
 MY FIRST KEAL TROUBLE. 37 
 
 the privilege of retorting — a licence which, as you 
 may imagine, gives rise to a great deal of fun, par- 
 ticularly amongst the young women, who, armed 
 with long syringes and flagons, endeavor to throw 
 water over any man who passes, and in return re- 
 ceive the water with perfect good humor. But you 
 must be told that dirty water must not be thrown, 
 nor must a man or boy lay his hands upon a woman 
 or girl ; moreover, if a woman declines to take part 
 in the sport, she must not be molested, lor it is taken 
 for granted that she is ill. 
 
 Well, on that 12th of April, about one hour before 
 sun-down, we went to the house of the governor, 
 and found his wife had provided to give us a damp 
 reception, for in the hall there were rows of water- 
 jars with bowls and ladles ready to hand. 
 
 Upon entering the hall we were each presented 
 with a bottle of rose-water, a little of which we 
 poured into the hands of the governor, who sprinkled 
 it over his own vest of fine flowered muslin. The 
 lady then made her appearance at the door, giving 
 us to understand that she did not mean to join in the 
 sport herself, but made her eldest daughter, a pretty 
 child in the arms of a nurse, pour from a golden cup 
 some rose-water, mixed with sandal wood, first over 
 her father and then over us. This was the signal for 
 the commencement of the sport, for which we were 
 prepared by being dressed in white vestments. 
 
 About fifteen young women then rushed into the 
 hall from the inner apartments, and surrounding the 
 governor, myself, and Mr. Johnson, deluged us with-
 
 38 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 out mercy; raid of course, laughing heartily if we ap- 
 peared at all distressed hy the water flung in our 
 faces. At length, all parties being tired, and com- 
 pletely drenched, Ave went home to change our 
 clothes ; and in the way met many damsels, who 
 would willingly have renewed the sport had they re- 
 ceived encouragement from us ; but truly we had 
 had sufficient for that day, especially as it came from 
 antagonists Avhom politeness prevented our repaying 
 in full. When we had changed our clothes, we re- 
 turned to the governor's, and were entertained with 
 a dance and a puppet show till the early hour of 
 morning.
 
 BURMESE LAW. ZQ 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 I GET AN INSIGHT INTO BURMESE LAW, AND AM PUT 
 IN THE STOCKS. 
 
 During the two years, Mr. John son had left no 
 means untried to procure the restoration of my pro- 
 perty ; and at length my hopes revived, for in conse- 
 quence of some important service rendered by my 
 friend to the Prince of Prome, that lofty personage 
 had sent to Rangoon a solemn promise to bestir him- 
 self in the matter. Unfortunately, however, with 
 the message came the news that a rupture had taken 
 place between the Burmese and English governments, 
 and that the former were preparing to invade Ben- 
 gal ; the consequence of which was that the native 
 authorities at Rangoon, prompted and goaded by the 
 Mussulman, Armenian, and other traders who were 
 jealous of the Europeans, began to subject the latter 
 to every possible petty annoyance, and to such an 
 extent that meetings of English and Americans were 
 held at the Exchange to consider what measures were 
 to be taken to protect themselves from insult, if not 
 from injury. 
 
 " These semi-savages will never rest till they find 
 an excuse for murdering us," said Mr. Johnson, one 
 morning, when we had returned from a meeting at 
 the Exchange, and were awaiting a fish tiffin, or lun- 
 cheon, which my old nurse was preparing.
 
 40 THE -wniTE ELEPHANT. 
 
 " Nay, sir, surely that is not possible ; they must 
 fear the English power too much," said I. 
 
 " They fear nothing ; they are eaten up with arro- 
 gance and pride ; and no wonder, for a nation who 
 have ever been conquerors and never conquered, 
 can't comprehend a power they have never felt. Even 
 now it is said that a vast army is being prepared, 
 not only for the conquest of Bengal, but, as they 
 arrogantly believe, England itself." 
 
 " Why, they have no ships." 
 
 "No, but they have hundreds of war-boats, which, 
 in their ignorance of geography, and whether Eng- 
 land is an island or even a distant portion of Asia, 
 they stupidly believe to be all-sufficient." 
 
 " Bah ! this is absolute nonsense," said I, laughing. 
 
 " It is so, as far as even the conquest of the neigh- 
 boring English territory in Bengal ; but at the same 
 time enough to exhibit the feeling of the officials, and 
 lead them to commit any outrage upon those of our 
 countrymen within their power." 
 
 While we were conversing, our attention was 
 drawn to a great noise in the street. It was the pub- 
 lic disgrace and punishment of a priest who, with 
 his face daubed with black paint, interspersed with 
 white, and seated upon an ass, was being drummed 
 out of the city amid the shoutings of a crowd so nu- 
 merous, that it was with difficulty the criminal was 
 saved from being crushed to death by the exertions 
 of the attending constables, or Pa-Kwets. 
 
 These officials, who are to be found in every city 
 in the empire, are chosen from the most atrocious
 
 BTJflMESE LAW. 41 
 
 criminals, who have "been pardoned in consideration 
 of their assuming for the rest of their lives the voca- 
 tions of constables, gaolers, and executioners, with- 
 out other pay or reward than what they may he 
 enabled to extort from their miserable prisoners. 
 Upon each cheek they have branded a ring, which 
 implies they must have been guilty of some great 
 crime, punishable by the laws with death. Further, 
 their naked breasts are tattooed with their especial 
 offence, such as man-killer, or thief. So infamous are 
 these pakwets held, that even in the fulfilment of 
 their duties they are not permitted to enter within 
 the walls of a house ; nor can their bodies be burned 
 and have performed over them the usual funeral 
 rites, but they are interred like lepers. 
 
 Suddenly, however, while we were standing out- 
 side the house watching these miserable men, a large 
 cat, of the half-tailed Malay breed, darted past us, 
 with a partly roasted fish in its mouth, followed by 
 my nurse exclaiming, 
 
 " The thief! The thief has stolen my fish." 
 
 " There goes our tiffin, Harry," said Mr. Johnson, 
 laughing ; but, adding, as he pointed to one of the 
 constables, " Look ! the eye of that rascally pa-kwet 
 is upon her ; he means mischief." 
 
 Alarmed at the possibility of danger to my nurse, 
 I ran after her ; and as puss had managed to effect 
 her escape with the fish, found no small difficulty in 
 persuading her to return to the house and serve up 
 the tiffin as best she could without fish. 
 
 The following three days after this adventure with
 
 42 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 the cat and the fish, (which, although at the time I 
 thought so humorous, proved to be of serious conse- 
 quence) were occupied by witnessing the singular 
 ceremony of burning a deceased priest. 
 
 The holy man having died two years before, his 
 body had, at the house in which he died, undergone 
 the following process of embalming : — ■ 
 
 The intestines being removed, and replaced with 
 various fragrant spices, and the opening sewn up, the 
 body was covered first with a layer of wax, to pre- 
 vent the admission of air ; then a layer of lac, mixed 
 with other ingredients ; and lastly, a coating of leaf- 
 gold. The body being thus prepared and gilded, 
 was stretched at full length, with the arms over the 
 breast, and then left in the house in which death had 
 taken place, for twelve months. 
 
 At the end of that period the body was removed 
 to a house erected on purpose, in the shape of a 
 kioum or monastery, about thirty feet high, and 
 covered with leaf-gold, where it remained till the 
 order was given for its being consumed, twelve 
 months afterward. A month before the burning 
 took place a stage was erected of bamboo, and by its 
 side placed a coffin, decorated with gold and figures 
 of many kinds, but all emblematic of death in its 
 various forms. 
 
 In the courtyard of the house were preparing two 
 large four-wheeled carringes, one for the coffin, the 
 other for the stage, with its apparatus. The carriage 
 in which the corpse was to be drawn had another 
 stage erected upon it, similar to the one in the house,
 
 BURMESE LAW. 43 
 
 but of larger size, and fixed upon an artificial kneeling 
 elephant. 
 
 When the time appointed for the ceremony grew 
 near, the principal people in every street, were com- 
 manded each to prepare the figure of a buffalo, bull, 
 lion, bear, rhinoceros, elephant, or man ; as also a 
 large rocket, which, at the proper time, was to bo 
 affixed to the figure. On the first day of the cere- 
 mony these artificial animals, which were three times 
 the size of life, were drawn around the town in 
 procession, accompanied by the whole of the inhabi- 
 tants, male and female, interspersed with flag-bearers, 
 dancing boys and girls, and rows of young women, 
 with an elder woman between each row to keep or- 
 der. 
 
 The next day came the most singular, and to a 
 European ridiculous, portion of the ceremony. In 
 an open space in the middle of a valley, the people 
 were assembled. One of the carriages now held the 
 stage upon which was placed the coffin containing 
 the body ; a cable was fastened to each wheel of the 
 carriage, when, at a given signal, the multitude 
 divided into opposite parties, one half being at the 
 front and the other at the back of the carriage. The 
 four cables were seized simultaneously by as many as 
 could get hold of them. Then the two parties com- 
 menced to pull one against the other, as if struggling 
 which was to get possession of the body, which was 
 now dragged forward, now backward; and in this 
 struggle they continued the whole day without 
 either obtaining the advantage. Near the close of
 
 44 THE "WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 evening, however, the ropes breaking upon one side, 
 the opposite party claimed the victory. 
 
 The next day the artificial animals were drawn 
 forth upon wheels, each with a rocket seven feet in 
 length and four feet in circumference, made of timber 
 secured by iron hoops, and rattan lashings affixed to 
 it ; all of which, with a great quantity of fireworks, 
 were discharged toward evening, causing the acci- 
 dental death of several people. The following day 
 was appointed for the burning. As, however, a 
 quarrel arose between the two parties who had pulled 
 the corpse, the unsuccessful insisting that the cables 
 had been cut, instead of being fairly broken by the 
 other, the viceroy granted another trial of pulling, 
 but the same party came off as victorious as before. 
 
 The next day the corpse was placed upon a stage 
 in the middle of a temple erected for the purpose ; 
 small rockets were fixed upon ropes with rings of 
 rattan, so as to slide along them from the top of a 
 hill, to which one end of the ropes was fastened to 
 the coffin. At a given signal the rockets were dis- 
 charged, when, sliding along the ropes to the coffin, 
 which was purjDOsely made of combustible materials, 
 set it on fire, and thus consumed the body with as- 
 tonishing rapidity. 
 
 Having witnessed the conclusion of this strange 
 ceremony, Mr. Johnson and myself walked leisurely 
 back to the town, chatting together upon the advan- 
 tages and disadvantages of the ancient custom of 
 corpse-burning and urn burial, to which I was de- 
 cidedly favorable, when, as we approached the house,
 
 BURMESE LAW. 45 
 
 imagine my surprise at seeing my nurse with her 
 arms bound, struggling in the bands of two slave 
 constables. Indeed, to such an extent did it anger 
 me, that I believe I should have felled them to the 
 earth but for my friend, who said, 
 
 " It is useless, Harry ; let us follow to the Rung-d- 
 hau " (Court of Justice). 
 
 "But what can have been the poor creature's 
 crime ?" said I. 
 
 "I know not, Masser Harry — I not know," ex- 
 claimed my nurse. 
 
 "The miserable woman will hear when she appears 
 before the Praw" (Lord) "of Justice," said one of 
 the constables. 
 
 " Let us follow, Harry," said Mr. Johnson ; and 
 we proceeded to the Court of Justice, where, sur- 
 rounded by attendants and suitors, sat the judge, a 
 fat, sinister-looking personage who, being disengaged, 
 ordered the pa-kwet who had to make the charge 
 against the prisoner to be sworn ; whereupon, while 
 the Book of Imprecations was held over his head he 
 repeated the following formidable judicial oath : — 
 
 " I will speak the truth. If I speak not the truth, 
 may it be through the influence of the laws of de- 
 merit — through passion, anger, folly, pride, and hard- 
 heartedness — so that when I and my relations are on 
 land, tigers, elephants, buffaloes, poisonous serpents, 
 scorpions shall seize and crush, and bite us so that 
 we shall certainly die; let the calamities of fire, water, 
 thieves, and enemies oppress and destroy us, till we 
 perish and come to utter destruction ; let us be sub-
 
 46 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 ject to all the calamities that are within the body, 
 and all that are without the body ; may Ave be seized 
 with madness, dumbness, blindness, deafness, leprosy, 
 and hydrophobia ; may we be struck with thunder- 
 bolts and lightning, and come to sudden death. In 
 the midst of not speaking truth, may I be taken with 
 vomiting clotted black blood, and suddenly die before 
 the assembled people. When I am going by water, 
 may the water spirits assault me, the boat be upset, and 
 the property lost ; and may the alligators, porpoises, 
 sharks, or other sea-monsters seize and crush me to 
 death ; and when I change worlds, may I not arrive 
 among men or spirits, but suffer unmixed punishment 
 and regret, in the utmost wretchedness, among the 
 four states of punishment. If I speak the truth, may 
 I and my relations, through the influence of the ten 
 laws of merit, and on account of the efficacy of truth, 
 be freed from all calamities within and without the 
 body ; and may evils which have not yet come be 
 warded far away. May the ten calamities and five 
 enemies also be kept far away. May the thunder- 
 bolts and lightning, the Nat of the waters, and all 
 sea animals love me, that I may be safe from them. 
 May my prosperity increase like the rising sun and 
 the waxing moon ; and may the seven possessions, 
 the seven laws, and the seven merits of the virtuous 
 be prominent in my person ; and when I change 
 worlds, may I not go to the four states of punishment, 
 but attain happiness of men and Nats, and realize 
 merit, reward, and perfect calm." 
 
 I have given at full length this oath, that you may
 
 / 
 
 The Stolen Fish. 
 
 P;it;e 47 .
 
 BURMESE LAW. 47 
 
 form some notion of my terror at the forthcoming 
 charge against my poor nurse. What could it be ? 
 Surely a crime of great magnitude ; nothing less, in- 
 deed, than conspiring the death of the sovereign. 
 
 " Now let the slave make his charge against this 
 miserable woman," said the judge. 
 
 "Truly, O great praw" (lord), "the woman's crime 
 is not small ; for, by permitting the escape of a tliief 
 she has defrauded the lords who administer justice 
 of their just fees," said the pa-kwet, falling upon his 
 hands and knees before the official, who then in a 
 stern voice said — 
 
 " What says the miserable slave ?" 
 
 " Truly, it is not possible for thy smallest slave to 
 tell that of which she knows nothing. Surely this 
 man is either a perjurer and deserving the punish- 
 ments he hath invoked, or he hath mistaken thy 
 slave for another, O mighty praw," replied the trem- 
 bling woman. 
 
 Then having looked at some notes written upon 
 leaves of the palm-tree, the judge said — 
 
 " Slave, didst thou not, on the day of the punish- 
 ment of the priest, rush forth from the house of thy 
 master crying that a thief had robbed thee of thy 
 fish?" 
 
 This, then, was the charge ; after so terrible an 
 oath, it was too ridiculous, and I laughed aloud, to 
 the disgust of the angry judge, who said — 
 
 "Place the vile dog of a colar" (stranger) "in the 
 stocks." 
 
 "Pardon, O lord judge," I exclaimed, "but it is
 
 48 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 impossible to help laughing ; for even if thou hadst 
 the thief before thee, thou couldst get no fees." 
 
 " Thou miserable dog of a colar, the thief should 
 be put in the stocks till he or his friends had paid the 
 just dues," said the judge. 
 
 But picturing to my mind a cat in the stocks, I had 
 greater difficulty than ever in restraining my laughter, 
 as I replied, "Truly, O judge, it would be a difficult 
 matter, for the thief was a cat." 
 
 " The more reason, then, that this miserable woman 
 should be confined till some friend pays the dues ; 
 for, even if caught, the cat will not satisfy the claims 
 of justice," said the sapient judge ; adding, " Let the 
 woman be placed in the stocks in the sun till twenty . 
 ticals have been paid by her friends." 
 
 "Release the woman, O judge, and I will fetch the 
 money," said Mr. Johnson. 
 
 "Who will be surety that thou wilt return, O 
 colar ?" 
 
 " That will thy servant, O judge," said I. 
 
 " This is reasonable," said the official ; adding, 
 however, " Let the youth remain in the stocks also, 
 till the just dues are paid." 
 
 Whereupon, the two pa-kwets instantly placed me 
 in limbo ; and thus did I obtain my first real experi- 
 ence of Burmese justice. Cruel, however, as was my 
 case, it was mercy itself in comparison with an inci- 
 dent that had occurred a few days previously. 
 
 A widow, unable by ordinary means to pay a cer- 
 tain tax, was compelled to sell her only daughter. 
 Receiving the purchase-money with a heavy heart,
 
 BURMESE LAW. 49 
 
 she placed it in a box in order that she might give 
 vent to her grief during the night. "When, however, 
 she awoke the following morning, she found the 
 whole of the money had been stolen. Distracted she 
 sat at her door giving vent to loud lamentations; 
 during which one of the underlings of the court of 
 justice passed. This man having heard the poor 
 creature's story, repeated it to the judge, who, in 
 fear for the loss of his fees, sapiently commanded her 
 to deliver up the thief. This, however, being impos- 
 sible, he ordered the woman to be detained in the 
 stocks till some charitable person could be found not 
 only to pay the tax, but also the fees he himself would 
 have received, had the thief been taken. 
 
 As, however, cases of even a worse nature than 
 this happened during my residence in Rangoon, and 
 they will serve not only to illustrate the laws of the 
 people, but the value of the institutions under which 
 we live in this country, where the judges, being 
 highly educated, independent of the government 
 during good behavior, and moreovei', well paid, have 
 not the necessity, even if they were sufficiently dishon- 
 est, to play such disgraceful pranks, I will relate one 
 or two, first telling you that as the judges and other 
 officers of Burrna are paid by the contending suitors 
 instead of the government, they encourage litigation, 
 take bribes from both parties, and except in very 
 palpable cases, give their decision in favor of him 
 who gives the greatest sum of money. 
 
 An aged Bui-mese woman in the service of a Eu- 
 ropean merchant, being cited before the Judge for 
 4
 
 50 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 not having reported to the authorities a theft com- 
 mitted upon herself some three years previously, hy 
 which the officials had been deprived of their fees, 
 her master appeared to exonerate her, hut was in- 
 stantly seized by two officers of the court, who told 
 him that, as he had chosen to appear in the affair, he 
 had rendered himself responsible, and could not be 
 released unless some other individual was left in 
 pledge for him. Accordingly he left his servant, a 
 Burmese lad, who had accompanied him to the court. 
 Shortly afterward, returning with the money to pay 
 the fees, he found that the money-squeezing officials 
 had placed the lad in the stocks and squeezed his 
 ankles, until the poor boy gladly gave them a little 
 money he had about his person, and a new handker- 
 chief. The old woman was also in the stocks, but 
 was released without further inquiry as to the theft 
 as soon as the fees had been paid. 
 
 Another and more serious case was that of seven 
 Burmans, who, having been condemned to death for 
 sacrilege, were tied to the stake ready for execution. 
 One was fired at several times without being hit. At 
 every shot there was a loud peal of laughter from the 
 bystanders. The criminal was taken down, declared 
 to have a charmed life, and pardoned ; and, moreover, 
 taken into the service of the judge — the real charm 
 that saved this man's life, being, in fact, a large bribe ; 
 the other six poor fellows, having no means of bri- 
 bery, were executed. As for my own position, disa- 
 greeable and painful as it was — for the smallness of 
 the holes in the stocks so squeezed my ankles that
 
 BURMESE LAW. 51 
 
 the pain remained for days after — it was of short du- 
 ration ; for no sooner did Mr. Johnson return with 
 the ticals of flowered silver than I was released, 
 when, having with the woman's accuser partaken of 
 a dish of pickled tea — the customary form of con- 
 cluding any trial — I returned home with my friend.
 
 52 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 OUR LIVES SATED BY A CANNON-BALL. 
 
 As day by day the rumors of the rupture between 
 the English and the Burman governments increased, 
 the position of the Europeans in Rangoon became 
 intolerable ; for as the natives arrogantly believed 
 the power of their king to be sufficient not only to 
 drive us from his dominions, but to conquer and 
 plunder the Presidency of Bengal, we were soon 
 subjected to innumerable petty annoyances ; but when 
 the news arrived that their hitherto victorious gen- 
 eral, Bandoola, was on his march to the capital of 
 British India, with a vast army, the petty tyrants of 
 Rangoon exerted their tyranny to the utmost, for- 
 bidding us either to trade, leave the town, or even 
 congregate together at the exchange. 
 
 Now, as Mr. Johnson suspected that our position 
 would speedily become altered for the worse, rather 
 than better, he resolved to seize the first opportunity 
 of leaving the city, and making his way to Ava, and 
 so seek the protection of his friend, the Prince of 
 Prome. So narrowly, however, were we watched, 
 that the project seemed hopeless, until one day, while 
 we were conversing upon our prospects, our Malay 
 boy, with a grin upon his face, entered the room, say- 
 ing, " A message-man from the Golden City j 'spose 
 he bring good news for young sahib."
 
 OUR LIVES SAVED BY A CANNON-BALL. 53 
 
 This messenger, who followed at the boy's heels, 
 was a man of middle size, and though his skin was 
 not so dark, he was dressed in the fashion of the na- 
 tive merchants ; that is, his head, which was shaven 
 all but a small tuft of hair, was covered with a cotton 
 handkerchief; and he wore the loose jacket, sandals, 
 and the linen leg-coverings which pass for trousers. 
 
 " Who are you, my friend ? surely not a Burman," 
 said Mr. Johnson, when the man had performed the 
 shiko, or Burman obeisance. 
 
 " JSTaon Myat, the slave of the Prince of Prome," 
 was the reply. 
 
 " Then I half suspect that Naon Myat is a great 
 rogue," said my friend. 
 
 " Naon is not rogue, but good slave to great Prince 
 of Prome, who has sent him with this letter," replied 
 the man, holding a paper packet above his head. 
 
 " Bravo ! good news at last," said my friend, when 
 he had perused the document. 
 
 " May it indeed prove so," said I, although not by 
 any means sanguine. 
 
 " Good it is, though, my boy, for it is nothing less 
 than a command from the Prince of Prome for you 
 to accompany this messenger to Ava, when his high- 
 ness intends to restore your father's property." 
 
 " Then the messenger should be rewarded," said I, 
 joyfully. 
 
 " Not a bad suggestion. He shall, my boy," and 
 the next minute my friend led ISTaon into our spacious 
 cooking-room, where he left him in charge of the 
 cook, making his choice from the best in our larder.
 
 54: THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 " I doubt this fellow's honesty," said Mr. Johnson, 
 on his return. 
 
 " For what reason ?" 
 
 " He is a half-caste : part Portuguese, part Bur- 
 man ; and all half-castes are treacherous." 
 
 " Pooh, pooh, this is ungenerous ; besides, the man 
 is but a messenger ; and therefore, if he has the incli- 
 nation, he cannot have the power, to harm me." 
 
 " You do not know these fellows, Harry ; — I do. 
 My mind is made up ; I will accompany you." 
 
 "Capital," said I; "but do you doubt the genuine- 
 ness of that letter?" 
 
 " No ; for it bears the royal seal, which will, by- 
 the-bye, enable us to leave Rangoon ; for that even 
 the Governor himself dares not dispute." 
 
 "When shall we start?" said I, impatiently. 
 
 "At sunrise to-morrow." 
 
 " So be it ;" and I felt more joyful than since I had 
 been in Rangoon. Thus man proposes. — Before, 
 however, that sun arose we were awakened by the 
 screaming of women, the angry shoutings of men, the 
 tramp of native soldiers, the rolling of heavy pieces 
 of artillery, the beating of tomtoms, the grunting of 
 swine, and the howling and bai'king of dogs. Thus 
 aroused, we jumped from our beds and ran down the 
 ladder into the street, and then, far as the eye could 
 reach we saw blaze after blaze of fire. 
 
 " The fire beacons are lighted throughout the coun- 
 try ; an enemy must be near." 
 
 "The English fleet," I exclaimed, joyfully. 
 
 " The vile rogue confesses his guilt," said a voice ;
 
 OUR LIVES SATED BY A CANXON-BALL. 55 
 
 and the next moment a heavy blow upon the back of 
 my head felled me to the ground. 
 
 How long I remained senseless I know not, but 
 my next sensation was that of a racking pain in my 
 head, to relieve which I endeavored to raise my 
 hand, but, to my horror, I found it bound to my side 
 by a thick rope ; then, looking around, my real situa- 
 tion stood visibly before me ; there, in a long low 
 room were about thirty Europeans lying or sitting 
 upon the hard flooring, with their ankles fastened 
 between two poles of bamboo, which ran nearly the 
 whole length of the room, and were held at least 
 twelve inches from the ground by ropes suspended 
 around pulleys near the ceiling, the ends of the ropes 
 being conveniently at hand, so that the legs of the 
 prisoners could be raised or lowered according to the 
 pleasure of the attendant pa-kwets ; some half a dozen 
 of Avhom stood gazing with malignant satisfaction at 
 the miseries of their victims. 
 
 As I have intimated, I at once comprehended that 
 we were prisoners in the hands of the authorities, 
 but why or wherefore was an enigma. Then I re- 
 membered the alarm in the streets, and the lighting 
 of the beacons. Truly, I thought, the town has been 
 treacherously taken by the old enemies of the Bur- 
 mans (the Siamese), and the Europeans are their 
 prisoners; but my head throbbed so violently, and 
 my position — from my legs being lifted so far from 
 the ground, and my arms being bound so tightly — 
 was so torturing that I can compare the sensation of 
 that moment to nothing but a terrible nightmare. I
 
 56 THE WHITE ELEPIIAXT. 
 
 could not move, I could not speak, and groaning 
 with agony, I should have fainted, hut that a voice 
 near me, said — 
 
 "My poor hoy. — A tical for a jug of water in his 
 face, you scoundrels." 
 
 It was the voice of Mr. Johnson. I endeavored 
 to move, to speak. The next minute my face was 
 deluged with water, which revived me, and I said — 
 
 " You, too, a prisoner, my friend ? Where are 
 we ? why are we confined ? what is our crime ?" 
 
 "In the custom house, suspected of treason, and 
 likely to he put to death, my poor hoy." 
 
 " But for what ? why ?" * 
 
 " The rumor of the quarrel hetween the King and 
 the Governor-General of India is true, and the En- 
 glish fleet is in the Irrawaddy, it is suspected with 
 an army which is to attempt the conquest of Bur- 
 ma." 
 
 "Then we are prisoners of war." 
 
 " Not so : we are in prison as traitors, for it is "be- 
 lieved we Europeans have secretly invited the English, 
 and so caused this sudden and unexpected appear- 
 ance of the fleet." 
 
 " That fellow, iSTaon Myat, has he not some con- 
 nection with our present position ?" I said, suspec- 
 ting the half-caste. 
 
 "JSTo; for, like ourselves, he is confined in these 
 stocks," replied my friend ; and I felt some satisfac- 
 tion in the conviction that Naon was erniltless. 
 
 " If the colar (stranger) dogs would not have their 
 miserable tongues torn out, let them keep silence,"
 
 OUR LIVES SATED BY A CANNON-BALL. 57 
 
 said a jailor, striking us upon the head with a bamboo 
 staff. 
 
 " It is your turn now, it may be ours soon," mut- 
 tered Mr. Johnson ; and thus miserably we passed 
 the night. That I slept was a miracle ; I did so, 
 however, for the next morning I was awakened by a 
 raging thirst like that which accompanies a fever. 
 
 "Water, water, for the love of heaven!" I ex- 
 claimed ; a request which would have been refused, 
 but that my friend fortunately had money in his 
 pocket, to get at which the pa-kwets kindly set one 
 of his hands at liberty. Unfortunately, however, 
 among the silver were several pieces of gold, which 
 attracted the eager gaze of the officials. 
 
 About an hour afterward an officer entered the 
 room and commanded the pa-kwets to march the 
 Europeans to the Hall of Justice before the Myo-wun 
 or Governor, when at once the stocks were opened 
 and we were free, at least as far as our legs were 
 concerned. 
 
 " ISTow comes our release, for they will not dare to 
 refuse the order of the Prince of Prome," said I. 
 
 "Now comes our torture; see, that scoundrel is 
 speaking to the Myo-wun's messenger," said Mr. 
 Johnson ; and almost at the same moment we were 
 again forced into the stocks, the ropes pulled, the 
 bamboo poles went upward, and we were suspended 
 by the feet, head downward. 
 
 "The colar dogs must pay their fees," said the 
 head jailor. 
 
 "Take them — take all, thou scoundrel," groaned
 
 58 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 my friend ; when, without waiting for a second invi- 
 tation, they emptied his pockets of the coin. Said I 
 not that it was unfortunate the wretches saw tho 
 money ? 
 
 Enraged, however, as we were, we were compelled 
 to submit, for it is the custom of the country in every 
 case. 
 
 Having secured their fees, and released us from tho 
 stocks, they stripped us of all clothing but shirts and 
 troAvsers, linked us together by the arms into droves 
 of about twelve, each drove being secured by one 
 rope, the end of which was held by two pa-kwets ; 
 and thus we were driven along barefooted, bare- 
 headed, and faint for want of food, beneath a burning 
 sun, and that, too, slowly, that our torture might be 
 prolonged, till we reached the Hall of Justice ; where, 
 being first forced upon our knees, we were com- 
 manded by the Governor to confess our treason upon 
 pain of being trodden to death by elephants. 
 
 It was in vain we pleaded our ignorance of the ar- 
 rival of the English fleet ; which, by the way, we 
 most heartily wished was just then aware of our 
 situation ; for, whether he believed us or not, the 
 Governor's hatred of Europeans was so great that he 
 was resolved to wreak his vengeance upon those in 
 his power. 
 
 " Miserable dogs ! you have been too long per- 
 mitted to soil the dust of the Golden Kingdom with 
 your wretched feet. Long have you known the com- 
 ing of your rebel countrymen in their warships ; and 
 still longer have you been treacherously preparing to
 
 OUK LIVES SAVED BY A CANNON-BALL. 59 
 
 receive them ; therefore it is well that you should be 
 punished, to prevent further mischief," said he; ad- 
 ding, to the officer in charge, " See that their heads 
 are taken from their wretched carcasses; and so 
 shall any colar dog suffer who has the boldness to set 
 his foot upon the soil of the Golden King." 
 
 Sentence having been thus passed, we were about 
 being driven back to our prison, when Naon Myat, 
 who, for some reason or other, had been gagged, 
 having removed the impediment from his mouth, said, 
 in the Burmese tongue, — 
 
 "It is not possible that the great Governor can 
 punish the innocent ; he dare not, even if guilty, con- 
 demn to death the slave of the mighty prince, the 
 royal brother of the Golden Foot." 
 
 " Who then art thou, slave ?" replied the Gover- 
 nor, as I thought, with something like a tremor. 
 
 " Naon Myat, the agent at the pretroleum wells of 
 the late Sahib Oliver, the friend of the mighty prince, 
 whose slave thy servant now is." 
 
 "Then how came it, O Naon Myat, that thou wast 
 found in company, in the very house, of one of these 
 treacherous colars ?" asked the Governor sternly. 
 
 "By the orders of my mighty and magnificent 
 master, who commanded me to conduct the Sahib 
 Johnson and the young Sahib Oliver to his golden 
 palace, that he might confer honors upon the noble 
 youth, in recollection of his friendship for his parent." 
 
 " Let the Sahibs stand forth," said the Governor, 
 in a more friendly tone. 
 
 We did so.
 
 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 " Dost thou so eagerly seek death that thou couldst 
 not open thy lips ?" said the Governor. 
 
 " We are as guilty and as deserving of death as 
 our countrymen," replied Mr. Johnson. 
 
 " What says the boy ?" said the Governor addres- 
 sing me. 
 
 "As my friend said." 
 
 " Ah, then you both confess to this treachery of 
 holding communication with and inviting the Bengal 
 colars to invade the sacred soil of the Golden Foot ?" 
 exclaimed the Governor. 
 
 " We confess nothing, yet declare that we are as 
 guilty, and as innocent, as our countrymen, and there- 
 fore seek not to be released alone," said Mr. Johnson. 
 
 " Do the vile colars dare me ?" said the Governor. 
 
 " We dare every thing for our innocent country- 
 men ; and further, O Governor, I warn you that, if 
 but one Englishman is killed, his fellow-countrymen, 
 who are now without your town, will not leave one 
 stone standing upon another, in this miserable place," 
 said my friend, as I thought at the time, rather im- 
 prudently, for the threat was made to a man who 
 from his infancy had been taught no less to tread 
 upon the necks of all within his power, than to crawl 
 abjectly upon his knees and hands before his super- 
 iors ; and I was right, for, not deigning to reply, the 
 Myo-wun ordered the officer to see that we shared 
 the sentence of the other prisoners. 
 
 We were then taken to the public prison, heavily 
 ironed, and placed in separate cells to await our exe- 
 cution ; which, for some reason, probably to heighten
 
 OUR LIVES SAVED BY A CANNON-BALL. 61 
 
 our torture, was put off from day to day. Each morn- 
 in g, however, we were driven in the same manner before 
 the Governor, for the purpose of undergoing precisely 
 the same questions and answers — a monotony varied 
 only each evening by our being placed in the stocks 
 heads downward ; and thus suspended by our feet until 
 the jailor had extorted some money — an operation, 
 however, we were kindly informed was not intended 
 as a punishment, but as the only means which the 
 officials had of securing their rightful fees. 
 
 The real cause, however, of the postponement of 
 our execution I believe to have been Mr. Johnson's 
 threat, which made the Governor await while he com- 
 municated with his superiors; yet, although thus 
 forced to delay destroying us, the worthy Myo-wun 
 was determined to amuse himself with our sufferings ; 
 and this he did after the following manner. 
 
 Upon the foui'th day we were driven down to the 
 large room of the Godown, where we had the grim 
 satisfaction of seeing the preparations for our decapi- 
 tation. The floor was strewn with sawdust; six 
 pa-kwets, well trained professional headsmen, stood 
 at hand, twisting and twirling their fresh-sharpened 
 glittering swords before our eyes. The Governor 
 sat in a chair of state, while his principal officers, 
 upon his hands and knees, with their eyes fixed upon 
 lis, to watch the motions of our features, crawled 
 around him ; and in this terrible suspense we awaited 
 our doom for an hour, when we were reprieved for 
 that day, and sent back to prison again to be put in 
 the stocks and squeezed out of more fees.
 
 62 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 On the fifth day, having been told that the Gover- 
 nor had received positive orders for our immediate 
 execution, we were again driven to the Godown, and 
 then our doom appeared certain, for, after sharpening 
 and flourishing their swords, six prisoners — myself 
 and friend among the number — were told off in a 
 line ; our heads were bent forward, while six pa-kwets 
 stood over us with their sword-blades resting upon 
 our necks. 
 
 Shall I ever forget the shudder that ran through 
 my frame as that cold steel touched my skin? an in- 
 stant, a word, a blow, and I should have passed from 
 this world. Still I was an Englishman ; the thought 
 nerved me so that I do not think a muscle of my face 
 was disturbed. No, commending my soul to God, I 
 stolidly awaited my fate. There was a rustling of 
 gai-ments, the Myo-wun arose ; I even remember that 
 he cleared his throat to give the order. He spoke — 
 but what he said I know not, for the same instant 
 there came a report like the explosion of a mine, a 
 crash, a fearful scream — and at the last instant of the 
 twelfth hour we were saved; the Myo-wun had fallen 
 dead, literally crushed to atoms by a thirty-two pound 
 cannon-hall.
 
 A TERKIBLE SCENE. 63 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 I WITNESS A TERRIBLE SCENE, AND AM MADE A 
 PAGODA PRISONER. 
 
 The incident just related is no fiction. The shot 
 by which the lives of so many Europeans were saved 
 from death is recorded in our military history. The 
 British frigate Liffey had anchored within gun-shot 
 of the town, and with the hope of a bloodless sur- 
 render had for some time refrained from opening fire 
 upon the Burmese. When, however, the Myo-wun 
 had, by beating and sheer force, compelled the mis- 
 erable natives (for not anticipating an attack from 
 the sea-side, there were but few regular troops pre- 
 sent) to man the batteries and fire at the ships, the 
 British commander acknowledged the compliment 
 by the thirty-two pound shot, which, miraculously, 
 without injuring one other person, killed the Gov- 
 ernor. 
 
 The scene which followed upon the death of the 
 Governor, and the attack upon the town, was worthy 
 the pencil of a Vernet. A series of yells shook the 
 Godown, and almost drowned the voice of the second 
 in command, who ordered his prisoners to be driven 
 to the Shoe-Dagon temple. The order was immedi- 
 ately obeyed, but it was with no small difficulty we 
 could make our way through the crowded town, for 
 the late Governor — hopeless of maintaining the place
 
 64 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 for any length of time against the British, without 
 reinforcements — had hastily organized household ser- 
 vants, porters, pagoda slaves, priests, and boatmen 
 into corps for fighting, while their families, old men, 
 women and children, were driven like cattle in droves 
 into the recesses of the neighboing jungle, there to 
 remain, not for their own safety, but as hostages who 
 would have to answer with their lives for the good 
 conduct of the newly levied soldiers. 
 
 The scene was appalling ; with savage brutality 
 the drovers, armed with bamboos, spears and hatch- 
 ets, kicked with their feet or struck with their spears 
 hobbling cripples or weak women, who screamed 
 fearfully as the shot and shell fell within the stockade, 
 amid the yells of the defenders, the bellowing of 
 cannon, the howling and barking of packs of dogs, 
 and the grunting of the half-wild swine which were 
 being driven with the crowd. Then the demon- 
 iacal laugh of the pa-kwets, and the cry of agony 
 of the wounded or dying persons, as a shot now 
 and then fell among us, killing some, wounding 
 others, calls up to my memory even now a scene that 
 freezes my blood. Among the wounded was Mr. 
 Johnson, who, being unable to walk, was carried 
 upon the shoulders of a pa-kwet. 
 
 There was a supplement, however, to this terrible 
 sight, which, belonging to ordinary civilized life, and 
 not to the chances of war, filled me with greater 
 horror than all I had witnessed. On our way to the 
 great Dagon road we passed a bend of the Irrawad- 
 dy ; the tide was rising rapidly, to the intense terror
 
 A TERRIBLE SCENE. 65 
 
 of seven naked men, who, having been secured by- 
 ropes to stakes, which were driven into the bed of 
 the river at low water, were then awaiting death by 
 drowning ; and with strained eyeballs and demented 
 countenances, calculating, perhaps, the length of 
 their existence by the gradually rising waters. These 
 men had received this sentence for sacrilege, or rob- 
 bing a monastery, and being too poor to bribe the 
 judge, it was being carried out with shocking exact- 
 ness. Oh ! that I were free ; what would I not risk 
 to release those suffering creatures ! were the thoughts 
 that passed through my mind. 
 
 Thus, beneath a burning sun, which on our way 
 struck several of my companions in misfortune sense- 
 less, and upon a broad, well-paved road, whose sides 
 were studded with pagodas and Mourns, or monas- 
 teries, and the heat of which was so intolerable that 
 it scorched our feet, we were driven for a distance 
 of three miles, till we arrived at a mound, some 
 seventy feet in height, but so vast, that the area upon 
 the top exceeds two acres, and from the centre of 
 which, in the shape of an inverted speaking trumpet, 
 arises in its golden glitter, to a height of three hun- 
 dred and eighty feet, the Shoe-Dagon, or Golden 
 Dagon Pagoda, which, being supposed to contain 
 eight true hairs of Guadama — the god of the Bur- 
 mans — is the chief shrine toward which pilgrims bend 
 their course from all quarters of the empire. The 
 Shoe-Dagon, is also the sole place of worship of the 
 people of Rangoon ; for although there are numerous 
 smaller pagodas, like those we passed upon the road, 
 5
 
 QQ THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 I 
 
 they are the private properties of wealthy individuals, 
 by whom alone they are made use of for the purpose 
 of worshiping Guadama, whose golden image, en- 
 shrined therein, is the object of their adoration ; and 
 who, by the way, according to the Burman priests, 
 was so wonderful a personage that I will give you a 
 slight sketch of his origin and doings. 
 
 Guadama was born 626 before our Saviour. Ho 
 was the son of a king of Ma-ge-deh, in Hindoostan. 
 When born, he was nursed by two deities, and his 
 divine origin and perfections were made known by 
 the bowing of the idol before which, according to 
 custom, he was presented when born. 
 
 Previous to his last birth he had lived in four hun- 
 dred millions of worlds, and like any other inhabitant 
 of the world, had gradually worked his way up 
 through the state of beasts, and had been in every 
 condition of life. Immediately ujoon his birth this 
 astonishing baby exclaimed, " Now I am the noblest 
 of men. This is the last time I shall ever be born." 
 
 When he was ten years of age he was placed under 
 the care of a wise man named Bahburemihbacshi, 
 who instructed him in every kind of knowledge; 
 however, he soon outstripped in knowledge sufficiently 
 to teach the wise man, his master, sixty languages. 
 At twenty he married, but either from the shrewish- 
 ness of his wife, or some other cause, he expressed a 
 desire to turn anchorite, assumed the name of Gua- 
 dama, and gave himself up to the contemplation of 
 the Deity. 
 
 This, of course, is the tradition carried down bv
 
 A TERRIBLE SCENE. 67 
 
 his disciples ; the truth, however, as near as we can 
 ascertain, is worth our knowledge, for Guadama, 
 although a pagan, was evidently a personage of mark 
 in his own unenlightened age, and moreover a great 
 reformer. And this truth has been attempted to be 
 discovered by a learned writer, who says, — 
 
 The truth concealed in this Indian table seems to 
 be simply this, that the son of the King of Ma-ge-deh, 
 whose rank and austerities had secured the venera- 
 tion of his countrymen, had sense enough to perceive 
 the absurdity of the Brahmin's system, and ability 
 enough to jDersuade his countrymen to adopt his own. 
 The success of his new doctrine was such, that at one 
 period it had nearly suppressed the ancient faith of 
 the Hindus ; but when events, which we cannot now 
 trace, had re-established the authority of the Brahmins, 
 they showed that they were not behindhand in retalia- 
 tion ; the followers of Budd'ha (i. e. Guadama) were 
 persecuted without mercy ; and scarcely an individual 
 of that faith can now be found in Hindoostan. Some 
 of the fugitives appear to have taken refuge in Ceylon, 
 while others fled into the mountains of Thibet. From 
 Ceylon they conveyed their doctrine to the eastern 
 peninsula of India. From Thibet it traveled over 
 Tartary to the north and west, into China in the east, 
 and from thence into Cochin-China and the other 
 regions in the south, where it is only divided by a 
 lofty chain of mountains from its kindred faith, im- 
 ported from the south and west into the kingdoms 
 of Ava and Siam. 
 
 Guadama, say the Burmans, obtained Nibban
 
 68 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 (*. e., died) in the year before Christ 543, and at his 
 death advised that his relics and image should be 
 worshipped and his law obeyed, until the appearance 
 of the next Boodh ar Buddha, who would make his 
 advent in five or six thousand years. 
 
 But to continue my narrative : — 
 
 This temple, then, transformed into a fortress, 
 guarded by two large field-pieces, and which was to 
 be our prison, was the most magnificent structure I 
 had seen in Burma. It was encircled by two terraces 
 within a balustrade, which represented a huge croco- 
 dile, whose jaws were supported by two immense 
 figures of a male and female Belhoo, or evil genius, 
 who, with clubs in their hands, guard the entrance. 
 
 Up a great flight of narrow steps we were driven 
 to the upper terrace; from the centre of which arises 
 the pagoda, or spiral portion of the structure, from 
 an eight-sided golden base, surrounded by a vast 
 number of smaller pagodas ; griffins, sphinxes, and 
 images of the Burman deity shooting out as it were 
 from this base. The domed form of the pagoda 
 tapers upward to an immense height, the summit of 
 which is surmounted by a tee, or umbrella of iron 
 work, from which are suspended a number of small 
 bells, which are set in motion by the slightest breeze, 
 and produce a pleasant, if not musical sound. 
 
 Having reached the upper terrace, we were formally 
 given into the custody of the commander of the 
 pagoda garrison, a stout, gaudily-attired, consequen- 
 tial-looking personage, who sat in a shabby chair of 
 state, with one leg thrown forward, and his toes bent
 
 A TERRIBLE SCENE. CD 
 
 underward, as if to grip the floor ; his head and chest 
 backward, that the inflation of his person might im- 
 press ns with the dignity of the rank which the tslao, 
 or cord of nobility, which he wore, proclaimed him 
 to hold in the army. Before this officer the slaves 
 compelled ns to bend our backs and knees, and so 
 remain till his grandness had not only heard the 
 ci'ime with which we were charged, but until he had 
 severely scrutinized us from head to feet ; after which, 
 he condescended to say — 
 
 "The colars (foreigners) are rebels and traitors; 
 they have betrayed the sacred land of the Golden 
 Foot to their friends ; therefore, as it is good they 
 should be treated like slaves and thieves, let them be 
 put in the stocks in the great cell." 
 
 "When, fearing rather for my wounded friend than 
 myself, for I had resigned all hope of rescue, I stepped 
 forward and said boldly — 
 
 " The chief is a brave man, and can put his prison- 
 ers to the torture; but even he dare not raise the 
 anger of the mighty brother of the Golden Foot." 
 
 "Does the dog of a rebel beard us?" he said, 
 clutching the handle of his sword, as if to do instant 
 execution on me. 
 
 " If the chief is not afraid of an unarmed boy, let 
 him order my arms to be unbound, and he shall see 
 that the Prince of Prome is my friend," said I. 
 
 To my surprise he ordered my arms to be set at 
 liberty, and I gave him the prince's letter. When 
 he had perused its contents, his lips quivered, either 
 with rage or fear — I think the latter — and he said —
 
 70 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 "The rebel dog dares me; nay, more, he thinks to 
 laugh at me, by making me believe in this writing," 
 said, he angrily ; adding, however, ironically, "What 
 would the dog ask — his liberty?" 
 
 " To be placed in one cell alone with my wounded 
 friend till the chief can communicate with the great 
 prince," said I. 
 
 " The dog is presumptuous. He believes I fear 
 these characters, therefore must his eyes be opened," 
 he replied ; adding to the officer of the soldiers, 
 " his prayer is granted ; see that the old and the 
 young rebel be chained together in one cell." After 
 which, without another word, this subaltern despot 
 arose, and having with some difficulty made his way 
 through the slaves, who, as he arose, crouched at his 
 feet, descended to the lower terrace. 
 
 Well might these miserable beings crouch and 
 crawl in the shadow of power, for the smallest and 
 briefest authority in Burma carries with it the power 
 of life and death over inferiors. 
 
 Then, while our fellow prisoners were driven to- 
 gether in one large cell in the wall of the pagoda, 
 Mr. Johnson and myself were conducted to a hole 
 about eight feet square, where, having been first 
 chained together arm in arm, we were left with our 
 other limbs at liberty, and a small quantity of boiled 
 rice, and a jar of water. 
 
 " It is at least a comfort that the rogue has put us 
 together," said my friend. 
 
 " To me it is wonderful."
 
 A TERRIBLE SCENE. 71 
 
 "Not at all, Harry; he means to befriend us," 
 said Mr. Johnson. 
 
 " Then why chain us like two thieves ?" said I. 
 
 " In order to keep up his dignity before his slaves 
 and soldiers, whom he would not wish to believe he 
 is afraid of us." 
 
 " Then the prince's letter frightened him, and he 
 will release us." 
 
 " Not me, for he dares not ; while after perusing 
 the letter, he fears to keep, or at least to torture you. 
 Thus, you will find that some time during the night 
 he will come to this cell, and by way of favor, and 
 for a sum of silver offer to release you." 
 
 " If it be so, I shall refuse to quit this hole without 
 you." 
 
 " Nonsense, my boy, listen." Then in a whisper, 
 Mr. Johnson said, " Accept the offer upon any terms, 
 and you may release us all." 
 
 "How?" And my heart leaped with delight at 
 the notion. 
 
 " Have you courage to make an attempt to reach 
 the British fleet ?" 
 
 " Do you doubt me ? But how is this thing to be 
 accomplished?" 
 
 "Accept his oifer, but insist that, as it will be 
 dangerous for a European to make his appearance 
 just now among the people, that he provide you with 
 the native costume; then seek the nearest point of 
 the Irrawaddy, and await some opportunity of seiz- 
 ing a boat, when-^but the rest I leave to your own 
 prudence ; then, when you reaeh the fleet, and have
 
 ^2 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 made it known where the Europeans are confined, I 
 am strangely ignorant of our countrymen if we are 
 not soon set at liberty," said my friend. 
 
 " Glorious !" I cried. But then, as it occurred to 
 me that he might be too sanguine, my ardor lessened, 
 and I added, "Are you not too hopeful ? this petty 
 tyrant may not be so easily bought over." 
 
 " The princes, the king, the queen, all Burma may 
 be bought at a price, but especially one, whose au- 
 thority being temporary, is desirous of making his 
 hay while the sun shines."" 
 
 " I trust it may be so." 
 
 "Would that you could meet with that fellow, 
 Naon Myat." 
 
 "Ah! I fear that fellow is a rascal, and that he 
 betrayed us to the soldiers. 
 
 "A rogue he may be, most half-castes are ; he dare 
 not, however, be otherwise than faithful to you." 
 
 " Why not ?" 
 
 " Because it is his interest to return to the Prince 
 of Prome ; and if he does so without being accom- 
 panied by you, his life will not be worth a day's pur- 
 chase," 
 
 " Capital !" I exclaimed. 
 
 "What ! that the poor fellow should be put to 
 death?" 
 
 " No, no, heaven forbid ; but that it should be his 
 interest to serve me, for without his knowledge of 
 the wild country, I know not how I should get to 
 Ava," 
 
 " In the train of the victorious British Army, I hope,"
 
 A TEKKIBLE SCENE. 73 
 
 " Well — yes ; it is probable," I said. 
 
 At that moment, however, the commander of the 
 garrison made his appearance, as my friend had fore- 
 seen. 
 
 " The rebel colars have been treated leniently," 
 said the magnate, blandly. 
 
 " Fur which they beg the generous praw (lord) 
 will deign to accept a present that he may build a 
 pagoda," said Mr. Johnson. 
 
 " The Sahib Johnson is good," replied the rogue. 
 
 For my own part, my transactions with these 
 people had been too few to have become hypocriti- 
 cal, so I said — 
 
 "The officer has read the Prince's commands, and 
 therefore for his life dares not any longer obstruct 
 my journey to Ava. Let him therefore generously, 
 and like a warrior, at once release me and my friend, 
 and he shall receive five hundred pieces of silver." 
 
 "The young colar is brave and generous, and I 
 wish him well. He shall therefore depart." 
 
 " With my friend ?" 
 
 "The shadow of the Golden Foot, the mighty 
 Prince of Prome, has not so commanded — the colar 
 Johnson is a prisoner. His countrymen are in rebel- 
 lion at the gates of the city, therefore this cannot be; 
 but as he is generous, and will make presents, he 
 shall remain here unharmed until his friend the young 
 colar may beg his release at the foot of the Golden 
 Throne," was the stern reply. 
 
 Knowing that it would be useless to insist upon 
 the release of Mr. Johnson, I said —
 
 74 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 "Truly this is a great sorrow; but as it cannot be, 
 I will accept my freedom ; and the sahib, my friend, 
 will see that the present of silver is paid. Yet, the 
 brave warrior has forgotten that it will be dangerous 
 for a colar at the present time to pass among the 
 Burman people." 
 
 "The young colar's words are wise. He shall have 
 a protection from the people under the seal of office," 
 was the reply. 
 
 " Still it will not be safe for a European to be seen 
 in the public ways without the pus'ho and engi of 
 the Burman." 
 
 " The young colar's words are again good, and he 
 shall be supplied with the dress." So saying, the 
 chief left the cell.
 
 I AM CHASED BY A SERPENT. 75 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 I AM CHASED BY A SERPENT, AND TAKEN BY THE 
 
 ENEMY. 
 
 Two hours after the chief had quitted the cell, a 
 slave made his appearance with a bundle beneath his 
 arm. It was the promised native dress, namely, the 
 pus'ho — a kind of trowsers, which, covering the loins, 
 reach half way down the leg, and is made of a double 
 piece of cloth so long, that it can be loosely wrapped 
 about the body, and secured by having one portion 
 tucked under another, one end being allowed to hang 
 down loosely in front ; the engi, or sleeved frock of 
 white cotton tied with strings in front, and descending 
 below the knee ; a red Madras handkerchief, which 
 being put on in the manner of a turban, but so as to 
 leave the upper part of the head bare, formed the 
 head-dress ; and a pair of thick sandals for the feet. 
 
 "When the man had assisted me, in completing my 
 attire, and I had taken a hearty leave of my friend, 
 he conducted me out of the cell. We had descended 
 the steps of the pagoda, passed the outer sentries, 
 and my heart felt lighter than it had for many a day. 
 "When, however, we turned an angle of the base of 
 the building, what was my chagrin at seeing two 
 ponies, one of which was saddled, and provided with 
 a basket of provisions slung across his neck, and held
 
 7G THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 by a soldier in full uniform, i. e. with a red handker- 
 chief around his head, a loose jacket of the same 
 color, but naked legged, bare-footed, and tattooed. 
 He was armed with a musket and a short sharp- 
 pointed spear ; and, I suppose, must have seen my 
 vexation in my face, for he said — 
 
 " The young colar goes to the golden city of the 
 Lord of Thousands of Elephants. The great Praw 
 My ark (my friend the commander of the garrison) 
 too much honor sahib to let he walkee, four legs go 
 quicker than two, and slave see sahib no lost in jun- 
 gle." 
 
 To which jargon, without exciting suspicion as to 
 my real intentions, of course I could make no reply ; 
 so, making the best of a bad affair, I mounted the 
 pony, which carried me at a gentle pace after my 
 oily friend with the mahogany countenance and illus- 
 trated legs ; but, as we went along, I racked my 
 brains in endeavoring to account for this move of the 
 commander of the pagoda garrison. Did he mean to 
 betray me ? No, it could only be for his own safety 
 that he had taken this means of preventing my going 
 to Rangoon ; for should I happen to be retaken, he 
 would have to pay for my escape from the pagoda 
 with his own life. 
 
 But when at least an hour had passed, and I began 
 to fear for the safe execution of my schemes, I re- 
 solved that my mahogany-colored friend must be got 
 rid of. Yes, but how ? and I smiled as I for the mo- 
 ment determined, by a bold effort, to cut the reins 
 of my pony, throw them across the fellow's arms, and
 
 I AM CHASED BY A BEEPENT. 77 
 
 thus secure him to a tree. Very good, as far as it 
 went; but then we were crossing a great swamp 
 through rice-fields, wherein no tree was to be found ; 
 and so ended my scheme, till at length we entered 
 the pestiferous jungle which skirted a large teak 
 forest, where I resolved to make the attempt ; so, 
 awaiting this opportunity, and calculating the chances 
 of my success, unarmed as I was, over a completely 
 armed savage, I rode on in silence, and so long and 
 so far through this dense jungle, that I began to fear 
 that even, in the event of my getting rid of my 
 keeper, I should never be able to find my way to the 
 river. " Ah ! the Irrawaddy," I exclaimed, as, 
 breaking through a mass of entangled underwood, I 
 caught sight of water. 
 
 " It is long — far from the Mother of Waters ; it is 
 what sahib calls shoot out of," said the soldier. 
 
 "A branch of the Irrawaddy," I replied, translating 
 the man's meaning; and even if it be, I thought, and 
 leads to the great river itself, it is doubtlessly so 
 covered with war-boats carrying recruits to the be- 
 sieged city, that it would be dangerous to follow its 
 course ; and so I rode on in sullen discontent till Ave 
 reached the stream, when seeing my guide intended 
 to travel along the banks, and that, too, in an oppo- 
 site direction to the Irraw r addy, I said, 
 
 " Let us ford this stream ; it will save time." 
 
 " No ford this — it no can be, sahib ; no good swim 
 when can walkee," replied the man, greatly to my 
 surprise, for a Burman takes to water as naturally as 
 a duck.
 
 78 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 "Then we will eatee and drinkee," I replied, ill- 
 naturedly mocking him, and resolved to come to a 
 halt, and with the assistance of the pure water make 
 my morning meal of cold boiled rice and fish ; when 
 upon the instant my guide, who was probably as 
 much in want of refreshment as myself, leaping from 
 his horse, spread out a cloth upon the grass near the 
 edge of the river ; and while I made my meal, squatted 
 down, holding his share in his hands and rolling his eyes 
 by turns in every direction, as if upon the look-out for 
 dangerous beasts or reptiles — a watchfulness that I 
 soon found necessary, for jumping suddenly from his 
 squatting position to his feet, and seizing me by the 
 arm, he cried, " Let sahib take care — the snake ! the 
 snake !" and there at a distance of a single spring lay 
 a huge snake, with its great eyes glistening in our 
 faces. 
 
 "Fire, idiot!" I exclaimed, thinking he was too 
 much terrified to use his musket. 
 
 "No, sahib, not fire; snake no take notice, if not 
 fire ; if fire and not kill, snake follow every where till 
 catchee and killee." 
 
 Not, however, understanding the man's full mean- 
 ing, vexed at being interrupted in my rough meal, 
 and not by any means inclined to trust to the polita- 
 ness, generosity, or self-denial of so formidable a 
 creature, I snatched the gun from his hands, and dis- 
 charged it at the reptile ; but a blow from the now 
 really terrified Burman turned the weapon aside, so 
 that the snake was but slightly Avounded, it hissed, 
 lifted up its great head, and preparing to make a
 
 I AM CHASED BY A SEKPE^T. T9 
 
 spring, would the next moment have had me in it3 
 fangs, but for my making a backward leap. The dis- 
 tance gained, however, by this leap afforded but a 
 temporary respite ; for with an agility that astounded 
 me, the reptile followed at my heels, at which, being 
 unarmed, I became so alarmed, that at the top of my 
 speed I fled along the banks ; stopping, however, to 
 take breath, I found the reptile still so near, that in 
 another instant it would have overtaken me. There 
 was but one chance of escape before me — the river ; 
 I plunged into the stream, swam to the other side, 
 scrambled upon the bank, and then rested to thank 
 Heaven for my narrow escape ; but, to my horror, 
 there, rising above the waters, was the head of the 
 reptile, with its eyes dilated with rage, and its fangs 
 protruding from its jaws. To my feet again, and off 
 at full speed. In rising, my head-dress fell to the 
 ground ; not stopping, however, to pick it up, I ran 
 so fast that I believe the exhaustion of nature alone 
 would have stopped me, had I not heard the voice 
 of the Burman. This made me look back, and then, 
 while panting for breath, guess my surprise at seeing 
 the reptile — which, although intelligent enough to 
 follow me for the insult I had put upon it — stupidly 
 wreaking its wrath upon my head-dress, and that, 
 too, so determinedly, that it did not see the stealthy 
 approach of the cat-like Burman, who, forgetting his 
 reluctance to swimming, had crossed the stream, and, 
 moreover, in a paroxysm of courage, put it to death 
 with the butt-end of his musket. 
 
 Need I tell vou it was the first and last time I ever
 
 80 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 made an unprovoked attack upon a snake, at least of 
 the family with which my enemy was connected, and 
 which, by the way, is somewhat celebrated for similar 
 kind of feats. 
 
 These reptiles, called hamadryas, are more com- 
 monly found in Tenasserim than in Pegu. They are 
 between ten and twelve feet in length, with a short 
 head, a dilated neck, thick trunk, short tail, and 
 nearly black in color. The hamadryas's bite is fatal ; 
 and so fierce in its nature, that, although it may fre- 
 quently not attack without provocation, when pro- 
 voked, as I have shown you, it will not only savagely 
 attack, but pursue its enemy until it has satisfied its 
 vengeance. 
 
 Perceiving that even after we had recrossed the 
 stream, and were preparing to remount our ponies, 
 the Burman still trembled, I said, — 
 
 " Why, thou coward, the enemy is dead, and can 
 do thee no harm." 
 
 " Me no fear for self, me fear for sahib ; had sahib 
 been killed, his slave killed too for no taking care of 
 sahib." 
 
 As this way of proving that he did not care for his 
 own safety was rather illogical, I felt no very great 
 compunction at carrying out my scheme for a separa- 
 tion between us iipon the first opportunity. That 
 opportunity, I intended, should soon happen, for, as 
 the adventure with the snake had once placed the 
 musket in my hand, I managed by means of a trifling 
 excuse, to again get it in my possession ; indeed, to 
 my surprise, the Burman did not offer the least objee-
 
 I AM CHASED BY A SEKPENT. 81 
 
 tion ; the reason being, perhaps, that he thought it 
 would be impossible for me to find my way out of the 
 dense forest into which we had now entered without 
 his guidance. 
 
 As we advanced into the forest I must admit that 
 I was much puzzled to account for his change of man- 
 ner, for from the wary guard, who had watched my 
 almost every step, glance, and movement, he had be- 
 come careless as to my movements, and as obedient 
 as if he had been my slave. ' 
 
 The enigma, however, received a more speedy and 
 unpleasant solution than I anticipated ; for, as we 
 were riding slowly toward a thicket of bamboos, 
 there arose a loud yell, the meaning of which flashing 
 across my mind instantaneously, I felled him to the 
 ground with my musket, exclaiming — 
 
 "Thou wretch, thou hast betrayed me;" but 
 scarcely had the words left my lips when there was 
 a rush from the thicket, a heavy weapon fell upon the 
 back of my head, and I became senseless. 
 
 I do not think I could have remained in a state of 
 unconsciousness long; for, when I recovered, I found 
 my wrists bound tightly together, the sensation of 
 blood trickling from my wound, and that I was being 
 carried at a rapid pace through the wood. How far 
 or how long this journey lasted I know not, to me 
 the distance appeared to be considerable ; but pain 
 prolongs time, and I suffered great agony from my 
 wound, so great indeed, that I must have again 
 SAVOoned, for without the least remembrance of a halt, 
 I remember only finding myself lying among some 
 6
 
 82 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 tall rank grass, near the huge hole of one of the many 
 teak trees which nearly encircled a glade. In my 
 agony I suppose I must have groaned, for a man 
 coming to my assistance, unbound my wrists, raised 
 me in a sitting position against the tree, and having 
 tied my legs together with a cord, the end of which 
 was secured to the tree, put ajar of water and some 
 cold boiled rice by my side, and without a word left 
 me to myself. 
 
 The severity of pain becoming lessened, a numb- 
 ness ensued which, however, became relieved by a 
 copious draught of water. The refreshing liquid 
 seemed also to give me new life, my sense of hearing 
 became quicker, my eyes brighter, and alas! the 
 sense of my miserable situation far greater. I could 
 not doubt that I was in the poAver of some savage 
 tribe, on its way to or from the army, then being 
 raised to oppose the British force. 
 
 The number of my captors amounted to fifty, for, 
 whimsically enough at such a moment, I counted 
 them as they squatted upon the ground in small par- 
 ties, and ravenously partook of their fish, rice, and 
 grapes, or pickled tea. A minute's observation 
 showed me that they were not mere raw recruits, 
 but soldiers who had pitched their bivouac for the 
 night, which, by the way, as it was fast drawing upon 
 us, proclaimed the length of time I must have re- 
 mained senseless; observing that I was looking at 
 them so intently, the officer of the party sent a soldier 
 to stand over me as sentinel. Then the thought oc- 
 curred to me that, if I pretended not to understand a
 
 I AM CHASED BY A SERPENT. 83 
 
 word of the Barman tongue, they would converse 
 together freely, and thus I might glean some informa- 
 tion as to their intentions. Accordingly I addressed 
 a few words in English to my guard ; and although 
 he did not understand them, he made me compre- 
 hend their intentions toward me in the event of my 
 attempting to run away, by pointing in the distance 
 with one hand, while with the other he drew a long- 
 knife across his throat. 
 
 The pain in my head returning, I leaned backward 
 against the tree ; when the soldier, perhaps believing 
 that I sought to sleep, and that a long rest might 
 give me sufficient strength to relieve one of his com- 
 rades from the trouble of carrying me on the next 
 march, left me to rejoin his companions. Then, for 
 the first time, I bitterly regretted I had learned the 
 Burmese language; for, from the earnest conversa- 
 tion which took place, I found they intended to carry 
 me the next day before the Maha Silwa, the most 
 savage of the Burman commanders, a man Avhose 
 hatred to Europeans was so intense that he had 
 offered a large sum for every one taken alive, that he 
 might have the savage satisfaction of witnessing their 
 death by torture. Then, as if to add to my mental 
 agony, my memory brought vividly before me the 
 horrible cruelties the Burmese chiefs had been known 
 to practice upon their unfortunate captives ; one in- 
 stance, especially, that of a brave English colonel, 
 who had been discovered by his brothers in arms, 
 crucified, head downward, in one of their pagodas,
 
 84: THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 from which the General named by my captors had 
 been driven by assault. 
 
 Terrible as was the prospect before me, I believe, 
 it sharpened my wits, for the shudder at the idea of 
 death by slow torture becoming softened, I began 
 to ponder what could be done — nothing, but place 
 my trust in Providence and watch my opportunity. 
 And here let me impress upon you that nothing but 
 my great faith in the goodness of the Almighty could 
 have kept me sane that night ; that faith soothed my 
 spirits, giving me a feeling of calm determination, a 
 feeling I can compare to nothing but that which it 
 certainly was not — apathy; for out of it arose the 
 hope that saved me. 
 
 If by my knowledge of their tongue I was punished 
 as listeners are said to be punished, namely by hear- 
 ing no good of myself, I also heard news that made 
 me joy for Englishmen. That day a battle had been 
 fought with our troops, who had forced the Burmans 
 far into the jungle, there to await the arrival of rein- 
 forcements. 
 
 Then I smiled as I heard these rude men describe 
 the English soldiers as a kind of devils, who could 
 not be killed, and who no sooner lost an arm or leg 
 than their doctors replaced them immediately. More- 
 over, I learned they were expecting the arrival of 
 some comrades, who were to bivouac with them. 
 This arrival happened almost as they spoke, for sud- 
 denly I heard a great yelling, which was vociferously 
 answered by my captors, who in a few minutes were 
 joined by a party heavily laden with hampers, bun
 
 I AM CHASED BY A SERPENT. 85 
 
 dies, baskets, and to my surprise, a couple of rifles. 
 The satisfaction of both parties at meeting appeared 
 mutual, although words cannot express the delight 
 of my captors when they saw before them salted 
 beef, porlc, barrels of biscuit, bottled beer, wine, and 
 several large kegs of spirits. 
 
 To me, the sight of these things brought grief,for I 
 knew that they must have formed part of the stores 
 of some English regiment, and feared that my coun- 
 trymen had met with a defeat, which I afterward 
 discovered was not the case, but that the party had 
 been fortunate enough to surprise a badly-escorted 
 wagon party. 
 
 The new comers formed a portion of the most re- 
 markable corps of the Burman army, an institution 
 in itself. These " Invulnerables " — for such is the 
 title they bear — are picked from the population, and 
 distinguished from the other troops by their shorter 
 hair, the more exquisite finish of the illustrations upon 
 their legs, of elephants, tigers, and other animals, 
 and the precious stones or pieces of gold beneath the 
 skin of their arms, and which are inserted during 
 childhood. 
 
 By their countrymen, and themselves, these poor 
 creatures are believed to be invulnerable; a conceit 
 which, although somewhat taken out of them by the 
 British soldiers and sailors, they found it necessaiy to 
 keep up during the war ; indeed, it is recorded that 
 throughout the whole contest the Invulnerables were 
 found defending the stockades, their duty being to 
 exhibit the war-dance of defiance upon the part of the
 
 86 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 works most exposed to the murderous fire from the 
 English guns, in order to infuse courage and enthu- 
 siasm into the breasts of the Burmese troops ; and 
 that, when at length their belief in their invulnerabil- 
 ity became a little shaken by the English troops, the 
 Burman commander endeavored to revive it by the 
 free supply of opium. 
 
 However, the arrival of these military mountebanks 
 with their plunder of British stores, revived my hope 
 of escape, for, from their surfeit, I thought I might 
 obtain my liberty, although how, or by what means, 
 I could not comprehend. Still, pretending to sleep, 
 I watched their movements narrowly. 
 
 A fire being kindled around a few large stones, 
 hampers were opened, and the viands placed in the 
 flames ; and then, while so absorbingly engaged, some 
 cooking, others standing by with their mouths water- 
 ing at the prospective treat, I heard a groan, which 
 sounded as if it came from one of the packages which 
 the Invulnerables had thrown upon the ground a few 
 yards from me. 
 
 Keeping my eyes fixed upon this package, in a few 
 minutes I saw it move. It was a human being, bound 
 hand and feet, with his head and legs so bent together 
 that he resembled a ball. 
 
 The groan being heard by the officer of the Invul- 
 nerables, he whispered to one of his men, who imme- 
 diately ran to the poor captive, untied his arms, and 
 brought him to a tree near to me, and there left him ; 
 but so long had the poor fellow been tied in that un- 
 natural position, that it was some time before he could
 
 I AM CHASED BY A SERPENT. 87 
 
 even stretch out his hand or leg. Like myself, fastened 
 by the waist to the trunk of a tree, his legs were lit 
 liberty ; but as his back was turned toward me, I 
 could not discern his face. Then he called piteously 
 for water ; the language Burman, and the voice was 
 familiar to me. I watched anxiously to obtain a 
 glance at his features. When the water was brought, 
 he turned his face toward me, and I at once recog- 
 nized the features of an acquaintance.
 
 gg THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 WHEREIN I AM NEARLY BITTEN TO DEATH, AND WIT- 
 NESS THE PUNISHMENT OF A SERPENT BY A MONKEY. 
 
 " Naon Myat S" I muttered, in surprise. 
 
 r "Lord of heaven! who speaks?" he ejaculated in 
 
 broken Euglish. 
 
 " The young sahib Oliver," I replied ; adding, "but 
 Bpeak low, and in English ;" for, although the soldiers 
 were just squatting down to their feast, I feared to 
 arouse their attention. 
 
 "Heaven be praised, then, the sahib is alive." 
 " "Hush! they are looking this way," I said, and 
 then in silence we gazed anxiously and earnestly upon 
 a scene which, but that it led to our liberty, I would 
 not now relate. 
 
 While some placed huge pieces of meat upon the 
 stones in the fire, awaiting only till it was half-warmed 
 before they snatched it off and commenced eating ; 
 others, the greater part, divided the food with their 
 knives, and fell to eating like a herd of half-starved 
 ■wolves. Indeed, the treat before them was such an 
 one they had never before enjoyed. To their appe- 
 tites, therefore, temperance was out of the question. 
 Men with the voraciousness of wild beasts — it was 
 fearful ; but still I prayed that their hunger might 
 be followed by as deep a thirst. It was ; kegs of
 
 A SERPENT AND A MONKEY. 89 
 
 rum were broached, and they drank till they reeled 
 against each other. Then a man shouted with joy, 
 for he had discovered a prize in the shape of a large 
 case of French liqueurs, the property of some luxurious 
 English officer. The savage sipped, the flavor was 
 new, and he danced with insane and sensual delight. 
 Then the whole party of already-intoxicated brutes 
 followed his example, and, having once tasted, could 
 not restrain themselves ; so, sipping, sipping, till they 
 could sip no longer, they rolled one after the other 
 in deep drunken sleep upon the ground. 
 
 It was a disgusting, a fearful sight. The cold pale 
 light of the brightly-shining moon, mixing with the 
 lurid flames of the fire, shed a ghastly hue over the 
 faces of the senseless brutes that makes me shudder 
 now even, while I recal the scene to my memory. 
 
 Still I felt my opportunity had arrived, and rejoiced ; 
 but, alas ! I was tied to the tree ; fortunately, how- 
 ever, the savage who had bound me had performed 
 his task carelessly. A single jerk loosened the cord, 
 so that I could crawl toward my fellow-captive, who, 
 hopeless of escape, was gazing steadfastly at the re- 
 volting scene, and who, when in a soft voice I pro- 
 nounced his name, exclaimed with fear, 
 
 " The Lord of heaven save me !" 
 
 " Hush ! it is the sahib Oliver," I replied. 
 
 "True! the Lord be thanked, it is the young 
 sahib," said he. 
 
 " There is hope, Naon.' 11 
 
 " The Sahib is right. Yes, while there is life there 
 is hope," he replied, despondingly.
 
 90 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 "Let us escape, then, Naon." 
 
 " It is not impossible. Oh, sahib, I am tied to this 
 tree." 
 
 " True ; but your hands and feet are free, you can 
 unfasten the cord around my legs," said I, lying upon 
 my back, and placing my feet upon his breast. 
 
 A minute of painful anxiety, lest one of the soldiers 
 might awake, and my legs were at liberty. A glow 
 — a vigor ran through my whole frame ; in another 
 minute I had performed a similar service for Naon, 
 and we were both free, mutely, thanking that Provi- 
 dence to which, and that vice drunkenness, which 
 slays both mentally and physically more thousands 
 than the sword, pestilence, or famine, we owed our 
 liberty. 
 
 Stealthily creeping by the stupified slaves of the 
 bottle, I seized a rifle and a flask of the liqueur — the 
 first for our protection, the latter as a medicine that 
 might restore our exhausted strength. The thoughts 
 of my fellow-captive were bent on revenge; for, 
 snatching up a naked sword, the next instant he would 
 have plunged it into the body of the sleeping chief, 
 had I not caught his descending arm, whispering at the 
 same time, "Idiot, you will arouse them — follow 
 softly." 
 
 Thus recalled to a sense of the folly he had been 
 about to commit, he followed me — where, I knew 
 not, thought not ; but for some minutes we ran through 
 the tall rank grass. We reached the thick wood 
 again. I could go no further, I clung to a tree for 
 support ; Naon fell prostrate. Pain and exhaustion
 
 A SERPENT AND A MONKEY. 91 
 
 ■were our masters ; not even the horror of being re- 
 taken, if we remained in that spot, could lend us 
 strength sufficient to advance further. Fortunately, 
 I thought of the flask of liquor. I broke the neck 
 against a tree, drank, and was revived. I poured 
 some of the liquid down my companion's throat ; it 
 had the same effect upon him. Thus, with renewed, 
 if but borrowed, strength, we hastened through the 
 forest, which for a mile or two was but scantily 
 wooded ; and then, as we proceeded, dwindled in size, 
 imtil brushwood seemed to have taken the place of 
 trees. Still onward as fast as our weakness would 
 permit. The ground became more moist. This, 
 however, in our fear of being overtaken, we heeded 
 not ; no, not even when the moistness had become a 
 swamp. Suddenly Naon called out ; doubtlessly we 
 were being pursued ; death rather than be again in 
 the hands of the savages, and like a startled hare I 
 sprang forward, and found myself head foremost in a 
 bog. I had yet strength to recover my feet, but my 
 presence of mind forsook me when I felt that I was 
 in a quagmire, sinking inch by inch. I had sunk to 
 my waist, when Naon, by an effort more of will than 
 physique, succeeded in rescuing me from a death too 
 terrible to think of even now without a shudder ; and 
 which would have been inevitable, had I fallen farther 
 from the brink of the treacherous morass. 
 
 " You have saved my life, Naon," I exclaimed. 
 
 "It was the will of Heaven; but," he added, "we 
 are safe — we are safe, sahib ; this morass is not far 
 from the Carianers' village."
 
 92 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 " Far or near, I can go no further without rest," I 
 exclaimed. 
 
 " It is but wisdom, sahib, for nature will hold out 
 no longer," said Naon, philosophically; and there, 
 upon damp grass, near the edge of the morass, tired, 
 exhausted, we laid down — and, in spite of our dan- 
 ger, slept. My sleep, however, became troubled, for 
 I dreamed we had again fallen into the hands of the 
 Burman soldiery, who were putting me to death by 
 rolling me down a hill in a barrel lined Avith dagger 
 points, the pricking of which awoke me, when the 
 cause of my dream became more evident than agree- 
 able. My arms and legs were spotted with the small, 
 hungry, and loathsome leeches which infest the 
 marshes of Pegu. 
 
 "Naon, Naon! the beasts are sucking me to 
 death," I exclaimed, endeavoring to tear one off my 
 skin. 
 
 " The sahib must not touch them, or they will bleed 
 him to death," exclaimed Naon, looking aghast, and 
 fearing to pull them off; knowing, as he did, that, if 
 thus removed, dangerous ulcers would ensue. 
 
 "But this is unbearable. What is to be done, 
 Naon ?" I said, almost crying with pain. 
 
 " Tombakoo — tombakoo," replied he, pointing to a 
 field within a short distance. 
 
 I comprehended his meaning. It was a tobacco- 
 field, where, fortunately for me, the plant was not 
 only plentiful, but blackening to ripeness. Gathering 
 some, and having well moistened it, Naon poured the 
 juice upon the vampires, who, to my great delight —
 
 A SEKFENT AND A MONKEY. 93 
 
 for the attachment was entirely on one side — dropped 
 oft' one by one, leaving me, however, in a very unen- 
 viable state, for the bleeding did not entirely cease 
 for some hours afterward. 
 
 The most curious, and to you, I have no doubt, in- 
 teresting part of this adventure will be, to be told that 
 these dangerous reptiles have little in common either 
 with the horse-leeches or those used by medical men 
 in this country. They are of a dark speckled color, 
 and not larger than a blood-worm ; neither do they 
 crawl like the leeches I have named, but move for- 
 ward by a series of jerkings, by first fixing their head 
 on a spot, and bringing their tail up to it by a sudden 
 jerk, while at the same time their head is thrown 
 forward for another grip ; thus, their movements are 
 so quick, that before they are perceived they contrive 
 to get up one's clothes and fix upon the skin ; and 
 that too, easily, through the light thin clothes worn 
 in an Indian climate. 
 
 Perhaps, however, the best notion I can give you 
 of the danger pedestrians, and even equestrians, have 
 to fear from these insects, will be in the words of a 
 recent traveler through a neighboring country where 
 they abound. He writes : " In marching through 
 the narrow paths among the woods, we were terribly 
 annoyed by these vermin ; for, whenever any of us 
 sat down, or even halted for a moment, we were sure 
 to be immediately attacked by multitudes of leeches ; 
 and before Ave could get rid of them our gloves and 
 boots were filled with blood. This was attended 
 with no small danger ; for if a soldier were, from
 
 94 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 t 
 
 drunkenness or fatigue, to fall asleep no the ground, 
 he must have perished hy bleeding to death. On 
 rising in the morning I have often found my bed- 
 clothes and skin covered with blood in an alarming 
 manner." 
 
 This was sufficiently annoying ; but the same trav- 
 eler then adds : " The Dutch, in their marches into 
 the interior, at different times lost several of their 
 men ; and on setting out, they told us we should 
 hardly be able to make our way for them. But 
 though we were terribly annoyed, we all escaped 
 without any serious accident. Other animals, as well 
 as man, are subject to the attack of these leeches. 
 Horses, from their excessive plunging and kicking to 
 get rid of these creatures when they fasten upon 
 them, render it very unsafe for any one to ride through 
 the woods of the interior." 
 
 For two reasons did I rejoice at the discovery of 
 this tobacco-field. First, that it had in all probability 
 saved my life ; and, secondly, because it was a sure 
 sign of the proximity of some village where I might 
 rest until sufficiently restored to strength to hasten 
 on my mission for the relief of my friend Mr. Johnson 
 and my fellow-countrymen. Thus, I said — 
 
 " The village of Carians, of which you spoke, must 
 be near ; shall we be safe in their hands, Naon ?" 
 
 " Let the sahib stretch his eyes across those rice 
 swamps," said Naon. 
 
 " I did, and in the distance saw enough to convince 
 me that our hopes of resting within human habitation 
 were futile, at least for the present, for there were
 
 A SERPENT AND A MONKEY. 95 
 
 but the traces of a village — the mere charred remains 
 of huts, from which a dark smoke ascended. 
 
 " The village has been destroyed — the English army- 
 must be at hand," I exclaimed. 
 
 "It is not so, sahib; the village has been burned 
 by a Burman general on his march to Rangoon, and 
 the people with their cattle driven further into the 
 interior ; so that, should the British venture so far 
 from the sea, they may find neither food nor shelter," 
 said Naon. 
 
 "Truly, then, all that we can do is, to reach the 
 nearest point of the Irrawaddy as best we may," said 
 I, resolved to make the attempt, notwithstanding 
 that I could only walk by the aid of the rifle. 
 
 " It would be wiser to jump into the mouth of the 
 first tiger or crocodile we may find, sahib ; for, from 
 Ava to Rangoon, the Irrawaddy is crowded with 
 war-boats filled with troops on their way to join the 
 army of the Maha Bandoola." 
 
 "War-boats or no war-boats, I will endeavor 
 ISTaon." 
 to force my way to the English fleet or army, 
 
 " It would be wiser to enter the lair of a she tiger ; 
 for since Rangoon was entered by the English, the 
 whole surrounding country has been occupied by the 
 soldiers of the Bandoola." 
 
 " Rangoon taken ? the English prisoners are then 
 rescued," said I, at once thinking of my friend. 
 
 " It is not so, sahib ; for, before the British could 
 force the stockade which surrounded the city, the 
 native inhabitants were all driven into the jungle."'
 
 06 THE "WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 "But the European prisoners, the sahib Johnson!" 
 I exclaimed, in an agony of impatience. 
 
 " Were heavily ironed, and sent in a war-boat to 
 Ava." 
 
 " But the sahib Johnson ; do you know aught of 
 him ? Surely they would not torture the friend of 
 the Prince of Prome with irons." 
 
 "Listen, sahib: thy servant is the slave of the 
 king's brother, and so, although more Portuguese 
 than Burman, and moreover a Christian, the governor 
 released him from the stocks. Yet when he became 
 so unwise as to attempt to aid the sahib Johnson to 
 escape from the Shoe Dagon, and was discovered, the 
 governor ordered him to be ironed and sent to Ava 
 with the Europeans," said Naon. 
 
 " Then how did you escape ?" said I. 
 
 " By giving the chief of the boatmen, who were 
 to take us to Ava, a piece of gold ; in return for 
 which, during the night, he closed his eyes and ears 
 while I swam ashore ; reaching which, I at once re- 
 solved to make my way through Avood and jungle to 
 the petroleum wells at Yenangyoung." 
 
 "What, on foot, without food, or a gun where- 
 with to procure it ? Truly it was a brave resolve," 
 said I. 
 
 " I trusted to the hospitality of the inhabitants of 
 the first village of Carians at which I should arrive ; 
 but alas ! my path was crossed by the savages from 
 whom the sahib last night rescued me." 
 
 " Bah ! Naon, do not mention that again, for the 
 aid was mutual ; but let us resolve what to do."
 
 A SERPENT AND A MONKEY. 97 
 
 " Let us proceed at once to Yenangyoung," said 
 he. 
 
 " Impossible, for we have neither food nor ammuni- 
 tion, without which it would be as dangerous to en- 
 counter the beasts of the forests as to attempt to 
 reach Rangoon through the native army, whose war- 
 boats now cover the river and separate us from that 
 city," said I. 
 
 " The sahib will have powder and bullets enough 
 for the journey," said he, smiling, and pulling from 
 his jacket a pouch of ball-cartridges which it appeared 
 he had snatched from the ground where it had been 
 thrown by the soldiers. 
 
 " The possession of this alters the case ; so now 
 lead on, Naon, and I will foUow — that is, as far as my 
 legs will carry me," I said ; and Naon led the way, 
 once more, into the jungle ; but in a different direc- 
 tion from that in which we had escaped. 
 
 " Stay, Naon," I said, as the jungle, tall grass, and 
 forest in the distance reminded me of tigers, snakes, 
 and other any thing-but-hospitable inhabitants of 
 those wild regions ; " let us load the rifle." 
 
 " Hush ! not wise, sahib. To fire it in any ex- 
 tremity now would be to bring upon us some strag- 
 gling party, in whose hands we should be but little 
 better than in the mouths of tigers, which beasts we 
 have a good chance of avoiding till nightfall, when it 
 will be time enough to load." 
 
 Although it was not without hesitation that I fol- 
 lowed this advice, I soon had proof of its wisdom ; 
 for scarcely had we left the jungle and entered the 
 1
 
 98 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 forest than we heard the sound of distant voices and 
 the beating of tomtoms. 
 
 "The lord of heaven help us, for we cannot escape," 
 said Naon. 
 
 " Load the rifle," I said, snatching the pouch from 
 his arm, around which it was slung. 
 
 " It is destruction, sahib," said he. 
 
 " Then let us hide here," said I, pointing to some 
 tall grass between two large banyan trees ; but as I 
 spoke the chattering of strange, unearthly voices met 
 my ears, and two small branches fell upon my head. 
 Looking upward, however, and not seeing any thing 
 to alarm me, I was about to crawl among the grass, 
 when Naon exclaimed, — 
 
 "No; no, sahib; the snakes, the tigers; much bet- 
 ter climb tree." 
 
 " Good it was stupid not to have thought of that," 
 I replied, and the next minute we were both seated 
 upon a large branch of the banyan, hidden among 
 its luxuriant foliage. Immediately, however, the chat- 
 tering increased tenfold, and branch after branch 
 continued to fall in succession within a few inches of 
 our heads. " We are observed ; one of the savages 
 is pelting us with branches of the tree !" I cried out 
 to Naon, in alarm. 
 
 " It is only a hoonuman. Look, sahib," said Naon 
 pointing to some branches about six feet above us ; 
 and, notwithstanding our perilous position, I could 
 not refrain from laughing ; for there, in the most gro- 
 tesque attitudes, chattering, grinning, with their long 
 tails pendant, sat at least half a dozen monkeys,
 
 A SERPENT AND A MONKEY. 99 
 
 the largest of which were assiduously pelting us 
 with small branches, or rather twigs, and with justice, 
 for had we not invaded their domain? Not so 
 amused, however, did Naon seem ; he was too well 
 acquainted with the habits of the inhabitants of the 
 woods of Pegu ; for even when the sounds of the 
 footsteps and tomtoms of the Burman soldiers had 
 become lost upon our ears, he still seemed disinclined 
 to move. 
 
 "Let us descend, Naon," said I. 
 
 "Not wise to be too fast, sahib ; we arc safe here." 
 
 " But," I replied, " the Burmans have passed ; and, 
 moreover, I am tired of being pelted by these brutes." 
 
 " A tio-er or a snake must be near, or the monkeys 
 would not be clinging together upon that branch. 
 Let us watch, sahib." 
 
 Need I tell you that Naon's words changed my 
 wish to descend ; they did more, they caused me to 
 strain my eyes; yet without discovering any cause 
 for alarm, till Naon said, — 
 
 "Look, sahib, at the big monkey; her eyes are 
 upon something." „ 
 
 Naon was right; the animal kept her eyes fixed 
 upon the ground, all the time chattering and tremb- 
 ling with evident fear. 
 
 " Look, sahib ! Lord of heaven, it is a hamadrya !" 
 exclaimed Naon. 
 
 And there, among the lowermost branches, I saw 
 entwined one of the largest of those dangerous snakes 
 from which I had but a short time previously had 
 such a narrow escape ; not by any means an agreeea-
 
 100 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 hie recognition when I remembered the danger of 
 firing at the reptile; as for poor Naon, he trem- 
 bled till his lirnbs shook the branches, exclaiming 
 softly, — 
 
 " Lord of heaven ! Lord of heaven ! sahib, we are 
 as good as dead." 
 
 " Stay, Kaon ! the reptile seems asleep ; I will des- 
 cend softly and crush its head with the butt-end of 
 the rifle." 
 
 " Stay, sahib ; stay, the hoonuman will save us the 
 trouble." 
 
 And directly afterward, the monkey seeming more 
 than half convinced that its natural enemy was asleep, 
 glided gently from branch to branch downward, till 
 within a few feet of the reptile ; then stealthily creep- 
 ing near, as if to become perfectly sure its slumber 
 was not simulated, and apparently being satisfied, it 
 crept, if possible, still more noiselessly toward the 
 snake, and at a dash grasped its neck. The eyes of 
 the startled serpent dilated, it thrust forth its fangs 
 and made contortions with its huge body. It was, 
 however, now harmless for mischief, and that its 
 enemy knew, for it chattered and grinned with 
 delight, even looking up at its family as if to 
 invite them to rejoice in its triumph over their 
 most dreaded foe ; and the family recognising the 
 signal, seemed about to descend to the aid of their 
 parent. The latter, however, knew that, although 
 scotched, the snake was not killed, and fearing for 
 the safety of her family, looked up at them, and chat- 
 tered, as much as to say, " Wait a little ; wait a little;"
 
 The Monkey and the Serpent. Paire 100.
 
 A SElirENT AND A MOSTKEY. 101 
 
 Then, with a refinement belonging to such wild beasts 
 of humanity as we read of in history, and sometimes 
 in newspapers, who are so de-humanized as to find a 
 gratification in the sufferings of their fellow-beings, 
 the hoonuman — no doubt thinking of the past danger 
 of her family — unloosened its grasp, till the snake 
 seemed relieved ; then, closing it tighter than ever, 
 with miraculous strength, she tore the snake from the 
 branch around which it had been entwined, and run- 
 ning to the stump of a tree, began to bruise and 
 grind its head, chattering all the while at its writh- 
 ings and struggles under the torture ; till, sickened 
 at its sufferings, I could almost have slain the monkey 
 who was performing for me, no less than itself and 
 family, so inestimable a service. But I need not 
 tell you that so silly a notion did not remain long in 
 my head. 
 
 In afe w minutes, more, however, the serpent, though 
 not killed, was deprived of its poisonous fangs, and 
 helpless, when the young monkeys -descended the tree, 
 and with their parent exhibited their joy, by chat- 
 tering and throwing the snake from one to the other, 
 until, seeing us descend, they scampered up a tree, 
 and leaping from branch to branch, soon became lost 
 to our sight. 
 
 Having thus received so much benefit from one of 
 these animals, I should be ungrateful did I not tell you 
 something of their peculiarities, for which, indeed, I 
 am indebted to the Rev. Mr. Wood, who tells us that 
 the hoonuman or entullus monkeys, "being fully 
 aware that they are held sacred by the Hindoos, and
 
 102 THE "WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 will not be punished for any delinquency, take up 
 their position in a village with as much complacency 
 as if they had built it themselves. They parade the 
 streets ; they mix on equal terms with the inhabit- 
 ants ; they clamber over the houses ; they frequent 
 the shops, especially those of the pastrycooks and 
 fruit-sellers, keeping their proprietors constantly on 
 the watch, the only active resistance the shopkeepers 
 have resource to being by covering the roofs of their 
 shops with thorn-bushes." 
 
 This monkey, in fact, was deified by the ancient 
 inhabitants of India, chiefly, it is supposed, from its 
 resemblance in form to humanity. Their bodies were 
 supposed, by the believers in the Buddhist supersti- 
 tion of the transmigration of souls, to be the shrines 
 of human souls that had nearly reached perfection, 
 and thereby made their habitations royal. Therefore, 
 to insult the hoonuman is a crime of high class ; while, 
 to kill one, is equivalent to high treason, and punished 
 with death ; indeed, such a sacrilege as the murder 
 of a monkey is, or was, sufficient to raise a population 
 against the offender ; and men who will not scruple 
 to assassinate, or torture, or even leave an infirm com- 
 panion to die from hunger, thirst, or wild beasts, will 
 consider their feelings outraged if an accident happens 
 to one of these creatures. Therefore, supposing Mr. 
 Monkey to be fully aware of all this feeling in his 
 favor, it is no wonder that he is a spoiled child, and, 
 like all spoiled children, guilty of very eccentric and 
 sometimes very wicked tricks. For its name this 
 animal is indebted to the deity Hoonuman, who is
 
 MONKEYS HELD SACRED. 103 
 
 worshipped by the Hindoos under the form of an ape, 
 and is one of the most frequent objects of their adora- 
 tion, almost every pagoda having this figure delinea- 
 ted in some part of it.
 
 104: THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 CHAPTER Vm. 
 
 A SAD STORY — ANTELOPE SLATING A HERMIT'S CAVE. 
 
 "We have had a narrow escape," said I, as we 
 again entered the path from which we had diverged, 
 in order to avoid meeting the Burmese troops. 
 
 " The Lord of heaven he praised that we have es- 
 caped the fangs of that reptile," replied Naon, hut 
 with such a terrified visage that I said, — 
 
 " What, ]STaon, a native of this wild country, and 
 yet tremhle at the sight of its animals ?" 
 
 " Truly, a hraver man than Naon Myat might fear 
 the fangs of the snakes of Pegu," said he ; adding, 
 mournfully, " to a snake, sahib, thy servant owes his 
 misfortunes ; it slew his father, and made a slave of a 
 beloved mother." 
 
 " Is thy history too painful to repeat ?" I asked, 
 with excited curiosity. 
 
 " First, let us be on our guard," said he ; then, as 
 I, with my finger upon the now loaded rifle, he with 
 the naked SAvord in hand, and both upon the alert 
 for the sudden spring of a tiger, journeyed through 
 the forest, he told me his history. 
 
 "I am the only child," said he, "of a Portuguese 
 merchant, who, having married a Burmese lady, took 
 up his residence in the suburbs of Ava, in a house 
 built of the exact size and according to the rules laid
 
 A SAD STOKY. 105 
 
 down by the law for persons of his rank in life ; for 
 to erect a house of larger dimensions and better 
 decorations than that prescribed to each rank is to 
 incur the penalty of death. Well, a few months 
 after I had reached my tenth year, as my father was 
 walking in his grounds, he saw the hooded head of a 
 cobra di capello, which was lurking among some 
 tufts of grass. Startled, as he was, at the sight of 
 this venomous reptile, he called for assistance. By 
 the time, however, his slaves made their appearance, 
 the snake had glided away in the direction of an out- 
 house, in which it disappeared ; and although the 
 greater part of the day and the whole of the night 
 was spent in the search, it was nowhere to be found. 
 "Now, as these snakes are so insidious in their 
 movements, that when once hi the neighborhood of a 
 house, no person can tell when or where he may be 
 pounced upon by the reptile, my father became greatly 
 alarmed for the safety of my mother and myself, who 
 were constantly in or near the house ; so much so, 
 that he offered a large reward for its discovery. The 
 report of this reward soon brought to the house a 
 " samp waller," that is, a person whose business it is 
 to catch serpents. Well, when the snake-catcher was 
 conducted to the outhouse where the reptile had hid- 
 den, he desired that he might be left to himself, in 
 order to offer up a prayer for his success to ' Siva,' 
 the goddess of destruction. Having been left alone 
 for ten minutes, he sounded his tom-tom to signify 
 that he was prepared to commence operations, when 
 the whole family repaired to the outbuilding ; and to
 
 106 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 their delight, as the crested head of a cohra thrust 
 itself forth from a fissure in the wall, they beheld it 
 grasped by the samp waller, who deposited it in his 
 basket, received the reward, and went on his way ; 
 and for a time we felt happy at being freed from the 
 fangs of the hidden enemy we had so much dreaded." 
 
 "Surely that snake-catcher should have been well 
 rewarded," said I. 
 
 " He should, but with the cost of his miserable life, 
 were I to meet him, sahib," replied Naon, savagely ; 
 adding, "listen to the end. Some days after, my 
 father was resting near that outhouse asleep, a strange 
 hissing sound awakened him. Suddenly his foot 
 rested upon the body of a snake. It was the spect- 
 acled snake, the cobra, which, on the instant, fixed 
 its fangs in his leg. Believing in the certainty of 
 death, but determined not to die unavenged, my 
 father seized the reptile by the neck, dashed its head 
 against a tree till its venom became harmless, ran 
 into the pavilion, where my mother and myself were 
 sitting, and, throwing down the body, exclaimed, 
 ' Wife ! boy ! I am dying. There is one of my mur- 
 derers, the other is the rogue "samp waller," who 
 deceived us all.' " 
 
 " Surely he recovered ; there was some remedy," 
 said I, so excited by the story that I clutched his 
 arm. 
 
 ; " Not so, sahib ; he died a miserable death. The 
 worst, however remains to be told. My father's 
 affairs were declared to be so disordered that there 
 was not money sufficient to pay his debts. My
 
 A SAD STORY. 107 
 
 mother — his wife — therefore, according to Barman 
 law, was sold by the creditors as a slave, since which 
 I have not seen her. For myself," he added," after 
 a minute's silent grief at the memory, " I was taken 
 charge of by an American merchant, who brought 
 me up in his house, and to whom I am indebted for 
 speaking your language." 
 
 " Then Naon remained silent for some time, and I 
 asked him no more questions about the snake-catcher, 
 who, perhaps you may know, was one of a class or 
 caste of Hindoos who travel Hindostan, carrying, as 
 a specimen of their power over these venomous rep- 
 tiles, a small basket furnished with samples of deadly 
 serpents, which they would have it believed they 
 have tamed, and. to whose venom they endeavor to 
 prove their bodies mysteriously impervious by the 
 following performance : — 
 
 There are generally two persons — a samp waller 
 and his man. The man holds in his left hand a small 
 pipe or flute, from which he produces a discordant 
 sound, that is supposed not only to be the cause of 
 his becoming greatly and fantastically excited, but to 
 make the different serpents lift their crests, and en- 
 circle his body, when the " samp waller" or snake- 
 catcher offers to the reptile his naked arm, which they 
 seize with impetuous eagerness and bite till the blood 
 runs from the wounds in a copious stream, notwith- 
 standing which they are compelled to appear to suffer 
 no inconvenience, inasmuch as they declare themselves 
 fated to resist that venom which would be fatal to 
 any individual not of their own caste.
 
 108 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 As you may imagine, but few persons believe in 
 this invulnerability. Many, however, have asserted 
 that these men have a mode of abstracting the poison 
 from the fangs before exhibiting them to the public. 
 Yet this is improbable, for instances are not un- 
 common of men having died under the most violent 
 convulsions within an hour after receiving these bites. 
 With regard to the art of charming serpents from 
 their hiding-places by means of music, it has been be- 
 lieved from all time. The man, however, who had 
 professed to catch the cobra in the house of Naon's 
 father was an impostor, who practised upon the 
 credulity of the household, for the cobra which made 
 its appearance in the presence of the family had been 
 previously introduced into the fissure during the time 
 he was supposed to be praying to Siva. 
 
 Thus, tramp tramp, with listening ears and open 
 eyes, which turned to every rustling leaf, sometimes 
 upon a dry sandy ground, but chiefly through a pes- 
 tiferous swamp, into which we would every now and 
 then sink to our knees, we wended, or rather 
 pushed our way through the dense forest, at times 
 elated at the appearance of an opening in the dis- 
 tance — but which, when reached, proved to be acres 
 of marsh land, from which shot upward a forest 
 of tall reeds, through which the tracks of tigers 
 were plainly visible; at others, through tall grass 
 which would have hidden mounted horsemen, and 
 here and there beaten into circuitous paths by the 
 waving form of some serpent. Thus, till we started 
 a fine antelope, who, first gazing at us as if with aston-
 
 ANTELOPE SLAYING. 109 
 
 ishment, suddenly scampered along the path, turning, 
 however, now and then to gratify a curiosity which, 
 had we not feared the report of the rifle, might have 
 cost the noble animal his life, and provided us a meal. 
 
 " That beast is but the scout of a herd ; and proves 
 that a plain is at hand, sahib," said my companion. 
 
 And Ave passed onward through that forest, with 
 its noble trees of sapan, which form an important 
 item in the trade of the Hindoo-Chinese countries ; 
 the mighty teat, which rivals the oak in its capacities 
 for ship-building ; great oaks, inferior alone to those 
 of old England; the pine-apple, the mango, the 
 plantain ; the tamarind, by which we sustained our- 
 selves; the cotton-trees; the mimosa catechu, from 
 which is taken the catechu or terra-japonica, which 
 drug is obtained by boiling the wood cut down into 
 chips, and inspissating or thickening the produce ; and, 
 lastly, the bamboo, which in Pegu grows to the extra- 
 ordinary girth of twenty-four inches. I wonder — I 
 have often wondered — that among the multitude of 
 deities in the heathendom of the Malay and Indo- 
 Chinese races, whose numbers are estimated at more 
 than a third of the world's population, there is not 
 one to be found dedicated to the bamboo. 
 
 To the bamboo as many sonnets have been penned 
 in the East as to ladies' eyebrows and the eyes of the 
 gazelle. It is life, death, food, clothes, everything ; 
 post a and walls of houses, rafters, floor, and thatch, as 
 well as the withes that bind them together ; scaffold- 
 ing ladders, landing-jetties, fishing apparatus, irriga- 
 tion wheels, scoops, oars, masts, sails, spars, arrows,
 
 110 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 hats, helmets, bow, bowstring and quiver, oil-cans, 
 water-stoups, cooking-pots, pipe-sticks, conduits, 
 clothes-boxes, paint-boxes, dinner-trays, pickles, pre- 
 serves, and melodious musical instruments ; torches, 
 footballs, cordage, bellows, mats, paper ; and, indeed, 
 so many other articles that it would require an entire 
 chapter to record them. It may surprise you to be 
 told that the bamboo makes capital soup — about 
 which, by the way, the Chinese have a story. " A 
 certain Mang sung, when young, lost his father, his 
 mother was very sick ; and one winter's day she 
 longed to taste a soup of bamboo sprouts, but Mang 
 could not procure any. At last he went into the 
 groves of bamboo, clasped the trees with his hands 
 and wept bitterly ; his filial affection moved nature, 
 and the ground slowly opened, sending forth several 
 shoots, which he gathered and carried home. Ho 
 made soup of them, of which his mother ate, and 
 immediately recovered from her malady." 
 
 Then, as we entered upon a wide plain, sending 
 scampering into the thickets a herd of antelopes, 
 Naon exclaimed, " Truly, we are fortunate, for this is 
 the Lain river." 
 
 " Then upon its banks must I rest, for I can go 
 no further to-night," said I, squatting down upon tho 
 short grass. 
 
 " This is not wise, sahib, for it is to the river that 
 by night the beasts of the forest prowl to slake their 
 thirst," said Naon ; adding, " Another effort and we 
 may take shelter within a cave." 
 
 " A cave ! Well, that is at least worth an effort,"
 
 ANTELOPE SLAYING. Ill 
 
 said I ; and getting again npon my legs, I followed 
 Naon along the banks of the stream by the side of a 
 rocky cliff for about half a mile ; when, stopping at 
 some thick rushes, he said, as he pulled them aside, — 
 
 " As I expected ; an old cave." 
 
 Yes ; once the den of a tiger, or the haunt of 
 snakes," said I, not half liking its appearance. 
 
 "Let us send a messenger to see," he replied, taking 
 the rifle from my hands and firing it into the mouth. 
 
 There was a long reverberating sound ; fortunately 
 nothing more; but it was a mad-headed experiment, 
 for, had it proved to have been tenanted by a tiger, 
 nothing could have saved us from its claws. Being 
 satisfied that the cave was clear, Naon stealthily en- 
 tered ; but, to my surprise, Avhile I groped my way, 
 feeling the slimy Avails, and every now and then 
 stumbled upon the uneven earth, he kept as steadily 
 onward as if he had been accustomed to the place ; 
 but so exhausted was I by over-fatigue, so dark the 
 cave, that the minute passed seemed half an hour. 
 Moreover, I must confess that I did not feel supported 
 by my usual pluck, and I said, — 
 
 " Stay, Naon ; let us return to the forest and get a 
 bamboo torch." 
 
 " The sahib overrates his strength ; he would never 
 reach so far. Let him, however, follow ; and if his 
 servant is not mistaken, we shall not want a torch," 
 he replied; and in another minute we entered an 
 apartment hewn out of the sandstone rock, and 
 lighted from above by a grating of about two feet 
 square.
 
 112 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 " Surely this has been the habitation of a human 
 being," said I. 
 
 " Such it formerly was ; and in this place thy servant 
 once sought refuge from a storm upon this river, 
 which is a branch of the Irrawaddy," said he ; adding 
 " But let the sahib rest while his servant goes in 
 search of a ^nj)per." 
 
 " Supper, here!" And as I thought the half caste 
 was laughing at ine, I threw myself upon the floor 
 in no very good humor. 
 
 " First let the sahib refresh himself with the Eng- 
 lish liquor," said he, giving me the flask — a draught 
 from which seemed to infuse new blood into my 
 veins. Naon then having reloaded the rifle, and put 
 a single cartridge in his pocket, gave the weapon to 
 me, saying — " Let the sahib be on his guard while 
 his servant goes in search of fuel," left me pondering, 
 partly upon my queer fortunes, and partly upon my 
 new habitation ; which I afterward found to have 
 been formerly the retreat of a Burman priest, who 
 had excavated the cave with his own hands, and 
 dwelt therein the remainder of his life, preserving no 
 further intercourse with his fellow-creatures than that 
 which was necessary to receive his food by means of 
 ropes through the grating above. 
 
 By the way, it is worthy to be remarked that 
 although, like the ascetics of Europe during the Mid- 
 dle Ages, the pious Burman holds it necessary to 
 mortify the flesh by the voluntary penance of abstemi- 
 ousness and self-denial, he does not inflict upon him- 
 self the disgusting tortures practised by the Hindoos.
 
 a hermit's cave. 113 
 
 Although Naon was not absent for half an hour, the 
 light of the sun had become changed for utter dark- 
 ness. In those latitudes there is no twilight : the 
 change from lio;ht to darkness — if there be no moon — 
 is immediate, so that I gladly hailed the return of the 
 half-caste, the more so as I saw that he brought with 
 him a torch, which he had made by saturating a stick 
 of bamboo in the natural oil, which exudes from the 
 bark of the forest-trees, and lighted, by means of the 
 powder in the cartridge, also a large bundle of fuel, 
 i.e., a kind of dried moss, and small clumps or branches 
 of teak wood. 
 
 " Capital ; for if we are obliged to go through the 
 nio-ht without food, we shall at least have a fire to 
 keep off the beasts," said I, believing the fuel was for 
 the purpose of kindling a fire at the mouth of the cave. 
 
 " Stay, sahib ; we will have a meal, too ; some good 
 
 venison." 
 
 "How, Naoii? you are laughing at me." 
 " Not so, sahib ; there is a herd of antelopes upon 
 the plain. Heaven has sent us a meal. Let the sahib 
 rest till his servant returns ;" and Naon would have 
 left the cave. As, however, I believed him to be 
 going upon some dangerous expedition, I was deter- 
 mined he should not go alone, therefore, not heeding 
 his remonstrances, I walked, or rather hobbled after 
 him along the banks of the river, but when we came 
 near the plain we had previously traversed, he said, — 
 " Let the sahib remain here, with his finger upon 
 the trigger, and his servant will speedily return with 
 a deer." 
 8
 
 114 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 Compelled by exhaustion to comply, I sat down 
 upon a hillock and watched his movements, but pre- 
 pared to cover him with my rifle should he not go 
 beyond reach of gunshot. With naked kreese in one 
 hand, and in the other a blazing torch, which he flour- 
 ished above his head, he crept stealthily along for 
 some minutes ; then I heard the sound of hoofs scam- 
 pering toward me, and by the flames from the torch 
 I could see a herd of antelopes, which, like moths at- 
 tracted by the light, dashed onward, but suddenly, as 
 if suspecting the real cause, the leader of the herd 
 stood at bay, with its front legs thrown forward ; a 
 minute afterward, however, as if relieved from its 
 suspicion, the gallant deer made another dash, and, as 
 Naon had intended, the next instant fell pierced 
 through the heart by his sword blade, when the dying 
 shriek of the beast, and the shout of joy from the 
 hunter, sent the frightened herd scampering across the 
 plain. Naon, however, fearing that when recovered 
 from their first alarm the noble beasts mio-ht return 
 to the attack, caught hold of the hind legs of the 
 slaughtered antelope and dragged it along the bank 
 of the river into the cave ; and although I felt a mo- 
 mentary pang of sorrow for the fate of the animal, 
 like any other son of Adam with as keen an appetite, 
 I became consoled when I saw a portion of its flesh 
 smoking upon a large stone in the midst of the fire 
 which ISTaon kindled in the centre of the cave just be- 
 neath the iron grating ; which fire, by the way, served 
 not only to dress our supper, but to frighten any four- 
 footed visitors who might have been tempted by the
 
 a hermit's cave. 115 
 
 scent of the blood of the slain antelope to follow its 
 track into our retreat. 
 
 Thus, having made a tolerable, though primitive 
 meal, for the sword was our knife, our fingers our 
 fork, and a piece of flat stone our sole dish, we threw 
 fresh fuel upon the fire and sought to sleep, an attempt, 
 however, from over-exhaustion — but chiefly from 
 the mosquitos which came through the grating — ren- 
 dered impossible, more especially as I was without a 
 cover of any hind for my face. Although it is said 
 that it is only the female of this insect that bites, she 
 makes up for any deficiency in her male companion 
 by sucking the blood in such a severe manner as to 
 swell and blister the skin ; indeed, it is pretty gener- 
 ally known, I believe, that these insects are found in 
 the woods in such swarms that whoever enters them 
 is sure to have his face covered so that he is scarcely 
 able to see his way before him. A swelling and dis- 
 agreeable irritation of the skin follows the puncture, 
 which is succeeded by small white ulcers, so that the 
 face is scarcely to be recognized ; even gloves are not 
 always found a protection against these insects, as 
 their stings are sufficiently strong to pierce through 
 the leather. My companion's skin must have been a 
 little of the nature of the hide of a rhinoceros, for the 
 mosquitos did not prevent him sleeping. When, 
 however, the good-natured fellow awoke, suddenly — 
 perhaps from a more than usually severe nip — and 
 saw me sleepless, he said, — 
 
 " The sahib must endeavor to sleep, or he will not 
 be fit for his journey."
 
 116 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 " It is not possible with these winged brutes fly- 
 ing about, and nothing over my face and hands," 
 said I. 
 
 " I have rested sufficient, let the sahib cover his 
 face with this," said he, taking off the handkerchief 
 which formed his head-dress. 
 
 " The attempt would be useless, Naon ; I am too 
 tired to sleep." 
 
 " The legs, the limbs ; yes, sahib, but not here — 
 not tired enough here," he replied, touching his fore- 
 head ; then adding — 
 
 " Did the sahib ever hear the story of the Nine 
 Princesses of the Silver Mountain ?" 
 
 " It is a Burman play," said I. 
 
 " Yes, sahib ; but the legend, the story. If the 
 sahib has not heard it, it will help to send him to 
 sleep." 
 
 " Then let us hear it, by all means, my good, dear 
 Naon," said I, laughing. 
 
 Thus, for the very opposite purpose for which I 
 shall repeat this legend did Naon tell it to me, namely, 
 to induce sleep.
 
 rUINCESSES OF THE SILVER MOUNTAIN. 117 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 THE NINE PRINCESSES OF THE SILVER MOUNTAIN. 
 
 Those immortal beings, who, for their perfection 
 in this world, have been raised by Guadama to the 
 state of Nats, or good spirits, are ruled over by a 
 king, whose glittering palace of amber, gold, and 
 rubies, is built upon the Silver Mountain — a mountain 
 invisible too, and, except by magic, unapproachable 
 by mortals, for it hath three barriers, namely, a belt 
 of prickly cane, a stream of liquid copper, so reful- 
 gent that no human being can gaze upon it without 
 becoming instantly blind — if, indeed, not calcined — 
 and a hideous Beloo, or devil. 
 
 " Now, " once upon a time," as the old stories 
 begin, this King of the Nats was blessed with no less 
 than nine very beautiful daughters, who, either becom- 
 ing tired of the eternal monotony of Natdom, or being 
 tainted with the curiosity of their mortal sisters, 
 begged of his majesty to permit them to go upon 
 earth for a few hours' scamper ; and so assiduously 
 did they worry and torment the king, as, in fact, 
 none but pet and spoiled young ladies can torment 
 and worry, by what they are pleased to believe is 
 only coaxing, that their papa, like many another fool- 
 ish, good-natured old gentleman, at length not only 
 granted their request, but gave each a charmed zone,
 
 118 THE "WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 "which should enable her to cut through the air, 
 rather with the swiftness of an arrow than the grace 
 of the antelope. Thus, having obtained their wish, 
 and with the spirits of mortals, to whom holidays are 
 a novelty, they instantaneously shot down like falling 
 meteors, into a large forest ; and, as fortune would 
 have it, by the side of a lake, the waters of which 
 were so translucent that they could not resist the 
 temptation of plunging into its cool refreshing bosom, 
 where, for hours, they continued to disport themselves 
 like a bevy of water nymphs ; although, having been 
 born and educated in a very different; element, how 
 they learned to swim with the grace of swans must 
 for ever remain amongst matters undiscovered. 
 
 Now it so happened that the very forest in which 
 these ethereal damsels had chosen to spend their holi- 
 day, formed a portion of the dominions of the young 
 King of Pyensa, a country, by the way, which I do not 
 think you will find in the map, certainly not in modern 
 maps ; however, be that as it may, it has nothing 
 whatever to do with my story. It is sufficient to tell 
 you that the king had not long ascended the throne, 
 when the chief of his astrologers, by some magic 
 power — beauty, most likely — managed to make his 
 royal master fall in love with, and make a queen of, 
 his only daughter. He was an artful man, that as- 
 trologer, for by thus securing the crown to his 
 daughter, he hoped to secure the power of the king 
 in his own hands, and he succeeded. 
 
 As, however, the Prime Minister, Maha, had been 
 in office so many years, he knew the character of all
 
 PRINCESSES OF THE SILVER MOUNTAIN-. 119 
 
 persons of any note in the kingdom, and amongst 
 others, those of the astrologer and his daughter, the 
 new queen : and as what lie did know of them was 
 not by any means to their advantage, he feared for 
 his much-loved master ; and, moreover, with greater 
 honesty than prudence, volunteered a remonstrance. 
 Now, although this presumption much vexed the king, 
 he was under such obligations to the old minister, 
 who, in fact, had been the chief means of raising him 
 to the throne, that he could make no immediate re- 
 ply. Nevertheless, much enraged, he sought the ad- 
 vice of his astrologer and father-in-law, who so per- 
 suaded the young monarch that the following day, 
 when the whole court was assembled, pointing through 
 a window to some scaffolding which surrounded a 
 newly-erected and magnificent pagoda, the king said — 
 
 " Open thy lips, oh venerable Maha, and tell us 
 what the workmen do with the scaffolding when the 
 pagoda is finished." 
 
 " Is it possible," said Maha, falling to the earth, " is 
 it possible that the Golden Lord of the earth can 
 doubt that it is taken down and carried away that it 
 may not obstruct the view of the pagoda, or spoil its 
 beauty ?" 
 
 "Truly," replied the king, "wisdom alone should 
 proceed from the lips of the learned Maha. As the 
 workmen have used that scaffolding to build the pa- 
 goda, so have I made use of you to ascend the throne. 
 But now that I am firmly seated your presence only 
 disturbs my peace ; therefore, since thou hast pre- 
 sumed to raise thy slave's voice against our chief
 
 120 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 queen, yet, remembering your past services, we banish 
 you for life to the woods, — except, O Maha, thou 
 canst bring to the foot of our throne a lady who, both 
 in virtue and beauty, is more than mortal." 
 
 Thus was the minister driven into the forest, where, 
 by hunting and fishing, he was to subsist the remain- 
 der of his life. One day a dreadful tempest arose, in 
 the course of which he observed that the great trees 
 which resisted the force of the wind were not bent, 
 but broken, or torn up by its fury ; while the grass 
 and the canes, yielding before the blast, returned to 
 their original position the moment it was gone by. 
 
 " Oh !" said he, " if I had followed the example of 
 these canes and this grass I should not now be in so 
 miserable a condition." 
 
 " Grieve not, O man of virtue, for is it not written, 
 that the greatest blessings are nearest to the greatest 
 misfortunes ?' said a voice. 
 
 Maha, gazed upward, around ; it was only a voice, 
 nothing was to be seen but a silken cord upon the 
 ground at his feet. 
 
 "Doubtless," he muttered, "the voice of a guar- 
 dian Nat. Miserable Maha, to despair when Guada- 
 ma has thee in his protection. But this cord — I saw 
 it not before I heard the voice." Then grazing at it, 
 he added, "the Nats alone must be thanked, for this 
 rope was never twisted by mortal hands ; it must be, 
 it is, a charmed noose, from which the fleetest deer 
 may not' escape my hands." Thus pondering, he 
 walked onward, when suddenly, as if frightened by the 
 storm, a beautiful damsel fled by him, with more than
 
 * 
 PRINCESSES OF THE SILVER MOUNTAIN. 121 
 
 the fleetncss of the antelope. He called aloud to allay 
 her fears ; hut the more he called the quicker she fled. 
 For an instant she looked around ; Malta held up his 
 arm beseechingly, when, to his surprise, the noose of 
 silk jerked itself from his hands and fell over the 
 arm of the fair creature. 
 
 " The gods he praised ! some great event is about 
 to happen!" he exclaimed, and in another minute the 
 girl was at his feet imploring mercy, a very unneces- 
 sary supplication, for to Maha she appeared the spirit 
 of mercy ; indeed she could be no other than the 
 more than mortal beauty the king had tauntingly com- 
 manded him to bring- to the foot of the throne as the 
 price of his restoration to favor. 
 
 It need scarcely be told that the beauteous damsel 
 was the youngest of the Nat princesses of the silver 
 mountain, who, frightened by the storm, had escaped 
 from the lake, but either by accident or magic influ- 
 ence, having lost the zone by which alone she could 
 reascend with her sisters to her father's palace, had 
 fled, she knew not where. 
 
 Now, as by the loss of her zone the aerial young 
 lady had become reduced to the level of a mere ordi- 
 nary mortal, she was not backward in accepting from 
 an elderly gentleman, who, notwithstanding his mel- 
 ancholy, had the appearance of having seen better 
 days, such worldly terms as a fine palace, numerous 
 servants, and a handsome young king for a husband. 
 
 Of course, as in all similar instances, the young king 
 no sooner set eyes upon the beauty than he made 
 her his chief queen, and restored the minister to his
 
 122 THE WHITE ELEPHAXT. 
 
 old rank, honors, and emoluments, very much to the 
 disgust of the established queen, and her father, the 
 artful astrologer, both of whom at once resolved to 
 rum the new wife with the least possible delay. 
 
 It so happened, some months after the king's new 
 marriage, that a great king of a neighboring country 
 invaded Pyensa, and put the people to fire and sword, 
 in spite of all the renowned generals the young king 
 had sent to oppose him; and as, moreover, at the 
 same time, the whole kingdom became covered with 
 a plague of locusts, so thick that the cavalry could 
 scarcely manoeuvre, and the ripening food of the people 
 was being all demolished, the multitude began to 
 rebel, and to exhibit symptoms of an inclination to 
 desert to the invader. In this strait, the king, finding 
 he could obtain no good advice from his council, 
 was compelled to apply to the astrologer, who, after, 
 many days spent over fire — in which, by the way, it 
 was said there was a smell of brimstone — and in con- 
 sultation with his mysterious deities, said — 
 
 " Know, O possessor of the only great throne in 
 the world, that these many troubles are owing to an 
 evil spirit, who hating the king of the Nats, is deter- 
 mined to wreak his vengeance upon his daughter, and 
 all who befriend her. Therefore, O mighty lord of 
 many elephants, kingdoms, and mines of precious 
 stones, even at the risk of losing his head will thy 
 slave speak the truth. The queen Mauree, who 
 should be the blossom, is but the blight of the world." 
 
 Upon hearing this the king, after the decisive 
 fashion of Asiatic princes, would at once have given
 
 PRINCESSES OF THE SILVEE MOUNTAEST. 123 
 
 a wink to the tall black slave, who, with a glittering 
 two-edged sword, stood ready upon the instant to 
 convert the head of a refractory minister into a foot- 
 ball, but for the loud cries of many voices outside the 
 palace gates. 
 
 The truth was, the astrologer and the queen had 
 been disseminating the same story about the unhappy 
 Mauree among the people ; in consequence of which, 
 that hydra-but light-headed noun of multitude was 
 then clamoring for the new queen's head to be thrown 
 out of the window. Thus his majesty permitted the 
 astrologer's head to remain under his turban, at least 
 for a time. As for poor Mauree, what could the still 
 more to be pitied king do? Nothing, absolutely 
 nothing ; but first, to appease the people, order the 
 head of a maid of honor to be decorated with the 
 royal head-dress, and then thrown out to them. After 
 which, he ordered Mauree to be hidden in one of the 
 attics of the palace, hoping that time might enable 
 ■ him to make better terms with the astrologer's evil 
 spirit than having to destroy his beautiful queen. 
 
 Thus, having taken, as he thought, means for the 
 safety of the beautiful Nat, his majesty went to the 
 w T ars ; and having killed the invading king, prepared 
 to return to his palace in great triumph ; but arriving 
 at the city gates too late at night for his army to 
 make a triumphant entry, and impatient to congratu- 
 late Mauree, he passed into the city alone, and en- 
 tered the palace by a secret gate, and with beating 
 heart crept softly up the stairs to her chamber, think- 
 ing to give her a surprise. The surprise, however,
 
 124 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 "was fated to be for him; for, opening the door — there, 
 instead of Mauree, stood the queen number one, like 
 another Eleanor, a dagger in one hand and a cup of 
 poison in the other, with her paj>a, the astrologer, 
 by her side holding a lamp. The comparison, how- 
 ever, with the Queen Eleanor picture fell short of the 
 principal figure, for there was no fair Rosamond, that 
 is, Mauree. No, the would-be assassins were staring 
 in disappointed surprise through the opened window 
 at the silvery moonbeams, upon one of which the fair 
 Nat and an elderly lady seemed to be gradually float- 
 ing out of sight — that elderly lady was the mother 
 of Mauree. How she came to be floating upon a 
 moonbeam I will now explain. 
 
 When the eight princesses returned to the silver 
 mountain without their youngest sister, great was 
 the misery of the king, their parent ; who, however, 
 sending for his secretary-of-state for foreign affairs, 
 to whose department all transactions with the lower 
 world appertained, and finding from that minister 
 that his daughter had become mortalized, and a queen, 
 and was moreover very comfortable and happy, the 
 old gentleman thought it as well to let matters re- 
 main as they were, only commanding the secretary 
 to continue to keep him well informed as to his 
 daughter's well-being. 
 
 One day the minister, with a melancholy face, told 
 the king and queen of the trouble that had fallen upon 
 the princess ; and, moreover, that that very night the 
 astrologer and his daughter, the rival queen, intended 
 to enter the attic and offer Mauree the choice of a
 
 PRINCESSES OF THE SILVER MOUNTAIN - . 125 
 
 cup of poison or dagger. At this news the queen of 
 the Nats buckled on one flying zone, and taking 
 another for her daughter, shot down to the window 
 ledge of the queen Mauree's attic. Scarcely, how- 
 ever, had she informed the queen of the coming dan- 
 ger, and placed the zone around her waist, when the 
 astrologer, the old queen, and, as we have seen, the 
 king himself, entered the doorway to — well, as it re- 
 sulted, do nothing more than stare with surprise at 
 the flight of the intended victim. 
 
 Then so great was the rage of the king of Pyensa 
 at seeing his favorite queen upon the wing, that with 
 one blow he cut off the heads of both the would-be 
 assassins ; after which he fled to a neighboring moun- 
 tain, where, in anguish and tears, he wandered the 
 whole of the night, till from fatigue he fell down to 
 sleep, and dreamt that his beautiful but flown away 
 Nat, Mauree, after hovering over him for a few 
 minutes, laid a golden circlet upon his forehead, say- 
 ing— 
 
 " By means of this ring, oh, my husband, shall thy 
 trouble end ; take it, and fear not, for it will bring 
 thee to the gate of my father's palace." 
 
 The pleasure awoke the king, when, imagine his 
 surprise and delight to find himself lying near a foun- 
 tain of perfumed water upon the top of a mountain, 
 so wondrously beautiful that it would be impossible 
 for mortal power to describe it. He rubbed his eyes, 
 for he believed he still dreamt ; but no, there could 
 be no mistake, for there, upon his finger, was the 
 very ring.
 
 126 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 The Princess Mauree was in her private apartments, 
 surrounded by her maids of honor, one of whom, 
 preparing her bath, was pouring from a crystal jar 
 perfumed water into the porphyry vessel, when, per- 
 ceiving a ring fall into the bath, she exclaimed, " My 
 husband! my husband !" and fainted in the arms of 
 her maids, who, fearing she had been attacked by 
 some strange disorder, hastened to the king of the 
 Nats, who, finding that his daughter's illness had 
 been caused by the sight of a ring, cruelly ordered 
 the waiting-maids to be starved till they had dis- 
 covered from whence that ring had come. Where- 
 upon, the maid who had fetched the perfumed water 
 said that as she was coming from the fountain with 
 the jar upon her head, a handsome young mortal had 
 approached her, and having discovered that the water 
 was for the bath of the Princess Mauree, had dropped 
 the ring into the jar. 
 
 A stranger venturing into his dominions, and one 
 too who must have encountered (for so 1 the king 
 thought) and vanquished the terrible Beloo, or devil- 
 guard, to say nothing of the belt of prickly canes and 
 stream of boiling copper — it was terrible, it was 
 presumptuous ; and not even though the Princess, who 
 by this time had recovered, declared the stranger to 
 be her husband and a king, could the royal Nat be 
 pacified. His family pride was hurt. What was a 
 king of mortals in comparison with him? Never 
 was a royal Nat so stung with rage. 
 
 However, as we have seen at the commencement 
 of the legend, a pretty daughter, especially if she be
 
 PRINCESSES OF TI1E SILVER MOUNTAIN. 127 
 
 as good as Mauree undoubtedly was, can do much to 
 soften the heart of even a hard-hearted father, which 
 the king of the Nats was not ; so, by dint of coaxing, 
 crying, and smiling through her tears, every one of 
 which seemed a wasted pearl to his majesty, the latter 
 agreed to forgive her husband's presumption, condi- 
 tionally — that he would tame his wildest elephant, 
 ride his fiercest and most savage horse, and send an 
 arrow out of a bow that no man in Natdom had 
 strength enough to bend, right through the ring at 
 a distance of a hundred yards. 
 
 Now, most people would have thought these con- 
 ditions rather hard, but then eA'erything is possible 
 to the hero of a fairy story, and so the young king prov- 
 ed to the satisfaction of a court very jealous of a mortal 
 being established therein as a resident ; and this jeal- 
 ousy was not unfounded, for there is no doubt that 
 with the wisdom of a Nat the king foresaw the troub- 
 les that Residents would ultimately bring upon the 
 kingdoms of India beneath his own states. 
 
 Alas, however, there was another trial for the king 
 of Pyensa to undergo before he would be permitted 
 to claim Mauree — no less, indeed, than recognising 
 her by her little finger. For this purpose he was 
 introduced into a chamber, across which was suspend- 
 ed a large curtain of yellow silk. The king of the Nats 
 gave a signal, and immediately the tips of nine little 
 fingers shot throughas many little holes in the curtain. 
 
 The king of Pyensa's heart beat. How was he to 
 tell which was Mauree's finger. He rubbed his eyes, 
 scratched his head, pushed his hair off his forehead,
 
 128 TIFE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 and inwardly prayed to his gods. All of no use ; for 
 a time he would not choose. At length he began to 
 examine one after the other; but like the chalk marks 
 upon the house doors in the story of Ali Baba and 
 the Forty Thieves, they were all alike. What could 
 he do ? Nothing but wish for the gifts of knowedge. 
 Ah, yes, that was it. He had heard that gifts were 
 marked upon the nails ; so passing one, two, three, 
 four, he found that all the nails were alike, but upon 
 the fifth there were three white spots set in the blush- 
 ing crimson, the sixth finger had two spots, the remain- 
 ing fingers none ; he touched the fifth, it moved, he 
 had made his choice, and the next moment the beau- 
 tiful Mauree was by his side, when the king of the 
 Nats, like all good fathers in romances, forgave the 
 runaway marriage, and — of course they were happy 
 for ever afterward.
 
 CHASED BY A CROCODILE. 129 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 CHASED BY A CROCODILE. 
 
 Although this story was based upon a Burmese 
 play, and will therefore afford you some notion of the 
 ingredients of the national drama, it was in the main, 
 I afterward discovered, the creation of the fertile 
 brain of Naon, who had so thoroughly acquired the 
 style and soft tones of the professional story tellers of 
 the East, that it had the desired effect, for it soothed me 
 to sleep and pleasant dreams in spite of the mosquitoes. 
 
 The next morning I awoke not only refreshed, but 
 much sounder both in mind and limb, and we con- 
 tinued our journey, keeping close alongside the banks 
 of the river, but at the same time a sharp look-out for 
 both crocodiles and tigers, which infest those parts, 
 and frequent the banks — the former for the purpose 
 of laying its eggs in the sand, and seeking chance 
 prey, the latter for the purpose of slaking the burning 
 thirst that so continuously torment all animals of the 
 tiger kind. Proceeding about a mile along the river, 
 we came to a deep thicket, indeed almost a shrub- 
 bery, which had grown some distance into the river. 
 
 " Truly, sahib, we are most fortunate as we may 
 save our legs for a better purpose," said Kaon, point- 
 ing to a large boat, or rather canoe, hollowed from 
 the trunk of a tree while green, which was moored 
 near the bank. 
 9
 
 130 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 " But the owner may be at hand, and object to our 
 appropriating his boat," said I, rather annoyed at 
 Naon's evident loose notions of meum et tuum. 
 
 " Truly, it is a stray canoe, which we can use, and 
 leave at the first village," said he. 
 
 "It is not so, Naon; see, there are the owners,'' 
 said I, as at that moment two men approached, who, 
 with the exception of a pair of loose trowsers, a fillet 
 of linen around their heads, were naked ; and who, 
 from the shield upon the left arm, and the long sabre, 
 wmich is always carried for the purpose of defence 
 against Avild beasts, felling trees, and shaping timber, 
 I knew to be ordinary peasants. 
 
 " Nevertheless we are fortunate, for they are caria- 
 ners, and will carry us to their village." 
 
 Before, however, he could address the men they 
 crouched to the earth, fixing their eyes upon a small 
 tree, and crawled stealthily forward. This move- 
 ment aroused my curiosity, and, looking narrowly, I 
 saw upon a branch an animal of the lizard kind. It 
 was about eleven inches in length, nearly half of 
 which was a tail, by which it seemed to hold to the 
 branch, and move itself backward or forward. The 
 body was bluish-gray, its skin grained with globular 
 inequalities, like shagreen; no ears, at least visible; 
 a large head, fixed and immovable, except with the 
 body; two very small eyes, of piercing brightness, 
 which were covered with a skin like its body; the 
 grain, however, of this was in concentric circles to the 
 middle, where there was a hole no larger than a pin's 
 head, and through which it received the light. These
 
 CHASED BY A CROCODILE. 131 
 
 eyes, I afterward learned, are remarkable for being 
 independent of each other, and capable of all the dif- 
 ferent necessary motions, for the animal can either 
 turn them both at the same time, or one back- 
 ward and the other forward, one upward and the 
 other downward, or can keep one fixed upon one ob- 
 ject, whilst the other is moving according to the 
 motion of another. 
 
 At the moment this curious little animal attracted 
 
 my attention its eyes were fixed upon a swarm of flies, 
 
 one of which it caught by suddenly darting forth a 
 
 tongue nearly as long as its body, and which, I found, 
 
 nature has supplied with a kind of sheath. 
 
 "They are chameleon hunting," said Naon, per- 
 ceiving my curiosity ; and thus I first became ac- 
 quainted with one of those wonderful little creatures 
 about which so many fables have been told. ' To 
 live upon air like a chameleon' is an old simile, which 
 has its origin in the simple fact that the animal is 
 capable of drawing in a vast supply of air, which it 
 has also the power of driving over every part of the 
 body between the skin and the muscles. As for the 
 fable that it can assume the color of every object it 
 approaches, it is simply an exaggeration of the fact 
 that from its pale gray or mouse color, it will fre- 
 quently change to green, spotted with yellow, dark 
 brown, light brown, and sometimes red, but nearly 
 always with a bluish tint. Previously to changing 
 its hue the animal makes a long inspiration, which 
 causes the body to swell out to twice its natural size, 
 and as this inflation subsides the change gradually
 
 132 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 takes place. The cause of this variety of colors is 
 supposed to be, first, that the blood is of a violet 
 blue, the vessels yellow, the outer skin colorless and 
 transparent, and the inner skin yellow ; so that the 
 changes depend upon the mixture of blue and yellow, 
 from which result different shades of green. Thus, if 
 provoked, when well fed, the blood is carried in 
 greater abundance from the heart to the extremities 
 and swelling the vessels of the skin, the blue subdues 
 the yellow, and produces a blue-green, which is seen 
 through the transparent outer-skin. When, on the 
 contrary, the animal is impoverished from want of 
 free air the vessels become more empty, and its color 
 becomes of a yellow green. 
 
 Thus you see the foolish boast which originated, I 
 believe, among the Spanish Hidalgos, and is so often 
 repeated among Englishmen, who wish to be thought 
 of aristocratic birth, that they are blue bloods, or 
 having blue blood in their veins, is, in reality, only 
 the attribute of the chameleon. 
 
 But, to continue my narrative. The ground be- 
 tween myself and the chameleon hunters was occupied 
 by a portion of the thicket, a kind of leafy under- 
 wood, which being beaten down by what I mistook 
 to be a fallen tree, left open to my view the little 
 animal in whose safety from the hunters I felt so 
 much interested that I moved some yards in advance 
 of Naon. It was then that the chameleon hunters 
 saw me for the first time, and (as I for the instant 
 supposed) fearing I should alarm their game, called 
 aloud to me to "beware the crocodile." Almost
 
 CHASED BY A CHOCODILE. 133 
 
 simultaneously came the crack of the rifle, and a 
 shriek from Naon. The warning came too late. I 
 had stepped upon the animal. Heaven alone pre 
 served me. With one bound I leaped forward many 
 feet, and a thrill of delight ran through my frame as 
 I caught sight of the boat. A few leaps and I reached 
 it ; but, looking back to the shore, my heart seemed 
 to be rising into my mouth, for the tree, against 
 which I had stumbled in the thicket, was in full chase 
 after me — no longer, however, in the shape of a tree, 
 but that of a huge crocodile, which was fast gaining 
 the water's edge. Terror for a moment paralyzed 
 my hands. I could not unloosen the cord by which 
 the boat was moored. Another crack of the rifle ; 
 fortunately a double-barrelled piece, or the monster 
 would have had me in its jaws. Another report ; a 
 shot hit its tail ; at the same instant a short javelin 
 from the thicket struck its head, nearly piercing the 
 eye, at which it had been aimed, and, although harm- 
 less to the monster, since both ball and javelin 
 glided off its scales, saved my life ; for, thus annoyed 
 from behind, it turned around for an instant as if to 
 attack its rearward enemies, and that one turn gave 
 me time to push off from the shore, where, however, 
 I seemed in yet greater danger, for, determined not 
 easily to give up its prey, the annimal had taken to 
 the water, and in a minute or so was within a very 
 short distance of the boat. 
 
 My position was dangerous in the extreme. Alone, 
 without rifle or spear, in a small boat, which, by one 
 blow from its tail, the animal might capsize the mo-
 
 184: THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 ment it got within reach ; and that it would do so seemed 
 certain, for, although its speed upon land had been 
 by far greater than some naturalists have said it has 
 the power to run, that speed became increased tenfold 
 in its native element. Paddling with the oars for my 
 life, with the scaly reptile in my wake, it was many 
 minutes before I observed, some distance ahead, 
 several boats, the crews of which were shouting to 
 me to beware " the line." The shouts strengthened 
 my nerves, and although the beast was making upon 
 me, I cared not, but quicker and quicker went my 
 paddles, till I got within a yard of the line which was 
 drawn across the river, when I confess to a feeling 
 of despair. The brute had so far gained upon me, 
 that its snout rubbed against the stern ; another yard 
 and its tail would have full play, the boat would be 
 swamped. Then came loud shoutings from the boats, 
 Heaven added to my vigor, faster and faster I strove, 
 till the boat glided over the line, when I rested upon 
 my paddles. Now my turn had come. The crews 
 of the boats were professional crocodile hunters. 
 The line was the running cord of a great bamboo net, 
 among the meshes of which the beast had become 
 entangled, and was now floundering about, lashing 
 its tail so violently that no boat dared venture near ; 
 and thus, after struggling for nearly two hours, the 
 brute expended its great strength. 
 
 Then the boats drew nearer, and their crews darted 
 forth their javelins : some pierced its eyes, others its 
 stomach, the only vulnerable parts, till perceiving, by 
 the great loss of blood, and its motionless position, it
 
 CHASED BY A CROCODILE. 135 
 
 was nearly dead, they dragged it ashore. I followed ; 
 and need not tell you was warmly congratulated 
 upon my escape by Naon, who with tears in his eyes 
 continued to repeat for some minutes — 
 
 " May the Lord of heaven be praised, for the sahib's 
 escape was miraculous." 
 
 As for the natives, they crowded around, fell upon 
 their hands and knees, and after their heathen fashion 
 almost worshipped me, for having been the means of 
 delivering their great enemy into their hands. That 
 you may understand the meaning of this, I must tell 
 you that the river upon which this adventure hap- 
 pened is at times infested with crocodiles, which 
 commonly seize natives who may be walking near 
 the water's edge ; and becoming emboldened by suc- 
 cess, as had been the case with this particular animal, 
 they become the terror of every boat's crew who 
 passes that portion of the river which the animal has 
 made its hunting-ground. The animal's mode of 
 attack is to glide silently up to the bow or stern of 
 the boat, and then turn suddenly, when, with one 
 dash of its powerful tail it sweeps into the water who- 
 ever may be within reach ; and, as a matter of course, 
 the stunned men become an easy prey. 
 
 Now, notwithstanding the charms given to them 
 by their priests to protect them from crocodiles, for 
 some months scarcely a day had passed without some 
 man having fallen a prey to this animal ; consequently 
 it had become the terror of the neighboring country ; 
 and although nets— the usual means by which they 
 are taken in Pegu— had been thrown across the river
 
 136' THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 for many weeks, and constantly watched, the croco- 
 dile had heen too wary for its enemies, and had es- 
 caped, till it lost, I suppose, its presence of mind in 
 its hot chase after myself. Thus, having ensnared 
 the brute, I was almost worshipped by the natives, 
 and by none more than the chameleon hunters, who 
 were father and sou, and had recently lost a near and 
 dear relative, who, while steering his boat, had been 
 knocked from his post into the water, and afterward 
 devoured. 
 
 Resolved to make the most of my advantage — when 
 I had watched the other boatmen tie up the beast's 
 mouth, fasten its head to its tail, anfl its fore feet 
 over its back (had they not done this, it might yet 
 have done them mischief) — I begged of the grateful 
 chameleon hunters to carry us to their village — a re- 
 quest with which they readily complied ; so when I 
 had taken farewell of the crocodile hunters, and my 
 new friends had secured their stock of lizards and 
 chameleons, which they had hidden in a hole near 
 the thicket, we embarked.
 
 STORY OF A DESPOT. 137 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 I HEAR THE STORY OP A DESPOT, AND HAVE AN 
 ADVENTURE WITH SOME QUEER PISH. 
 
 Once afloat, the Carians sent their boat through 
 the waters with a velocity only to be accomplished, 
 by Burmans, and we passed through a country, 
 which upon the one side of the river was low and 
 swampy, but upon the other magnificent, from the 
 chain of hills which, commencing almost with hillocks 
 near the river, arose in height till they terminated in 
 the distant but lofty mountains of Arracan. 
 
 This Arracan, now a dreary province of Anglo- 
 India, was once the seat of one of those gorgeous 
 Asiatic empires whose foul doings have brought upon 
 them their own punishment; and the story I am 
 about to relate is not only illustrative of the tremen- 
 dous power and wickedness of its kings — for one was 
 the type of the many — but of the slavery of the people, 
 who I am inclined to think deserved all they met 
 with for their submission. It is the story of a modern 
 Herod, and was told by one Sebastian Manrique, a 
 friar of St. Augustin, who visited India as a mission- 
 ary in 1612, and repeated to me by Naon, who had 
 learned it from a book of the friar's travels, which 
 had been in the possession of his father, a fellow- 
 countryman of the missionary.
 
 138 THE WHITS ELEPHANT. 
 
 Prophecies have ever met with ready belief in the 
 East. Now, prior to the Father Manrique's entrance 
 into Arracan, a prediction had long been current that 
 the Emperor of Arracan, within one, or at most two, 
 years after his coronation would be slain. To escape 
 this fate the then monarch had postponed his corona- 
 tion for nearly nine years, but, as by the law, if he 
 delayed the ceremony over that period, he would for- 
 feit the crown, he found himself in an awkward 
 dilemma, out of which he saw no other escape than 
 by the aid and advice of a celebrated Mahommedan 
 sage. 
 
 This worthy, perhaps to suit some secret ambitious 
 purpose of his own, or more probably from a love of 
 wickedness, replied, that there was one method by 
 which his majesty could not only escape the threatened 
 fate, but at the same time become invincible, and ex- 
 tend his dominion over the surrounding empires of 
 Siam, Pegu, Ava, and Delhi. 
 
 The promised result was brilliant ; the means, how- 
 ever, by which it was to be obtained, was according 
 to the sage, to offer to the gods a sacrifice of six thou- 
 sand human hearts, four thousand hearts of white 
 cows, and two thousand hearts of pigeons. Now, 
 do you not think such an inhuman suggestion incred- 
 ible as a piece of sober human history, indeed any- 
 where out of a pantomime or a goblin story ? Incred- 
 ible, however, as it appears, this demoniac sovereign 
 acted upon it. 
 
 Like another Herod, he immediately sent troops 
 to seize all those of his subjects who could be found
 
 STOKY OF A DESPOT. 139 
 
 either in the streets or in the fields, till the fatal num- 
 ber was completed. Those seized during the day- 
 were carried at night to a deep hollow between two 
 lofty mountains, where the sacrifices were perfoimied. 
 
 " The visible executioner," says the worthy friar, 
 who was present in Arracan at the time of the 
 slaughter, "being no doubt attended by invisible 
 witnesses from the world below." 
 
 The horror excited by this butchery it is impossible 
 to describe. The wretched and trembling people 
 durst not stir out of their houses, and the streets 
 became a desert. A thousand pities there was no 
 Arracanese House of Commons, Avhose members 
 might have led their constituents against this tyrant, 
 as those of the English Parliament did at one period 
 of our history. 
 
 Finding sufficient victims could not be obtained in 
 the city, emissaries were sent into the neighboring 
 towns and country, where the people were less upon 
 their guard. The great number of victims required, 
 however, seem at length to have aroused even an 
 Asiatic slavedom, for the cries of the multitude rose 
 to such a height that an insurrection would infallibly 
 have taken place, had it not been for an announce- 
 ment that the sacrifice prepared for the impious altars 
 of the nether kingdom was now completed, and that 
 the coronation would take place within six months ; 
 which at once not only dispelled the fears of the peo- 
 ple, but delighted them with the prospect of the 
 merry doings to take place at the approaching cere- 
 mony. 

 
 140 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 " But, my good Naon," I exclaimed, interrupting 
 him, "is it possible that a people ever existed so base 
 and cowardly in themselves not only to have for- 
 gotten the sufferings of their fellows, but to permit 
 so great a wretch to reign any longer over them ?" 
 
 "Let the sahib listen, and he will hear." 
 
 I became silent, and Naon continued. 
 
 "The six months were employed without inter- 
 mission throughout the whole kingdom in making 
 preparations, and, in particular, a copious supply was 
 brought of the holy waters from Sagur. As the day 
 approached, such crowds came from all the kingdoms, 
 states, and cities of Indostan, Ava, Siam, Sumatra, 
 and other various islands and countries, that Arracan 
 became, as it were, an epitome of the East. 
 
 " The ceremonies commenced with the coronation 
 of twelve kings, each of whom was to reign over one 
 of the provinces subject to Arracan. On this occa- 
 sion, the supreme tyrant being seated on a splendid 
 throne, with all his lords in attendance, the king was 
 introduced, who, on approaching the throne, began a 
 series of bows and prostrations, which ended with 
 his laying himself flat upon the ground, to which he 
 riveted his lips. In this posture he remained till four 
 lords came and lifted him up. On approaching a 
 little nearer, he repeated the same series of prostra- 
 tions, and so on for four or five times ; but on being 
 raised the fifth time, he found himself close to the im- 
 perial throne." 
 
 " A golden idol, three feet high, with a garland of 
 flowers on its head, was then brought forth. The
 
 STORY OF A DESPOT. 141 
 
 king took it in his hand, and after six prostrations, 
 placed it on his head, and pronounced a solemn oath 
 of allegiance to the tyrant, who immediately declared 
 that his vassal's head was worthy of becoming the 
 temporary resting-place of part of his own imperial 
 foot, 
 
 " The great trumpet being then blown thrice, the 
 whole assembly (fit nobles of a fitting people fell 
 prostrate on the ground, upon which a curtain being 
 drawn, the tyrant became hidden from the view of 
 the court. Eight days elapsed between the corona- 
 tion of each king, which period was spent by the last 
 one crowned in magnificent processions by land and 
 water, and in keeping open table for all the citizens. 
 
 " The coronation of the kings being completed, the 
 crowd of strangers daily increased, and the city as- 
 sumed a more brilliant aspect ; that city, be it re- 
 marked, which had so recently been the theatre of 
 such a fearful slaughter. The outsides of the houses 
 were hung with cloths of cotton, silk, and embroidery ; 
 the streets were adorned with triumphal arches, and 
 echoed with the sound of music, the beating of drums, 
 and the discharge of artillery. The loyal merchants 
 took the opportunity of holding a fair, in which all 
 that Avas most rare and precious in the East was 
 profusely exhibited. 
 
 " On the evening before the grand ceremony, the 
 whole city was filled with standards, pendants, and 
 streamers of various colors which kept waving in the 
 wind. The morning rose clear and beautiful, and 
 was ushered in with the firing of cannon. At the
 
 
 142 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 appointed hour all the kings, princes, and lords re- 
 paired to an immense hall with a golden roof, and 
 supported by thirty gilded pillars. Three sides were 
 open, and the fourth hung with rich tapestry, hiding 
 from view the large arched space in which the mon- 
 arch was seated. All the grandees having taken their 
 places, five blasts were blown with the great trum- 
 pet, and during the next half hour there was one 
 continued roar of artillery. 
 
 " A profound silence followed, but when the 
 trumpet was again blown, the whole assembly fell 
 ^prostrate to the ground. The curtain being , then 
 drawn aside, exhibited the imperial assassin seated 
 upon a lofty throne blazing with gems and gold. His 
 robe was entirely covered with pearls, and on his 
 feet were silken sandals laden with diamonds. His 
 head was- merely wrapt in white cloth; but from the 
 ears depended two of the emblems of royalty called 
 chanequas, and which surpassed in splendor every 
 other object. After some superstitious ceremonies, 
 the chief priest delivered a lengthy discourse, in 
 which he painted the virtues and perfections of this 
 wholesale assassin in such terms that, if one half had 
 been true, as Manrique says, he would have deserved 
 canonization. 
 
 " The sermon of ' this false preacher' being ended, * 
 the whole assembly broke up, and proceeded in regu- 
 lar order and pomp till they arrived at the gate of a 
 large court, into which they entered. Here, however, 
 only the believers in the national faith being admitted, 
 Manrique and the Portuguese were denied entrance.
 
 STOKY OF A DESPOT. 143 
 
 They waited for two hours, at the end of which all 
 the artillery in the city was discharged at once with a 
 roar so tremendous as if the world were going to 
 wreck. The gates were then thrown open, and the 
 monarch issued forth, wearing on his head the impe- 
 rial crown, which glittered all over with pearls, rubies, 
 and diamonds. He then repaired to a court, where 
 stood twelve hundred elephants richly caparisoned, 
 on which he and his lords mounted and rode in solemn 
 
 * • 
 
 . procession through the city, horsemen clearing the 
 way before them. 
 
 " Great was the acclamation of the multitude. The 
 ladies of the Court appeared stationed at different 
 points, with their faces unveiled and covered with the 
 richest jewels. At length the monarch arrived at the 
 palace, and was received by his empress, who, ac- 
 cording to the custom of the country, was also his 
 eldest sister, and this long-protracted festival was 
 brought to a close." 
 
 " Thus, I meditated, did this population of slaves 
 reward, instead of punish, the odious tyrant who had 
 plunged thousands into grief by the murder of their 
 relations. Thus has it ever been with the peoples of 
 the East — by turns wolves or lambs — always ready 
 to oppress the weak, or lick the feet of the bold and 
 fearless ; and thus is it that their own savage, treach- 
 erous nature has encompassed their ruin, and affords 
 «the best of excuses for their conquest by the remote 
 races of Europe — our own in particular, which, by the 
 introduction of Christian civilization, must at least 
 not only raise the people in the scale of creation, but
 
 14i THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 teach them the true and human uses of the vast natu- 
 ral wealth by which they are surrounded ; for in 
 eastern Asia many are the countries which, although 
 now trodden almost alone by the beasts and reptiles 
 of the forest, teem with gold, precious stones, iron, 
 copper, and soils so rich that, if but properly cultiva- 
 ted by the sons of the West, starvation and want 
 might be erased from the world. 
 
 My meditations, however, were cut short by the 
 Carians, who, having rested upon their paddles to 
 partake of a meal of gnapee, a kind of half-pickled 
 sprat, tea, and rice prepared in small pellets, cried 
 out, " tet-tet, tet-tet," at the same time hanging over 
 the boat, and looking along the water in the direction 
 of the shore. 
 
 "A crocodile, Naon," said I, startled. 
 
 " Not crocodile — not crocodile, sahib, but fish, pet 
 fish ; the boatmen are calling them to come and be 
 fed." And in a few minutes, to my surprise, the 
 boat was literally surrounded by what I took to be 
 dog-fish, for they were blunt-snouted, broad-mouthed, 
 with brown skin dotted with black spots, and between 
 three and four feet in length. 
 
 As the fish neared the boat, the Carians con- 
 tinued to cry "tet-tet," when the finny creatures 
 thrust half their bodies vertically out of the water, 
 and opened their mouths to receive the pellets of rice 
 which were thrown down their throats. The most 
 curious fact, however, was, that the fish seemed to be 
 upon terms of acquaintanceship with the Carians, for 
 each, when it had swallowed its rice, returned to the
 
 STORY OF A DESPOT. 145 
 
 boat for more ; and while awaiting their turns to bo 
 served, submitted, nay, seemed to enjoy being stroked 
 down the back as one would stroke a cat. Thus, 
 watching these finny creatures, I had a full half-hour's 
 amusement, for before that time I had not heard of 
 such a curiosity. 
 
 "Recently, however, Captain Yale, in a clever 
 book in which he recounts his visit to Ava, tells us 
 that he witnessed a similar scene ; and further says : 
 " During March, I am told, there is a great festival, 
 and it is a very common trick for the people to get 
 some fish into the boat, and even gild their backs by 
 attaching some gold leaf, as they do in the ordinary 
 way pagodas." (In the Burmese dominions gold is 
 plentiful, being indigenous to the soil; and except 
 for coin, for which it is not made available, it is used 
 very lavishly in gilding and ornamentation.) The 
 Captain adds that on one of the fish he saw the re- 
 mains of the gilding. " I wished," he writes, " to 
 take one away as a specimen, but the people seemed to 
 think it would be a kind of sacrilege, so I said nothing 
 more on the point." The phoongyis (priests) are in 
 the habit of feeding them daily, I was informed. Their 
 place of abode is the deep pool formed at the back of 
 an island by the two currents meeting round its sides. 
 
 Thus, you see, even fish of the shark kind may be 
 tamed by kindness and attention. I must, however, 
 add that this curious scene is not common even in 
 Burma, for the place where it is to be seen is visited 
 by numbers of persons who travel great distances to 
 witness it. 
 10
 
 146 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 I HAVE A MISUNDERSTANDING WITH SOME BUFFALOES. 
 
 About an hour after the adventure with the dogfish, 
 we reached a small village built upon the hanks. 
 This place contained about forty small houses, erected, 
 as usual, upon posts, and, to my astonishment, appa- 
 rently populated alone with aged men, women, and 
 children. The younger men, however, I afterward 
 discovered, had been sent by the government to the 
 sea-side to make salt, and thus, as it were pay their 
 taxes by the labor of their hands. 
 
 Apropos of salt, although the greater part of that 
 consumed in the empire is manufactured at the sea- 
 side, a considerable quantity is made in the Sagaing 
 mountains, where there is a lake, the waters of which 
 afford material for this condiment ; and at each end 
 of which there are Ailla^es whose inhabitants are 
 entirely devoted to the making of salt, which is pre- 
 pared as follows : — 
 
 Having first scraped the soil from the borders of 
 the lake, they place it in large square troughs raised 
 on posts, the bottoms of which are lined with straw 
 laid over a few cross sticks. Beneath the troughs, 
 attached to either side, are two frames of bamboo and 
 straw, which meet at the bottom, acting as a kind of 
 funnel. Over the earth, placed in the troughs, there is 
 t
 
 MISUNDERSTANDING WITH BUFFALOES. 147 
 
 poured a quantity of water, obtained either from the 
 lake or from wells close to the manufacture ; the 
 brine thus falling down from the troughs is farther 
 strained and purified by passing through the straw- 
 frames, from which it is conveyed to pots and boiled, 
 without undergoing any farther purification. The 
 revenue derived from this manufacture is considera- 
 ble, and is enjoyed by one of the princes of the blood 
 royal, who is therefore entitled the " Eater of the 
 villages." 
 
 Deserted as this village was by the men, the women 
 and children no sooner heard that we brought the 
 news of the death of the terrible crocodile, than they 
 offered us presents of food — they had nothing else to 
 offer, but a fervent gratitude, which they exhibited 
 by their hospitality. 
 
 As, however, our object was to teach the Carian 
 village before sundown, a's soon as the boatmen had 
 consigned their boat to the care of one of the villagers, 
 and had harnessed a bullock to a cart, we took our 
 farewell and departure. 
 
 The prospect of a ride in this bullock cart was 
 exhilarating to our spirits, as it was but a symptom 
 of better roads than any we had hitherto experienced 
 since our departure from Rangoon ; and so we found 
 them, for instead of close, densely-packed forests, we 
 now had open and tolerably dry grounds. An hour, 
 scarcely more, and by the large patches, at intervals, 
 of rice culture, and the thick groves of banana, we 
 should have guessed, even if our guide had not in- 
 formed us, that we were near an agricultural village.
 
 148 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 Passing through a banana grove, we entered upon 
 an extensive grass plain, when, catching sight of a 
 herd of antelopes, I seized the rifle, and descended 
 from the cart, saying, " I will have a shot at one of 
 those beasts ; it will afford us a good supper." 
 
 " Can you get within gun-shot of them, sahib ?" 
 said Naon, doubtingly. 
 
 " Can I not ?" I replied conceitedly, for I was a 
 capital shot ; and confident of success, I crept stoop- 
 ingly through the long grass, calculating the distance 
 with my eye. 
 
 The herd was quietly grazing just within range of 
 my rifle ; I thought my aim sure, a sportsman's plea- 
 sure thrilled through my frame, crack went my piece, 
 and I started upon my feet — but with chagrin, for I 
 knew Naon would laugh at my conceit when he saw 
 the splendid creatures at full gallop across the plain, 
 startled, but untouched by the bullet. 
 
 Yet I had succeeded in doing more than startle 
 the deer. I had attracted the attention of a drove of 
 cream-colored buffaloes, which, although alarmed at 
 the report of the rifle, did not, as I expected, 
 scamper away frightened, but with impudent effron- 
 tery stood staring at me with their fore legs stretched 
 forth as if prepared and in expectation of an attack 
 from me. Of course it was not my intention even to 
 provoke these formidable creatures, for I knew them 
 to be the domesticated animals of the neighboring 
 villages ; but seeing them thus present so warlike a 
 front, I was not by any means so sure of their peace- 
 able intentions ; and this was not at all agreeable,
 
 lIFtlft 
 
 The Adventure with the Buffaloes. Page 148.

 
 MISUNDERSTANDING WITH BUFFALOES. 149 
 
 for I remembered to have heard that, if fired at, and 
 not mortally wounded, these animals will pursue the 
 sportsman till they overtake him, or in their rage 
 dash themselves against the first tree or wall that 
 comes in their way. For five minutes I stood looking 
 at them, and still they remained quiet, not even bel- 
 lowing. This gave me confidence, and so I unhesita- 
 tingly walked toward them. 
 
 The nearer, however, I approached them, the more 
 evident it appeared that there was some incompre- 
 hensible misunderstanding between us, for then, two 
 — a kind of deputation from the general body — with 
 their tails and heads erect, trotted toward me, not in 
 a straight line, but making a half-circle, as if, although 
 anxious to make themselves acquainted with my busi- 
 ness, they were yet half afraid of making the first ad- 
 vance. I did not quite like this deputation, but as 
 they were too near for me to think of flight, for then 
 they would assuredly have overtaken and gored me, 
 I moved toward them at an ambling pace, in an 
 oblique direction, stopping now and then with my 
 face toward them ; each time, as I turned, the ani- 
 mals stood still and gazed at me intently, moving, 
 however, directly I moved, and stopping when I 
 stopped. I was more alarmed than ever; surely, 
 I thought, they are but awaiting an opportunity to 
 rush upon me when my back is turned toward them ; 
 so thinking, I took a circuitous course — the animals 
 did the same ; one, however, advancing to within a 
 couple of yards of me. " Oh, oh!" I muttered; "if
 
 150 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 this means fight, I must prepare; if only fun, it is too 
 much familiarity upon so short an acquaintance." 
 
 Some old cynic has said, " that we ought to treat 
 our friends as if they were some day to be our ene- 
 mies." I intended adopting his advice, and for- 
 tunately, having the cartridge-pouch with me, I man- 
 aged to reload my rifle while walking ; but no sooner 
 had I done this than I thought the crisis had arrived, 
 for one of the deputation bolder than his colleague, 
 came still nearer, as if preparing to make a direct run 
 with his horns, which I at once ahnost imagined be- 
 tween my ribs. This could be borne no longer — I 
 would fire. At the moment I heard Naon shouting 
 to me, though what he said I could not distinguish ; 
 but when I saw him dash his own head-dress to the 
 ground, I comprehended his meaning ; and vexed 
 that I had not myself thought of it, I took the red 
 handkerchief from my head and threw it some dis- 
 tance into the grass. Then the misunderstanding 
 between us became cleared up, for the two animals, 
 as if perfectly satisfied, instantly turned tail and went 
 back to rejoin the drove, quietly grazing on their 
 way. 
 
 Thus did a red handkerchief around my head cause 
 me so much trouble and anxiety, and probably a nar- 
 row chance of being gored to death ; for, had I fired 
 without killing the beast, such would undoubtedly 
 have been my fate. Naturalists can only account for 
 the singular hatred of some beasts to the color red, 
 from the fact of their intense fear of fire, which re- 
 sembles that color. Yet this explanation is not sat-
 
 MISUNDERSTANDING WITH BUFFALOES. 151 
 
 isfactory, for while they flee from fire, they rush 
 toward red objects. 
 
 " The Lord of heaven be praised, the sahib is safe," 
 said Naon, wiping from his face the sweat caused by 
 his fears for my safety, and with a warmth that great- 
 ly delighted me, as it showed that even a half-caste 
 Burman and Portuguese — and their sincerity is never 
 questioned by Europeans — could be brought to feel 
 something like affection for one with whom he had 
 passed through many dangerous adventures. Re- 
 solving to be careful in my choice of dress, especially 
 that it should contain no red, when next I had the 
 honor of a close audience with a buffalo, I leaped 
 into the cart, and before sundown w T e were within 
 the boundary of the Carian village. 
 
 This village — it is an act of exaggerated politeness 
 to use the term to a collection of mere pigeon-houses 
 ■ — was situated in the midst of graziug grounds, rice, 
 and other vegetable fields. In shape it was square, 
 the four sides being composed of some fifty barns, 
 each of which was stuck upon poles twelve feet from 
 the ground, the purpose of this elevation being as 
 well to protect the inmates from the ravages caused 
 by the periodical deluge-like rains, as from the attacks 
 or prowling tigers, and even wild elephants, with 
 which the woods at a short distance abound, and 
 which animals, attracted by the rice and vegetable 
 grounds, frequently attack the villages of Pegu. 
 
 The houses themselves are of the most miserable 
 description, the sides being of mats, the bamboo tops 
 covered with thatch, and the only means of ascent
 
 152 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 and descent "being by deeply-notched sticks, or rough 
 ladders, which at night are drawn up to prevent the 
 visits of beasts or thieves. In the quadrangle formed 
 by the four sides, are stakes to which the buffaloes, 
 when driven home of an evening, are fastened by 
 cords; while the under parts of the houses — between 
 the poles or supports — form the only places of refuge 
 for the poultry, pigs, and dogs, which, together with 
 the buffaloes, keep up a nocturnal concert, not by any 
 means pleasing to musical ears, but which becomes 
 discord beyond all description when the brutes hap- 
 pen to be visited during the night by one of the half- 
 famished tigers, who regard these villages as their 
 especial preserves of both animals and men. 
 
 The Carians are an extraordinary race, at least, to 
 be found living beneath the rule and amidst so war- 
 like a people as the Burmese ; for, although worship- 
 pers of Guadama — that is, as far as they worship at 
 all — they are quakers in principles. More robust in 
 form, and of whiter complexion than their masters, 
 the Burmese, they are at the same time a simple, 
 innocent people, mild and hospitable to strangers ; 
 like the patriarchs of old, they are without other 
 laws than those of custom and tradition ; entertain a 
 hatred for cities ; never intermarry with other races ; 
 lead a purely pastoral life, which they pursue with 
 unremitting industry ; and, moreover, believe in uni- 
 versal peace, which, as you may imagine, keeps them 
 in a state of slavish submission. Their language is 
 radically the same as the Burman, though the very 
 different dialect they speak renders it difficult even
 
 MISUNDERSTANDING WITH BUFFALOES. 153 
 
 for a good Burmese scholar to understand. I have 
 said they worship Guadama, the god of the Burraans ; 
 it is, however, with little fervor, for they do not 
 even comprehend his doctrine, or indeed, any other. 
 Moreover, they seem to inherit a stupid and deter- 
 mined belief that it Avas pre-ordained that religious 
 knowledge should for ever be denied them ; for, 
 although sufficiently enlightened to know and admit 
 their ignorance, they assign as the reason, "That 
 God once wrote his laws and commands on the skin 
 of a buffalo, and called upon all nations of the earth 
 to come and take a copy — a summons which all 
 obeyed except the Carianers, who, being occupied in 
 the business of husbandry, had not leisure, and that 
 in consequence of that neglect they have remained in 
 a state of ignorance, without any other cares than 
 those in connection with their pastoral employment." 
 Hospitable as I know these simple people to be, 
 even to ordinary strangers, I was surprised at the 
 reception we met with at the hands of the family 
 (some seven men, women, and children) of our two 
 guides ; their delight seemed to have no bounds — the 
 men offered us their food, one even a favorite buffalo ; 
 the women took gold ornaments from their ears, and 
 cowrie shells from their necks to lay them at my feet ; 
 they danced, they capered, they sang, that is, after 
 their fashion ; but what was more agreeable, so great 
 was their delight, that they roasted a fine buck for 
 our supper. This was a rare event, for the little re- 
 ligion they possess forbids the killing of animals for 
 food ; and ail this because — well, what I could dis
 
 154: THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 C0V er_because the sahib had been the means of 
 bringing to condign punishment the crocodile which 
 had made a meal of the beloved eldest son of the 
 family. Thus was I made a hero, as many others, I 
 believe, have arrived at the same honor, by mere 
 accident— in fact, by running away— which, by the 
 way, reminds me that at Marathon House, Fulham, 
 the" boys had an axiom that "two mulls are as good 
 as a spin." 
 
 Now, whether from the consciousness that these 
 honors were undeserved, or from great fatigue, I know 
 not, but probably the latter, my brain grew dizzy, 
 my eyes became dim, — in fact, I wanted a good 
 sleep ; our hosts perceiving this, one of them in- 
 stantly conducted us to the other division or half the 
 house, which, although the whole family would have 
 to be huddled together in the other like a litter of 
 pigs, they hospitably and generously devoted to our 
 sole use. 
 
 This apartment,, although without a vestige of 
 furniture, a hole in the roof, which seemed for the 
 double purposes of window and chimney, and nothing 
 but the rough unplaned boards upon which to rest 
 our tired limbs, was the best bed-room of the 
 family and of which, after loading the rifle, having 
 the ladder drawn up, and the house-door closed, we 
 showed our best appreciation by falling fast asleep, 
 and probably joining in the concert of grunting, 
 barking, lowing, squeaking of the animals beneath 
 our heads.
 
 NAON IN DANGER. 155 
 
 CHAPTER XIH. 
 
 THE WHITE ANTS CAUSE NAON TO MEET WITH A 
 
 DISASTER. 
 
 Although, defiantly of the hard boards which 
 formed my bed, I soon sank into a deep sleep, about 
 daybreak I was startled by a crash and a great up- 
 roar of horses' hoofs, the barking of dogs, and the 
 fluttering and flapping of wings ; and, between asleep 
 and awake, I cried aloud — 
 
 " Up, ISTaon, the tigers are upon us." 
 
 But ISTaon did not answer. He sleeps soundly, and 
 I must awaken him, I muttered ; so creeping through 
 the darkness toward him with one hand feeling about 
 me, to my surprise I could find no ISTaon ; but crawl- 
 ing further upon my knees and hands, imagine my as- 
 tonishment when the latter suddenly went through the 
 floor, and I found myself flat upon my breast, with 
 my head hanging over a hole. Resting thus for a 
 moment in helpless astonishment, I heard the half- 
 caste exclaiming — 
 
 " Sahib Oliver, help — help ! or ISTaon will become 
 the food of beasts ;" then a chorus of grunts and 
 barks. 
 
 " Great Heaven ! some of the flooring must have 
 given way," I exclaimed; and I crawled backward 
 to seize my rifle, which, to my shame, I admit I had
 
 156 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 placed against the door, doubtful of the honesty of 
 the good-natured Carians ; but before I could seize 
 the weapon, a gleam, a glare of light shot upward 
 through the hole ; and a sight presented itself which, 
 but for its seriousness, would have made me laugh 
 heartily. 
 
 There, with a torch in his hand, stood our senior 
 guide, who, aroused by the cries, had come to the 
 rescue of the poor fellow, who, while asleep, had fal- 
 len through the flooring among dogs, poultry, and 
 pigs ; and it was the latter animals chiefly who, both 
 by voice and action, had been vehemently objec- 
 ting to ISTaon's so rudely forcing himself upon then 
 society. 
 
 " Here, catch hold, Naon," I said, handing down 
 the rifle, intending to drop through the hole to his 
 assistance; but the Carian, first placing his finger 
 upon his lips to betoken silence, forestalled me by 
 " making a back," by which Naon at once re-ascended 
 into the chamber from whence he had made so inglo- 
 rious a descent. 
 
 "The Lord of heaven be thanked it is no worse," 
 said Naon, philosophically, holding the torch (which 
 the Carian had given him) near the impression his 
 recumbent body had made in the flooring. 
 
 " No, worse," I repeated, laughing. 
 
 " It might have been worse, sahib ; for, awakened 
 by the barking of the dogs and trampling of horses' 
 feet, I crawled, as I thought, toward the door ; in- 
 stead, however, I went in the opposite direction, 
 when, think of my horror at finding the floor crack,
 
 NAON IN DANGER. 157 
 
 crash, and my father's son nearly consigned to the 
 most disgraceful of all deaths, that of being buried in 
 the stomachs of swine." 
 
 "But the cause of the uproar? Are the tigers 
 upon us?" I said, instinctively. 
 
 "Worse, sahib; the messengers of the General 
 Maha Sihva, who is on his march to Rangoon, have 
 arrived with orders for houses to be built for him 
 and his officers, by to-morrow evening." 
 
 " Then we will quit the village, for, not to avoid 
 falling into the hands of that fierce inhuman form 
 would be madness," said I. 
 
 " But sahib, the roads are occupied." 
 
 " Nevertheless, we must not be taken, Naon." 
 
 "Let the sahib remain in this hut till the Maha 
 has passed." 
 
 " But these Carians, can we trust them ? for they 
 know that I am one of those whose countrymen are 
 now invading their nation." 
 
 "The sahib may trust the Carians, for great is 
 their hatred to the Maha, who, although by the law 
 he dares not seize them for soldiers, as he may other 
 tribes, will plunder them of their food and cattle." 
 
 " But the Maha cannot reach here so soon." 
 
 " Such is his message, sahib, and the Carians re- 
 gard it with the certainty of fate." 
 
 " Then he must take up his lodging in the old pal- 
 ace we passed near the village." 
 
 " Such would not be possible, sahib, for the palace 
 was built for the Engy Tikien" (heir to the throne). 
 
 " Surely it is, for the Maha is not too big, nor the
 
 158 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 palace too small ; moreover, it is untenanted, except 
 by the white ants," I said, laughing. 
 
 " Nevertheless, it is not possible, for, although it is 
 shameful and disgraceful for a Burman to rest but a 
 single day in a house wanting in the size and decora- 
 tions due to his rank, it is a crime punishable with 
 instant death for a praw (lord), however exalted he 
 may be, to enter a house erected for a personage but 
 a single step above him in station." 
 
 "Truly, I have heard of this foolish custom." But, 
 ere I could say more, the head of the family, our 
 senior guide, came, and, having conducted us into the 
 other division of the house, at once corroborated all 
 Naon had said ; adding, that as the Maha's messen- 
 gers had delivered their orders and proceeded on 
 their way to Rangoon, he would find us a hiding- 
 place ; a kindness I thought more than a return for 
 the trifling favor I had conferred upon them by invol- 
 untarily entrapping to his death the crocodile which 
 had destroyed their relation. 
 
 Not so, however, these good-natured people ; for 
 not only did they procure for us the best viands to 
 be found in their village, but, as an especial mark 
 of their gratitude, put before me a fruit the purchase 
 of which must have straitened their not too plentiful 
 means. 
 
 This fruit, which, in all probability, you have never 
 heard of, is one of the luxuries of Burmese royalty, and 
 affords an apt illustration of the old adage "That 
 what is one man's meat, is another man's poison." It 
 is named the durian, and is about the size of a cocoa-
 
 NAON IN DANGEK. 159 
 
 nut, green, and covered with sharp short points. 
 The outer prickly pod is divided into four or five 
 lobes, in each of which are three or four smooth 
 brown stones, enveloped in a stringy custardy pulp, 
 which is the eatable portion, there being but little 
 fruit for so great a show. Now, the scent of this 
 fruit is so frightful and revolting that, even at the 
 risk of seriously offending these simple people, I was 
 compelled to beg of them to take it out of the house ; 
 which, after the matter had been explained by Naon, 
 they did with considerable wonderment and chagrin. 
 Yet, so adaptable is the human palate, that, although 
 at first to me its odor was offensive, and its taste 
 revolting, in the course of time, with me, as with most 
 persons who lived in the East, by mere force of habit, 
 this durian became a favorite fruit. 
 
 But you are curious to know the cause of Naon's 
 queer adventure. Well, it was neither more or less 
 than, first, carelessness on the part of the Carian 
 family, who had neglected the only preventive of 
 such an accident, — namely, saturating the timbers of 
 their house with petroleum, or earth-oil ; and, se- 
 condly, that minor scourge of the East, termed by 
 naturalists termites, but popularly known by the 
 name of the white ant. 
 
 That Naon's misadventure had been caused by an 
 insect Avhich is less than a quarter of an inch in 
 length, I could not have believed, notwithstanding 
 the protestation of our host, but for a comical inci- 
 dent, which happened by way of proof. The host, 
 evidently discerning signs of unbelief in my couu-
 
 160 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 tenanee, arose from the floor, upon which we were 
 all sitting at our meal, saying — 
 
 " The sahib shall see white ant very terrible, spe- 
 cially to poor peasants ;" and, having left us for a 
 short time, returned with a log of wood some ten 
 feet in length, and four feet in diameter ; indeed, so 
 large, that I was surprised at the ease with which he 
 carried it. Placing this upon the floor he said, " See, 
 sahib, that piece of tree is large, but white ant could 
 eat it all up." 
 
 "Truly, if very numerous, with great appetites, 
 and a few months to do it in," said I. 
 
 " The Carian's words are good, sahib ; the white 
 ants would eat their way through, from one end 
 to the other, in twenty-four hours," said Naon, 
 gravely. 
 
 This assertion was too much for my risible faculties. 
 "That log!" I said. "Why, I should as soon be- 
 lieve that my own slight weight would flatten it into 
 a board." 
 
 " Perhaps it would, sahib," said Kaon. 
 
 Laughing at Naon's assertion I jumped upon the 
 wood. Its surface did not resist my Aveight, and I 
 fell to the ground, or rather in the middle of the log, 
 where I laid at full length, as if in a canoe without 
 ends, to the alarm of the peasants, and the laughter 
 of Naon, who had sought by way of experiment, to 
 convince me of the destructive powers of the white 
 ants. 
 
 For the instant I felt provoked ; but keeping my 
 temper, I said —
 
 NAON IN DANGER. 161 
 
 "You arc right, Naon, I no longer dispute the 
 appetites of these little insects. Yet," I added, 
 " although this thick log has been eaten through, it 
 must have taken them a long time." 
 
 " It is not so, noble colar ; that log was one of the 
 extra supports of this house, and cut from the forest 
 less than a moon since, and had we not omitted to 
 cover it with earth oil, the only j)reventive against 
 these insects, it would have been solid now." 
 
 " Is it possible, then, that all the supports of this 
 house are in the same state ?" said I, expecting that, 
 like !S~aon, we should have to pass through another 
 adventure with the pigs. 
 
 " Not so, sahib ; the others are saturated with the 
 oil ; but this, which the Nats, unfortunately, caused 
 to be placed beneath the resting place of the noble 
 colar's worthy attendant, was awaiting the coming of 
 the next supply from the wells of Yenang-young,' , 
 replied our host. 
 
 I afterward found that such accidents were not by 
 any means unfrequent ; and that so secretly do these 
 insects effect their lodgement, that the peasantry, and 
 even the higher classes, who foolishly neglect the use 
 of the earth-oil, do not discover their proximity until 
 they have effected almost irreparable damage to their 
 houses. 
 
 Many curious stories are told of the destructive 
 power of these little insects. Old Kaempfer says, "The 
 white ant is a small slender worm, perfectly white, like 
 snow. They live together in commonalty, as our 
 European ants do: from whom they do not much 
 11
 
 162 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 differ in shape and bigness. Their head and breast 
 are of a brownish dark color, and hard to the touch. 
 The Japanese call them doo-toos (piercers) ; an epi- 
 thet they well deserve, for they pierce and perforate 
 whatever they meet with, stones and ore only 
 excepted ; and when once they get into a merchant's 
 warehouse, they are able within a very short compass 
 of time to ruin and destroy his best goods. Our 
 common European ants are their mortal enemies ; and 
 whatever place the one sort takes possession of, the 
 others must necessarily quit. They are no more able 
 than moles to support the open air, and whenever 
 they go out upon an expedition, they defend them- 
 selves by building arches or trenches along their line 
 of march, which they know how to tie fast to the 
 ground. These arches are much of the same sub- 
 stance with that of wasp's nests. 
 
 " During my stay at Coylang a Dutch fort on the 
 coast of Malabar," Ksempfer adds, " I had an apart- 
 ment assigned to me in the governor's house. One 
 night I did not go to bed till midnight. The next 
 morning, when I arose, I took notice of the marks 
 of such arches upon my table, which were about the 
 bigness of my little finger ; and upon a more accurate 
 inspection, I found that these animals had pierced a 
 passage of that thickness up one foot of the table, then 
 across (though, as good luck would have it, without 
 any damage done to the paper), and so down through 
 the middle of the foot into the floor ; and all this was 
 performed within a few hours' time." 
 
 That the white ant has an especial fondness for
 
 NAON IN DANGER. 16 
 
 q 
 
 wood I had many proofs in the forests, where the 
 number of trees to be found injured by them is sur- 
 prising ; for in the woods they do not conceal their 
 nests, but boldly build them either near the root or 
 high upward ; and frequently trees which appear to 
 be robust, and of noble size, upon pressure, prove to 
 be mere bark, the sap and wood beneath being eaten 
 away, as had been my experimental log. 
 
 Fond, however, as they are of wood, white ants 
 are neither Epicureans or squeamish in their choice 
 of the particular substance upon which they work, 
 as an amusing anecdote told by a recent traveler will 
 testify. While the French occupied the Mauritius, 
 the Minister of Marine in Paris, on examining the 
 annual reports forwarded to him from the colony, 
 observed that year after year the destruction of a 
 considerable portion of the iron, as well as other stores, 
 was ascribed to the white ant. Now, although in 
 those days French ministers were not over severe in 
 their scrutinies of the expenditure of the public mon- 
 eys, or the waste of public stores, they yet required 
 some decent excuse. The idea, however, of these 
 small insects being capable of destroying iron bolts, 
 bars, and other implements so tickled his fancy, that 
 in the next shipment of stores to the colony, the min- 
 ister humorously included a box of files, with instruc- 
 tions that they were to be employed in filing the teeth 
 of these obnoxious foes. In this instance, however, 
 the minister's humor was misplaced, for the slimy 
 substance which they emit, and with which their 
 nests and covered ways are formed, is of so corrosive
 
 164 TTTE "WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 a nature, that even iron yields to its influence, and 
 rusts to decay. 
 
 Having given you incidents illustrative only of the 
 mischievous side of their character, I must, even at 
 the risk of tediousness, give you also a notion of the 
 ingenuity, if not genius, of these little, animals, of 
 which there are several species, one of which lives in 
 communities and kingdoms, beneath a building of 
 earth of conical shape, from ten to twelve feet high, 
 under a regular form of government, and the rule of 
 a limited monarchy. 
 
 Like the English constitution, the community is 
 divided into three estates — king, lords, and commons ; 
 or, as naturalists term them — laborers, soldiers, and 
 perfect insects — the first being the workers, the 
 second fighters, or protectors of the workers, and the 
 king or queen ; the third being those only who are 
 capable of being elected king or queen, the test of 
 that capacity being their capability of continuing 
 their species by laying eggs, and being provided with 
 wings, which nature very wisely and wonderfully 
 gives to them alone, and that only, as I shall show 
 you, for a very short time. It is also curious and in- 
 teresting to know that nature has adapted the bodies 
 of each of these separate classes in each kingdom — 
 which, remember, are all of the same parents — namely, 
 the ruling king and queen, to its separate function, 
 for the laborer is of brownish color, less than one- 
 fourth of an inch in length, delicate and slender, with 
 a distinct head, chest, and abdomen, with six legs, 
 and a mouth calculated for gnawing ; while the sol-
 
 NAON IN DANGER. 165 
 
 dier is half an inch long, equal in hulk to fifteen 
 lahorers, with jaws shaped like a crab's claw, so that 
 they are incapable of any thing else hut piercing or 
 wounding. The royal or propagating 'class, which is 
 supposed to exhibit the insect in its most perfect 
 state, varies still more, the head, throat, and abdomen 
 being almost totally different in form from the other 
 classes ; besides which, they possess four large trans- 
 parent wings, with which, at the time of emigration, 
 they wend their way in search of a new settlement, 
 and found a new kingdom ; curiously, in the winged 
 state, the insect is equal in bulk to thirty laborers, or 
 two soldiers, and has two large eyes placed on each 
 side of the head ; whilst in the others they are not 
 easily distinguishable. 
 
 You who have only seen the ant-hills of England 
 will scarcely credit that the hills of the insects of 
 which I am telling you rise in height from eight to 
 twelve feet, and are so large and strong, that when 
 about half erected, it is the practice of the wild bulls 
 to stand sentinels upon them whilst the rest of the 
 herd is ruminating below; moreover, so numerous 
 are they in some parts, that it is scarcely possible to 
 stand upon any cleared and open space where one of 
 these buildings is not to be seen within fifty paces, 
 and frequently two or three are to be witnessed 
 almost close to each other ; indeed, in Senegal, the 
 traveler Adanson tells us, their number, magnitude, 
 and closeness of situation make them appear like the 
 villages of the natives. 
 
 The interior, however, of one of these hills is sin-
 
 166 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 gularly interesting, and suggests the comical idea 
 that man, the lord of creation, might have borrowed 
 some of his usages from even the little ant. First, as 
 royalty is the notion in which they are all born, their 
 primary object is to secure the comfort and dignity 
 of the king and queen ; consequently the royal cham- 
 ber is placed as near the centre as possible, is the 
 shape of a very small egg at first, but increased in 
 size accordingly as the royal family increase, beauti- 
 fully ai-ched, and furnished with doors which are so 
 small that only the laborers and soldiers can go in 
 and out; while king and queen, who are of larger 
 size, like many other sovereigns, pay for their dignity 
 by exclusion from their subjects. 
 
 On all sides of the royal chamber are apartments, 
 where the laborers and soldiers wait to guard and 
 serve their king and queen, who are also their com- 
 mon parents. These apartments extend a foot or 
 more round the royal chamber. Then commence the 
 nurseries, wherein the little snow-white princes and 
 princesses, both in and out of eggshells, are brought 
 up ; and the magazines, which are always kept well 
 provided with provisions, such as gums and the in- 
 spissated juices of plants. These galleries and cham- 
 bers are continued one above the other to within two- 
 thirds of the height of the interior of the hill, leaving 
 an open area in the middle under the dome, like the 
 nave of a cathedral. The dome is apparently sup- 
 ported by four large gothic arches, which suggests 
 to my mind that that grand style of ai'chitecture 
 must not only be the purest and most natural, but
 
 NAON IN DANGEBi 16 T 
 
 that the little ants must have a very grand nature to 
 have conceived such a style, for, with all their clever- 
 ness, I cannot believe that ever a genius existed 
 among them capable of visiting and copying from the 
 old gothic priests. 
 
 There are also great subterranean galleries, and 
 passages lined with thick clay, which ascend out- 
 wardly in a spiral manner. There are also sloping 
 descents, reaching a depth, perpendicularly, of three 
 or four feet, from which they procure the clay, which, 
 being worked in the mouths of these insects, becomes 
 almost as hard as stone. It is by these subterranean 
 passages, and their talent for undermining, their cities 
 spread to such a vast extent, that if all the nests are 
 destroyed within one hundred yards of a human 
 dwelling the ant inhabitants of hills at a compara- 
 tively vast distance will, nevertheless, carry on their 
 subterranean galleries, and invade the same dwelling 
 by sap and mine till they have effected great mis- 
 chief.
 
 163 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 A EIGHT WITH A TIGER. 
 
 While our Mud hosts were considering by what 
 means they could hide us from this terrible Maha 
 Silwa, whose promised coming seemed to have fright- 
 ened the whole village out of its senses, a young man 
 ran up the ladder and threw himself at their feet. 
 
 " Guadama be praised, the good Nats be thanked, 
 our Mikee has escaped the Praw Silwa," exclaimed 
 the parents and son simultaneously. 
 
 " The Maha, my father, with a mighty amiy is now 
 on the war-path to sweep the rebels from the land of 
 the Golden Foot," was the reply ; " but these colars 
 
 ,"he added, glancing suspiciously at Naon and 
 
 me. 
 
 " We are ungrateful my son," said the father, who 
 in his joy at his son's return, which was evidently 
 unexpected, had for the moment forgotten us ; adding, 
 " Thy father and his sons are the slaves of this noble 
 colar till we have redeemed ourselves by paying the 
 debt we owe him." 
 
 " Slaves, my father ! Have we escaped the bond- 
 age of the tiger Burman to become the slaves of the 
 colar" (foreigner or stranger), said Mikee. 
 
 "My son, the praw colar, and his noble attendant, 
 saved thy father and brother from the monster who
 
 A FIGHT WITH A TIGER. 1G9 
 
 destroyed our beloved relative," said the mother ; 
 then telling, with words of praise I cannot repeat, 
 the whole story of the crocodile. 
 
 This was enough ; the young man's suspicions 
 vanished, and falling upon the floor before me, he 
 vowel to be my slave till he had paid the debt he 
 considered owing by his family. When, however, to 
 remove some of the weight from his conscience, I 
 told him that I considered the hospitality already 
 afforded by his parents a sufficient return for the 
 killing of a mere crocodile, he leaped upon his 
 feet, danced, screamed — indeed, as I then thought, 
 went straightway mad. Stopping, however, for an 
 instant, and turning his eyes full upon me, he cried — 
 
 '•'•Kill — dead! is it dead?" for his parents had 
 purposely omitted the climax of the adventure. 
 
 "Dead, truly it is, and eaten by the hunters by this 
 time," said I; and this strange being having again 
 danced and screamed for joy, threw himself upon his 
 knees, and exclaimed fervently — 
 
 "Then will the slave of the praw colar (lord 
 stranger) never remove his feet from the hunting- 
 grounds till by one great service he has fully proved 
 his gratitude to his master !" 
 
 I did not, however, at the time, place great faith in 
 this promise ; for I had become so accustomed to 
 eastern hyperbole, and so well understood the un- 
 grateful natures of the people of Burma, that, to use 
 a common phrase, it passed in at one ear and out of 
 the other. What it did mean, however, you will 
 discover in proper time, for the peasant kept his word.
 
 170 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 "But theMaha Silwa! we shall fall into his hands, 
 sahib," said Naon, trembling as he spoke. 
 
 "Is there no path through the woods known to the 
 hunter, by which we may journey, and yet avoid the 
 soldiers of the Maha ?" I asked. 
 
 " It would be as easy to tread the bed of the Irra- 
 waddy without meeting a crocodile, O noble colar ; 
 for, although the main body of the army is with the 
 Maha, the remainder are spread over the country and 
 through the paths and jungles," replied Mikee. 
 
 " Then, truly we must remain within this house till 
 the danger is over," said I. 
 
 "It is not possible, O noble colar; for, although the 
 body of the poor Carian is safe from being taken to 
 swell the armies of the Burman, no Burman chief 
 passes through a village without plundering every 
 house of its cattle and food," said Mikee, thought- 
 fully. 
 
 " Then we must take our chance in the woods ; 
 Mikee has vowed himself the slave of the colar, will 
 he be his guide ?" said I. 
 
 " Mikee dares not meet the soldiers of the Maha, 
 from whom he has so narrowly escaped ; for, alas ! 
 he is no longer a peaceful Carian," said the father. 
 
 "Then you have deceived me by your boasts, 
 Mikee," I said, angrily. 
 
 " It is not so ; the slave will serve his master with 
 his life, for he owes him a debt which he has sworn 
 to repay," was the reply ; but having pondered awhile, 
 he added — 
 
 "The villagers are now preparing to hunt the
 
 A FIGHT WITH A TIGEK. 171 
 
 deer; let the praw (lord) and his noble attendant 
 join in the hnnt, for among the crowd they may 
 escape notice, even should they fall in with the sol- 
 diers. Then, when the sun sinks, we may leave the 
 hunters, and make our way to Paree, where Mikee 
 has a boat, in which the colars may safely journey to 
 Yenang-young as oil-carriers, which is their servant's 
 occupation." 
 
 " A capital scheme," said I, not a little pleased ; 
 whereupon the oil-carrier left the house to make the 
 necessary preparations for the journey ; but so cu- 
 rious had I become to learn something of this young 
 man's previous history that, addressing the parents, I 
 said — 
 
 "But how is this? Can Mikee be thy son, and 
 yet not a Carian, for the lamb cannot change its na- 
 ture ?" 
 
 " Is it possible for Guadama even to graft the 
 nature of the tiger upon that of the lamb," said our 
 host, piously, adding — 
 
 " Thus, from his birth has Mikee been different 
 from his relations ; scorning their peaceful occupa- 
 tions, he has ever been restless to burst aside the 
 bonds of slavery of his tribe. Alas ! the opportunity 
 has never been granted, for the poor Carian is not 
 permitted to serve in the armies or the hunting-fields 
 of the Golden Foot. This restlessness became in- 
 creased some many moons since by a learned sage, 
 who, while resting at this village, prophesied that 
 there was glory in store for Mikee and his family, 
 for the boy would some day light upon a dis-
 
 172 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 covery that would so gain him the favor of the 
 Golden Foot that his majesty should bestow upon him 
 wealth, lands, and the tslao (string of nohility). This 
 prophecy preyed upon his mind, till he dreamed that 
 while walking in a forest he suddenly fell upon the 
 hiding place of a lord White Elephant, and believing 
 that to be the only discovery that would gain him 
 the favor of the Golden Foot and the strings of no- 
 bility, he has since then known rest neither by night 
 nor day ; for truly, though so great a discovery is 
 rare, and a benevolence from Guadama, it is yet pos- 
 sible." 
 
 " Truly a Carian may not be admitted among the 
 king's elephant hunters, who are a separate tribe ?" 
 said Naon. 
 
 " This is our misery, and thus we are ever fearing 
 for his safety, O noble colar ; for, determined to be a 
 mighty hunter, Mikee has established himself as a 
 carrier of oil and fish between this village and Yenans;- 
 young." 
 
 " But how can that make him an elephant hunter ?" 
 said I. 
 
 "By carrying oil he obtains money, and out of 
 every three moon's journey he spends one in the forests 
 with his rifle, spear, and dab. (hatchet), believing that 
 gods are good to the vigilant, and that the finding of 
 a lord White Elephant would be his excuse to the 
 Golden Foot for breaking the laws." 
 
 "But, should he be fortunate enough to find the 
 animal, he will not be able to catch it without other 
 aid."
 
 A FIGHT WITH A TIGER. 173 
 
 " The noble colar's words are wise ; but being the 
 discoverer of the herd among which it is taken, Mikee 
 would be held the chief of the hunters, and rewarded 
 as the favored of Guadama." 
 
 At that moment Mikee returned. 
 
 " The hunters are prepared to start ; the noble 
 colars must hasten," said he. 
 
 Whereupon, by the aid of the family, ISTaon and 
 myself changed our dresses for others still more 
 scanty, namely, that of Burmese peasants : a loose 
 open jacket, equally loose short breeches, a linen 
 handkerchief, tightly bound around our brows, and 
 our hair tightly drawn up from the back into a large 
 round ball. At a great risk, however, I would pre- 
 serve the light shoes I then had upon my feet, fear- 
 ing to trust my bare soles upon the earth. The most 
 disagreeable, but the most important portion of the 
 transformation I had to undergo, was the smearing 
 over of my face, hands, legs, and arms with a 
 light mahogany-colored preparation, so that at a dis- 
 tance — and it was not my intention to approach suffi- 
 ciently near the enemy for personal inspection — I 
 should pass muster among the swarthy-skinned na- 
 tives of the village, from whom I had no fear, as they 
 all most cordially agreed in hating the Maha and his 
 soldiers, for whom they were compelled to leave then* 
 occupations and provide food. 
 
 Thus attired, and equipped after the Burman 
 fashion with sword and shield, also my good rifle, 
 which I would upon no account have left behind, 
 Naon, Mikee, and myself sallied forth to join the deer
 
 17i THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 hunters, who were assembled outside the palisades 
 of the village. 
 
 The order of march, although tumultuous aud 
 noisy, and attended with as much bravado and 
 boasting as if it had been a great army on its way to 
 conquest, instead of a body of Asiatic quakers, was 
 accompanied by much good nature. The party 
 consisted of fifty ; that was about one half the popu- 
 lation ; the other half remained behind for the com- 
 pletion of the mansion and huts in readiness for the 
 Maha and his officers, which, like Aladdin's palace, 
 were to be erected in a few hours. 
 
 The leader of the party was Mikee, for whom, 
 both as a traveler and hunter, the mob seemed to 
 have great veneration. Across the small plain which 
 skirted the village, the whole party marched in great 
 disorder ; approaching, however, the narrow path of 
 the jungle, a single line was formed, headed by 
 Mikee, Naon, and myself, and closed by a number of 
 men carryi g bamboo sticks. 
 
 As we passed through the thick jungle, several of 
 the party continued to make a great noise with tom- 
 toms, for the purpose of frightening the tigers with 
 which it abounded ; but great as was the din created 
 by the voices of the men, and the sound of the tom- 
 toms, one terrific scream was heard above all. There 
 was a rush forward so suddenly that I fell to the 
 ground, and was stumbled over by my immediate 
 folio wers. Before I could scramble to my feet again, 
 I heard a loud shriek, a groan, then a rush through 
 the tall reeds, and a terrible growl.
 
 A FIGHT WITH A TIGEK. 175 
 
 "The tiger ! the tiger !" was the cry on all sides. 
 
 " Lord of heaven ! she has taken a man with her," 
 said Naon. 
 
 "Steady," said Mikee, softly, his great eyeballs 
 scarcely less glaring than that of the tiger ; adding, 
 as he crouched upon his knees and hands, " the devil 
 shall die, our friend shall be revenged." 
 
 " Stay, man, surely you would not venture, without 
 a rifle, to attack the beast," said I. 
 
 "Mikee is a great hunter; he will revenge his 
 friend," he said, sternly; adding, "the noble colar 
 has fought with a more terrible enemy, therefore is 
 not like the Carians, in fear. Let him follow softly 
 with his rifle." 
 
 " I will. It will cover you," said I, making up my 
 mind at once to the course I intended to follow. 
 
 "Then Mikee, upon knees and hands, with his 
 sword beneath his arm, and his shield moved upward 
 upon his shoulder, crawled forward ; fortunately the 
 jungle here had been beaten down ; probably it was 
 a tiger track. 
 
 " Softly, and we shall come upon the brute ;" and 
 Mikee moved forward. Then we heard a suppressed 
 growl, by which we knew the savage animal had 
 stopped to devour, or at least to play with its prey. 
 A little further on, through an opening, we saw a 
 scene that lives in my eyes at this moment. 
 
 The bleeding corpse of the poor Carian, which the 
 tiger had carried upon his back, lay extended upon 
 the grass, the beast either not caring for, or believing 
 itself safe from pursuit; for it was an old tigress,
 
 176 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 who had been taught by experience with what im- 
 punity she might steal one man from a party without 
 being followed by his comrades, that stood with one 
 paw upon the breast, and, as if it heard or scented 
 us, with its head turned in the direction of our ap- 
 proach. 
 
 It was a terrible moment ; I leveled my rifle over 
 Mikee's shoulder, at the same time saying — 
 
 " I have a good sight, I will fire." 
 
 " No ; hush," he replied ; and we waited at least 
 three minutes, which were lengthened! by terrible 
 anxiety as I gazed at the flaming eyeballs of the 
 brute. 
 
 Our silence at length threw the beast off its guard: 
 she was now about to commence her fearful repast. 
 Like a cat with a mouse, she walked around the 
 body, patting it with her paws, as if to make it move; 
 then, lashing her tail to and fro, and keeping up a low 
 growl, she turned her head from us. Mikee's oppor- 
 tunity had arrived ; so, as he fixed his shield upon 
 his left arm and grasped his sword firmly, he said — 
 
 "Should I miss her, take time for aim, and fire, 
 not before," and instantly leaped through the open- 
 ing. Unfortunately, his foot slipped — he fell upon 
 his back. The tigress quitted her prey, and in a 
 second had her claw upon his breast. That blow 
 from the claw alone would have given him his death 
 wound, had he not either instinctively, or with won- 
 derful presence of mind, so placed his shield that it 
 caught and so rendered harmless the beast's paw. 
 
 Now my opportunity had arrived for proving the
 
 A FIGHT WITH A TIGEB. 177 
 
 value of my rifle, and a bullet pierced her neck. It 
 would not, however, have served Mikee ; for, instead 
 of killing, it but directed her rage to her new enemy, 
 myself, toward whom she glanced fiercely, and, re- 
 moving her paw from Mikee, prepared to spring; 
 but as she did so Mikee's sword passed into her 
 heart, and thief and assassin as she was, she rolled 
 over dead. 
 
 " Bravo, Mikee ! thou art indeed a mighty hunter," 
 said I. 
 
 "Mikee deserves no praise, since but for the noble 
 colar's rifle he would have been defeated. A great 
 hunter relies upon his own arm alone," said he ; ad- 
 ding, " our brother is revenged, and the murderer 
 will do to feed the soldiers of the Maha." 
 
 Then giving, not a whistle — for, curious as it may 
 appear, no native of Pegu or Burma can whistle — 
 but a low shriek, the deer hunters burst through the 
 jungle, and when, after many exclamations of grief at 
 the sight of the dead body of their friend, and loud 
 praises of both Mikee and myself as heroes, a small 
 party carried the body of the dead man back to the 
 village. We then proceeded in search of a herd of 
 deer, which we discovered at a distance of about a 
 mile further onward. The noble animals were gra- 
 zing, or ruminating, among some tall grass, while two 
 of their number (apparently the oldest and most ex- 
 perienced) stood as sentries near the opening of the 
 jungle. 
 
 As, however, the operations resemble, both in spirit 
 and cowardice, the common battue of England, when 
 12
 
 IT 
 
 78 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 a party of sportsmen, attended by servants holding 
 loaded pieces, and others who beat down the poor 
 frightened and over-fed birds, till they fall in whole- 
 sale slaughter, from the shot of blaze gentlemen who 
 find a pleasure in the morbid love of destruction 
 without having to encounter that personal danger 
 and fatigue which gives the true salt to hunting of 
 any kind, I shall merly describe the process. 
 
 First, at a signal from Mikee, the men extended 
 themselves in a long curved line, gradually bending 
 the curve till they had formed a circle, in the midst 
 of which the deer grazed : the first movement which 
 contracted the circle alarmed the animals, who, per- 
 ceiving themselves enclosed on all sides, kept up a 
 bleating noise, at the same time huddled themselves 
 together. One, now and then, more courageoes than 
 the rest, or in fear for its mate, would attack the 
 party nearest with its horns, only, however, to be- 
 come the first victim. Then the circle, becoming 
 more and more contracted, the party with the bam- 
 boo sticks constructed a fence, which, being comple- 
 ted, the whole party entered, and cut down deer after 
 deer till they were all destroyed. 
 
 Nothing could have reconciled me to this wholesale 
 slaughter but the fact that they were necessary for 
 human food ; shocked, however, as I was, I was not 
 prepared to find a sympathetic feeling in a half-civ- 
 ilized Burman. It was so, however ; for asking Mikee 
 why he did not join in the sport, he said — 
 
 " The sword of Mikee is not for the graceful 
 and harmless antelope, but for the ruthless tiger,
 
 A FIGHT WITH A TIGER. 179 
 
 who is the enemy of man;" adding, with flashing 
 eyes, " Mikee seeks to become a mighty conqueror 
 of the lords of the woods, to offer life for life, to emu- 
 late the glories of the mighty Geily Khan, his ances- 
 tor." 
 
 " Geily Khan ? How is it possible he could have 
 been thy ancestor, for truly it is a Mogul name and 
 title, while thou art a Carian," said I, with surprise. 
 
 " Mikee is a Carian, his ancestors were taken pris- 
 oners in war by the Burmans, and rather than fight 
 in their armies became slave Carians. Nevertheless, 
 the blood of Geily is in the veins, and the spirit of 
 Geily is in the heart of Mikee," the hunter replied ; 
 adding, as we sat upon the plain to partake of a meal 
 prepared by one of the party, " Would the noble colar 
 listen to the story of Geily Khan ?" 
 
 " I should indeed like to hear the history of this 
 wonderful man," I replied ; and Mikee began.
 
 ISO THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 A WILD BEAST COMBAT; WE SEEK SHELTER FROM 
 THE MONSOON. 
 
 It was the birthday of the mighty Mogul, Scach 
 Coram; the inhabitants of the empire were tumul- 
 tuous to give him diversion and do him honor. 
 Attended by his great lords, he had been to the 
 palace of the author of his being, the empress mother, 
 to pay his respects and offer presents. After dinner 
 he put on his most gorgeous robes, covered with gold 
 and precious stones. Thus glittering, and attended 
 by his lords in their richest dresses, he had entered a 
 tent, in the centre of which were a pair of golden 
 scales, in which he weighed himself by bags of silver, 
 gold, precious stones, silk stuffs, linen cloth, pepper, 
 cloves, nutmegs, wheat, pulse, and herbs, and having, 
 by reference to the account kept of the previous year's 
 weighing, found that he had but satisfactorily in- 
 creased in weight, he seated himself upon his throne 
 of ivory, gold, and diamonds, and caused to be cast 
 amongst his lords curious and costly jewels, wrought 
 in the shape of pistachios and almonds. 
 
 The gorgeous throne was erected at one side of tho 
 wild-beast court, the arena of which was about to 
 become the scene of a great fight between animals, 
 and also between animals and men, for great was the
 
 A WILD BEAST COMBAT. 181 
 
 love of the Mogul for such diversions, as it brought 
 forth the bravest men of his dominions. 
 
 The first fight was between a wild bull and a lion, 
 and the next that of a lion and tiger. As soon as the 
 tiger saw the lion, he went straight toward him, and 
 closing with all his strength, got him down, and the 
 audience shouted, believing the tiger had the victory ; 
 but the lion, recovering his position, fastened his teeth in 
 the throat of the tiger, whereupon a great struggle en- 
 sued, and continued till fatigue caused both annuals 
 to desist, both much hurt, but neither mortally. 
 
 Then the chief minister came forth, and proclaimed 
 the Mogul's wish, • to see whether there were any 
 among his subjects of sufficient courage to engage 
 any of the beasts with sword and buckler alone; 
 adding, that, if victorious, be he who or what he 
 might, he should not only receive the imperial favor, 
 but the title of khan. 
 
 The challenge being accepted by an Indostan, a 
 furious lion was let forth. The beast, seeing his 
 adversary enter the arena, made toward him, and a 
 terrible conflict ensued, till at length, unable to bear 
 the weight of the beast, the man began to let fall his 
 buckler, which the lion endeavored to force from him 
 with his right paw, while with his left he was about 
 seizing his antagonist by the throat ; suddenly, how- 
 ever, the Indostan pulled a dagger from his girdle, 
 and thrust it so far into the lion's jaws that he 
 was forced to quit his hold and get away. Seeing 
 his advantage, the man followed and slew the beast 
 with his dagger.
 
 182 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 Great were the acclamations of the audience at the 
 victory, till the Mogul, ordering silence, said, with an 
 angry smile — 
 
 " It must needs he confessed thou art a brave man, 
 and that thou hast fought very valiantly, but did I 
 not forbid thee to engage this beast with any advan- 
 tage, and appoint the arms to be used ? Yet hast 
 thou done contrary to my order, and not overcome 
 my lion as a person of honor, but hast surprised the 
 poor beast with forbidden arms, and so hast killed 
 him as a murderer, and not as a declared enemy ?" 
 
 Having thus spoken, the mighty Mogul ordered the 
 Indostan to be immediately ripped up, and the body 
 to be set upon an elephant and carried through the 
 city of Delhi as an example to others. 
 
 The challenge was again proclaimed, and accepted. 
 The next man was more honorable, but was instantly 
 slain and torn to pieces by the tiger which he en- 
 countered. Still this did not deter another from 
 coming, who, although of low stature and miserable 
 countenance, at once fiercely attacked the tiger, 
 which beast, flushed with its previous success, ran at 
 once to meet its antagonist. The man, however, 
 with wonderful presence of mind, and an eye so fixed 
 and firm, that it bespoke him capable of becoming a 
 leader among men, struck off the fore-paws at one 
 blow with his sword, and having thus disabled, 
 speedily dispatched the animal. 
 
 Great were the acclamations at this victory, and 
 great was the pleasure of the Great Mogul at finding 
 he had so great a hero in his dominions, and who,
 
 A WILD BEAST COMBAT. 183 
 
 hearing that his name was Geily, sent to him a dress 
 of rich brocade by the hands of a great lord, who, 
 upon presenting it, said — 
 
 " Geily, receive this garment from my hands, as an 
 assurance of the favor of our most mighty lord the 
 Great Mogul, who sends it thee as a pledge thereof" 
 
 Receiving the garment, and prostrating himself to 
 the earth, as in duty bound, Geily put it to his breast 
 and eyes, and afterward holding it in the air, and 
 having made a short prayer to himself, said aloud — 
 
 "My prayers to God are, that the Mogul's glory 
 may be equal to that of Tamerlane, from whom he is 
 descended; may his arms prosper, may his wealth 
 be increased, may he live seven hundred years, and 
 may his house be established for ever." 
 
 Then there came to him two eunuchs, who con- 
 ducted him to the Mogul's chamber. At the en- 
 trance whereof two khans took him between them, 
 and so brought him to the Mogul's feet, which Geily 
 kissed; after which, the Mogul said — 
 
 " It must be confessed, O Geily If/ian, that thou 
 hast done a very great and glorious action, I there- 
 fore bestow on thee that title and quality, which thou 
 shalt enjoy for ever. I will be thy friend, and thou 
 shalt be my servant." 
 
 " Thus, O noble colar," said Mikee, " did one single 
 great action lay the foundation of a great fortune ; 
 for Geily, who was not so much as known before, grew 
 famous by his bravery in commanding the armies of 
 the Great Mogul, whose enemies he defeated in every 
 encounter — and that Geily was the ancestor of thy
 
 2S4 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 slave," and Mikee remained pensive for some time, 
 no doubt indulging in many ambitious longings and 
 aspirations. 
 
 What would poor Mikee think, if he were alive, 
 now that the last crowned descendant of that mighty 
 Mogul, the King of Delhi, is in slavery, a condemned 
 felon in Rangoon, the chief seaport of Pegu, which 
 kingdom is itself, like the empire of the great house 
 of Tamerlane, a mere dependency of the British 
 Queen,— aye what would he think ? Perhaps, as we 
 do, that it is far better that the selfish, cruel, and 
 barbarian grandeur of the Asiatic princes is crushed, 
 and that a rule is being inaugurated which will at the 
 same time render it as impossible in India, as in 
 England, for a single despot, in a selfish whim, to 
 degrade the minister of to-day to the slave of to- 
 morrow, or which is worse, raise with a breath, as 
 perhaps you are aware was done by a late king of 
 Oude, a barber to a position equal with that of the 
 prime vizier himself. 
 
 For a time Mikee continued to indulge in his 
 reverie, not heeding the noise made by the deer 
 hunters, who were now hastily retracing their steps. 
 Neither do I know how long it would have lasted, 
 for I could not find it in my heart to disturb him, had 
 it not been for a distant sound that reached his ear, 
 when, startled for a moment, he arose to his feet, and 
 gazed about him; then falling suddenly, he placed his 
 ear to the ground ; after which, he said, " Mikee 
 deserves to be a slave, for he forgets his friends when 
 the tigers are upon their track."
 
 A WILD BEAST COMBAT. 185 
 
 "'lis the sound of the tom-toms, and the war 
 horses and war elephants of the Maha's army," said 
 Naon, trembling, while I must confess myself to 
 having been alarmed. 
 
 " The noble colar's attendant lets his limbs shake 
 like a reed in the wind," said Mikee, laughing. 
 
 " The slave means to betray us," replied Naon. 
 
 " Silence, thou coward !" said I ; and, seeing the 
 eyes of the hunter flash with indignation, I added — 
 
 " Does Mikee'.s ears tell him these sounds are from 
 the enemies of the colar ?" 
 
 " Mikee can never fail. Let the noble colar fol- 
 low," was the reply, as he led us toward a different 
 opening in the jungle than that from which we had 
 emerged upon the antelopes ; adding, as we entered 
 the narrow pathway," " this pathway leads to the 
 forest ; once there, we can reach the river, where the 
 noble colar will be safe." 
 
 Along that pathway, with our eyes strained, and 
 ears upon the alert for the sound, either of wild 
 beasts or wilder men, we trudged for hours, till we 
 entered a dense forest of noble cocoa and palm trees ; 
 indeed, it is from a species of the latter, called the 
 areca, that is procured the celebrated nut, which 
 with the betel-leaf, so many of the Asiatic popula- 
 tions are for ever chewing, and which, whether in 
 emperor, empress, peasant, peasantess, or even the 
 little boys and girls, is ever oozing from the month in 
 crimson saliva, and the continued use of which 
 blackens the teeth at so early a period of life. But, 
 as so much has been said about this habit without
 
 186 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 giving a description, I must pause to tell you, that 
 the trunk of the areca-palm is straight without 
 branches, like the cocoa, whose leaves it resembles in 
 growth. The fruit, which is about the size of a 
 pullet's egg, like the walnut, has a green covering, 
 which consists of numerous fine filaments, running 
 lengthways from the stalk to the head, under which 
 is contained the fruit or nut, which is, externally, of a 
 brown color, and shaped like a nutmeg at one end, 
 but flat at the other. It is white within, and marbled 
 with purple veins, but has very little taste. The way 
 this nut is taken is by wrapping a piece in a betel-leaf, 
 mixed with lime made of calcined shells ; the latter 
 to qualify the bitterness of the betel, which is a plant 
 peculiar, or nearly so to the sea coasts. 
 
 It is the constant use of this mixture that causes 
 in Asiatics the continual saliva which renders it nec- 
 essary for persons of rank to be for ever attended by 
 bearers of the betel-box and spitting-boxes; upon 
 which, disgusting as it must appear to you, the prin- 
 oes and lords of Asia lavish immense sums. In Burma 
 the size, and gold, silver, coj)per, or wooden material 
 of which they are made, are regulated strictly accor- 
 ding to the rank and dignity of the owner ; and woe 
 unto him whose ambition leads him to carry, or has 
 carried, a betel-box or spitting-box superior to his 
 station. Some luxurious people use the areca and 
 betel mixed with camphor, aloes-wood, musk, or 
 ambergris, for they believe it strengthens the gums, 
 heart, stomach, and brain. "Whether this be true, I 
 will not question ; certain, however, it is, that it is a
 
 A WILD BEAST COMBAT. 187 
 
 filthy habit, which blackens, and in time loosens the 
 teeth. Perhaps, however we should not be too se- 
 vere in reviewing the habits of the Asiatics, while the 
 Anglo-Saxon race still continue to smoke, and what 
 is worse, to chew tobacco. 
 
 At length feeling greatly fatigued, I said — 
 
 " Can we reach the river before sundown, O Mi- 
 kee ? If not, we had better encamp for the night 
 beneath one of these trees." 
 
 "True, sahib, and light a fire around, which will 
 serve both to warm the rice and tea, and protect us 
 from the tigers," said Naon. 
 
 "The river is many hours' journey, noble colar, and 
 we must rest till daybreak ; there is a cave near at 
 hand ; if the noble colar wants strength, let him drink 
 of the suri ; it wdll refresh him." 
 
 The advice was good, and quickly followed ; for 
 not only was a cocoa-tree at hand, but its fruit at our 
 very feet. This suri is of a grateful taste, and intox- 
 icates like wine. It is sweet when newly extracted, 
 but in a short time becomes more acid. It is from 
 this liquor that a spirit like arrack is distilled. 
 
 How, however, we, or rather Mikee, for it was he 
 alone, obtained the spirit, was by making an incision 
 in the bark of the fruit, from which the liquor dropped 
 ^ into the flask which had contained the liqueur belong- 
 ing to the English officer. This suri, if found earlier 
 in the day than when we obtained it, is even more 
 delicious than the milk of the nut. As it w T as, al- 
 though refreshing enough to aid me upon my journey, 
 I still found it rather sour and vinegary. Apropos
 
 188 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 of vinegar, in order to make it from this spirit, the 
 natives, when they have collected a sufficient quantity 
 in their vessels, put the latter among lime for fifteen 
 days, by which a violent fermentation being excited, 
 much froth thrown up, and a whitish matter subsi- 
 ding to the bottom, the suri is changed into vinegar. 
 
 A kind of sugar is also prepared from the suri by 
 putting into it a sufficient quantity of lime to -tinge it 
 of a reddish color, the liquor is then boiled and stirred 
 oontinually till it is inspissated ; whei*eby a red sugar 
 is produced, which they make white by repeated dis- 
 solutions and boilings. 
 
 Continuing along the path, now so narrow that we 
 were obliged to walk in single file, i.e. one by one, 
 and seeing Mikee, who led the way, creeping as 
 stealthily and softly as a cat about to spring upon its 
 prey, I said — 
 
 " Does the hunter fear the tiger ?" 
 
 "The tigers with two legs — the soldiers of the 
 Maha, for there is a wide path within bow-shot," 
 said he. 
 
 "Then why choose this?" I asked, almost angrily. 
 
 " There is no other, noble colar ; and the cave is 
 near," was the reply. 
 
 " May we soon reach it, sahib, or we shall be 
 drowned," interposed Naon, pointing to the heavens, 
 across which black and angry clouds were travel- 
 ing. 
 
 " True, Naon, it is the begining of the monsoon ;" 
 it may burst upon us to-night. 
 
 " It will," said Mikee, as the wind, which had dur-
 
 A WILD BEAST COMBAT. 189 
 
 ing the whole day been increasing, blew a blast that 
 bent the tall reeds to the earth, and seemed to threaten 
 to tear the huge trees upward from their roots. 
 
 In a few minutes we had passed through the path 
 into a vast, open, but swampy plain, covered with 
 tall rank grass — grass so tall that a.mounted horse- 
 man might have ridden through it without being seen. 
 
 " Lord of heaven, sahib, no decent white man can 
 pass through this grass," said Naon, shrugging his 
 shoulders, and shivering by anticipation. 
 
 Here I must remark that, like most half-castes, 
 Naon prided himself greatly upon being a white man, 
 and upon every opportunity exhibited his antipathy 
 to the color of his mother, albeit he would have had 
 much difficulty in passing for a European even among 
 the children of his own father's nation — Portugal. 
 Mikee, however, took no other notice of the allusion 
 to his color than by saying — 
 
 "Let the white man stay to be drowned;" adding, 
 as his eye fell upon an opening in the grass some few 
 yards ahead, " see, noble colar, the tiger cannot for- 
 get its lair ; Mikee has found the cave ;" and leading- 
 onward through the opening, we soon reached some 
 rising ground of sandstone formation. 
 
 You would call it a hill in this country, for it was 
 at l<?ast some thirty or forty feet high, but in a moun- 
 tainous region like Burma, it is not even worthy of 
 so lngh-sounding a name. 
 
 " Lord of heaven, there's — a cobra !" exclaimed 
 Naon, jumping at least two feet upward from the 
 ground.
 
 190 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 "Where?" exclaimed both myself and Mikee at 
 the same moment. 
 
 "There!" replied IsTaon, pallid with alarm, and 
 pointing to a dark object just distinguishable in the 
 low grass. 
 
 " Kill it, then," said Mikee, abruptly, but biting 
 his lip to avoid laughing. 
 
 Before, however, the words had left his lips, Naon, 
 in his fright, and with his full strength, struck so 
 heavy a blow at the head of the reptile, that his sword 
 shivered in two pieces. He looked dismayed and 
 ashamed. Mikee and myself laughed outright. The 
 dreaded cobra proved to be but the arm of a tree 
 which had been blown down, and upon the prickly 
 shoots of which Naon had trodden, and feeling them 
 enter his skin, had taken them for the fangs of one 
 of those reptiles which had killed his father ; the 
 thought of which, doubtlessly, ever haunting him, he 
 had given himself up as lost. 
 
 "The white man is no hunter; he should remain 
 in towns," said Mikee ; adding immediately, as we 
 came to a cavernous opening in the hill, " This is our 
 resting-place," 
 
 The opening was large — large enough to have ad- 
 mitted an elephant. Seeing which, I said — 
 
 " This will protect us from the monsoon, should it 
 burst forth during the night. It will not, however, 
 protect us from the tigers who may, if they have not 
 already, seek shelter here." 
 
 " Will the noble colar lend Mikee his rifle ?" said 
 the hunter; and taking it from my hand, and dis-
 
 A WILD BEAST COMBAT. 101 
 
 charging it into the cave, lie added, " see, Mikee is 
 right, there is no tiger there ;" adding, as he led the 
 way, "follow." 
 
 We did, into the wide opening, which, upon enter- 
 ing, we found served as a kind of vestibule or ante- 
 chamber to another apartment, which we reached 
 through an aperture about breast high from the 
 ground, and but little more than large enough to ad- 
 mit the body of a man. Small, however, as was the 
 entrance, this inner chamber was at least eight feet 
 square ; and from the iron grating in the domed roof, 
 the smoothness of the walls — in which were at least 
 some half-a-dozen small gilt images of the deity Gua- 
 dama, inlaid in niches — and the level paved flooring, 
 I knew to have been, at some time or other, a human 
 habitation. 
 
 "This has been the retreat of some pious hermit," 
 said I. 
 
 "A hundred moons since, it was," replied Mikee; 
 adding, " but the holy man was slain by robbers in 
 mistake. Since which time the true believers in 
 Guadama (and thy servant is not of the number) 
 have never dared to venture near the cave, fearing 
 not only that the place where holy blood had been 
 spilt would make them impure, but that they might 
 meet the angry spirit.' 
 
 Mikee said no more at that time ; but I afterward 
 found he had chosen that place as a retreat wherein 
 he might commune with himself, and from his plans 
 to carry out the darling object of his existence — the 
 discovery of the hiding-place of a White Elephant,
 
 192 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 for that lie had observed one among a herd in that 
 very forest nothing could dissuade him. Moreover, 
 it "was not impossible, for, although as yet I had not 
 seen one of those animals, I knew that they were to 
 be found there. 
 
 The wind howled fearfully among the grass and 
 the trees in the distance, piercing into our retreat. 
 Amidst the noises I fancied I could hear the scamper- 
 ing feet and low growls of wild animals, as if in fear 
 of the coming storm. 
 
 " The brutes will seek shelter in the outer cave," 
 said I. 
 
 "Let us kindle a fire," suggested Kaon. 
 
 " Agreed," said I, and we retraced our steps care- 
 fully; and having collected a sufficient quantity of 
 fuel, placed it in the outer cave. 
 
 "But," said I, before we had kindled it into a 
 blaze, " we will take it in turns to watch and keep it 
 alive." 
 
 " Let the sahib sleep ; ISTaon will watch," said 
 Kaon. 
 
 "Mikee will watch," said the hunter; adding, "the 
 noble colars are not hunters, who sleep with their 
 eyes open." 
 
 This I agreed to, providing Mikee promised to take 
 half the night only, and then awaken me. 
 
 " It is good. "When the noble colar awakes, then 
 Mikee will sleep." 
 
 "That is fair; but take the rifle, Mikee," said I, 
 placing the piece in his hand. 
 
 But when the hunter began to kindle the fire, ISTaon
 
 A WILD BEAST COMBAT. 193 
 
 whispered : " This is not wise ; the sahib may want 
 the weapon." 
 
 " Bah, Naon," I replied, greatly annoyed that he 
 should suspect the honesty of one who had served us 
 so well as Mikee, and in whom I placed so much 
 faith. 
 
 Then, when we had made our way through the 
 aperture, and stuffed it with our jackets to avoid 
 suffocation from the smoke, we laid down to sleep ; 
 no easy matter, by the way, for that night the rainy 
 season commenced in earnest — the south-west mon 
 soon had oj?ened in all its fury. But as you may feel 
 somewhat surprised that a little wind and rain should 
 be capable of disturbing the rest of so experienced a 
 traveler as myself, I must give you a slight notion of 
 what a monsoon really is. 
 
 Well, then, the monsoon, which prevails alone in 
 India, and is named from the Malay word moussin, 
 which signifies season is a wind which blows one half the 
 year from the south-west to the north-east, and the 
 other half from the north-east to the south-west. The 
 first, being accompanied by rain and wind, is called 
 the rainy season, and commences about the beginning 
 of June by the appearance of vast masses of clouds 
 which arise from the Indian Ocean, but thicken as 
 they approach the land. In a few days the sky as- 
 sumes a more troubled aspect toward evening ; and 
 as on that occasion in the cave, it generally sets in at 
 niaht : first with violent blasts of wind, under which 
 the stoutest trees have a difficulty in holding their 
 own, and which are but the forerunners of floods of
 
 194: THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 rain which deluge the earth. Lightning flashes unin- 
 terruptedly, at first illuminating the sky, showing the 
 clouds near the horizon ; then discovering the distant 
 hills, and leaving them again shrouded in darkness ; 
 then in an instant re-appearing in vivid and successive 
 flashes, which exhibit even the nearest objects in all 
 the clearness and distinctness of noonday. 
 
 The thunder, in the mean time, continues in loud 
 peals; and when it ceases the rain pours in tremen- 
 dous volumes. This lasts for several days ; the sky 
 then clears, the air becomes soft and pure, the rivers 
 are full and tranquil, and the whole face of the earth, 
 as if by enchantment, appears clothed with thick and 
 luxuriant verdure. The rain after this falls at inter- 
 vals for about a month ; then it increases in violence, 
 and attains its height in July, when it descends 
 thickly and heavily from the heavens. 
 
 Then in August the monsoon somewhat diminishes ; 
 in September it abates, or is entirely suspended until 
 the end of the month, when it again reappears, and 
 departs, as it came, amidst thunder and liijhtnino- and 
 all the turmoil of the tempest. Thus you have the 
 south-west monsoon, or rainy season, to which suc- 
 ceeds the north-east monsoon, or dry season, when 
 the heat caused by this hot wind renders the 
 greater part of India so trying to the health of Euro- 
 peans. 
 
 These monsoons, philosophers tell us, are to be 
 explained by the rarefaction of the air induced by the 
 sun's rays, and consequent rushing in of a colder cur- 
 rent from the sea and land; while the mountainous
 
 A WILD BEAST COMBAT. 195 
 
 elevation, or plains of the country, which modify 
 the influence of the solar rays, sufficiently account 
 for their periodical recurrence and local peculiari- 
 ties.
 
 196 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 WE ARE SEIZED BT THE ENEMY, BUT RESCUED 
 BY MIKEE. 
 
 Notwithstanding the noise of the raging elements, 
 and the vivid streaks of lightning which at intervals 
 flashed through the grating across our eyes, fatigue 
 speedily hushed us into a sound slumher, a slumber 
 from which, however, I was speedily awakened by 
 Naon, who, trembling in every limb, whispered — 
 
 " Awake ! sahib, awake ! the rascal Carian has be- 
 trayed us." 
 
 " Tush ! you coward ; you have been dreaming," 
 said I, rubbing my eyes in no very good humor ; and, 
 moreover, indignant that he should be ever ready to 
 suspect the hunter. 
 
 " It is no tush, sahib ; it is real, it is true ; and we 
 should not be sleeping here when in another minute 
 we may be seized and taken to the Maha, to be 
 spread out in the sun like dried fish," he replied in- 
 dignantly. 
 
 ""What mean you?" I asked. 
 
 "That two of the Maha's soldiers are in the cave." 
 
 Instantly rising to my feet, I pulled one of the 
 jackets aside, and, to my dismay, saw two armed 
 men in close converse ; but as ready as a drowning 
 man to clutch at a straw, I said —
 
 SEIZED BY THE ENEMY. 197 
 
 " They may have not seen us, Xaon." 
 
 " That is unreasonable ; but suppose they have, and 
 are only awaiting till we crawl through the aperture 
 to take us," was the reply. 
 
 " Well, if so, there are but two ; and surely we are 
 a match for them," I replied, proudly. 
 
 " The sahib would not listen to the words of Naon ; 
 he gave up his rifle to the Carian ; moreover, we are 
 in a trap, at the hole of which they can seize us like 
 rats, if we attempt to get out." 
 
 " But Mikee, he is armed with the rifle," said I. 
 
 " True, sahib ; and so, if he were not a rogue, 
 might have kept them ofi", or at least have given us 
 the alarm." 
 
 " Indeed, I am afraid your suspicions are correct," 
 said I, gloomily. 
 
 "The Carian has sold us to these thieves of sol- 
 diers," he repeated ; and I despaired, for I entertained 
 the same belief. 
 
 " Yet, I said, " we must not be taken easily, at 
 least without an attempt to escape." 
 
 " Escape ; yes, it would be good ; but how ?" he 
 replied ; adding, " but no, it is not possible, the sahib 
 is in dreamland." 
 
 " That grating, it may be loose ; let us try," said I, 
 and in an instant I was upon Naon's shoulders, en- 
 deavoring to move the iron bars. 
 
 " Hasten, sahib, the rogues are moving," said Naon ; 
 and as he spoke, a fierce-looking Barman soldier 
 thrust a musket through the aperture, saying — 
 
 "Let the colar dogs attempt to escape, and they die."
 
 198 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 "Lord of heaven, it is of no use now," cried Naon, 
 trembling so much that I was compelled to descend 
 from his shoulders ; indeed, if I had not, I believe the 
 Burman Avould have brought me down with a bullet. 
 
 " Will the colar dogs come out ? or will they die 
 where they are ?" asked the savage, with a demoniacal 
 grin. 
 
 " Come and fetch us, thou rogue," I said, foolishly ; 
 for to provoke the brute was sheer madness. 
 
 " Let the brave warrior have patience, and we will 
 come," said Naon, suiting the action to the word, 
 and making his way through the hole, crying as he 
 went — 
 
 " Follow, sahib, or he will fire ;" and trusting that, 
 as there were apparently but two of them, some op- 
 portunity of escape might soon occur, I complied. 
 The instant, however, Ave reached the other side, we 
 were seized, and our arms bound behind. 
 
 " The words of the Carian dog were good ; this is 
 the colar rebel for whose head the Maha will give 
 reward," said the soldier, whose face we had not 
 hitherto seen ; but whom, to my chagrin, I now rec- 
 ognized to be the soldier who had accompanied me 
 from the pagoda, and by whose words I now discov- 
 ered that, instead of acting to me as a mere guide, 
 he had been instructed by the treacherous officer of 
 the Shoe Dagon to deliver me over to the first party 
 of troops he might meet. 
 
 " Thou rascal !" said I " did not the sahib Johnson 
 pay the rogue of a pagoda officer a large weight of 
 silver for my release ?"
 
 SEIZED BY THE ENEMY. 199 
 
 "The young colar prayed that he might be permitted 
 to visit the Golden City," said the soldier. 
 
 " I did, and thou wert ordered to guide me on the 
 road," said I. 
 
 "The young colar shall go now," said he ; adding, 
 " but this time he must not play his servant so foul a 
 trick." 
 
 Then Naon and I were taken outside the cave, 
 where we saw two horses saddled, upon one of which 
 we were placed, tied back to back; no very pleasant 
 position either, especially as our feet were secured 
 by ropes beneath the animal, so that, had it fallen, 
 we must inevitably have broken our legs. 
 
 Whether intended as such or not, it was kind of 
 them to give us this horse, for it rendered it necessary 
 that they should have but the one between them; 
 and thus, one sitting behind the other, they traveled 
 leading our horse by a cord, which being not only 
 attached to the animal, but to the ropes which bound 
 us together, made it impossible for us to disconnect 
 ourselves without their knowledge. 
 
 It was some consolation, however, to find that we 
 were traveling in a contrary direction from the vil- 
 lage ; and moreover, in the direction we should have 
 taken had we been permitted to have continued our 
 journey without their company. 
 
 Having secured us, as they imagined, beyond all 
 possibility of escape, our captors rode onward scarce- 
 ly deigning to turn a glance toward their prisoners. 
 When, however, they began to converse together, 
 I learned that they belonged to the army of the
 
 200 THE WHITE ELEniANT. 
 
 Malia Silwa, who, having changed his mind, or rather 
 his plans, in which were included his call at the Ca- 
 rian village, had dispatched these men to the latter 
 place with orders that the supply of provisions should 
 be sent on to him to the town of Mopee ; to which 
 place, notwithstanding the soldier's assertion that 
 he intended taking us to the capitol, I feared we 
 were proceeding. 
 
 Then they conversed of a battle that had been 
 fought near Rangoon, in which the English had been 
 victorious, although the British fleet had nearly been 
 destroyed by the Burmese fire-rafts ; ingenious con- 
 trivances of bamboos, firmly wrought together in 
 rows, and having between every two or three, a line 
 of large earthen jars, filled with petroleum, or earth- 
 oil and cotton, which, with other inflammable ingre- 
 dients, distributed in different parts, when lighted, 
 give forth a fierce and almost unextinguishable body 
 of flame. 
 
 " Many of the fire-rafts," says Major Snodgrass, 
 who was engaged in that very battle, " were consid- 
 erably more than a hundred feet in length, and were 
 divided into many pieces, attached to each other by 
 means of long hinges, so arranged that when they 
 caught upon the cable or bow of any ships, the force 
 of the current should carry the ends of the raft com- 
 pletely round her, and envelope her in flames from 
 the deck to her main-topmast-head, with scarcely a 
 possibility of extricating herself from the devouring 
 element." 
 
 Our gallant British tars, however, were not suffi-
 
 SEIZED BY THE ENEMY. 201 
 
 ciently asleep to require any such means of aAvakening 
 them ; for when the Burmans launched these dread- 
 ful engines into the stream with the first of the ebb- 
 tide, in the hope of driving the vessels from their 
 stations off the place, and they were followed up by 
 war-boats, ready to take advantage of the confusion 
 which might ensue, should any of them be set on fire, 
 their skill and their bravery proved more than a 
 match for the numbers and cunning of the Burmans ; 
 and with a coolness characteristic of British seamen, 
 they entered their boats, and grappling the flaming 
 rafts, quietly towed some past the shipping, and ran 
 the other's ashore upon the bank among the enemy's 
 buildings. 
 
 Then, in the midst of their conversation, our cap- 
 tors would every now and then express their wonder- 
 ment at the invincibility of the English, whom they 
 believed to be devils, not only because of their bravery, 
 but because they carried magicians with them who 
 rendered it quite useless on the part of the Burmans 
 to knock off the heads, arms, or legs of the British 
 soldiers, for no sooner were they off, than these same 
 magicians would instantly replace them. 
 
 As you must divine, these magicians were the En- 
 glish surgeons, members of a profession of which the 
 Burmese know so little that their wounded and 
 maimed are left to die ; or, if they recover, are com- 
 pelled to become outcasts for life. Describing some 
 of the sickening scenes he had witnessed among the 
 Burman wounded, Major Crawford tells us — 
 
 "A strong prejudice appears to run, not only
 
 209 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 against all natural deformities, but against those 
 laboring under incurable diseases, and even against 
 such as have been accidentally mutilated. 
 
 " There is an indescribable mixture of caprice, folly, 
 and inhumanity in the different modes in which this 
 is shown. A man who has lost the sisdit of both 
 eyes is forbidden to enter the palace enclosure ; but 
 if he has lost the sight of one only, he may enter. 
 The dumb also are interdicted from this privilege ; 
 and the loss of an ear or nose is a sufficient disqualifi- 
 cation for the same honor. 
 
 " The loss of any limb, even in action, and when 
 defending the rights of his sovereign or country, also 
 deprives a Burman of the right of entering the palace, 
 and is attended with the loss of court favor and pre- 
 ferment, all of which may account for the extraordi- 
 nary conduct of some of the Burmese prisoners who 
 were wounded, and who refused to suffer amputation ; 
 or tore off the bandages, and bled to death after it 
 had been performed. 
 
 " One young man, who had submitted to the opera- 
 tion, mistook the nature of it altogether, and, con- 
 ceiving that to be the mode in which the English tor- 
 tured their prisoners of war, had no sooner had his 
 shattered leg amputated than he defiantly presented 
 his sound leg for the like operation. 
 
 "These prejudices originate from their religious 
 belief; for they are taught by their Buddhist priests 
 that every physical evil is a punishment— not for 
 offences committed in this life, but for transgressions 
 committed while their souls were in some previous
 
 SEIZED BY TIIE ENEMY. 203 
 
 body. They are not considered as punishments for 
 the benefit of the soul of the sufferer, but as inevitable 
 inflictions merited by the individual on account of 
 himself or ancestors, and the necessary results of the 
 present imperfect order of the world. Those afflicted, 
 consequently, experience little compassion or sym- 
 pathy. There is, indeed, some merit in bestowing 
 charity upon lepers and other beggars ; but it is 
 very trifling indeed in comparison with that of giving 
 alms to the priests, or making gifts to temples." 
 
 But, as I have previously told you, among the Bui'- 
 man officials " every thing is fish that comes to net." 
 So with these lepers, who, although they themselves 
 and even their descendants are outcasts from society, 
 ranked with the burners of the dead, are permitted 
 only to marry with lepers, and denied the right of 
 Buddhist burial by burning, a denial which is tanta- 
 mount to "Christian burial" being refused to an En- 
 glishman — money can effect wonders in their favor 
 with the government. 
 
 A wealthy leper, by permitting himself to be 
 squeezed out of a large sum, may remain in society. 
 A person without influence, but of respectable posi- 
 tion, having a mere scar upon his hand, is liable to be 
 seized, when, to avoid the scandal of a public exam- 
 ination, or the risk of being driven from society, he 
 readily pays a heavy contribution. 
 
 "We had been some three hours on our journey, 
 traveling at a rate of not more than three miles each 
 hour ; for, although the rain fell lightly, the paths — 
 they were not to be called roads — were so heavy with
 
 204 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 water that the horses could but with difficulty keep 
 at a good walking pace. 
 
 I had become much wearied with my position, so 
 had Naon, for the cords cut into our arms. I re- 
 solved to ask our captors to loosen them, but just 
 then they changed the subject of their conversation. 
 They spoke of the means by which they had secured 
 us. I listened, and heard " that Mikee had betrayed us." 
 
 The two soldiers, it appeared, had sought shelter 
 in the cave from the rain, and discovering Naon and 
 myself asleep, at once resolved to seize us as we came 
 through the aperture, but only for the purpose of 
 plunder, for they mistook us for traveling merchants ; 
 and Mikee, entering the cave shortly afterward, 
 thinking him to be our servant, they fell upon 
 him, (the mean-spirited rogue, at least so I then 
 thought him), to save himself, told them that we 
 were a couple of rebel foreigners, whom he had en- 
 ticed to travel in his company, but intended to deliver 
 over to the authorities at the first great town he 
 came to, and so obtain the reward for the heads or 
 bodies of foreigners, which reward he would readily 
 forego if they would let him depart unharmed. As 
 these men recapitulated this incident, they chuckled 
 with delight at having so easily got the better of a 
 Carian peasant. This was a bitter discovery to me. 
 How was it possible that so much bravery could be 
 associated with so much meanness and treachery ? I 
 know not why, but had Naon been the guilty person, 
 I should have felt neither so much hurt, nor surprised ; 
 but Mikee, the aspiring, ambitious Mikee, verily I
 
 SEIZED BY THE ENEMY. 205 
 
 could have staked my life upon his honesty. Alas ! I 
 muttered, such is the world ; and so pondering, with 
 a heavy heart, heavier with chagrin than misfortunes, 
 rode onward, resolving never to put faith in man 
 again. I dare say you think I was rather young for 
 a misanthropist, but then, morbid feelings will shoot 
 out of bitter disappointments. 
 
 But forward, across a dreary plain, through a 
 thick jungle ; then we entered a wood, through which 
 there appeared to be but one pathway, at least for 
 horsemen, and that but sufficiently wide for a single 
 person. There were thickly foliaged trees on either 
 side, and one of the soldiers looked about him 
 suspiciously, as if he feared an ambush. Alas ! 
 I thought, who in the whole world is there to attempt 
 our rescue ? 
 
 " Lord of heaven ! I shall be striped like a tiger," 
 cried Naon, suddenly, writhing under the cords. 
 
 At this, the soldiers turned round savagely ; they 
 did not, however, utter a word, but goaded their own 
 horse till it literally dragged our poor beast after 
 them. Then there was a rustling sound, but whether 
 among the foliage of the trees, or in the tall grass 
 beneath, I could n«ot distinguish, for almost simulta- 
 neously came the sharp crack of a gun ; the soldiers 
 fell to the ground, and their horse started off with 
 fright dragging ours after it ; but a horse, with two 
 persons upon its back, proving a dead weight to the 
 frightened animal, it very speedily came to a dead 
 halt, and gave us an opportunity of discovering the 
 cause of this strange accident.
 
 208 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 The hunter, Mikee, was standing over the soldiers 
 completing the scheme he had so cleverly contrived for 
 our rescue. Being aAvare that we must pass through 
 that path, Mikee, upon quitting the cave, had hastened 
 forward, and having secured one end of a long rope 
 to a tree, had at the other made a large slip-noose, which, 
 while watching among the foliage above, he held in 
 his hand till the men passed beneath, when, with the 
 skilfulness of an elephant-hunter, he dropped it over 
 their heads, and discharged the rifle at the same time ; 
 thus the frightened horse soon carrying his riders to 
 the end of their tether, the noose tightening, grasped 
 them both in its embrace ; and as at the same mo- 
 ment the tree to which the end of the cord was se- 
 cured, put forth its power of resistance, the gallant 
 Burmans became, to their great astonishment, jerked 
 upon the earth. Having secured his prisoners to the 
 tree, the hunter ran forward and disengaged Xaon 
 and myself from the horse. 
 
 " A friend in such need is a friend indeed, my brave 
 Mikee," said I. 
 
 As for Naon, he appeared bewildered with aston- 
 ishment ; for a minute he stood silent, staring about, 
 shrugging his shoulders and rubbing his arms, then 
 confusedly he said : " Then the Carianis not a rogue ; 
 but — but my arms are so benumbed, I can't speak." 
 
 " Mikee has said that he would serve the noble 
 colar, and he will not eat his own words," was the 
 only reply the hunter made to us ; but going close to 
 the soldiers, he said, " The dogs of Burmans are not 
 warriors — they are thieves, who would have robbed
 
 SEIZED LT THE ENEMY. 207 
 
 a peaceful Carian ; therefore shall they die." And he 
 held his naked sword before the cowards, who 
 tremblingly prayed for mercy. 
 
 " The brave hunter is just ; the rogues must die, 
 and become the food of tigers," said Naon, savagely. 
 
 " They must not die, at least by our own hands," 
 said I, really fearing that the poor wretches would have 
 been slain before my eyes. 
 
 " Let it be as the noble colar wills," replied Mikee, 
 quietly putting up his sword. 
 
 But the cowards now prayed more vehemently 
 than before ; .this time, however, it was to be slain 
 at once, for they feared a still more terrible death by 
 the tiger ; and, enemies as they were, I pitied, nay, 
 feared for their fate if left thus, so I said, — 
 
 "Give the miserable dogs their liberty, Mikee." 
 
 "It would be destroying ourselves, for they are more 
 treacherous than the tigers they fear." 
 
 " The words of the hunter are wise, sahib ; he 
 knows their nature," said Naon. 
 
 " Then so let it be ; for, after all, they merit their 
 fate," said I, compelled to acquiesce. 
 
 Then, richer tha'.i ever — for we had two horses, or 
 rather ponies, for horses are never, and ponies but 
 seldom used in Burma, except by the Cassay cavalry 
 — we mounted, Naon and myself bestriding one, 
 and Mikee the other. And thus, when we had left 
 the narrow path, and entered upon a large swamp 
 skirted again by a wood, Mikee told me that, the 
 previous night, even he had miscalculated his powers 
 of endurance, for what with the day's fatigue, the
 
 208 the wrriTE elephant. 
 
 roaring of the tempest, and the soothing influence of 
 the fire ; he fell asleep, dreaming, of course, that he 
 had discovered the White Elephant of his imagina- 
 tion. 
 
 Suddenly, however, he was awakened, by what, 
 he knew not. The tempest had become hushed, the 
 storm- wind had abated, and he heard the tramp of 
 some animal. What could it be? not a tiger, the 
 steps were too slow and heavy ; surely it must be an 
 elephant. His hopes whispered the subject of his 
 dreams — a White Elephant ; but no, that was impossi- 
 ble. Wild elephants are sociable animals, and invaria- 
 bly feed in herds, and the sounds he heard were those 
 of a single animal. 
 
 He clutched the rifle, rose to his feet, and stole softly 
 out of the cave ; listened again, and heard a loud 
 noise — a kind of compound of the bellow of the bull 
 and grunt of the wild hog. Clutching his rifle tight- 
 ly, he walked foward in the direction of the sounds, 
 through the grass ; suddenly his feet sank in a swamp 
 caused by the rain : still keeping foward, he at length 
 knew he was in the immediate neighborhood of the 
 animal ; nay, through the darkness could just distin- 
 guish the outlines of the object of his search. It was 
 a large rhinoceros, luxuriating in that darkness of 
 which it is so fond, wallowing in the swamp, and 
 bellowing with pleasure at the agreeable sensations 
 caused by rubbing its thick hide against a tree trunk. 
 
 This trick is practiced by these animals for their 
 absolute preservation ; for, although the rhinoceros 
 possesses a hide which renders it safe from the claws
 
 SEIZED BY THE ENEMT. 209 
 
 of the lion and tiger, and a horn which makes it ter- 
 rible to all other animals, it has a formidable enemy 
 in a species of fly which for ever persecutes it, and 
 from whose attacks it can only defend itself by rolling 
 in the mud until it has become clothed with an im- 
 penetrable armor, which is kept on by the wrinkles 
 and plaits of its skin, except about its hips, shoulders, 
 and legs, from which the motion of the body causes 
 it to fall off, when an itching and pain follow that 
 cause the beast to be as thankful at the sight of a 
 tree, against which it can rub itself, as tradition tells 
 us were the tenantry of the Duke of Argyle at the 
 sight of a post. 
 
 A rhinoceros ; well, that was not so good as a 
 White Elephant, still its horn and hide would fetch 
 money ; and as the pleasure the animal derived from 
 the rubbing seemed to deprive it of its usual vigilance, 
 it would be an easy victory. At least . so thought 
 Mikee, who, grasping the stock of his rifle, prepared 
 to fire ; but finding there was not light sufficient to 
 take aim — for to hit the hide would be like pouring 
 water upon oil — Mikee, like that brave French army 
 which, after vast preparations, marched up the hill, 
 and then — marched down again — was compelled to 
 retrace his steps. 
 
 Greatly, however, to his astonishment, he found 
 the cave occupied by the two armed soldiers, who 
 immediately seized him, and would have bound his 
 arms and legs, but for the tale he told them. Be- 
 lieving, however, his story, and glad that he would 
 resign to them so willingly his share of the reward for 
 14
 
 210 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 our capture, they let him depart ; when, knowing the 
 only path they could take, he hastened forward and re- 
 mained hidden in the tree till we approached, and he 
 could rescue us ; and yet I had dared to doubt this 
 brave fellow's honesty.
 
 'J 'he Kliinoceroa tearing up the tree. Page 211.
 
 A RHINOCEROS HUNT. 211 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 A RHINOCEROS HUNT. 
 
 We had nearly traversed the swamp, and were within 
 five hundred yards of the wood, when, stopping his 
 horse, and with eyes flashing with excitement, Mikee 
 exclaimed — 
 
 " The rhinoceros ! "We must take him." 
 
 Then for a minute or so I watched the great un- 
 wieldy brute, who, with his great upper lip, which is 
 capable of being lengthened out so as to increase his 
 power of seizing any object, in the manner the ele- 
 phant does with its trunk, was pulling down the 
 leafy branch of a tree; which, having quickly de- 
 voured, he then placed his snout, or rather the great 
 horn at its end, in the root, till, finding sufficient lev- 
 erage, he lifted it from the earth, and, to my surprise, 
 speedily ripped it into narrow strips, and prepared to 
 enjoy his repast. • « jfer 
 
 " Take him !" echoed Naon ; adding, " the worthy 
 hunter is brave, but he cannot do impossibilities. 
 Why, the brute has the power of fifty oxen ; his hide 
 cannot be pierced, and he will tread us all to death 
 with one fall of his foot." 
 
 " Will the noble colar hunt the brute?" said Mikee. 
 
 "Hunt!" said I, laughing. "Why, Mikee, the 
 beast has no hunting legs ; he can't waddle."
 
 212 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 "The noble colar shall see, if he will try," was the 
 
 reply. 
 
 " But suppose we succeed ?" said I. 
 
 " His hide, his horn will repay us for our trouble," 
 said Mikee. 
 
 "Agreed then," I said. 
 
 " The noble colar' s attendant is afraid, therefore let 
 him get off the horse," said the hunter ; adding, " he 
 can take mine." 
 
 " But what will you do, Mikee ?" 
 
 " Ride behind the colar," was the reply. 
 
 Hearing which, and no doubt thinking the hunter 
 wished to ride behind me that I might bear the brunt 
 of the attack, Naon expressed unmistakeable doubts 
 as to the wisdom of the arrangement. However, 
 having faith in the hunter, I complied : and when 
 Mikee had mounted behind me, sword in hand, I held 
 the loaded rifle ; Naon mounted Mikee's horse, and 
 followed. 
 
 Finding we were firm in our seats, Mikee goaded 
 the horse, and we set off at a gentle trot. Mikee, as 
 we neared the animal, gave a strange unearthly 
 scream ; whereupon the rhinoceros, after his nature, 
 never turning his head, set off, to my surprise, at a 
 full trot ; and thus the chase, if chase it maybe termed, 
 began. For some ten minutes we followed. 
 
 " See," I said, holding my rifle in readiness for a 
 close attack, " he is at bay ; he cannot pass those 
 trees." 
 
 But Mikee noticed not my words; and he was 
 right ; for, although the trees would have formed a
 
 A RHINOCEROS IIUNT. 213 
 
 formidable obstacle to a horse, the huge creature 
 clashed by them as if they had been reeds ; they bent 
 against his hide, and returned to their natural posi- 
 tion when he had passed ; and thus, as he no doubt 
 calculated, he gained upon us, for we were obliged to 
 pick our way. The stupid brute, however, not deign- 
 ing to look backward, had no sooner passed the trees 
 than, believing himself to be safe, he stayed to feed. 
 
 " We have him now," cried Mikee ; and goading 
 the horse forward at a faster pace, we got within a 
 few yards of him. That few yards, however, was 
 every thing to the animal, for he was near another 
 thicket of prickly brambles, over which hung the 
 huge arm of a tree. Onward, with a bellow, and, as 
 before, the arms of the trees bent before his strength. 
 Forward again we went, goading our horse to its full 
 speed, excited with the chase, for it was a trial 
 of cunning against swiftness — rhinoceros versus horse. 
 We neared the tree ; it was too near to stop the 
 horse; my breast came violently in contact with 
 the branch, and over we rolled, both of us, into the 
 thicket. 
 
 Fortunately we were but little hurt, so, remount- 
 ing, we were off again, under the branch, through 
 the thicket, as best we could, and at last made upon 
 the rhinoceros. " Ah !" I exclaimed, seeing another 
 thicket in the distance, to which the cunning animal 
 was making way, " he shall not dodge us this time ; 
 here goes," and I discharged my rifle. Mikee laughed, 
 and well he might, for the bullet, though it struck 
 the animal, rolled off its hide harmlessly ; and with a
 
 214 THE WHITE ELTTIIANT. 
 
 whisk of the tail, by way, perhaps, of a slight ac- 
 knowledgement of the favor, he continued to trot as 
 before, through that thicket, and again he had made 
 ground. In a few minutes, however, Ave were again 
 upon his track, and gaining ground at every instant. 
 It was all plain now, there were no more thickets. 
 " Now we have him," cried Mikee, urging our beast 
 forward. 
 
 " Stay ; let me load ; he will turn at us," said I. 
 
 " Not so ; they never turn ; we must shoot ahead," 
 said Mikee, and in two minutes we had gained upon 
 him some dozen yards. " Now wheel round," said 
 Mikee, taking the rein, and in an instant we stood 
 before the formidable monster. It was an exciting 
 moment ; my last, I believed ; for seeing us in front, 
 he stood still, at bay, too proud to turn, and evidently 
 lashing himself into a fury. 
 
 " Let us turn, he will never overtake us," said I, 
 giving the rein a pull, and fearfully alarmed. 
 
 " No ; now is our time ; give me the rein," said 
 Mikee, coolly, and in another moment the enraged 
 beast put down his head, pointed his horn, and ran 
 at us with the fury and after the fashion of a wild 
 boar. The rein, however, was in Mikee's hand, so, 
 turning the horse short to one side, he slipped off its 
 back behind the wild brute, and with astonishing 
 dexterity ran his sword across the tendon of one of 
 its heels, and the beast fell, incapable of moving, but 
 bellowing with rage at its victor, who, quietly taking 
 my rifle from my hand, discharged its contents into 
 its brain.
 
 a imixocERos nuNT. 215 
 
 "Bravo, Mikee ; you are a wonderful hunter!" I 
 exclaimed, rather to hide my tremor (for I can assure 
 you I trembled, more at my escape — and I thought 
 it a narrow one — than I had in positive danger) than 
 at any pleasure I felt at the destruction of an animal 
 which, although so ungainly in shape, except attacked, 
 is harmless to all but the elephant, with whom he 
 seems to have an hereditary feud ; for it is said they 
 never meet without a duel, and seldom without the 
 elephant meeting with its death by a thrust in the 
 chest from its antagonist's formidable horn. 
 
 " Thanks to the lord of heaven for the sahib's es- 
 cape," said Naon, riding up to us now the danger 
 was over. 
 
 " Let us praise the courage of the brave Mikee," 
 said I. 
 
 " Truly he is a mighty hunter," said Naon. 
 
 Then, when Mikee had cut his mark upon the hide 
 with his sword, he said, " Now, if it please the noble 
 colar, we will hasten to the village." 
 
 " But what is to be done with this dead beast, O 
 brave and worthy Mikee ? for surely it will be worth 
 a large amount of silver," said Naon. 
 
 " The worthy colar will carry it before him upon 
 his horse," said Mikee, laughing. 
 
 Naon, however, not liking to be laughed at, kept 
 a sullen silence. 
 
 " But will the carcass be safe here from robbers ?" 
 I asked. 
 
 " Mikee will hasten to the village, where carts may 
 be obtained," was the reply. Rejoiced to find we
 
 216 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 were so near the river, I mounted, and we proceeded 
 on our way in silence till we came to some large fields 
 planted with, what at the time, from the shape, ap- 
 peared to me to be thistles, and about four feet in 
 height. 
 
 "The Lord of heaven be thanked, we are near the 
 river, for this is the indigo plantation," said Naon. 
 
 Then it was not thistles, but indigo, that plant of 
 which we hear so much, and generally know so little. 
 Although in Burma the indigo plant thrives luxu- 
 riantly, the natives prepare it with small skill, simply 
 by steeping the weed in old boats sunk in the river, and 
 which answers the purpose of a vat. It is questionable if 
 they know how to purify and reduce it to a hard re- 
 fined consistence ; or if they do, they are too indolent, 
 and prefer to use it in a liquid state. 
 
 In other parts of Asia, however, indigo is prepared 
 as follows : — When the plant has reached a given 
 height, and the leaves are in good condition, they are 
 stripped from the stalks and thrown into large pits 
 half filled with water where they are bruised and 
 stirred till the water becomes muddy. After a few 
 days the water is drawn off, and the slimy sediment 
 taken up in baskets of the shape of children's tops, or 
 flat cakes, and dried in the sun. The people employed 
 to sift the indigo stop their nostrils, keep a cloth be- 
 fore their faces, with little holes for their eyes, and 
 drink milk every half hour to preserve them from the 
 penetrating quality of the dust, which, notwithstand- 
 ing all their precaution, gets into their throats, and 
 causes the saliva to become blue.
 
 A EIIINOCEKOS HUNT. 21 
 
 if 
 
 At length, after traversing these extensive fields, 
 we came to the stockade, or bamboo enclosure of a 
 town, or rather large village, the houses of which, 
 although numerous, were erected of wood, and built 
 upon poles, almost all having great earthen jars filled 
 with water upon the roofs, in Readiness for fire, as 
 also a long bamboo pole fitted with an iron hook, for 
 the purpose of pulling down the thatch, as well as 
 another pole, at the end of which was an iron grating 
 some three feet square, for the purpose of suppressing 
 any sudden conflagration by pressure. The greater 
 part of the houses were small, and of unplaned wood, 
 as befitted the rank in life of their inhabitants. One, 
 however, was much larger than the rest, and from 
 the lacquer upon the poles and doors, was evidently 
 the residence of the head man, as no less a person 
 dared presume upon such a luxury. 
 
 The town consisted of two well-paved streets, 
 which crossed each other at right angles, and were 
 drained by gutters along the sides. The lines of 
 houses were at intervals interspersed with Mourns, or 
 monasteries, whose triple gilded roofs, shaded by the 
 foliage of the trees, which arose from the ground be- 
 hind, as also those of the many pagodas (the works 
 of religious merit of living and dead Burmans), with 
 their winding paths, gave an imposing appearance to 
 the scene. 
 
 Passing through the wicket, near which was an 
 ancient piece of cannon, and a few indolent soldiers 
 lying upon the ground chewing betel and smoking 
 cigars, to our delight, we saw a shed in which were
 
 218 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 jars of water, placed there by some charitable person 
 for the benefit of pedestrians of the poorer class, of 
 which we gladly availed ourselves ; and as we were 
 desirous of passing through the streets unobserved, it 
 was fortunate that when we entered the town the 
 people were engaged in attending the procession of a 
 young novice, who was about entering upon the 
 priesthood. 
 
 This youth — he was not more than ten years of 
 age — was wrapped in a yellow robe, and mounted 
 upon a handsomely caparisoned horse led by two 
 servants. The procession was led by a band of mu- 
 sic, then a host of seniors, in the midst of whom rode 
 the hero of the day, followed by a vast number of his 
 male and female relations and friends, accompanied by 
 their whole families, each person carrying in his hand 
 a present for the priests of the monastery of which 
 the youth was about to become a member. 
 
 So far had we passed through the town without 
 calling the especial attention of any of the multitude. 
 When, however, the procession took a different di- 
 rection from that in which Mikee was leading us, I 
 became alarmed, for we came face to face with a re- 
 cruiting party, who were conducting conscripts down 
 to the war-boats ; but such a recruiting party that 
 you do not see in England. There were about a 
 hundred peasants, who, being destitute of the money 
 to purchase substitutes, were being either driven at 
 the point of the spear, oi-, with their arms and legs 
 tied together, carried upon the shoulders of the sol- 
 diers down to the war-boats in the river.
 
 A MIINOCEROS HUNT. 210 
 
 Fortunately I was too well disguised , or the sol- 
 diers too much engaged to notice me, for they passed 
 on their way, when Mikee, who had observed my 
 fears, said — 
 
 " The noble colar is safe ; the good priest will be- 
 friend us ;" and as he spoke we stopped at the en- 
 trance of a kioum, where the hunter was warmly 
 greeted by a yellow-robed, shaven-pated, round-faced 
 Poonghi (priest), who led us into the large space — it 
 could not be called a hall, for there were no sides — 
 wherein it is customary to entertain travelers, and 
 among several of whom we took up our station for 
 the night, greatly to the chagrin of Naon, who, look- 
 ing around him nervously, said — 
 
 " It would have been wiser, sahib, had the worthy 
 hunter conducted us at once to his boat." 
 
 " It is not possible ; Mikee must remain here this 
 night, for to-morrow he will be put into law," said 
 the hunter 
 
 "Put into law," I repeated, with surprise, for so 
 tedious and expensive is that operation in Burma, 
 that " may he be put into law " is the greatest mis- 
 fortune that a Burman can wish his worst enemy; 
 but for some reason Mikee made no reply. An hour 
 afterward, the iron tongue of the great bell which 
 marks the passing hours in Burmese towns, warned 
 us it was time for sleep. 
 
 " By the way, the Burmese method of dividing the 
 time is curious, and peculiar to themselves. Their 
 year, like our own, consists of twelve months, al- 
 though their months, being alternately of twenty-
 
 220 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 nine and thirty-days, this year consists of three hun- 
 dred and fifty-four days, and is a lunar year. In 
 order, however, to preserve the solar time, the fourth 
 month of every third year is doubled, which brings 
 the year to three hundred and sixty-four days. The 
 additional days and hour are supplied, as occasion 
 demands, by a royal order, under the advice of the 
 court Brahmins, and by custom are added to the third 
 month of the year. 
 
 Their great peculiarity, however, js the non-enum- 
 eration of the days of the entire month ; for instance, 
 instead of enumerating as we do, from the first to 
 the last day of the month, they divide each month 
 into two two parts, which they designate as the days 
 of the increasing and the waning moon. The first 
 day of a month, for example, they term the first of 
 the increasing moon, and the sixteenth they term the 
 first of the waning moon. 
 
 The week, like our own, is divided into seven days ; 
 instead, however, of hours, they divide the day into 
 sixty parts, called Nari. The most popular division 
 of the day is into eight divisions, or watches, four 
 being allotted to the day and four to the night, each 
 watch being equal to three of our hours. The time- 
 keeper employed is a copper cup, perforated at the 
 bottom, and placed in a vase of water, which sinks to 
 a particular mark at the close of each Nari, when a 
 great bell, suspended from a tall belfry close to the 
 house of the chief magistrate is struck. 
 
 In the capital there is a regular establishment for 
 the service of the bell, and a custom that, if the time-
 
 A RHINOCEROS HUNT. 221 
 
 keeper on duty commits any error, his companions 
 are at liberty to carry him off and sell him at once in 
 the public market (you must remember that a value 
 is set upon every man, woman, and child in the king- 
 dom, in order that they may be sold off, if necessary, 
 like their goods and chattels, to pay debts of their 
 own or their relations'). With reference, however, 
 to the time-keeper, it is merely a form ; the sale is 
 a mock one, the price being always fixed at a very 
 trifling amount, so that the offender may ransom him- 
 self without difficulty.
 
 222 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 MIKEE HAS HIS FORTUNE TOLD BY THE CROWS, AND 
 UNDERGOES THE ORDEAL OF WATER. 
 
 Awaking the next morning and finding that priest, 
 travelers, Mikee, indeed all but ISTaon, had left the 
 hall, I stared with surprise ; and rubbing my eyes to 
 make quite sure that they were open, said — 
 
 " The hunter, the priest, where are they ? Truly, 
 I must have slept deep into the morning." 
 
 " It is not so, sahib ; it is little more than daybreak," 
 said Naon. 
 
 "But the hunter?" 
 
 " Hush, sahib ; not the hunter, but Mikee the oil- 
 carrier here." 
 
 "Well, then, the oil-carrier," I replied, impa- 
 tiently. 
 
 " Mikee has gone to ask what will be the result of 
 his lawsuit to-day." 
 
 "Ask whom ? who can tell but the judge ?" 
 
 " The crows," said Naon, stolidly. 
 
 " Ask the crows ?" I repeated, with a laugh. 
 
 " Truly, it is so. Let the sahib follow, and he will 
 see." 
 
 " Ask the crows ? Are the crows then learned in 
 
 the law ?' And I laughed heartily at the idea. 
 
 " It is the custom," was the serious reply.
 
 MIKEE HAS HIS FOKTUNE TOLD. 223 
 
 Of course I bowed to custom, and then thought 
 that, since Rome had her first boundaries determined 
 by the flight of one bird, and at another time was 
 saved by the cackling of geese, there might be nothing 
 vei-y wonderful, after all, in a lawsuit being decided by 
 the sapient-looking crow, who may probably possess 
 more nous than we are aware of. That the crow, 
 however, is a shrewd observer, and smart in his trans- 
 actions, any person ambitious of shooting one may 
 very easily discover by the tax that will be laid upon 
 his patience. However, following Naon to the back 
 of the kioum, I mentally collected matter enough for 
 a new page in natural history. 
 
 Mikee was seated upon a square of grass, patiently 
 endeavoring to stand upright upon their delicate 
 savory legs, three animals made of cooked rice — a 
 lion, an ox, and an elephant. It was no easy matter, 
 for as fast as he stood up one, another fell down ; 
 then when he had re-adjusted them, the rice trunk 
 of the elephant, the rice head of the lion, or the rice 
 tail of the ox would tumble off. At length, however, 
 he succeeded, and the three animals stood forth upon 
 the grass boldly, when the spectators — priests and 
 travelers — clapped their hands with delight. 
 
 Then all present withdrawing a good distance 
 from the artificial animals, and throwing themselves 
 upon the ground, patiently watched the movements 
 of a pair of old crows who were seated upon the 
 branches of a tree. It was a tedious affair, for it was 
 nearly two hours before the learned feathered couple 
 would take the least notice of the animals. At the
 
 22-4 the white Elephant. 
 
 end of that period, after much flying about, and a 
 great deal of caw-cawing, as if to satisfy themselves 
 the men creatures had no intention of moving, they 
 flew down to the rice animals. 
 
 Then came the excitement of the spectators, for 
 the crows evidently had some diihculty in arriving at 
 a decision. First they appeared as if about to 
 attack the lion ; at which Mikee's face beamed with 
 pleasure, for that would be a sure sign of victory ; but 
 no, they passed to the ox, and for a minute seemed 
 inclined to try rice beef. This was not quite so 
 agreeable to Mikee, for that was a sign that matters 
 would be made up by accommodation. When, how- 
 ever, they neglected the ox, and were about to peck 
 at the elephant, the hunter's face became clouded in- 
 deed, for that was a sign that his antagonist would 
 gain the day. The birds, however, having again laid 
 their heads or beaks together in consultation, suddenly 
 attacked the lion, one flying away with his head, the 
 other with his body ; at which Mikee gave a shout of 
 joy, and the spectators arose to their feet and con- 
 gratulated him upon his approaching victory — a pro- 
 ceeding I thought very much like " counting your 
 chickens before they are hatched." 
 
 Having thus tested his coming fortunes, Mikee, 
 accompanied by the priests and travelers, proceeded 
 before the judge who was to try the cause — which, 
 by the way, was merely a dispute with a merchant 
 of the town about the payment for the carriage of 
 some oil from the wells. The merchant was a rogue, 
 and declared that he had paid Mikee the sum in
 
 MIKEE HAS HIS FORTUNE TOLD. 225 
 
 question ; while Mikee declared upon oath that he had 
 not received one tidal. I much regretted not going 
 with them before the judge ; yet, as I did not care 
 about placing my head in the jaws of the lion, I 
 preferred to remain in the hall and await their return. 
 
 As we re-entered, Naon went up to a large lac- 
 quered chest filled with books, and taking one nearest 
 to hand, he said, — 
 
 "This is Deitton, sahib." 
 
 " Deitton," I repeated looking, at the book, which 
 was composed of thin stripes of bamboo delicately 
 plaited, and varnished over in such a manner as to 
 form a hard surface for a covering of leaf gold, upon 
 which the letters were traced in black glittering 
 japan, and the leaves ornamented and illuminated 
 with wreaths and figures of gold upon a parti-colored 
 ground of red, green, and black. It was, in fact, a 
 kind of dictionary or hand-book of superstitious omens 
 of good or evil fortune, to be drawn from objects 
 too numerous to mention, but of which I will give 
 you some slight notion. 
 
 " No person should commence building a house, 
 or any business of importance, without first discover- 
 ing a fortunate day. 
 
 " In building, the beams should be examined, for 
 those which are equally large at the top and the 
 bottom are males ; those which are thicker at the 
 bottom than the top are females ; while those that 
 are thickest in the middle are neuters ; and those 
 whose greatest thickness is at the top are called 
 giants ; and when a piece of wood, on being cut, falls 
 15
 
 228 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 to the ground and rebounds from its place, it is mon- 
 key-wood. 
 
 " If a person live in a house made of male wood, 
 he will be always and everywhere happy. If the 
 wood be neuter, misery will be his lot ; but if the 
 wood be giant, he will speedily die. 
 
 "If a person would learn his fortune, he must di- 
 vide the two pieces of wood which form the stairs 
 into ten compartments ; and if a knot be found in the 
 first, it is a sign the master will be honored by prin- 
 ces. If the knot be found in the second, he will 
 abound in rice and all kinds of provisions. A knot 
 in the fourth compartment is a sign that a son, a 
 slave, a nephew, or an ox of the master will die. A 
 knot in the sixth is a sign of riches in oxen and buffa- 
 loes ; but one in the eighth portends the death of his 
 wife. Finally, a knot in the tenth is an augury of 
 great possessions of gold and silver." 
 
 Knots in the wood of which boats are made, are 
 the cause of similar superstition ; and even involunta- 
 ry movements of the eyes, the head, or the forehead 
 are believed to indicate some pending good or bad 
 fortune. Again, 
 
 " If a dog carry an unclean thing to the top of a 
 house, its master will become rich. 
 
 " If a lien lay her egg upon cotton, its master will 
 become poor. 
 
 "If a person going to conclude a lawsuit meet an- 
 other carrying brooms or spades, the suit will be 
 long and in the end he will be deceived. 
 
 " If the wind should carry away any of the leaves
 
 MIKEE HAS HIS FORTUNE TOLD. £27 
 
 of the betel when, according to custom, it is being 
 carried to the house of a newly-married woman, it is 
 a sign that the marriage will be unhappy. 
 
 " If in going to war a person meet a fish, there 
 will be no war ; if he sees another catching a gnat, 
 the mandarins will exact many presents, the client 
 will be deceived, and the lawsuit a long one ; if he 
 meet any one carrying packages, then every thing 
 will succeed to his wishes ; if he meet a serpent, the 
 affair will be long ; if a dog, or a female elephant, or 
 a person playing on the cymbals, all will go well." 
 
 Then they believe in chiromancy, or the art of di- 
 vining by the lines of the hand, in amulets and love 
 philtres ; and, although, perhaps, their belief is not 
 stranger than was that of the English in similar su- 
 perstitions not many centuries since, I quite agree 
 with the Italian priest Father Sangermano, who, after 
 giving a list of these supei*stitions, says — "But we 
 should never finish, were we to extract all the follies 
 of this book ; for they are so numerous, and at the 
 same time so inconsistent with common comfort, that, 
 as one of our oldest missionaries has observed, if a 
 man were to be entirely guided by it, he would not 
 have a house to live in, nor a road to walk on, nor 
 clothes to cover him, nor even rice for his food ; and 
 yet the blind and ignorant Burmese place the greatest 
 faith in it, and endeavor to regulate their actions ac- 
 cording to its directions." 
 
 "Does the sahib like the Deitton ?" said Naon, re- 
 placing the book in the lacquered box. 
 
 " Utter nonsense !" said I ; adding, however,
 
 228 THE -WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 thoughtfully, " Yet the Burraans are no worse in this 
 than were the Europeans. This nonsense is at pre- 
 sent their faith. If they ever become Europeanized, 
 it will, as similar things have among Europeans, be- 
 come their tradition — materials for poetry. The 
 wildest traditions were once believed." 
 
 " Does the sahib know how the priests explain 
 eclipses of the sun and moon ?" said Naon ; adding, 
 when I replied in the negative, "They say that a 
 monstrous and foul planet, or Nat, named Rahu, be- 
 coming inflamed with envy at the brightness of the 
 sun, or moon, descends into their path, and takes 
 them into his mouth to devour them ; but is soon 
 obliged to spit them out again, for fear they would 
 burst his head. At other times, he covers them with 
 his chin, or licks them with his immense tongue." 
 
 "The Chinese have a similar tradition," said I; but 
 before Naon could reply, the priests and travelers 
 returned with Mikee, who was as damp as a half- 
 drowned kitten ; his scanty clothes being saturated, 
 and the water dripping from his hair down his 
 sides and over his face." 
 
 " How is this ?" said I, with surprise. 
 
 " Victory, noble colar ; the praw of justice could 
 not decide without the ordeal, and by that means I 
 have prospered," said Mikee. 
 
 "The crows, then, were right," I said, laughing; 
 and when he had changed his garments, and we were 
 partaking of a kind of congratulatory tiffin, or breakfast 
 he told me that when the judge heard both litigants 
 take the terrible oath as to the truth of their declara-
 
 MIKEE 1IAS HIS FOETUNE TOLD. 220 
 
 tions, one that the money had been paid, and the 
 other that it had not, his wisdom was insufficient to 
 enable him to decide ; and, moreover, as the bribes 
 for a favorable decision had been equally liberal on 
 both sides, he was compelled to have the case settled 
 by means of the ordeal of water. 
 
 Accordingly, both litigants were taken to the town- 
 tank, near the river, and the priests having performed 
 the usual purificatory ceremonies, and prayed the 
 proper length of time, they both entered, and waded 
 in the water till it reached their breasts ; two men, 
 one by the side of each litigant, placed a long board 
 upon their heads, which, at a signal from the judge, 
 they pressed downward, thus immersing them be- 
 neath the water, where they remained out of sight 
 for nearly three minutes, when the merchant, nearly 
 suffocated, raised his head. As for Mikee, as bold 
 beneath the water as upon land, he held his breath 
 for nearly half a minute longer ; until, indeed, he was 
 lifted up by the officer, Avho, among the plaudits of 
 the friends of the successful party, proclaimed the 
 decision of the court to be in favor of Mikee, who, as 
 he concluded, said, modestly — 
 
 " But, O noble colar ! the crows foretold the truth, 
 and the invisible Spirit of Justice aided thy servant, 
 whose own merit in the matter was but as a shadow." 
 
 " Truly, the hunter is as fortunate as he is brave," 
 said ISTaon. 
 
 " And as modest as he is fortunate," said I ; when 
 Mikee, as if to verify my words by avoiding more 
 praise, said — ■
 
 230 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 " Mikee will now prepare the boat, and return at 
 yettee (noon), when the noble colar and his attendant 
 must be prepared to accompany the oil-carrier as his 
 servants ;" and so saying he left the kiouni.
 
 A DULL. 231 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 A DUEL BETWEEN A CROCODILE AND A TTGEE. 
 
 Punctually to the time he had named, Mikee re- 
 turned in the best of spirits ; for he had sold the car- 
 cass of the dead rhinoceros to a merchant, and then, 
 that it might be supposed we were his servants, we 
 helped to carry the oil-jars down to the boat, which 
 we found ready to receive us, in charge of a relation 
 of the Carian, named Seree ; and at last I began to 
 entertain seme hope of reaching the capital, or at 
 least Yenang-young, in safety, for it was improbable 
 that either soldiers or nobles would molest the boat 
 of an oil-earner, whose merchandize produced so 
 good a revenue to the government. 
 
 Thus, each taking an oar, we sent the boat merrily 
 along the waters of the Irrawaddy, through an aquatic 
 population, second only to that to be found upon the 
 rivers of the neighboring empire of China, past boats 
 steered by men, but whose crews consisted of female 
 farmers, who sat with their legs across, paddling the 
 craft along with their short oars; and while they 
 kept time with the strokes, loudly singing a jovial 
 chorus, the more jovial that they had found a good 
 market for their onions, pulse, or greens. Past small 
 forests of teak-trees, floating downward to Rangoon, 
 war-boats, with their fifty or sixty rowers, each on
 
 232 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 its way to join the native fleet, as a contribution to 
 the state of some village or town. Past rice and 
 baggage boats, and government craft laden with con- 
 scripts, who had been torn away from their wives 
 and families, and were being forcibly carried to the 
 seat of war. Past great boats, whose number of 
 rowers and canopy showed them to be owned by 
 great officials, and others whose elaborate and costly- 
 gilded sides, oars, and sails proved the owner to be 
 of royal rank. 
 
 The waters were at their highest level, and filled 
 the winding inlets far into the land, making smaller 
 rivers. The shores ascended as we proceeded, and 
 were lined with magnificent trees, frequently into 
 groves. Thus till night we traveled. Past ancient 
 caves, formed many centuries since in the rocky sand- 
 stone cliffs, and which, from the entrances being par- 
 tially bricked up, so as to reduce the passages to 
 small doorways, we could see were used as human 
 habitations. Then along a finely-Wooded shore, set 
 with palms and studded with pagodas, and skirted 
 by small villages. 
 
 Past islands covered with water, and from which 
 emerged the pigeon-house-looking habitation of peas- 
 ants. Past meadows converted for a time into 
 swamps; and again, entire villages so inundated that 
 the peasants had hung their carts to the trees to pre- 
 vent their being carried away by the currents. 
 
 Away again ; we work hard at our poles and be- 
 fore sundown get beyond the flood level. The shores 
 are drier, and we laud at a village celebrated for its
 
 A DUEL. 233 
 
 manufacture of saltpetre, where, at the hut of a friend 
 of Mikee, we took up our lodging for the night, and 
 where, during the following day, for the rains fell so 
 heavily, we were obliged to lay u]) " under the 
 weather ;" a delay that afforded me an opportunity of 
 observing the means by which the Burmans manu- 
 facture saltpetre. 
 
 The raw material is an efflorescence of the soil, in 
 which it is found to a depth of about six inches. The 
 loose earth, when first scraped together, is thrown 
 into baskets lined with clay, and fixed upon wooden 
 frames ; after which, the earth is covered with a layer 
 of rice-husks; upon which water is poured, and 
 allowed to trickle through. The water takes up the 
 salt, and carries it in solution into an earthen pot 
 below. The same water is a second time filtered 
 through the earth, and is then removed to be boiled 
 clown. 
 
 The boiling takes place in broad shallow cast-iron 
 pans of Chinese manufacture, raised sufficiently from 
 the ground to permit a small fire to be kindled be- 
 neath. In these the brine is evaporated, and the 
 salt, crystalizing on the sides of the vessel, is removed 
 by a stick. One boiling is completed in twenty-four 
 hours. Each iron pan receives about three of the 
 earthern pots full of brine, and yields three viss 
 (three pounds weight) of the impure saltpetre, which 
 is again dissolved in pure water ; and by a second 
 boiling of the same duration, is reduced to half the 
 amount of pure white saltpetre, the salt first obtained 
 being very impure, red, and earthy.
 
 231- THE WHITE ELliriTANT. 
 
 By these primitive means — indeed, all the arts in 
 Burma are in the most primitive state — is the vast 
 quantity of saltpetre obtained, which is chiefly used 
 in the manufacture of those fireworks for which these 
 people are even more celebrated than the Chinese. 
 
 In the morning, finding the rain had subsided, we 
 continued our voyage ; and as Mikee told us, that for 
 the next two days we should travel along a rugged 
 and uninhabited shore, we took care to provide our- 
 selves with a plentiful supply of boiled rice, pickled 
 tea, and buffalo beef, besides hooks and lines, for the 
 purpose of catching fish, and a couple of old-fashioned 
 English muskets ; all of which the hunter paid for 
 liberally out of the proceeds of the sale of the carcass 
 of the rhinoceros. 
 
 That day we rowed so hard, that before sundown we 
 reached the shore of a ruined town celebrated as the 
 scene of one of those cruel tragedies so common in 
 Asiatic countries, and which in themselves should long 
 since have destroyed the tawdry sentiment made upon 
 young minds by the tinseled pictures in the " Ara- 
 bian Nights" and other celebrated Oriental story- 
 books, wherein cruelty, wanton luxury, and effemina- 
 cy are so falsely colored that, in place of disgust, a 
 weed of pleasure — tall, rank, and enervating — is 
 planted, and left to grow among the more vigorous, 
 real, and healthy ingredients of the European mind. 
 I will, however, tell you the story. 
 
 The King Chenguza married a relative — a beautiful, 
 virtuous, and accomplished woman — of whom he was 
 very fond ; but then the loves and hates of despots
 
 A DUEL. 235 
 
 are as changeable as the wind. So, in a fit of intem- 
 perance, becoming jealous of his queen, Chenguza 
 pronounced sentence of death ; and as there are 
 wretches in every nation ready to execute the com- 
 mand of a tyrant, however sanguinary, the innocent 
 lady was dragged from the palace and enclosed in a 
 sack of scarlet cloth richly ornamented. Thus con- 
 fined, she was put on board a boat, when the sack 
 being suspended between the narrow necks of two 
 earthen jars, the whole was sunk in the deepest 
 part of the Irrawaddy river. This diabolical act was 
 performed in open day before thousands of spectators, 
 amongst whom, were many of the friends and rela- 
 tives of the murdered queen, whose father retired 
 from court to hide his anguish in secrecy. 
 
 Bad deeds, however great or small, bring their own 
 punishment : so with this king, for, disgusted with 
 this cruel act, the nobles fled, the army rebelled, and 
 another sovereign was placed upon the throne. King 
 Chenguza, howevei*, bad as he was, was no coward, 
 (although that was little in his favor, for a very brave 
 man may also be a very bad man). So, some time after 
 his defeat, preferring death to a disgraceful exile, he 
 caused a small boat to be privately prepared, and 
 kept in readiness at the gaut, or landing-place. Dis- 
 guising himself in the habit of a private gentleman, 
 and attended only by two menials, he left his hiding- 
 place by break of day, and rowed toward the river- 
 gate of the king's palace; and being challenged by a 
 sentinel, he answered in a loud voice, " Chenguza, 
 the lawful lord of the palace, and thy king," when
 
 236 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 the astonished guards, overawed, fell back, permitting 
 the frantic tyrant to rush toward the interior. At 
 the gates, however, of the inner palace, he was met 
 by the father of the murdered queen, who, seeing the 
 tyrant, slew him on the spot ; thus at the same mo- 
 ment avenging his daughter and ridding the world 
 of a monster. 
 
 To continue, however, my narrative. 
 
 When we reached this melancholy spot — the site 
 of a town once the abiding-place of the ancient kings 
 of Pegu, but then consisting alone of monumental 
 ruins for the greater part lost in a dense forest and 
 jungle, and reverberating with the terrific roars and 
 growls of wild animals — I must confess that my 
 heart beat quick with apprehension, for shortly it- 
 would become pitch dark. 
 
 "Let us land and seek a retreat within yon ruin," 
 said I, pointing to the remains of a temple. 
 
 " It would not be Aviso ; it is too late ; before we 
 could secure the boat, the tigers would be upon us," 
 said Mikee. 
 
 " To remain afloat during the night will be worse, 
 for how can we secure ourselves against the croco- 
 dile?" said I. 
 
 " We must not go ashore," replied Mikee, firmly ; 
 adding, "but secure the boat to a tree, and keep 
 watch by turns." 
 
 No sooner said tha 1 done. Mikee pulled the boat 
 near enough in shore to throw a running noose over 
 the branch of a tree; after which, we pulled out 
 again into deep water.
 
 A DUEL. 237 
 
 "I will keep first watch," said Naon. 
 
 This being agreed, Seree laid down beneath the 
 raised portion of the prow ; and Mikee and myself, 
 with our firearms by our side, stretched ourselves at 
 full length in the centre of the boat. Mikee and 
 Seree were soon asleep. For my own part, tired as 
 I was, I could not close my eyes — a difficulty that 
 became greater when, out of the utter darkness, the 
 grand orb of night arose in full glittering brilliancy, 
 burnishing the surface of the waters so that they 
 reflected the great tall trees and rugged cliffs and 
 jagged shores. 
 
 Then, as I lay upon my back, I discovered the 
 cause of Naon's offer to keep the first watch — he was, 
 in fact, too frightened to sleep ; and with listening 
 ears, his finger upon the trigger of his musket, he 
 gazed in every direction. He had been sitting for 
 some time in the stern, when, as if suddenly remem- 
 bering that men had been dashed from that position 
 by the tails of crocodiles, he clambered upon the bam- 
 boo canopy beneath which Seree lay sleeping — an 
 action which caused me to feel very uneasy ; for so 
 superstitious are the Burmans in the belief that if any 
 person w r alks over them, some terrible evil will soon 
 happen, and that they will be unfortunate for the rest 
 of their days, that no house is erected higher than 
 one story. Therefore, a person can offer no greater 
 insult to a recumbent man than to walk over his body, 
 or sit above him. However, as it was not my affair, 
 I closed my eyes and endeavored to sleep. 
 
 I had partially succeeded, when the boat rocked
 
 238 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 nearly to capsizing. Seree had awakened, and finding 
 Naon above him, was not only belaboring him with 
 abuse, but would have attacked him with his fists, 
 but for Mikee (who, like myself, for the safety of us 
 all, remained in the middle of the boat to prevent its 
 upsetting) exclaiming — 
 
 "Is Seree so foolish that he would upset the 
 boat, and so become a mouthful for the croco- 
 dile?" 
 
 "The crocodile!" said Seree, almost paralysed at 
 the word. 
 
 " The crocodile. See — beware," said Mikee, point- 
 ing to a great log floating in the shallow water near 
 the shore. 
 
 " Hush ! be silent, and watch," said Mikee ; and 
 with suspended breath we gazed at the monster. 
 
 For five minutes it remained motionless; then it 
 moved further in shore, among the tall grass. 
 
 " It scents some beast," said I. 
 
 And I was right, for then came a grunt, a 
 growl, and the heavy footsteps of some large 
 brute. 
 
 " Elephant coming to drink," said Xaon. 
 
 " It is not so. You will see," said Mikee. 
 
 And as he spoke, a rhinoceros and a tiger came to 
 the edge of the river. These animals are frequently 
 found together, the former being the only tenant of 
 the forest who will associate with that dread of the 
 animal kingdom — the tis^er. 
 
 Then, as we rested upon the bosom of the river, 
 with but a single thjp plank between us and the jaws
 
 A DUEL. 23 D 
 
 of a crocodile, and near a shore so formidably guarded, 
 I must admit that something very like a great terror 
 came over me. The great flashing eyeballs of the 
 beautiful savage seemed to be glaring at me in par- 
 ticular; and I feared it "would plunge into the river 
 and attack the boat ; no uncommon feat with tigers, 
 for at Singapore they swim from the mainland to the 
 island, help themselves to a man — they prefer natives 
 — and back again in an incredibly short time. 
 
 " There is no fear from the tiger," said Mikee, as 
 if he had divined my thoughts ; but as the animal 
 came still further into the "water, I cried — 
 
 " To the oars ; let us pull off." 
 
 This, however, "was not necessary, for the next 
 moment the tiger gave a fierce growl, so long, so 
 loud that the sound rang in my ears for hours 
 after. 
 
 " The crocodile is at him ; let them fight it out," 
 said Mikee. 
 
 And it was our best course, for the reptile had 
 seized one of the hind legs of the tiger, -who, after its 
 first growl of surprise and agony, turned round and 
 dashed its fore claws into the eves of its screaming 
 enemy. The struggle lasted some minutes, but was 
 ultimately finished by the crocodile, which, by being 
 in its own element, had the full use of its immense 
 strength, and so kept its victim's head beneath the 
 water till it was suffocated, when it dragged the car- 
 cass to the bed of the river. 
 
 "The Lord of heaven be praised that the ravenous 
 reptile hungered for the tiger," said Naon.
 
 240 THE WHITE ELFPIIAXT. 
 
 " The colar speeks reverent words. Great, indeed, 
 should be our praise, and thanks to Heaven, that the 
 beasts of the forest have been sent to ward from us 
 an attack which, in this boat, we could not have 
 resisted," replied Mikee. 
 
 This incident redoubled our watchfulness ; indeed, 
 I believe that I alone slept the remainder of that 
 night, while Mikee, Seree, and Naon kept watch.
 
 A WONDERFUL CAVE. 241 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 A WONDERFUL CAVE, AND A BRAHMEN" ASTROLOGER. 
 
 At daybreak we resumed our oars, and pulled long 
 and lustily with the hope of reaching a town or vil- 
 lage before nightfall ; and we were rewarded for our 
 labor, for long before that time Ave sighted the tee, 
 or umbrella tops of pagodas, which made me exclaim 
 joyfully— 
 
 "This night, at least, we shall sleep in a human 
 habitation." 
 
 " In a human habitation, yes ; in a town, no," said 
 Mikee thoughtfully. 
 
 "What mean vou, Mikee?" I asked. 
 
 " The noble colar may believe his servant ungrate- 
 ful, but Mikee must seek, to know his fortune before 
 the soles of his feet touch the soil of yonder town." 
 
 " But how ? from whom ? in this desolate coun 
 try." 
 
 " From the holy Brahmin who foretold the luck 
 which is to come," replied the hunter, reverently. 
 
 " Is the holy man a fish ? or a beast of the forest ? 
 that he should have cast his residence hereabouts," 
 said Naon. 
 
 " The colar must have patience, and he will dis- 
 cover," replied Mikee, sternly; and so ended the 
 conversation. 
 16
 
 242 THE WIIITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 At length we reached some high rocks which ran 
 parallel with the left bank of the river and were 
 washed by the tide. Rowing along these rocks till 
 we had reached nearly midway, we came to what at 
 first appeared to be a large fissure, but which I after- 
 ward found to be one of those wondrous formations 
 effected by time and nature, and which man, in his 
 presumption, and for want of a better simile, so glibly 
 compares to his own works. 
 
 Imagine a cavern fifteen miles in length, through 
 which flowed the rushing waters of the Irrawaddy in 
 their passage to another and smaller river, and a mag- 
 nificently vaulted roof covered with stupendous stalac- 
 tites glittering in the dim light received from either 
 entrance, and you will realize that through which we 
 then passed, for a distance of at least two miles, when, 
 to my astonishment, we came to a flight of steps, ap- 
 parently hewn by man out of the left hand wall of 
 the cavern. 
 
 "It is here," said Mikee, "that our voyage ends, 
 for it is in this secluded place that the holy Brahmin 
 contemplates divine things." 
 
 " But are we to sleep in this water cave ?" said I. 
 
 " Thy servant will consult the pleasure of the holy 
 man," said Mikee, ascending the steps, and striking a 
 small bell suspended near the vaulted doorway. 
 
 With great curiosity I kept my eyes upon the 
 door. It opened : a venerable man, clothed in white, 
 and with a cap of the same color, made his appear- 
 ance, before whom the hunter bent his body as lowly 
 as' the narrow stairs would permit.
 
 A WONDERFUL CAVE. 243 
 
 What passed between them I know not, for they 
 spoke in such low tones that I could not catch a sylla- 
 ble. Whatever it might have been, we were satisfied, 
 for when the holy man disappeared within his cave, 
 JMikee said — 
 
 " The holy man will provide us with lodging for 
 the night; follow." 
 
 Mikee led the way up the steps, along a narrow 
 passage into a vaulted chamber, which seemed to 
 have been hewn out of the rock, where, when we had 
 kindled a fire and warmed our food, he left us to — I 
 suppose — seek another interview with his friend the 
 Brahmin. 
 
 "Truly it is wonderful that the holy Brahmin 
 permits such impure creatures to eat beneath his roof," 
 said Naon. 
 
 " This is a separate cavity of the rock, ISTaon ; and 
 thus, at least in Burma, where the Brahminical reli- 
 gion is not tolerated; not followed by the people, the 
 holy man's caste will not suffer," said I ; adding, 
 "yet it is rare to find a Brahmin hermit in Burma." 
 
 "The Burmans are followers of Buddha under 
 the form of Guadama; but the kinofs of Ava have 
 always been partial to the Brahmins, who are the 
 astrologers of the court, and without consulting whom, 
 no affair, either of public or private importance, is 
 undertaken; and that has made them so popular that 
 it is rare to find a viceroy or great lord who has not 
 one or more in his household," said Naon ; adding, 
 " this holy Brahmin was one of the royal astrologers, 
 and a favorite of the king, when thy servant was at
 
 244 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 the capital. He has probably since been disgraced, 
 and prayerfully awaits here restoration to favor, 
 performing self-sacrifices and studying the holy 
 books." 
 
 " The holy books ; you mean the Vedas, the Shas- 
 ters." 
 
 " I do, sahib ; they are the books of a cruel creed, 
 a mockery of the Lord of heaven's goodness ; a creed 
 that imposes upon its disciples foolish and "wicked 
 self-sacrifices. Some live alone, upon a little milk and 
 fruit ; some sit for many hours together, painfully en- 
 deavoring to refrain from sleep, and continually re- 
 peating a prayer. Some thrust their heads through an 
 iron yoke of several pounds weight, three or four feet 
 in diameter at the top, enjoining themselves to carry 
 it till they have collected a large sum of money for 
 the building of a religious house. Others fix heavy 
 chains upon their legs, one end of Avhick comes over 
 their shoulders, while the other drags upon the 
 ground after them. Others chain themselves by the 
 foot to a tree, resolving to await there till they die. 
 Some use wooden shoes stuck full of nails hi the in- 
 side ; some sleep upon the ground with one leg 
 higher than the other, and their arms raised above 
 their heads. 
 
 " Indeed, they are guilty of many other follies, such 
 as placing their heads Avhere their heels should be, 
 and so repeating their prayers ; or hanging with their 
 heads downward over a fire ; confining themselves in 
 cages so small that they cannot move in them ; while 
 others seek to please the Creator by throwing them-
 
 A WONDERFUL CAVE. 245 
 
 selves into the river Ganges, with the hope of being 
 devoured by crocodiles." 
 
 "But their holy books? have you read them, 
 Naon?" I said. 
 
 " If the sahib will listen, his servant will repeat tho 
 most curious portion of their Shasters. 
 
 " To what does it relate ?" I asked. 
 
 " The first formation of the world, and the creation 
 of living creatures," said he. 
 
 " Then relate it." 
 
 Naon complied, and I give you his epitome in his 
 own words ; and if you find it tedious, I shall miss my 
 great object, namely, that of placing before you, 
 plainly, simply, an account of a book which although 
 hitherto only read by the learned, is in fact pleasing 
 as a romance, and deeply interesting as being the 
 Bible, or basis of the religious belief of one of the 
 most ancient of the world's sects. 
 
 " Thus, then, sahib," began Naon, " the Shasters 
 tell us that the great God, being alone, bethought 
 himself how he might make his wondrous excellences 
 and power manifest to others, for his great virtue had 
 been obscured, if it had not been communicated to 
 his creatures ; and w T hat might give better evidence 
 than the creation of a world, and creatures therein ? 
 
 " Thus, as the groundwork of this mighty work 
 men call the universe, the Lord made four elements : 
 earth, air, fire, and water, which, although at first all 
 mingled together in confusion, he separated by a 
 breath ; whereupon the waters arose in a bubble of a 
 round form, like an egg, which, like circles in a river,
 
 246 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 spread and expanded till the firmament which now 
 encompasses the whole world became clear and trans- 
 parent. 
 
 " Of the sediment and some liquid substance re- 
 maining, the Lord made a round ball which he called 
 the lower world ; the more solid part being the earth 
 the more liquid the seas, but both making one globe. 
 He by a great noise or humming sound placed them 
 in the midst of the firmament, in which he created a 
 sun and moon to distinguish the seasons ; and thus 
 the four elements, that were at first mixed together, 
 became separate, and assigned to their several places 
 — the air, the earth, the water, and the fii-e. The air 
 filled up whatsoever was empty, the fire began to 
 nourish with its heat, the earth and the sea brought 
 forth its living creatures, and thus the great globe 
 was created. 
 
 " The world having had its beginning from four 
 elements, so it was measured by four main points of 
 the compass, east, west, north, and south, and was to 
 be continued for four ages, and to be peopled by 
 four castes, or sorts of men. 
 
 " God having thus made the world and the crea- 
 tures thereto belonging, as a creature more worthy 
 than the rest, and one that might be most capable of, 
 the works of God, created man from the bowels of 
 the earth, his head appearing first, and afterward his 
 body; into which God conveyed life, when color 
 began to show itself red in his lips, his eyelids began 
 to disclose the two lights of nature, the parts of his 
 body put themselves into motion, and hi? understand-
 
 A WONDERFUL CAVE. 247 
 
 ing being informed, lie acknowledged his Maker, and 
 gave him worship. That this creature might not be 
 alone, who was made by nature sociable, God second- 
 ed him with a wife ; and the first man's name was 
 Pourous, and his Avife's name was Parcoutee ; and 
 they lived together, feeding upon the fruits of the 
 earth, without destruction of any living creature. 
 
 " These two had four sons, named Brammon, Cut- 
 tery, Shuddery, and Wyse. Over the natures of each 
 of the boys a separate element predominated. Bram- 
 mon was earthly,, therefore melancholy and ingenious ; 
 so God endowed him with knowledge, and appointed 
 him to impart his precepts and laws unto his people, 
 his grave and serious look best fitting him for such a 
 purpose ; for which cause God gave him a book con- 
 taining the form of divine worship and religion. 
 
 " Cuttery was fiery, therefore martial ; so God 
 gave him power to sway kingdoms with the sceptre, 
 and to bring men into order, that the public weal 
 might thrive by united endeavors for the common 
 good ; as an emblem of which, the Almighty put a 
 sword into his hand, the instrument of victory and 
 dominion. 
 
 " Shuddery was of a phlegmatic constitution, and 
 therefore of a peaceful disposition ; and so it was 
 thought meet he should be a merchant, to enrich the 
 commonwealth by trafiic, so that every place might 
 abound with all things by the use of shipping and 
 navigation : as a monitor to put him in mind of which 
 course of life, he had a pair of balances put into his 
 hand, and a bag of weights hung at his girdle.
 
 248 THE 'WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 " Wyse, being of an airy temper, was full of con- 
 trivances and inventions, was able, by Ins first 
 thoughts, to form anything that belonged to the me- 
 chanic handicraftsman ; for which purpose he had a 
 bag of tools, consisting of such variety as were neces* 
 sary to effectuate the works of fancy or conceit. 
 
 " For these four sons wives were at the same time 
 created by God, who placed them at the four winds. 
 One at the east, another at the west, a third at the 
 north, and a fourth at the south; to each of Avhi^h 
 points he directed the footsteps of the brothers, who 
 thereby found a wife assimilating to his own disposi- 
 tion. Thus the four quarters of the world became 
 peopled with a prosperous, and, for some time happy 
 race, who were instructed in religion and their duties 
 to God by Brammon, the keeper of the holy book 
 and commandments ; in rule and dominion by Glit- 
 tery ; in traffic and merchandise by Shuddery ; and 
 in inventions and handicrafts by "Wyse. Of which 
 four castes the world consisted, every one of them 
 living in their several qualities, keeping their tribes 
 free from confusion, or interfering with each other. 
 
 " But, alas ! where there are many men there will 
 be many evils. Prosperity, that makes us forgetful 
 of ourselves, began to confound goodness, and turn 
 everything out of order. Brammon grew neglectful 
 of his piety ; Cuttery grew cruel and full of usurpation ; 
 Shuddery grew deceitful in the weights and balances, 
 and practised cheating among his brethren ; and 
 Wyse lost his conscience in his dealings, and became 
 a spendthrift, making the profits that came by his in-
 
 A WONDERFUL CAVE. 249 
 
 ventions but the furtherances of riot and excess ; and 
 as they were thus evil in themselves, so were they 
 evil one toward another. Brammon was envious of 
 Cuttery's greatness. Cuttery failed to give Brammon 
 the pre-eminence of his birth, and forgetting the holy 
 book, as if his might had been sufficient to give him 
 the right of priority, he placed all excellence in rule 
 and authority, thereby prizing his own laws before 
 those of God, because they came from his brother. 
 
 "Again, Shuddery pleased himself with the 
 slaughter of those that displeased him ; laid taxations 
 upon Shuddery, and drained the profit of Wyse's la- 
 bors. Then Wyse, seeing Brammon lose his respect 
 for religion, the more to make him despised, sought 
 to bring a new form of religion, communicated to him 
 in a vision concerning the worship of images, and 
 bowing to pagods. 
 
 " Thus God grew angry at this great wickedness. 
 The heavens were clothed with blackness and terror ; 
 the seas began to swell as if they meant to join in 
 man's destruction ; a great noise was heard aloft, 
 such as dismayed mortals ; and thunder and light- 
 ning flashed from the poles, such as seemed to 
 threaten a final wreck to the earth ; but, as if the 
 world needed cleansing of its defilement and pollution, 
 there came a flood that covered all the nations in the 
 depths. Thus the bodies had their judgment, but 
 the souls were lodged in the bosom of the Almighty; 
 and so concluded the first age of the world. 
 
 " But though God's justice was so great that he 
 would not let wickedness go unpunished, yet he
 
 250 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 created another world that he might have new crea- 
 tures, to whom his wisdom, power, and mercy might 
 be declared. To this end God descended from 
 heaven upon a great mountain, and cried — " Rise up 
 Bremaw, the first of living creatures in the second 
 age. The earth then rendered up Bremaw, who did 
 acknowledge and worship his maker ; and "by a se- 
 cond and third command from the same place, he 
 raised up Vystney and Ruddery. To Brernaw he 
 gave the power to make creatures, to Vystney the 
 power to preserve, and to Ruddery the power to de- 
 stroy creatures, because he knew they would be 
 wicked and deserve a judgment amongst them. 
 
 " Now that Bremaw might have power to make 
 creatures, God endowed him Avith abilities of produc- 
 tion and creation ; and that Vystney might preserve 
 the creatures when made, the Lord gave all things 
 into his power that might tend to the preservation 
 of those that Bremaw should make ; therefore he 
 made Vystney lord of the sun and moon, of the 
 clouds, and showers, and dews that fall upon the 
 earth ; lord of the hills and valleys ; disposer of the 
 changes of the year; the conferrer of riches, health, 
 honor, and whatever tended to the well-being of 
 man and the rest of his creatures. 
 
 " And that Ruddery might be a fit executioner of 
 God's justice, the Lord gave into his possession 
 Avhatever might tend to the destruction of living 
 creatures ; therefore Ruddery was made lord of 
 death and judgment, and all that might tend to the 
 punishment of man, whether it was sickness, famine
 
 A WONDERFUL CAVE. 251 
 
 war, or pestilence, or anything else that might be a 
 plague for sin. 
 
 " To each of these persons the Lord assigned a de- 
 terminate time for remaining upon earth. Bremaw's 
 term was the shortest, as he required less time to 
 conclude his work of creation ; after which, he was 
 taken up to the Almighty. Vystney was kept upon 
 earth till he had doubled Bremaw's term, because 
 there was longer need of his preservation ; and because 
 the world should end in destruction, the continuance 
 of Ruddery upon earth was three times as long, so 
 that, when the great day of judgment should come, 
 he might destroy all the bodies, and carry the souls 
 with him to the place of glory. 
 
 " Thus did Bremaw repeople the earth, Vystney 
 provide all things necessary for the substance and 
 preservation of the creatures Bremaw made, and 
 thus did Ruddery disperse afflictions, sickness, death, 
 and judgment, according as the sons of men did by 
 their wickedness, invoke this smart upon themselves ; 
 and this was the order God took for restoring of 
 people to inherit the earth in the second age of the 
 world. 
 
 " But God knowing there would be evil govern- 
 ment where there was not the establishment of his 
 government and fear, bethought himself of srivinsf 
 them laws to restrain the evil within them that was 
 the cause of the destruction of the former age ; there- 
 fore, descending to a high mountain, he called Bre- 
 maw to him, and out of a dark and dusky cloud, with 
 certain glimpses of his glory, he magnified himself to
 
 252 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 Bremaw, telling him that the cause why he brought 
 destruction on the former age was because they did 
 not observe the instructions contained in the book 
 delivered to Brammon. So, delivering a book out 
 of the cloud into the hand of Bremaw, he commanded 
 him to acquaint the people with the things contained 
 therein. 
 
 "The second age, however, in course of time, be- 
 coming as corrupt as the former, the Lord gave charge 
 to Ruddery to cause the earth to send out a wind to 
 sweep the nations as dust from the face of the globe, 
 which being done, a third age was created, which in 
 its turn becoming as corrupt as the others, was swal- 
 lowed up in the bowels of the earth, leaving only a 
 few people to replenish the world, to begin the 
 fourth and last age, — that in which we live, which 
 will be longer than the others, yet ultimately be des- 
 troyed by fire, when Ruddery will carry up all the 
 souls to heaven with him, although their bodies will 
 all perish." 
 
 " It is an ingenious romance, yet without author- 
 ity for these cruelties so commonly practised by its 
 believers," said I, when Naon had finished. 
 
 " No, sahib, for these writings were the product 
 of the ingenious brain of a good man groping for 
 light in the midst of darkness. The cruelties origi- 
 nated in the hearts of his degenerate descendants, 
 whose vanity, engendered by that pride of caste 
 which teaches them that they are the highest and 
 holiest of God's creatures, blinds their vision, or har- 
 dens their minds to those revealed truths which the
 
 A WONDERFUL CAVE. 253 
 
 founder of their faith, but for his ignorance, would 
 have cherished in the holy of holies of his soul," said 
 Naon, with a warmth and eloquence that surprised 
 me, and who then began to compare the pagan creed 
 with the faith of his Portuguese fathers; but was 
 interrupted by the reaj^pearance of the hunter.
 
 254 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 MIKEE OBTAINS NEWS FROM THE NATS ABOUT A 
 WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 So bright was the eye, so elastic the step of the 
 hunter, when he rejoined us, that I said — 
 
 " Surely you have received good news, Mikee ?" 
 
 " The cloud-curtain that has so long obscured thy 
 servant's career will shortly be lifted, O colar." 
 
 " Then may it never again fall before thy path," 
 said I, laughing. 
 
 " Mikee's good X at (spirit) is at his elbow to com- 
 bat the invisible Beloo (devil) which has hitherto 
 opposed him," was the serious reply. 
 
 " Was it to hear this, then, that you brought us 
 into this cave ?" said I, really vexed that our voyage 
 should have been stayed by such nonsense. 
 
 "The good in store will repay the cost of trouble, 
 for the holy Brahmin, to whom the secrets of nature 
 are known, has consulted the invisible fates." 
 
 " And what say they, Mikee ?" I asked, making a 
 painful effort to repress a laugh at his credulity. 
 
 " That the fortunate day for which thy servant has 
 so long sought is near ; that if he awaits patiently, it 
 will soon open upon him and his race," was the ear- 
 nest reply. 
 
 " Would the brave hunter have us await in his cavo
 
 NEWS OF A WHITE ELEPHANT. 255 
 
 until his fortunate day arrives?" asked Xaon, with 
 a shrug of the shoulders, which clearly intimated his 
 opinion that, if so, we should have to endure a long- 
 imprisonment. 
 
 "•It is not so, irreverent colar," replied Mikee, 
 
 angrily ; adding, " we depart at daybreak ; till when, 
 the charity of the holy man bestows upon us the 
 shelter of his roof." 
 
 " Then we had better seek a few hours' sleep," 
 said I ; and shortly afterward our whole party were 
 in the arms of Somnus. 
 
 At daybreak we resumed our voyage ; and when 
 we had passed from the cavern into the open river, 
 Mikee who sat next to me, became very-communica- 
 tive with reference to the Brahmin, whom he said 
 had been chief of the royal astrologers ; but having 
 had the misfortune to offend " the Golden Foot," his 
 majesty had ordered him to be trodden to death by 
 elephants. The Brahmin, however, by means of one 
 of the courtiers, having escaped from the palace, had 
 wandered for months through the mountains and for- 
 ests of Burma into the low lands and swampy jun- 
 gles of Pegu. 
 
 "Truly, O Mikee, it is strange that a Brahmin 
 should condescend to bestow his holy regards upon 
 a poor Carian hunter, and thus risk degradation from 
 his high caste," said I. 
 
 " Many moons have risen and waned since the holy 
 man, while wandering through the forest footsore and 
 hungered, met with thy servant, who, recognising in 
 him the Brahmin who years before had rested in the
 
 256 TIIE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 Carian village and foretold that great fortune was in 
 store for him, besought of the reverned personage to 
 say how it was that one so venerable should be en- 
 countering the fatigues and dangers of the jungle ; 
 when, to the sorrow of thy servant, he replied that 
 he was seeking an asylum where he might remain 
 hidden from the anger of the Golden King till a great 
 event should, through his means, burst upon the 
 world when, most assuredly, the cloud of wrath 
 which then, as now, obscured the glorious golden 
 sun of majesty from his vision, would become dispelled. 
 No sooner did the words of the holy man fall into my 
 ears than this heart beat tumultuously with rejoicing, 
 for in one of my voyagings and huntings I had dis- 
 covered the cavern we had just left. It was there I 
 conveyed him in my boat ; and although many moons 
 have passed since that day, not one without my con- 
 veying to the cave the necessaries of life." 
 
 "Truly thou art generous as well as brave, Mi- 
 kee," said I. 
 
 " Good deeds are rewarded when least expected, 
 by the Nats," he replied reverently. 
 
 " May thine meet Avith the amplest reward," said I. 
 
 " They will — they have, O noble colar ; for the 
 Nats have intermingled the fortunes of the worthless 
 Carian with those of the holy Brahmin." 
 
 "What mean you?" I asked believing a latent 
 meaning to be hidden in his speech. 
 
 " Let the noble colar open his ears," and bending 
 nearer, he whispered, " the event foretold by the 
 Brahmin was the discovery of a lord White Elephant."
 
 I, 
 
 NEWS OF A WHITE ELEPHANT. 257 
 
 " Did the priest so prophesy to the king ?" 
 
 " He did ; but his majesty, not believing that so 
 much happiness could happen during his reign, turn- 
 ed a deaf ear to flw holy man's words." 
 
 " But even should this event occur ?" I asked in- 
 quiringly. 
 
 " Then the Brahmin will be restored to the golden 
 favor," >*'iid the hunter. 
 
 " Truly so ; but even then, O Mikee, how is it 
 possible that thou canst be benefited?" said I. 
 
 " The Nats work out their own ends by their own 
 means," he replied ; adding, slowly and distinctly, 
 " so have they disclosed to the Brahmin the district 
 in which, even at this moment, the sacred beast is 
 roaming." 
 
 " Do you really believe this ?" said I, fearing that 
 the priest had been practising upon the hunter's cre- 
 dulity for the purpose of working out some end of 
 his own. 
 
 " It is true, O noble colar ; for with his own holy 
 eyes the Brahmin, while wandering in the woods 
 near Tharee, saw the animal among a herd ; and hav- 
 ing seen it, disclosed the secret to his servant as a 
 reward for his small services." 
 
 " Then, truly, thou mayest rejoice, O Mikee ; for 
 if this be true, and thou canst lead to its capture, thy 
 fortunes will be great," said I, being fully aware of 
 the wealth and honor that had been bestowed upon 
 the fortunate few who had taken White Elephants. 
 
 " The Nats have willed it, therefore the sacred an- 
 imal shall be found to grace the state of the Golden 
 17
 
 258 THE WHITS ELEPHANT. 
 
 Foot," he replied ; and our converse ended, for it was 
 our turn to relieve Naon and Seree from the oars. 
 
 We pulled manfully and h* good spirits ; for, not- 
 withstanding that the arrival at my .dace of destina 
 tion would be delayed, I must admit I felt greatly 
 pleased at the prospect of witnessing an elephant 
 
 hunt. 
 
 The river now ran through a fine country, which 
 presented, I think, the most beautiful and picturwique 
 view I had ever beheld. An ampitheatre of hills. 
 nearly surrounded us ; on our left was a large island, 
 well wooded and raised above all others I had seen ; 
 which, for the greater part being low and subject to 
 inundations, prevented the growth of trees, and were 
 covered with nothing but tall grass. The river, also, 
 which was wider than at any other part, was placid 
 as a lake, and swollen by the rains, lay sparkling be- 
 neath a clear blue sky, from which darted the mag- 
 nificent rays of an Eastern sun; while the hills at every 
 peak were surmounted by the glittering gilded roofs 
 of pagodas. Then to the right of us arose the 
 buildings of a great town, which, had it been hidden 
 among the hills, the veriest stranger might have 
 guessed to be near, from that revolting, but sure sign 
 of civilization, a place of execution. 
 
 This place was situated on the brow of a hill, be- 
 neath a large tamarind-tree. On each side of the 
 tree was a wooden rail, on which were the remains 
 of two human bodies. One of these was nearly entire 
 and exhibited the malefactor in the attitude in which 
 he had been executed. The leo-g and arms were
 
 NEWS OF A WHITE ELEPHANT. 250 
 
 stretched out against the rail to the utmost extent ; 
 the head had fallen over on the breast, and the ap- 
 pearance of the body showed that death had been 
 inflicted in the fearful manner of the Burmans, name- 
 ly, by disemboweling. I turned my head away, 
 sickened with the sight. 
 
 jSTaon from his childhood accustomed to such 
 scenes, seeing the expressions of my face, he said — 
 
 " The sight is not so agreeable to the sahib as to the 
 inhabitants of yonder town, who must rejoice that 
 these wretches, who were robbers and assassins, and 
 long their terror, have thus become food for the 
 birds." 
 
 " Tush, Naon ! Their punishment may have been 
 deserved, but their sufferings must have been horri- 
 ble, and such that none but savages could have inflic- 
 ted," I replied. 
 
 " The death is quick, and the sufferings are less 
 than the ne-peem'ha Than the ('spreading out in the 
 hot sun'), to which the lords of the coui't are so 
 frequently put." 
 
 "That, indeed, must be a terrible punishment," 
 said I. 
 
 " It is sahib ; worse than being trodden upon by 
 the elephant ; for that animal kills, while the minister 
 who undergoes ne-pee m'ha Than the is streched 
 upon his back by the public executioners, and thus 
 exposed for many hours, in the hottest part of the 
 day, with a weight upon his breast, more or less 
 heavy, according to the nature of the offence, or at 
 least the king's judgment."
 
 260 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 " Surely the offence must be great, even in Burma, 
 to be visited with such a punishment," said I. 
 
 " It is not so, sahib," said Naon. 
 
 And by way of illustration, he told me that a fire 
 having broken out in the suburbs a few days before 
 he left the capital, which destroyed a great number 
 of houses, and among them that of the widow of the 
 king's favorite minister and tutor, the woman com- 
 plained to his majesty that during the conflagration, 
 the ministers, whose duty it was to have been pres- 
 ent, and especially Kaulen, who was her husband's 
 successor, were not at their posts. The king, who 
 unfortunately happened to be very much out of tem- 
 per, having listened to the jealous old woman, sum- 
 moned the ministers before him, and drawing his 
 sword, ordered them one by one to come foward and 
 swear upon it that they were pi*esent at the fire and 
 assisted in extinguishing it. Kaulen came foward 
 and declared that, although he had not been present 
 he had gone to the Rung d'hau (Town-hall) to give 
 the necessary instructions upon the occasion. 
 
 The king, however, not satisfied with the explana- 
 tion, ordered Kaulen to be immediately taken out of 
 the audience chamber ; when the minister, to avoid 
 being dragged away, according to custom, by the 
 hair of his head, voluntarily made as rapid a retreat 
 as could a man of weakly constitution, and sixty years 
 of age ; but speedily he was followed, secured, and 
 given over to the public executioner, who thus saw 
 that the first most faithful and zealous of the great offi- 
 cers of state underwent the punishment of being spread
 
 NEWS OF A WHITE ELEPHANT. 201 
 
 out in the sun, and that too, not as is customary with 
 prisoners of rank, within the palace enclosure, but in 
 the public road, in view of a multitude of spectators. 
 
 " Truly it is a barbarous country, ruled over by 
 more barbarous despots," said I with a feeling of 
 indignation, which, being observed by Mikee, he said, 
 
 " Is the noble colar ignorant of the power of the 
 Golden Foot, that he should wonder that his glorious 
 majesty can punish his own slaves?" 
 
 " Slaves, Mikee ; why, this Kaulen was the first 
 and greatest of his ministers." 
 
 " The inhabitants of the earth, kings and ministers, 
 are slaves of the Golden King, who has power of lifo 
 and death over all." 
 
 " Not so ; my king is neither a slave or the posses- 
 sor of slaves," said I, with a foolish warmth ; when the 
 good humored hunter, not noticing, but evidently bewil- 
 dered at the notion of a king without slaves, said — 
 
 " If the king of the colars is a great king, it is but 
 reasonable that he can spread out in the sun his 
 chief lords." 
 
 Whereupon ; picturing to myself the prime minis- 
 ter of England being spread out in St. James's Park 
 for neglecting the duty of a fireman, I should, but 
 for fear of offending the simple hunter, have laughed 
 outright; my reply, however, was rendered needless 
 by Seree, who speaking for the first time came to 
 my rescue, by saying — 
 
 " Truly, my brother, I have heard that in the land 
 of these colars the sun never shines." An observa- 
 tion which seemed to increase the astonishment of
 
 262 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 Mikee, who, with a shrug of the shoulders, replied 
 gravely — 
 
 " It must he a cold country, and " 
 
 But Mikee was interrupted hy Naon's calling out 
 that the paper-maker's village was in sight ; when, 
 as it was deep into the evening, and we were desi- 
 rous of landing before the gates should he closed, we 
 silently toiled at the oars until we had run the boat 
 ashore upon the left hank of the river, near a stocka- 
 ded village, consisting of some twenty huts, which 
 like all the rest I had seen, bore the customary re- 
 semblance to large-sized pigeon-houses, in which 
 resided the people whose occupation gave, its name 
 to the village; and one family of whom, knowing 
 Mikee, gave us a very hospitable reception and shel- 
 ter for the night. 
 
 I have called this congregation of huts a village of 
 paper-makers ; you must not, however, by that pic- 
 ture to yourself any of these large mills for which 
 many districts in England are celebrated ; for paper- 
 making, like the rest of the arts, is in a very primitive 
 state among the Burmans, who use three descriptions 
 of that article. The first, and which is the only one 
 made in the kingdom, is fabricated from the fibres 
 of the young bamboo, and that, too, by a very rude 
 process, of which Captain Yule, the most recent 
 traveler in Burma, gives the following description: — ■ 
 
 " The frame is stretched with the common close 
 woven cotton-cloth of the country, bordered with 
 wooden ledges, to confine the pulp. This is placed 
 in a shallow trough, the pulp being then poured in,
 
 NEWS OF A WHITE ELEPHANT. 263 
 
 spread over the frame, and rolled with bamboo. It 
 is then lifted slowly, and drained ; but the sheet cannot 
 be removed at once, as it is even in the rude Bengalee 
 process. The frame is set for some time to dry in the 
 sim before this is attempted. The material is the fibre 
 of green bamboos : this is macerated in small tanks 
 ibr some weeks, and then pounded into a coai*se pulp. 
 The bamboos are about an inch and a quarter in di- 
 ameter, are split into shavings about one eighth of an 
 inch in thickness. 
 
 "The resulting paper," adds Captain Yule, "is 
 soft ; bufc tough, fibrous, and of unequal thickness ; 
 only .fit for packing purposes. I am not sure that 
 this is the same paper which, agglutinated into a sort 
 of pasteboard, and covered with a charcoal paste, is 
 doubled into note-books and written on with a pencil. 
 In this form it resembles our school slates rather than 
 writing paper, the writing being easily obliterated. 
 Yet this was almost the only form in which district 
 records appeared to have been kept in Pegu when 
 that province was taken by the English. Writing- 
 paper, properly so called, is not made at all in Burma. 
 Books are written with a style on palm-leaves ; as for 
 the few letters written in ink, English or Chinese pa- 
 per is made use of."
 
 2Gi THE WIIITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 I NARROWLY ESCAPE FALLING INTO THE LION'S 
 
 MOUTH. 
 
 So exciting had been my adventures since leaving 
 Rangoon, that the recovery of my father's property 
 — the main object of my journey — had almost passed 
 from my thoughts. It is with shame, however, that 
 I confess I had also forgotten the fate of my only 
 friend, Mr. Johnson ; but that night my conscience 
 punished me for my ingratitude, for so much did re- 
 gret haunt my mind, that, notwithstanding we were 
 lodged as comfortably as at any time since leaving 
 Rangoon, the very effort to sleep became painful, and 
 it was not until daybreak, and I had soothed myself 
 by a resolution to urge the hunter, the next morning, 
 to depart at once, and without any further delay, on 
 the road to Yenang-young, that I closed my aching 
 eyes. 
 
 "The sahib has slept long," said ISTaon, when I 
 awoke. 
 
 " Is Mikee ready to leave ?" I asked, not seeing the 
 hunter in the room. 
 
 " He will not quit the village till to-morrow, sa- 
 hib." 
 
 "Then we will go without him, for we have too 
 long delayed our journey." 
 
 "At sundown yesterday it was not possible to
 
 A NARROW ESCAPE. 205 
 
 hasten our journey ; for boats glide not with the fleet- 
 ness of the antelope," replied Naon, smiling at the 
 impatience born of the resolution of the night before, 
 and which was still fresh in my memory. 
 
 " But why should we lose a day ? Where is 
 Mikee ?" 
 
 " See, sahib ; fortune favors us," said he, opening 
 the door of the hut. 
 
 There, in the road, to my surprise, I saw a caravan 
 of eighteen covered wagons, to each of which was 
 harnessed six bullocks, and with evidently a long 
 journey before it ; for in the rear there was a number 
 of the same animals in readiness to replace those 
 which might fall sick or lame ; and by the side of one 
 of the vehicles stood Mikee, in converse with its 
 owner. 
 
 "Is this caravan on its way to Yenang-young ?" I 
 asked, delighted with the chance of our obtaining a 
 land conveyance. But before Naon could reply, the 
 hunter came up the ladder of the house, caught hold 
 of my arm, and almost dragged me into the room. 
 
 " If the colar would not wish to be taken to the 
 Golden City with his arms and legs bound, let him 
 keep within this house," said he. 
 
 " Who, then, are these travelers, that we should 
 fear them ?" said I. 
 
 " A village of people, who, by order of the king, 
 are removing to the mountains near the Golden City." 
 
 " But why need we fear them ?" 
 
 "It is the noble colar only who need fear for the 
 people are enraged with his countrymen, who are the
 
 266 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 cause of their being driven from the homes of their 
 childhood, and will, if they discover him, take his 
 life ; or worse, carry him to the Golden City." 
 
 " Then it is not possible for us to journey with this 
 caravan ?" I replied with more disappointment than 
 joy at the warning I had received. 
 
 " The features of the noble colar are not those of 
 the Burman ; it would therefore be unwise for him to 
 expose them to the multitude," replied Mikee ; add- 
 ing, " but let him await till the caravan is ready to 
 depart, when he can enter a wagon unseen by all 
 but the leader, who, for a few silver coins, has agreed 
 to take Mikee and his three servants to Yenamr- 
 young." 
 
 At this arrangement I was delighted; for as Naon 
 Seree, and myself would travel in the same wagon 
 Avith Mikee, as his assistants, not only should we be 
 safe, but by the overland route reach our destination 
 in half the the time it would have taken by water. 
 
 That evening the oil-jars and guns were removed 
 by Mikee, Naon, and Seree to the wagon appropria- 
 ted to our use, and the following morning, by day- 
 break, we were on the road, traveling at the snail's 
 pace of about twelve miles a day, to the sounds of a 
 horrid screeching, caused by the want of cart-grease. 
 As for the freight of the caravan, it was at the same 
 time heavy, cumbersome, delicate and noisy ; for not 
 only was there merchandise, but whole families of 
 men, women and children, besides a host of monkeys 
 cats, dogs, and paroquets, each after his own nature 
 adding to the general discord.
 
 A NARROW E8CAPE. 267 
 
 Thus for six days did we travel — and with the ex- 
 ception of a village of manufacturers of the deity 
 Guadama, where his godship was to be seen wrought 
 in all materials, and of all sizes, plain and gilded, and 
 at prices adapted to the pockets of all classes of 
 persons — through a swampy country, tall grass, jun- 
 gle, and forest trees, which, retrospectively, makes 
 our journey by wagon appear to have been almost 
 miraculous. 
 
 At sundown the chief of the caravan (who was 
 headman of the village), having chosen a favorable 
 spot, the wagons were drawn into a circle, into which 
 were driven the unharnessed cattle, in order that by 
 the barricade formed by these vehicles, and the fires, 
 which also served to dress our food, the animals were 
 saved from the sudden inroads of the tigers. 
 
 Now, as in order to escape being recognised as a 
 European, I had not quitted our wagon for one 
 minute, except at night, the headman was the only 
 one of the villagers who was aware of my existence 
 in the caravan. Of him, however, I soon became sus- 
 picious, for on the second night, when the wagons 
 had been drawn up as I have described, it appeared 
 to me rather singular that while the chief tenant of 
 each took his rice or other food to the general fire to 
 warm, and the son of the headman performed the like 
 office for the occupants of his father's vehicle, that 
 the latter personage, although of humble rank, was 
 still a person of consideration, and in command 
 of the whole party, should, not only with his own 
 hands warm some tea, rice, and dress even the for-
 
 2G8 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 bidden buffalo beef, but carry it to one particular 
 wagon. 
 
 Indeed, being fully aware of the veneration every 
 Barman has for those above him in rank or place, and 
 the arrogance of every person to those beneath him, 
 an arrogance in which I had seen the headman was 
 not deficient, the circumstance so stimulated my curi- 
 osity, that at night, when we lay in the wagon, I 
 said — 
 
 " Is it not wonderful, O Mikee, that the headman 
 should condescend to become the hand-servant of one 
 of his people ?" 
 
 " The eyes of the noble colar are good, for he has 
 seen ; but his brain is dull, or he would have known 
 that the headman performed those menial offices for 
 his sick wife." 
 
 " Nay, that is not possible, for no Bur-man waits 
 upon his wife." 
 
 " Then a sick son, or daughter, said he. 
 
 " It is not so, O Mikee ; for the wagon to which 
 the headman went so often, and up the steps of 
 which he crawled with such soft and cat-like steps, 
 is not that which carries his family." - 
 
 " It is true that the colar' s brains are not dull ; yet 
 for his own safety it is not wise that he should 
 attempt to discover secrets which do not concern 
 him," and having administered this rebuke, the hun- 
 ter fell off to sleep. 
 
 Although after this reproof I did not again venture 
 to question Mikee, the manner in which it was given 
 — so unusual with the hunter, who had hitherto
 
 A NARROW ESCAPE. 269 
 
 treated me with the respect due to superior rank — 
 caused me to keep my eyes and ears open. The con- 
 sequence was, that I made observations which not 
 only kept my curiosity alive, but somewhat aroused 
 my suspicions. 
 
 In the first place, Mikee from that time appeared 
 to me more thoughtful, silent, and restless; more- 
 over, on my look out from the wagon, I saw him on 
 several occasions, in earnest conversation with the 
 headman, and with their eyes directed, and at times 
 fingers pointing to our wagon, as if, I thought, I were 
 the subject of their conversation. Then again — for 
 when suspicion is kindled, the slightest spark will fan 
 it into a flame — I noticed that he moved into one 
 spot, as if to be ready for sudden use, a stack of fire- 
 arms and ammunition, which had been placed in dif- 
 ferent parts of the wagon ; but whether the weapons 
 were to be used for or against me I was puzzled to 
 discover. In the event, however, of treachery being 
 intended, I deemed it most prudent still to keep my 
 suspicions to myself, and watch narrowly his every 
 action. 
 
 Thus, with the sword of fate apparently hanging over 
 me, or rather with my mind steeped in suspicion that 
 some treacherous attempt would be speedily made 
 upon my life or liberty, did I pass the anxious hours 
 until the evening of the sixth day, when the imagin- 
 ary mine over which I had been brooding exploded 
 in the following manner : — 
 
 The headman had brought us to a halt upon a 
 grassy plain, near the skirts of a teak forest j the
 
 270 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 evening meal had been prepared and eaten ; and 
 the inhabitants of this locomotive village, for the 
 greater part, had sought their sleeping mats. I was 
 alone in the wagon ; for Naon, who had not the same 
 motive for hiding from the public gaze, had gone 
 with Mikee and Seree to take his share of duty at the 
 watch-fires. 
 
 The night was pitchy dark ; there was no moon, 
 and the silence that reigned in the sleeping camp was 
 so deep that my finely-strung nerves could almost 
 feel it, the more so that it was occasionally interrupt- 
 ed by the sudden movements of the bullocks, as the 
 deep, loud voice of a tiger was heard, as if — as doubt- 
 less it was — savagely growling at the crackling fire 
 which alone kept it from the rare choice of human 
 and animal food, which its keen scent proclaimed to 
 be awaiting it behind the roaring, sparkling, ascend- 
 ing belt of flames which were being kept alive by my 
 companions. 
 
 For some time my thoughts prevented slumber ; 
 at length, however, I did sleep, and began to dream 
 of my past, my future, of my cross old grandmother, 
 of my school-days, my lost parents, and my friend 
 Mr. Johnson, who it seemed appeared to me, telling 
 me he had come to rescue me from a great danger ; 
 caring but little for his caution, I wept tears of joy 
 to find him alive ; then, others of sorrow that I had 
 forgotten him even for a day. Then I thought he 
 became impatient, and chiding me for my folly in not 
 making my escape while I had the opportunity, 
 caught hold of me, and that with so hard a grip, that,
 
 , A NARROW ESCAPE. 271 
 
 that — well, I awoke, and found Naon tugging at my 
 arm, and whispering, hoarsely — 
 
 " Awake, sahib ; awake, awake !" 
 
 Recognizing the half-caste, and with an instinctive 
 knowledge of some danger being at hand, I sat up, 
 caught him by the hands, and stupidly endeavored 
 to peer through the darkness into his face. 
 
 " Lord of heaven, sahib, we are little better than 
 dead !" 
 
 " What ! have the tisrers broken throuovh. the bar- 
 riers ?" 
 
 " The most savage of them, sahib." 
 
 " Bah ! you are frightened by shadows," said I, in- 
 credulously. 
 
 " It is not so, sahib. The rogue, Carian, has be- 
 trayed us." 
 
 " Tush ! you are jealous of the hunter, Naon." 
 
 " Let the sahib listen, and his faith in this rogue 
 will become diminished," said he ; adding quickly, 
 but in whispered tones, " when we had heaped upon 
 the fires fuel sufficient for half the night, Mikee told 
 Seree and myself to sleep till he required to be re- 
 lieved from the first watch, when he would awaken 
 one of us. Glad that he had taken the first hour's 
 watch, I stretched myself before the fires. Seree did 
 likewise. As, however, I could not sleep, I turned 
 my eyes upon the hunter, who sat crouching before 
 the fire, thoughtfully gazing at the flames, as if seek- 
 ing to discover among them signs of his future fortune. 
 When, however, he thought we were in the land of 
 dreams, the hunter arose upon his feet, and having
 
 272 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 looked in every direction, as if to see that no strag- 
 glers were near, he crept stealthily away, as I thought 
 to fetch from the wagon his pipe and tobacco ; but 
 no, passing onward, he stopped at the headman's 
 wagon, and clapped his hands ; whereupon that per- 
 son came out of the vehicle, and together, they crept 
 softly along to the empty wagon, into which they 
 entered. 
 
 " This being sufficient to excite not only my curi- 
 osity, but suspicion, that treachery was intended to 
 some person, I crawled to the wagon upon hands 
 and knees, clambered upon one of the wheels, 
 and placing my ear close to the bamboo covering, 
 heard the headman and Mikee ; and what surprised 
 me more, another man, in converse together. The 
 last person spoke in tones of authority and command, 
 while the voices of the other two sounded humble 
 and submissive." 
 
 " But what did you hear ? what did thej say ?" I 
 asked, impatiently. 
 
 " That the sahib and his servant were to be bound 
 in chains, and so taken to the capital." 
 
 " Did the hunter say this ?" 
 
 " No, sahib ; the rascal said it would be better that 
 you should be enticed there, as we are now going, 
 without having any suspicion that you were a pris- 
 oner." 
 
 " The rascal!" I exclaimed, jumping upon my feet. 
 
 " Stay, sahib ; you have not heard all," said JSTaon . 
 adding, " to this, the person whose voice I did not 
 recognise replied angrily, even threatening the hun-
 
 Mikee the Hunter stealing away Page Trl
 

 
 A NARROW ESCAPE. 
 
 with death if he did not aid the headman in se- 
 curing your person." 
 
 "What said he in reply?" 
 
 "Complied, sahib; when my curiosity as to who 
 this person could be whose authority seemed to 
 terrify the headman as well as Mikee, was gratified 
 by a gleam of light twinkling through an aperture in 
 the cloth covering of the roof. It was through one 
 of the folds ; I removed it, and then, by the glimmer 
 of the oil-lamp, I saw Mikee and the headman crouch- 
 ing at the feet of a man, the sight of whom, al- 
 though lying wounded and bandaged upon a heap 
 of mats, made my limbs tremble and my head so 
 dizzy that it was a miracle I did not fall forward a- 
 mong the precious three. It was, sahib — it is, sahib-" 
 and, putting his lips to my ear, he Avhispered — "the Ma- 
 ha Silwa." 
 
 And at the sound of the name of that terrible 
 general I started as if I had suddenly trodden upon a 
 rattle-snake. I however, recovered my self-possession 
 when Xaon said — 
 
 " We must prepare, sahib, for we know not how 
 soon these rogues may make their attempt." 
 
 "What is the use of preparation ? How can we 
 defend ourselves against a whole village?" said I. 
 
 " For some reason, I know not what, but I dis- 
 tinctly made out that they dare not let the villagers 
 know of this plot against us, and therefore it will be 
 attempted alone by the headman and Mikee." 
 
 Then we will arouse the whole camp," said I. 
 
 " Not so, sahib : that would be to be torn to pieces 
 18
 
 '274 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 bj a multitude, instead of a single savage ; for these 
 people, still smarting at having been turned out of 
 their homes by the English troops, would sacrifice us 
 upon the instant. ^1 
 
 For the moment I felt aghast ; there Avas the choice 
 of two evils before me ; to permit myself quietly to 
 be taken to Ava in chains, as many of my felloAv Eu- 
 ropeans had been ; or by arousing the people, seek 
 an immediate death. Kaon was in favor of the for- 
 mer. 
 
 " I shall do neither," said I, resolutely. 
 
 " Truly we are in the hands of Providence," replied 
 Kaon. 
 
 "Providence ever helps those who help them- 
 selves," said I, laying my hand upon a hatchet near 
 me ; adding, " now let us await the coming of these 
 rogues, and defend ourselves as best we may." 
 
 "It is not wise, sahib; the whole camp will be 
 aroused." 
 
 "Will you resign yourself like a coward, or is 
 it that you are one of the rogues?" said I, an- 
 grily. 
 
 " The sahib is unjust. Let him remember that the 
 hunter may return alone to await the coming of the 
 headman ; and if so — " 
 
 "Bravo, Kaon; your plan is the best; Ave can 
 seize the rogue as he enters, and tie his hands and 
 feet with his own cords." 
 
 ' True, sahib, and then make our way through the 
 barrier." 
 
 " Yes, yes, and risk the tigers rather than these
 
 A NARROW ESCAPE. 275 
 
 human savages," said I; adding, "but now let us 
 prepare." 
 
 In another instant Ave were crouching in the wagon ; 
 I upon my hands and breast, with my head halfway 
 out of the vehicle, watching the approach of the 
 enemy. It was pitchy dark, and I could distinguish 
 nothing but the sounds of footsteps. That was 
 enough ; my indignation Avas so great that my fin- 
 gers moved involuntarily, as if clutching the throat 
 of my enemy. 
 
 The footsteps grew nearer; they were upon the 
 ladder ; they had entered the vehicle ; and almost at 
 the same moment the treacherous hunter, gagged by 
 Naon, who had thrown a cloth over his head, lay 
 upon the floor, with his legs secured by me ; as for 
 his arms, they were also secured by Naon. 
 
 " Thou vilest of ungrateful rogues ; attempt to ut- 
 ter one word, and the next instant is your last," said 
 I, although the caution was useless, for Xaon had 
 thrust the end of the cloth into his mouth. 
 
 So far our movements had been well planned and 
 cpiickly executed. The next object was to see the 
 gag was so fixed that he could not remove it, and 
 his arms and legs made en suite, and this would have 
 been speedily eifected, but suddenly we heard other 
 footsteps upon the ladder. Thinking them to be 
 those of the headman, Ave arose, seized our hatchets, 
 for Naon had been similarly armed to myself from 
 the heap I have mentioned that Mikee had placed 
 aside, Avhen, imagine our consternation at seeing, by 
 the light of a small torch he held in his hand, not the
 
 276 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 
 headman, but Mikee himself, and who with that won- 
 derful quickness exhibited by men whose lives have 
 been passed in the midst of danger and intrigue, com- 
 prehending the situation, said, as he entered the door- 
 way— 
 
 " Are the colars mad ? Do they seek their own 
 destruction?" 
 
 "Thou rogue and villain! we will die with our 
 weapons in our hands rather than be betrayed into 
 the hands of the Maha," I said ; strangely, however, 
 at the same time, with a flash of hope that- seeing 
 might not have been believing, and that Mikee was 
 innocent. 
 
 " The Maha. Hush !" said the hunter, putting his 
 fingers to his lips to betoken silence ; then adding, " the 
 colars have been dreaming. Seree and Mikee are here 
 to help them to escape. Let them release Seree and 
 follow, or in another hour they will be in the power 
 of him they fear." 
 
 I know not why, whether it is that I am by na- 
 ture unsuspicious, or that my faith in Mikee had been 
 deeper than I suspected — this, however, I do know, 
 and I remember it with astonishment, that in an in- 
 stant my faith in the hunter returned, and releasing 
 Seree, we were ready to follow the moment after the 
 words had left his lips. 
 
 " Each take what he can carry," said Mikee. 
 
 And snatching up my rifle, hatchet, and bag of 
 ammunition, Seree and Naon doing likewise, we fol- 
 lowed the hunter, imitating his cat-like walk, till we 
 came to a wagon not very far from the empty vehicle
 
 A NARROW ESCAPE. 2<7 
 
 from wherein Naon had been so much frightened. 
 Creeping beneath this, we found the fire at that point 
 half burned down; so hastily brushing through the 
 expiring flames, we were soon amidst the long grass, 
 which prevented the sounds of our footsteps being 
 heard, and on our road to the wood. Once, however, 
 in the forest, we kept close to each other till we came 
 to one immense tree, where, for safety from the tigers, 
 we clambered among its leafy branches, and there 
 awaited daylight.
 
 278 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 HIKEE PROVES HIMSELF A GOOD JUDGE OP 
 ELEPHANTS. 
 
 At daybreak, when from the branch upon which 
 Kaon and myself were perched, Ave had the satisfac- 
 tion of seeing the distant caravan on the move, I really 
 felt much ashamed at having suspected of dishonesty 
 the man who had performed for us such a great ser- 
 vice ; and vexed with myself, like many people I have 
 known in a similar position, I sought to make ano- 
 ther my scapegoat; so, addressing the half-caste, I 
 said — 
 
 " Truly thou deservest to be sold into slavery for 
 the rest of thy days, for having charged our brave 
 and faithful friend with so great a crime." 
 
 " That I have eaten dirt, sahib, is true, for the hun- 
 ter has rescued us from worse than death ; yet is it 
 also true that thy servant's ears were not deceived, 
 therefore must Kaon be a dog without understand- 
 ing," replied the half-caste in so humble a tone, that 
 but for his evident mystification, which was really 
 pitiable, I should have laughed. 
 
 When, however, the next minute we had all de- 
 scended from the tree, Mikee, who had heard our 
 conversation with his usual stoicism or generosity, 
 relieved our shamefacedness.
 
 MIKEE A JUDGE OF ELEPHANTS. 270 
 
 " The colars," said he, " are not cats, that they can 
 see in the dark, and their eyeballs are too straight 
 to follow the bendings of crooked ways ; therefore, 
 that they might not endanger their own safety by 
 some unwise action, the good Nats kept them in 
 ignorance of the means being used for their good." 
 
 " You are too generous, my brave Mikee, for we 
 were ungrateful, and doubted your honesty; but 
 then," I added, " you will pardon us this time." 
 
 And so saying, I shook his hand warmly, an action, 
 the full meaning of which nothing but my words and 
 manner enabled him to comprehend, and which was 
 evidently so strange to him that when his fingers 
 were relieved from my grip, he shook them as a cat 
 does her wet paw, probably to shake them back again 
 into their natural form. 
 
 "Then, making a similar apology to Seree, who 
 accepted it with equal good humor, and having taken 
 a survey of the property brought from the caravan, 
 which consisted of three muskets, my rifle, a bag of 
 ammunition, and another of rice, both of which had 
 been thoughtfully secured by Seree, I said — 
 
 " A small supply of food, if our journey is to be 
 long." 
 
 " Before yettee (noon) we shall reach Tharet, where 
 the friends of Mikee will be made welcome," said the 
 hunter. 
 
 This was cheering news; and so, after having 
 made a meal of dry rice and honey, which we found 
 dripping from a young bamboo-tree from the comb 
 of some wild bees, and water from a small stream
 
 280 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 scooped up with our hands, we loaded our pieces and 
 proceeded upon our tramp through the forest, keep- 
 ing close together with our fingers upon the triggers, 
 ready to give a royal salute to any tiger which might 
 cross our path. And then Mikee related the causes 
 which led to the adventure of the previous night. 
 
 " The noble colar," said the hunter, will be pleased 
 to be told that at the time when the fierce Maha 
 Silwa was expected at the Carian village, he had un- 
 expectedly met with a portion of the army of the 
 rebel colars (English), with whom, never doubting 
 that they would fly from his brave warriors as dust 
 before the wind, he fought a battle ; but the Nats, to 
 punish him for his oppression of the poor, and his 
 many cruelties, willed that he himself should be 
 severely wounded, and his whole army destroyed by 
 the enemy. The news of this disgraceful defeat 
 reaching the commander-in-chief, the great Bandoola, 
 that general immediately sent one of his officers with 
 an order to put the Maha to death. The Nats, how- 
 ever, for their own inscrutable ends, sometimes even 
 favor the wicked. Thus, it so happened that the offi- 
 cer sent to put the chief to death being one of his 
 own secret friends, managed to delay his journey un- 
 til a private messenger of his own should have given 
 information of his coming, and its purport, to the 
 Maha, who no sooner received the intelligence than, 
 wounded as he was, by the aid of one of his slaves, 
 he fled in the night disguised like a private soldier to 
 the house of the headman of the villasre, which was 
 then, by order of the king, preparing to migrate to-
 
 MIKEE A JUDGE OF ELEPHANTS. 281 
 
 ward the capital. This headman, knowing the Maha 
 to be a great favorite of the Golden King, and ex- 
 pecting that he would be restored to his honors upon 
 his arrival at court, provided the chief with a wagon, 
 and that too, unknown to the villagers, who then, as 
 even now, believe it to be occupied by a sick person. 
 Thus secretly did he travel, cursing by night and by 
 day the colars who had been the cause of his fall, and 
 consoling himself with the hope that he might yet be 
 saved by the king, upon whose mercy and friendship 
 he relied. As for ourselves, when the caravan 
 reached the village of papermakers, I bargained with 
 the headman, who, for a sum of silver — which was 
 not too plentiful with him — readily agreed to convey 
 myself and three servants to Yenang-young. And 
 thus we should have reached that town in safety, had 
 not the noble colar shown himself at the door of the 
 hut." 
 
 "Did he, then, so soon recognize me to be a 
 European ?" said I, with surprise. 
 
 " At once, and would have given you over to the 
 hatred of the people ; but fearing I should not pay 
 him the silver, he determined to await our arrival 
 at Yenang-young." 
 
 " But," said I, " he intended to have seized me last 
 night ?" 
 
 " It was so ; for, thinking to ingratiate himself the 
 more with the Maha, he told the chief that a disguis- 
 ed European was in the cavern ; when the latter, 
 believing that by taking you to Ava in chains, his 
 chance of the king's pardon would be the greater ;
 
 282 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 moreover, famishing for revenge upon one of his ha- 
 ted enemies, and fearing the possibility of your escape 
 during the journey, he commanded the headman to 
 seize you immediately. The latter, however, not 
 wishing to lose the whole of the money I had agreed 
 to pay him, came to me and offered to give up one- 
 half if I would help to bind you without the knowl- 
 edge of the villagers ; to which, that dust might be 
 thrown in his eyes, I agreed. Whereupon, believing 
 thy servant to be as great a rogue as himself, he led 
 me into the wagon, and, to my surprise, before the 
 Maha, who, addressing me, said — 
 
 " The worthy headman has said that the Carian is 
 faithful to the Golden Foot, and has promised to se- 
 cure the person of the dog of a rebel whom he has 
 enticed into our power." 
 
 " The words of the headman are those of truth, O 
 mighty praw," was all that thy servant could reply ; 
 but the savage eyes of the chief brightened as he 
 said — 
 
 " If this thing be done well, and the faithful Carian 
 can bind this dog hand and foot, and place a gag in 
 his mouth so that the people of the caravan may not 
 become aroused, and in their hatred rob us of our 
 prey, and the colar is carried to the Golden City, 
 great shall be his reward." 
 
 " My heart was consuming with indignation, but I 
 replied, 'This thing shall be done, O great praw.'" 
 
 "That was to falsify thyself, O Mikee," said I, 
 interrupting him. 
 
 " It was the act of a coward, but then the bravest
 
 A NARROW ESCAPE. 283 
 
 warrior could not otherwise have saved the liberty 
 of the noble colar," replied the hunter ; adding, " but 
 to throw dust in the eyes of the Maha, and gain time, 
 I begged that, as the night was so far advanced, and 
 the people might become aroused by thy cries, it 
 would be better to postpone the seizure till the fol- 
 lowing night. Fortunately, the chief agreed; so 
 losing no time, I awakened Seree, and sent him to 
 warn and prepare you for immediate departure. The 
 rest is known to the noble colar." 
 
 " Yet must you long have suspected that treachery 
 was intended, or w T hy didst thou so artfully place the 
 muskets, ammunition and rice, that they might be 
 ready on the instant ?" 
 
 " The wise hunter prepares for every chance ; yet, 
 although thy servant did suspect treachery, he 
 thought it unwise to endanger thy safety by breaking 
 silence." 
 
 " Your conduct has indeed been noble, brave, and 
 generous, O Mikee." 
 
 " Truly, the hunter is all that the sahib says ; and 
 it is to be regretted he will lose his oil-jars," said 
 Naon, evidently pleased that I had left him some- 
 thing to say by which he could show his sympathy 
 with the hunter. 
 
 " Psha, Naon ! these can be easily replaced," said 
 I, vexed at the matter-of-fact manner of the half- 
 caste. 
 
 " We had now reached a part of the forest upon 
 which the elements during the recent rains seemed — 
 at least so I then thought — to have spent their fury,
 
 284: THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 for trees were lying about in all directions with tlieir 
 branches broken, and bespattered with clayey mud. 
 But what appeared to me as remarkable was the soil 
 itself, which was indented with holes as far as the 
 clearing extended. 
 
 As, while approaching this spot, Mikee had been 
 relating the over-night's adventures, he had not ob- 
 served these queer indents ; suddenly, however, when 
 he observed them, with an exclamation of joy he ran 
 forward, gazed around, fell upon his knees and began 
 a minute examination of several of the impressions, 
 which lasted at least five minutes, when seeming sat- 
 isfied, he arose, and clutching my arm, said — 
 
 " Guadama be praised. It is in this forest that the 
 Nats will bestow fortune upon Mikee." 
 
 " Truly the brave hunter must have hit upon a 
 gold or ruby mine that he is so happy," said Naon. 
 
 " Is this so ?" I asked, for I knew that both gold 
 and rubies in abundance were to be found in 
 Burma. 
 
 " Truly it is not only a mine of gold, but a foun- 
 tain of honor, for these are the foot-prints of a 
 herd." 
 
 " Of a herd of what ? — elephants ?" I asked, with a 
 laugh. 
 
 " The noble colar says truly. A large herd is at 
 hand ; it has been here during the night. See those 
 broken trees ; they were thrown down by the ani- 
 mals ;" and with a fidelity of detail that at the time 
 astonished me, he named the number, size, and even 
 the height of the beasts ; adding in a tremulous whis-
 
 A NARROW ESCAPE. 285 
 
 per, " and among them, O colar, perhaps the celestial 
 beast whom the holy Brahmin has promised Mikee it 
 shall be his fortune to reveal to the world." 
 
 " Naon, however, who was not by any means 
 equally delighted at being in the proximity of a herd 
 of wild elejmants, and whose eyes had lighted upon 
 an object that better pleased him, said — 
 
 " See those houses on yonder hill ; surely we must 
 be near the village of Tharet." 
 
 " Thy words are those of a prophet ; it is Tharet ; 
 Let us hasten, that we may be the first to warn the 
 people that the elephants are near their rice-fields," 
 said Mikee ; adding, " and, moreover, where the at- 
 tendant of the noble colar may hide in peace, for 
 truly he prefers the town to the woods. 
 
 " The beasts are made for the wilds, and men for 
 the town," replied Naon sullenly. 
 
 " Or the towns for men, ISTaon," said I, laughing. 
 
 And we hastened onward, the half-caste in sullen 
 silence, Mikee pondering upon his probable good for- 
 tune, and I upon the confidence with which the hunter 
 had described with an appearance of accuracy the 
 size and height of animals from their foot-prints alone ; 
 and which seemed to me to be about as reasonable as to 
 judge of a house by a single brick. I was, however, 
 then ignorant of a fact which, since that time, has 
 been related by Lieutenant de Batts, who, in his 
 " Rambles in Ceylon," tells us — 
 
 " After heavy rains, the track of these herds is easily 
 detected by the impressions of their feet on the soft 
 clay. Some of the natives evince considerable saga-
 
 286 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 city hi immediately discovering the least vestige of 
 the foot-print of an elephant. From the most trifling 
 marks they can confidently state the number; and 
 what appears still more extraordinary, the size of the 
 elephants composing the herd. The secret of tins 
 last discovery consists in the anatomical fact that 
 twice the circumference of an elephant's foot is ex- 
 actly equal to its greatest height, measuring from the 
 fore-foot to the point that corresponds with the 
 withers of a horse. By long practice and perfect ac- 
 quaintance with the formation of the foot of the ani- 
 mal, the most expert native huntsmen can, by closely 
 examining even a small section of the impression 
 that it leaves, calculate its height, and nearly approxi- 
 mate to the truth." 
 
 Near as Tharet had appeai-ed to Naon, we were 
 two hours before we reached even the fields of rice- 
 sugar-canes, and plantains by which it was sur- 
 rounded. Then the tramp through these fields, for 
 the greater part under water, rendered our journey so 
 toilsome that it was near sundown when we arrived 
 at the village itself. 
 
 Observing, however, before we entered the gates, 
 several structures that were new to me — that is small 
 boxes made of bamboo raised from the ground a 
 height of at least fourteen feet, and erected not only 
 near Tharet, but at intervals for miles along the flat 
 country — I said — 
 
 "Surely these are places of observation from 
 which the learned study the wonders of the 
 heavens ?"
 
 A NARROW ESCAPE. 287 
 
 "Can the noble colar be ignorant that they are 
 the stations from whence, in safety from tigers, the 
 farmers watch, and alarm the elephants which some- 
 times in a single night tread down a whole harvest ?" 
 said Mikee. 
 
 But how is it possible that the farmers can arrest 
 the inroads of a herd of such formidable animals ?" I 
 asked. 
 
 " Each watchman is provided with a rattle, which, 
 upon the first approach of a herd, he springs, and this 
 signal, passing from station to station, there arises 
 such a clattering of rattles and shouting of voices, 
 that the beasts become scared, and, if not famishing 
 with hunger, retire back to the woods." 
 
 "But," said I, is it possible that a herd of 
 elephants can be frightened away by a trumpery 
 noise ?" 
 
 " Yes, for noises are disagreeable to them ; yet, 
 sometimes, when enraged, hi defiance of all, the 
 males will advance upon the villages, overturn the 
 houses, and kill all who come in their way. This, 
 however, can only occur when the people omit to 
 light up a line of fire ; for so fearful are the animals of 
 that element, that a few lighted wisps of straw or 
 dried grass will invariably stop their progress." 
 
 "But at present these watch-towers are unten- 
 anted ; neither does there appear to be any prepara- 
 tion for the fires," said I. 
 
 " The season (for it is only when the crops are 
 nearly ready for gathering, and the swamps and 
 marshes caused by the rains have become lessened,
 
 288 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 that the elephants make these inroads) is not suffi- 
 ciently advanced, and the people of Tharet at present 
 know not their danger. 
 
 "Then, Mikee, let us hasten forward and warn 
 them that a herd is within a few miles of their crops, 
 that they may be prepared with their watch-fires and 
 rattles," said I. 
 
 " The heart of the noble colar is generous, and his 
 words good," he replied. 
 
 And shortly afterward we entered the village, 
 which consisted of the usual kind of pigeon-house 
 huts, pagodas, and a small kioum or monastery — a 
 building which served the double purpose of a resi- 
 dence for the priests and a school-house for the chil- 
 dren of the inhabitants, for in the Burman monas- 
 teries, as in those of Europe in the Middle Ages, the 
 children receive their education ; and, remarkable for 
 a country where the gradations of rank are ob- 
 served with such cruel rigor, the children, those 
 alike of the greatest nobles and the meanest peasants, 
 are educated at the same time, beneath the same roof, 
 and by the same masters — the priests.
 
 WILD ELEPHANTS. 289 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 A HERD OF WILD ELEPHANTS. 
 
 As Mikee had promised, not only were we warmly 
 welcomed by the villagers of Tharet, but at once 
 conducted to the house of the headman, who, being 
 a relative of the hunter, lost no time in placing before 
 us the best viands the village afforded ; and of which, 
 after our toilsome journey, I am not ashamed to say 
 we made a hearty meal. 
 
 " Has the brave Mikee heard the news of the rebels 
 who are invading the soil of the Golden King," said 
 the headman. 
 
 " The Nats are angered, for they have permitted 
 the rebels to destroy the Maha Silwa's army," was 
 the reply. 
 
 "That is true, but the Bandoola has sent to the 
 Golden City for the Nat-Kadau, who will drive them 
 into the sea," said the headman. 
 
 But Mikee, probably for my sake, not wishing the 
 conversation to take so awkward a turn, pretended 
 to be too much engaged in satisfying his appetite to 
 reply. So, while he is finishing his meal, I will re- 
 late to you an anecdote about these wonderful Nat- 
 Kadau, which will afford a curious specimen of the 
 cruelty and superstition of the Burmese and their 
 government. 
 10
 
 290 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 When the government found that notwithstanding 
 all their efforts, they were unable to make head 
 against the English invaders, they had recourse to 
 magic ; and among the projects of this nature, sent 
 down to their army all the women who had the repu- 
 tation of having a familiar spirit, in order to put a 
 spell on the foreigners, and, as it was said, unman 
 them. 
 
 These females, who rather labor under some men- 
 tal derangement than are impostors, are called by 
 the Burmans Nat-Kadau, or female Nats. They pro- 
 fess to hold intercourse with the demi-gods, and to 
 be inspired by them with supernatural powers. 
 "The presence of such persons," says a British offi- 
 cer, " was well known to our army ; indeed, after 
 one battle, a young girl of fifteen years of age was 
 found dressed in male attire. As soon as her sex was 
 recognised, great attention was paid to her, but she 
 soon expired from the wounds which she had re- 
 ceived in her head and neck." 
 
 When Mikee had concluded his meal, he arose, 
 saying — 
 
 " May the crops of my worthy relative yield him 
 an abundant harvest." 
 
 " Telakien is not ungrateful for the prayer of the 
 brave Mikee. The Nats are pleased with the people 
 of Tharet, for the harvest promises to be plentiful," 
 replied the headman. 
 
 " Yet, although the Nats are beneficent, and the 
 season is approaching wdieivthe ponderous foot of 
 the wild elephant may deprive his people of their
 
 WILD ELEPHANTS. 291 
 
 food, my worthy relative is not prudent, for he per- 
 mits the night to find his watch-towers unmanned, 
 and his alarm-fires unlighted," said Mikee, thinking 
 thereby to soften down news the disclosure of which 
 he anticipated would fall upon his relative with the 
 alarm of a sixty-four pound shot in the midst of a 
 Quakers' meeting. 
 
 Great, however, was the hunter's surprise, when 
 
 the headman replied — 
 
 "Is it, then, because Mikee is brave and keen- 
 sighted that the people of Tharet are blind ? ISTo this 
 thing is not ; for they have discovered a herd of wild 
 elephants in the forest to the east of Tharet." 
 
 " If this be as my worthy relative says, how is it 
 possible that he has not prepared his watchmen and 
 his fires ? For the elephant gives no warning of its 
 approach to the crops of the villagers," said Mikee. 
 
 " Truly, neither will be necessary, for the hunters 
 of the Golden King are even now preparing to en- 
 compass the jungle," said Telakien. 
 
 " If my relative's words are true, then are the 
 hopes and fortunes of Mikee broken like a tree in a 
 wind-storm," replied the hunter, chopfallen that the 
 discovery of the herd had been made by others. 
 
 " This thing cannot be, O Mikee, for although thou 
 art so humble, the hunters of the Golden King value 
 thy aid alone as equal with that of the whole people 
 of Tharet," replied the headman. 
 
 " It pleases the worthy Telakien to pour sweet 
 words into the ears of his relative, but will he say 
 when the people of Tharet will join the hunters of
 
 292 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 the Golden King?" said Mikee, his great dark eyes 
 now flashing with delight. 
 
 " Before the sun next rises in the heavens," re- 
 plied Telakien. 
 
 " Then is it necessary we should at once seek to 
 refresh ourselves with sleep, for Mikee would not be 
 the last to arrive at the kedclah," replied the hunter, 
 there and then stretching himself upon a mat ; when, 
 as if sleep were at his instantaneous command — as, 
 indeed, I have known it to be with one or two per- 
 sons — he gave us nasal proof of the soundness of his 
 slumber. 
 
 I endeavored to follow his example, but for some 
 time Naon kept me awake by reminding me of my 
 resolution, and urging me to -let Mikee proceed to 
 the hunt alone, and so journey onward by ourselves 
 to Yenang-young. 
 
 " What !" I exclaimed, " lose the hunt ! No, no, 
 Naon ; the catching of a herd of elephants is not a 
 sight to be often witnessed by a European, so I for 
 one will not miss the opportunity." 
 
 And with this determination I at length fell asleep. 
 
 The next morning we arose with the sun, yet not 
 before the people of the village, some two hundred 
 of whom were in readiness to start, and prepared 
 with a plentiful supply of food, cooking utensils, fuel 
 rattles, and tom-toms. Mikee, who was full of spirits, 
 and, moreover, seemed to be a popular person among 
 the people, joined the headman in taking the lead ; 
 and thus, in a kind of methodical disorder, we march- 
 ed for seven miles, stopping, however, at several
 
 WILD ELEPHANTS. 293 
 
 villages in our way for reinforcements ; which, with, 
 the people of Tharet, the professional hunters and 
 their assistants, whom we found upon the outskirts of 
 the immense jungle, swelled our numbers to rather 
 more than five hundred. 
 
 Now, as this expedition lasted ten days, and the 
 operations of the party extended over a space as large 
 as a battle-field, it was as impossible for me to be an 
 eye-witness of every incident that happened, as for 
 an individual soldier to witness the multifarious 
 events of a great military conflict ; therefore, rather 
 as the general who may view the whole from an em- 
 inence, than the individual hunter, will I endeavor 
 to describe the scene. 
 
 The operations took place in an immense jungle, 
 where the elephants had been discovered feeding. 
 The herd consisted of thirty ; and the first operation 
 was to surround the animals at a great distance, yet 
 so that they should be in ignorance of our presence ; 
 which was done after the following manner : — 
 
 First, the Avhole body of hunters were divided into 
 parties of three, called chokeys, that is, one mahote, 
 or trained elephant-driver, and two assistants. These 
 chokeys being stationed about twenty yards from 
 each other, encircled the jungle ; then each chokey 
 lighted a fire, and cleared away thetall cane or brush- 
 wood between its own and the next station, so as to 
 form a path of communication throughout the first 
 circle, which, you must remember, is called the daw- 
 kee. This dawkee being formed, the remaining part 
 of the day and succeeding night was occupied in keep-
 
 294 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 ing watch and cooking the food, so as to he ready 
 for immediate use. 
 
 Early the next morning, a man was detached from 
 each chokey, so as to form a second circle that would 
 touch the first at the section nearest to the forest 
 which the jungle skirted, and from which the animals 
 had advanced. The men at the points where the two 
 circles touched, then extinguished their fires and filed 
 off to the right, in order to leave an opening through 
 which the herd might he frightened into the dawkee, 
 or rather one end of an oblong, for into that figure 
 the two broken circles had become formed. 
 
 Then the sport commenced by the people of the 
 dawkee keeping up such a clattering noise with their 
 rattles and tom-toms that the alarmed herd — to whom 
 the men, being hidden by the jungle and long grass, 
 were invisible — ran from side to side ; but meeting 
 with the same noise, at length, for the sake of peace 
 and cpiietness, advanced into the new circle, the open- 
 ing of which was then closed up by the men, who 
 immediately stationed themselves as before in parties 
 lighted their fires, and so ended the second day. 
 
 The third day the same noise was made, but the 
 herd, feeding as it went along upon branches of trees 
 and leaves of bamboo, seemed to suspect the pres- 
 ence of its numerous but concealed enemies ; still in 
 terror of the fires which were now kept blazing in 
 every direction (that the animals might be kept :n 
 the middle), they at length, as if pestered beyond all 
 endurance at the incessant clattering, advanced toward 
 the keddah or place where they Avere to be secured.
 
 WILD ELEPHANTS. 295 
 
 The keddah consists of three enclosures com- 
 municating with each other by narrow gateways. 
 The outer enclosure, or baigcote, where the ele- 
 phants are to enter, is the largest ; the middle 
 one, or doobraye, is the next in size ; and the 
 third, or rajecote, is the smallest. These enclo- 
 sures are formed by a deep ditch on the inner 
 side, the bank of earth thrown up by the exca- 
 vation being planted with a strong palisading of 
 thick trees, strengthened by cross bars, and support- 
 ed by buttresses, which are sunk in the earth. In 
 the third, or furthermost of these enclosures, the 
 elephants are kept six days, where they are regularly, 
 though scantily, fed from a scaffold on the outer 
 side, close to the entrance of an outlet called the 
 romee, which is about sixty feet long, and purposely 
 so narrow that the animals can only be taken out 
 one by one. 
 
 On the night of the third day we were awakened 
 by an alarm that the elephants were advancing 
 toward the chokeys ; the fires, however, being re- 
 plenished with green bamboos, set up such a blaze 
 and crackling, together with the clattering of tom- 
 toms and rattles, and the firing of blank-cartridge, 
 that the astonished elephants not only retired to the 
 centre of the jungle, but advanced toward the baig- 
 cote, or entrance of the first enclosure of the keddah. 
 Further, however, than the entrance they did not 
 advance that night. 
 
 The next day we still found the elephants at, not 
 within the enclosure. The palmai, or leader of the
 
 296 THE WHITE ELEPHAXT. 
 
 herd, evidently had a suspicion that all was not right, 
 for she walked backward and forward, eating as 
 she went, and followed by the whole of the others, 
 who seemed quite contented to remain where they 
 were. Then came another hurricane of noises, and 
 before nioht the beasts had entered the first en- 
 closure of the keddah, which was immediately bar- 
 ricaded by a great fire, so that they could not re- 
 turn. 
 
 The next object being to get the beasts into the 
 doobraye, or enclosure Number 2, the whole party 
 entered the baigcote, filing off to the right and left, 
 so as to surround them at all points but the entrance 
 to the doobraye, set light to a circle of fuel, and then 
 began to create a terrible din and fire blank car- 
 tridges. This had the desired effect, for the startled 
 elephants turned from their grazing and looked 
 toward the forest, as if with a notion of escape ; 
 but finding fires upon every side except at the en- 
 trance of the next enclosure, the palmai or leader, 
 after some time spent in a suspicious examination of 
 the gateway, passed within, and was, as usual, follow- 
 ed immediately by her docile tribe. 
 
 The following day the same means were taken to 
 force the animals within the third enclosure, or raje- 
 cote, and with the same success. But then finding 
 themselves again surrounded, in a smaller space, and 
 with no outlet whatever, they seemed at once to 
 comprehend that they had been entrapped, and be- 
 coming desperately enraged, advanced to the ditch 
 which surrounded the enclosure, screaming and bel-
 
 WILD ELEPHANTS. 207 
 
 lowing terrifically, and by inflating their trunks, and 
 lifting them in the air, endeavored to break down 
 the palisading. At every point, however, to which 
 they advanced, they were met by fires and loud 
 noises ; by which means, being driven back, they had 
 recourse to the water in the ditch, with which they 
 refreshed themselves by sucking it up into their 
 trunks and then squirting it over every part of their 
 bodies. After this operation, they withdrew to the 
 middle of the enclosure, there to meditate upon their 
 means of escape. The hunters, however, having 
 succeeded into getting them in the third enclosure, 
 immediately began to build huts and form a kind of 
 encampment around, close to the palisades, and to 
 place watchmen at every point to prevent them from 
 breaking through. 
 
 Thus for four days were the elephants left to re- 
 cover their temper. Upon the fifth, the door of the 
 romee, or narrow passage leading from the small and 
 last enclosure was opened, and one of the animals en- 
 ticed to enter by a mahote, who threw just before 
 its trunk, and then further within the romee, until 
 the beast had advanced within the passage which 
 was too narrow for him to turn in, some sugar-canes ; 
 and having once passed the gateway, the door was 
 instantly shut and secured by throwing across each 
 other two bars that stood perpendicularly on each 
 side, the noise of which made the elephant suspicious, 
 and so endeavor to retreat ; but finding the gate 
 closed, he screamed fearfully, and repeatedly ran 
 against the bars with the force of a battering-ram,
 
 298 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 till, becoming convinced that that means of escape 
 was useless, he arose and leaped upon the bars with 
 his fore-feet, in order to break them down by sheer 
 force of weight; and so he continued these efforts till 
 obliged to desist from mere fatigue. 
 
 "While the beast was making these efforts, the 
 hunters placed strong ropes with running nooses at 
 the outlet of the romee ; into one of which, as he en- 
 deavored to make his escape, the elephant put his 
 feet, when it was immediately drawn tight and 
 fastened to the palisades. His feet having been 
 made fast, two men placed heavy bars across the 
 romee, between themselves and the elephant, to 
 prevent his kicking, and by that means tied his hind- 
 legs together, passing a cord, the noose of which 
 was formed like the figure 8, alternately from the 
 one to the other. Then, while others were engaged 
 in artfully throwing cables around his neck and body, 
 another party stood upon the outside of the palisades 
 endeavoring to divert his attention with plantain 
 leaves, sugar-canes, and by playing with his pro- 
 boscis. 
 
 When the whole apparatus of ropes was properly 
 prepared, the ends of those which were around his 
 neck were brought forward to the end of the romee, 
 and made fast to two koomkees, or female elephants, 
 trained for the purpose ; the door at the end of the 
 outlet was opened, and the passage left clear ; the 
 ropes tied to the palisades were loosened, and the 
 beast — by dint of the gentle pulling of the two 
 females, long poles sharpened at the ends, and another
 
 "WILD ELEPHANTS. -00 
 
 hurricane of noises — was made to advance till he had 
 cleared the romee, when his conductors separated ; 
 so that, if he attempted to go to one side he would 
 have been prevented by that pulled in the opposite 
 direction, and vice versa. 
 
 It was curious, also, to watch the sagacity of these 
 conductors ; for when the captive elephant grew ob- 
 stinate, and would lie down, one of them would put 
 her snout under and raise him upward, supporting, 
 him on her knees ; and with her head push him for- 
 ward with all her strength, while the hunters as- 
 sisted, by goading and urging the animal forward by 
 their noises. 
 
 Such were the means by which the larger beasts 
 of the herd were secured. In conducting, however, 
 the smaller elephants from the romee, only one cable 
 and one koomkee, or female elephant was used. As 
 soon as the small elephant was secured by the ropes 
 he was left in charge of a mahote, or keepei-, and two 
 assistants, in order to supply food and water till ho 
 became so tractable as to feed himself. 
 
 These men erected a small hut immediately before 
 the elephant, constantly soothing, caressing, and sup- 
 plying him with food ; sometimes, indeed, threaten- 
 ing, or goading the animal with an iron-pointed stick ; 
 but more generally coaxing him by scratching his 
 head and trunk with a long bamboo, split at one end 
 into many pieces, and driving away the flies from 
 any sores that had been occasioned by his efforts to 
 escape from the romee upon the first shutting up of 
 the gates, which are not unfrequent, as, although the
 
 300 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 elephant is large and powerful, its skin is so soft and 
 sensitive that it is more easily pierced than that of 
 smaller creatures. 
 
 The mahote, moreover, keeps the elephant cool by 
 squirting water over it ; taking care, however, to 
 stand a good distance from its trunk. By these means 
 the disposition of the animal becomes so tame, that 
 in a few days the man advances cautiously to his side, 
 and strokes and pats him with his hand, speaking in 
 a soothing tone of voice, till the elephant, beginning 
 to know his keeper, obeys his commands. By these 
 means the mahote at length becomes on sufficiently 
 familiar terms with him to get upon his back from 
 the koomkee. 
 
 While they are training in this manner, the tame 
 elephants lead out the others in turn, for the sake of 
 exercise, and likewise to case their legs from the 
 cords with which they are bound. Thus, in a few 
 weeks, the animal becomes so obedient to his keeper 
 that his fetters are removed, and in five or six months 
 suffers himself to be conducted by the mahote from 
 one place to another; but care is taken not to let 
 him approach his former haunts, lest it should induce 
 him to attempt the recovery of his liberty. 
 
 The obedience of the elephant to his conductor 
 seems partly to proceed from a sense of generosity, 
 as it is in some measure voluntary ; for when sudden- 
 ly alarmed, or determined to run away, all the ex- 
 ertions of the mahote cannot stop him, even by beat- 
 ing, or digging into his head the pointed iron hook 
 by which the latter directs him ; indeed the animal
 
 WILD ELEPHANTS. 301 
 
 totally disregards these feeble efforts, otherwise he 
 could shake or pull him off with his trunk. 
 
 " Accidents," says Mr. Cary, the writer to whom 
 I am indebted for this description of elephant taming, 
 " of this kind happen almost every year, especially to 
 those mahotes who attend the large goondahs (male 
 elephants) ; but they are in general owing to their 
 own carelessness. It is necessary to treat the males 
 with greater severity than the females to keep them 
 in awe."
 
 302 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 WE CATCH A LORD WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 "When the herd had been secured in the keddah, the 
 people of Tharet, and most of the other villagers who 
 had acted as assistants, received their rewards, and 
 set out on their march homeward, leaving to the 
 professional hunters of the Golden King the duty of 
 passing them, one by one, through the Romee, and 
 taming them prior to their being distributed among 
 the various royal elephant depots. 
 
 Not so, however, Mikee, who, when taken before 
 the chief of the royal hunters, said — 
 
 " The Carian requires not the reward of a slave, 
 for he has not yet performed the duty assigned to 
 him by the Nats." 
 
 " Surely the Carian must be possessed with an ob- 
 stinate Beloo, who would deprive him of his fair 
 share of the flowered silver, for truly it is known to 
 all that his merits are great," replied the chief, with 
 astonishment, at finding that a man existed who could 
 refuse money honestly earned. 
 
 "The prize of the herd, which the Nats themselves 
 have assigned to the Carian, has escaped, therefore 
 will he receive no silver, but hide his head in the 
 dust till it has been recovered," said Mikee.
 
 A LORD WHITE ELEPHANT. 303 
 
 " Truly, friend, the Beloo must have possession of 
 thee, for have Ave not secured, without dangerous 
 hurt to one, a whole herd of the noblest elephants of 
 Pegu ? " said the chief. 
 
 " Of noble beasts, truly, O worthy chief; yet has 
 the mightiest elephant of the forest to be taken," said 
 Mikee. 
 
 " Surely it must be that the son of my father has 
 lost his understanding, for the words of the worthy 
 hunter are to him as the rubies of an undiscovered 
 mine," replied the now much mystified leader." 
 
 " The chief has said that the services of his servant 
 are deserving of reward," said Mikee. 
 
 " Thy services were great, therefore it is unreason- 
 able that thou shouldest receive no reward." 
 
 " The only reward then, O chief, that thy servant 
 seeks, is the loan of thy four koomkees (female ele- 
 phants)." 
 
 " The loan of the koomkees ! " repeated the chief, 
 ■with astonishment at the request. 
 
 " Truly, the koomkees ; for a sacred lord White 
 Elephant now awaits to be taken to the Golden 
 Palace." 
 
 " Surely the man is either favored by the Nats or 
 possessed with many Beloos," replied the chief now 
 more astonished than ever. 
 
 When, however, Mikee repeated the story of the 
 Brahmin, and the prophecy, moreover, that at the 
 commencement of the hunt, before the cordon of 
 men had been effectually placed around the jungle, 
 he had seen two goondahs (males), one of which
 
 30i THE WHITE ELEPHANT: 
 
 was white, retreat backward from the herd into the 
 forest, the chief, as superstitious as the rest of his 
 countrymen, fell upon the ground, saying — 
 
 "Thy request is granted, O noble hunter; for it 
 would be impious to refuse the request of one to 
 whom the Nats have shown so much favor, and who 
 •will speedily receive a robe of state, titles, and the 
 tslao (cord of nobility) from the hand of the Golden 
 Foot ; for it is said that the sacred beast which has 
 so lonsr inhabited the Golden Palace is even now 
 languishing at the point of death, surrounded by 
 physician s who know not how to cure, and his great 
 officers, who find it difficult to console the sacred 
 animal ; " and the chief immediately left to prepare 
 the koomkees and their mahotes. 
 
 " Thine own imagination has deceived thee, O 
 Mikee," I said, when he had repeated to me what 
 had passed between himself and the chief. 
 
 " It is not so ; the sacred beast even now awaits 
 those who will conduct him to his palace," replied 
 Mikee, warmly; adding, "but will the noble colar 
 dare to join in the hunt ?" 
 
 "That will I," was my hearty reply, notwithstand- 
 ing the cloud upon the countenance of Naon, who 
 stood shrugging his shoulders, in evident disgust at 
 the probability of another hunt. 
 
 Then, as soon as the four koomkees and their ma- 
 hotes and attendants were ready, Mikee, head- 
 ing the party as a mahote himself, and upon the larg- 
 est of the trained beasts, led the party till we reached 
 that portion of the forest-jungle — for it partook of
 
 A LOKD WHITE ELEPHANT. 305 
 
 both — where he had calculated to find the feeding- 
 ground of the white elephant. 
 
 At night the goondahs, or large male elephants, 
 came out singly, or in small parties to feed ; thus, to 
 watch them, while the koomkees, tied to trees, and 
 the mahotes resting upon mats near them, the whole 
 party being surrounded by a circle of lighted bam- 
 boos, Mikee and myself arranged to keep on the 
 look-out alternate hours, from a small shed erected 
 upon poles, and which had been brought for the pur- 
 pose. 
 
 As the day broke, we heard a strange rustling 
 noise. 
 
 " It is a goondah, a white goondah ; the fortunate 
 hour has arrived, exclaimed Mikee ; and then rising 
 to my feet, sure enough I saw, at a distance of a few 
 hundred yards, a noble elephant engaged, at his 
 breakfast I suppose, for he was leisurely eating young 
 branches, which he kept pulling from the trees, the 
 cleaning of which, by whisking and striking them 
 against its fore legs, had occasioned the noise that 
 had aroused me, and had given Mikee so much de- 
 light ; moreover, it really was an albino, or white ele- 
 phant ; that is, totally unlike any other I had seen. 
 It was of a light mahogany color, and sufficiently 
 contrasting to the common elephant to merit the 
 name ot white. 
 
 The animal, once discovered, no time was to be 
 lost ; so we both descended from the box, and having 
 given the alarm to the rest of the party, under Mikee's 
 
 direction we began the attack. 
 20
 
 306 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 Mikee, acting as a mahote, ascended the neck of 
 one of the koomkees by means of a cord hung around 
 the animal for the purpose. Three other mahotes 
 followed his example, upon their respective elephants, 
 myself upon the last, with its mahote. As for Naon 
 and Seree, they remained behind with the assistants. 
 Then, when we had so lain ourselves forward upon the 
 neck of the koomkee, as not to be seen by the wild animal 
 we were about to catch, and the necessary ropes 
 were ready in our hands, Mikee gave the signal, and 
 the well-trained koomkees, directed by the mahotes, 
 proceeded to entrap their brother of the wilds. This 
 they did by taking upon themselves the character of 
 untamed animals, a character they sustained by 
 leisurely advancing, grazing their way as they went, 
 until they had encompassed the goonclah ; then, find- 
 ing the latter took no notice of them, not distinguish- 
 ing them from the wild animals, whom perhaps he 
 had not long since left behind him in the forest, they 
 formed together closer, till his two sides were press- 
 ed, and his head and hind quarters rubbed by the 
 four decoys. That was an anxious moment for the 
 hunter, for not unfrequently, if in a bad humor, the 
 wild animal will at once furiously attack his tamed 
 sisters. 
 
 Fortunately it was not so then ; for so warmly and 
 affectionately did the koomkees caress the animal, 
 and so good-humoredly did he receive and return 
 them, that it neither saw nor heard the mahotes' as- 
 sistants crawl beneath the belly of the koomkee, 
 which had placed herself across his hind-quarters, and
 
 A LOKD WHITE ELEPHANT. 307 
 
 from thence throw ropes, the nooses of which, as I 
 have said, were of the figure of 8, just beneath his 
 hind feet ; and when he stepped within the figure 
 and the ropes were drawn rather tight, the koomkees 
 were moved forward, of course followed by the white 
 animal, from whose hind legs the long ropes trailed 
 along the ground. 
 
 Feeling the tightness of the ropes around his legs 
 increase as he moved forward, he stopped for a mo- 
 ment as if suspecting something wrong ; then, as if 
 convinced, he retreated toward the thick jungle. 
 
 The mahote upon the koomkee followed at a mod- 
 erate pace and after them the assistants ; who as soon 
 as the beast passed a large tree, caught hold of the 
 trailing rope and fastened the ends around the thick- 
 est part of its trunk. The elephant continued to 
 retreat to the whole length of his tether ; but then, 
 finding his progress suddenly arrested, he became 
 furious, and exerting his whole strength, endeavored 
 to disengage himself, till finding all attempts to escape 
 to be useless, he gored the earth with his tusks, and 
 screamed. 
 
 This was another period of anxiety, for had the ani- 
 mal, which is not unfrequently the case, broken the 
 ropes and escaped, we should have lost him irre- 
 coverably ; for upon making his appearance among 
 the other wild elephants, with the gear of ropes about 
 him, they would have attacked and killed him. 
 
 But dame Fortune, or as Mikee would have it, the 
 Nats, favored us ; so, when the animal had exhaus- 
 ted his strength by his fruitless exertions, and stared,
 
 SOS THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 with his eyes half-closed, in a pitiable state of despair 
 the mahotes brought around him the koomkees, who 
 gently pushed him nearer the tree, when the assistants 
 seizing hold of the trailing ends of the ropes, twisted 
 them around his legs and over his trunk till they had 
 thoroughly secured him ; taking care, however, while 
 they were thus engaged, to keep out of reach of his 
 trunk, with which he made many attempts to seize 
 them ; and having fastened him to the tree, they left 
 him to his meditations the whole of that day and night. 
 
 The following morning, finding the animal in a good 
 humor, and willing to eat his food, the whole of the 
 rope gear, excepting the two by which he was fas- 
 tened to the koomkees, was removed, and then it be- 
 came the duty of the latter animals to pull him for- 
 ward through a passage which had been j>reviously 
 cleared in the jungle, while the assistants behind 
 urged him by clattering their rattles, beating tom- 
 toms, and thrusting sticks into his sides. 
 
 It is a curious fact, that although the goondah, or 
 male elephant, when first taken, uses his utmost force, 
 even sometimes to his own destruction, to disengage 
 himself, and would kill any persons within his reach ; 
 yet he never attempts to injure those syrens of his 
 own species who have decoyed him into captivity ; 
 but, on the contrary, as often as they are brought 
 near, in order to adjust his harnessing, or move and 
 slacken those ropes which gall him, seems pleased, 
 soothed, and comforted by them for the loss of his 
 liberty.
 
 I AM SENT AS AMBASSADOR. 309 
 
 CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 I AM SENT AS AMBASSADOR FROM THE LORD 
 WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 The news that the party led by Mikee had taken 
 a lord White Elephant, reached the chief of the hun- 
 ters within a few hours after the ropes had lbeen 
 placed around the animal's legs ; and great were the 
 rejoicings of the inhabitants of the neighboring vil- 
 lages for the halo of glory it threw around them. 
 Had their king conquered another kingdom, or 
 driven the English invading army into the sea, the 
 intelligence would not have been more joyfully re- 
 ceived. 
 
 The peasants, dressed in whatever bits of finery 
 they could collect together, lined the roads, headed 
 by priests with their best fans, freshly-shaven heads, 
 and in their cleanest yellow robes. The chief of the 
 hunters, and the headman of the villagers, with those 
 next in rank, came to welcome the sacred beast, be- 
 fore whom they all performed the shiko. 
 
 The chief of the hunters, addressing his four-leered 
 lordship, apologized in the name of the king that no 
 great minister of state had been sent to welcome 
 him. " Yet, O mighty lord !" added the chief, " as
 
 310 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 the Golden Foot knew not of thy advent, it was not 
 possible that his majesty could he prepared to receive 
 thee with all the honors due to thy sacred rank. 
 Thy slaves have, however, erected thee a temporary 
 palace wherein they will attend thee until the minis- 
 ter, secretary, treasurer, and other proper officers of 
 thy establishment are appointed by the Golden Foot, 
 and sent to receive thee." 
 
 After this address, which was delivered at the en- 
 trance of the village, his lordship was conducted to a 
 large building of bamboo, which had been hastily 
 built for his temporary residence. Scarlet cloths, 
 ornamented with gold embroidery, were thrown over 
 his back; a silken net, also gilt, over his head and 
 eyes, to protect him from musquitos ; and then he 
 was placed beneath the charge of many persons, 
 whose duty it was to watch over his cleanliness, carry 
 to him every day the freshest herbs, which were first 
 washed with water, and to provide everything that 
 could contribute to his comfort. Now, although this 
 may appear very great nonsense to you, it is, never- 
 theless, the custom, and it has been for many cen- 
 turies, both in Ava and Siam, as you will find from 
 the account given by Ralph Fitch, a London mer- 
 chant, who writes of the then King of Ava as fol- 
 lows : — 
 
 "And among the rest he hath four White Ele- 
 phants, which are very strange and rare, for there is 
 none other king that hath them but he ; if any other 
 king hath one, he will send unto him for it. "When 
 one of these White Elephants is brought unto the
 
 I AM SENT AS AMBASSADOR. Sll 
 
 king, all the merchants in the city are commanded to 
 give him a present of half a ducat, which doth come 
 to a great sum, for there arc many merchants in the 
 city. After you have given your presents, you may 
 come and see it at your pleasure, although it stand 
 in the king's house. 
 
 " The king of Ava is called the King of the White 
 Elephants ; and if any other king hath one, and will 
 not send it, he will make war with him for it, for he 
 had rather lose a great part of his kingdom than not 
 conquer him. 
 
 " The people do great service unto these White 
 Elephants. Every one of them standeth in a house 
 gilded with gold, and they do feed in vessels of silver 
 and gold. When they go to be washed every day, 
 they are taken under a canoj^y of gold and silk, car- 
 ried by eight men, while ten men go before playing 
 on drums and musical instruments ; and when he is 
 washed and comes out of the river, there is a gentle- 
 man who washes his feet in a silver basin, and which 
 is an office given by the king himself." Master Ralph 
 Fitch concludes by saying — "And surely they be 
 wonderful fair and great, and some be nine cubits in 
 height." 
 
 This account was written nearly three hundred 
 years ago. The last, however, written by Captain 
 Yule, who visited the present reigning White Ele- 
 phant less than three years since, is to the same effect. 
 The captain writes — 
 
 " The present White Elephant has occupied his 
 post for at least nearly fifty years. He is close upon
 
 S12 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 ten feet high, with as noble a head and pair of 
 tusks as I have ever seen ; but he is long-bodied and 
 lanky, and not otherwise well made as an elephant. 
 He is sickly and out of condition, and is, in fact, dis- 
 tempered during five months of the year — from 
 April to August ; his eye has an uneasy glare, and 
 his keepers evidently mistrust his temper, for we were 
 always warned against going near his head. His 
 color is almost uniform all over, and on the whole he 
 is well entitled to his appellation of white. His 
 royal paraphernalia, which are set out when visitors 
 are expected, are sufficiently splendid. Among them 
 was a driving-hook about three feet long, the stem 
 of which was a mass of small pearls, girt at frequent 
 intervals with bands of rubies ; and the hook and 
 handle of crystal, tipped with gold. His headstall 
 was of fine red cloth, plentifully studded with fine 
 rubies, and near the extremity having some valuable 
 diamonds. To fix over two bumps of the forehead 
 were circles of the nine gems which are supposed to 
 be charms against evil influences. 
 
 " When caparisoned, he also wore on the forehead 
 like other Burmese dignitaries, including the king 
 himself, a gold plate inscribed with his titles, and a 
 gold crescent set with circles of large gems between 
 his eyes. Large silver tassels hung in front of his 
 ears, and he was harnessed with bands of gold and 
 crimson set with large bosses of pure gold. He is a 
 regular ' estate' of the realm, having a minister of 
 his own, four gold umbrellas, the white umbrellas 
 which are peculiar to royalty, with a suite of thirty
 
 A LOKD WHITE ELEPHANT. 313 
 
 attendants. Every person, previous to entering his 
 palace, must pull off his shoes; and moreover, the 
 animal has an appanage or territory assigned to him 
 as his own especial estate, the revenues from which 
 belong to him. 
 
 "Respecting these revenues, a whimsical anecdote 
 is told, namely, that the king being at one time 
 pressed for money to pay the English some indemni- 
 ty-money, was compelled to take the rents belonging 
 to the Lord Elephant ; but having done this, his 
 majesty had an address written on a long palm- 
 leaf, formally laid before the elephant, requesting him 
 not to take it amiss that his revenues had been de- 
 voted to the payment of the strangers, for the whole 
 should be refunded within two months." 
 
 But to continue my narrative. 
 
 When Mikee had seen his four-footed lordship 
 properly installed in his temporary palace, his prob- 
 able requirements cared for, and we stood together 
 alone in the house of the headman, I congratulated 
 him upon his good fortune, when he replied, 
 calmly — 
 
 "Truly, Mikee' s fortune is good, for he can at 
 least be useful to the noble colar, who, by destroying 
 the crocodile, revenged the death of his relative." 
 
 " That crocodile, again ! I hoped you had forgotten 
 it, Mikee." 
 
 " Mikee does not forget his promise, and he Avill 
 now serve thee ; " then gazing at me, he said, "the 
 noble colar desires to enter the Golden City, but fears 
 being seized by the soldiers on his way ?"
 
 314 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 "Thou art right, Mikee, thou art right; for I 
 have a dear friend who, I fear, is imprisoned, and 
 for whose liberty I would sacrifice my own," said I ; 
 adding, " but how is it possible that thou canst as- 
 sist me in this ? " 
 
 "The message-man who is sent by me with the 
 first news to the Golden Foot of the capture of the 
 sacred beast, will be asked to choose his own reward. 
 Thou shalt be that message-man." 
 
 " Mikee, thou hast indeed well repaid me for any 
 good I may have done thee ; for if this thing be true 
 that thou sayest, and my friend yet lives, as I believe 
 he does, I may rescue him," said I, joyfully, as the 
 whole advantages of the offer occurred to me ; " but 
 Xaon, — how is it he has not followed us ? " I added, 
 remembering now that I had not seen him since the 
 first advance upon the elephant. 
 
 " The attendant of the noble colar is neither war- 
 rior nor hunter, but a household slave without heart ; 
 so, when the mahotes advanced upon the sacred 
 goondah, he feared, and fell to the rear among the 
 people," said Mikee. 
 
 " That is true ; but it is unreasonable that he 
 should not be here, now we are in safety," said I. 
 
 " Truly, it is not reasonable that the noble colar 
 should regret the loss of so great a coward," said he. 
 
 " Does coming prosperity render the brave Mikee 
 ungenerous ? Would he so easily abandon one with 
 whom he had passed through so many dangers?" 
 said I, indignantly, and at once leaving the house to 
 CO in search of the half-caste.
 
 A LORD WIHTE ELEPHANT. 315 
 
 Every effort, however, was useless, for he was to 
 be found neither among the hunters or the simple 
 villagers. All that I could hear was, what I knew, 
 that upon the first cords being thrown around the 
 legs of the goondah, he had retreated to the rear 
 among the crowd ; since when he had not been seen.
 
 316 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 CHAPTER XXVII. 
 
 I VISIT THE EARTH-OIL WELLS, AND WITNESS 
 A FESTIVAL. 
 
 The mysterious disappearance of Naon much grieved 
 me, for I feared that by some unaccountable accident 
 he had become the prey of a prowling tiger. How- 
 ever, as the bullock-cart was ready for me the next 
 morning, and Seree, w T ho was to act as my guide, 
 and, moreover, conduct me to the house of the deputy 
 governor of Yenang-young, who would provide me 
 with a boat and a pass, so that I might reach the 
 capital unmolested, I was compelled to leave further 
 search in the hands of Mikee, knowing that, although 
 he would not for the world quit the neighborhood 
 of his great prize — the elephant — the brave fellow 
 would send men throughout the neighboring country 
 to search for the half-caste. 
 
 So, having received my credentials to the king in 
 the form of a short note written upon a palm-leaf by 
 Mikee, and attested by the chief of the king's hunters 
 and the headman of the village, I took leave of the 
 Carian ; and for three days we traveled through a 
 country which at every mile grew more sterile and 
 mountainous. About the middle of the third day 
 we came in sight of Yenang-young (which, by the
 
 EAKTH-OIL WELLS. 317 
 
 way, signifies fetid water rivulet) ; and which, from 
 being built both upon hill and in valley, presented, 
 with its numerous pagodas and kioums, a very fan- 
 tastic appearance. 
 
 That we were approaching the celebrated oil-wells 
 was apparent enough, from the offensive odor which 
 saluted my nostrils ; as for Seree, he seemed too 
 much accustomed to the scent to notice it. Then, 
 as we advanced, the face of the country became still 
 more cheerless and sterile. The road, which wound 
 among rocky eminences, was barely wide enough to 
 admit the passage of a single cart ; and in many places 
 the track in which the wheels ran, was a foot and a 
 half lower on one side than the other. 
 
 The hills were covered with gravel, and yielded no 
 other vegetation than a few stunted bushes. Observ- 
 ing, however, pieces, or rather large lumps of stone 
 lying about in every direction, I descended from the 
 cart, and examining one piece, could plainly see from 
 the grain that it was petrified wood. This transform- 
 ation the Burmans assert is caused by the petrifying 
 quality of the soil, which in that place is such that 
 the leaves of trees shaken off by the wind will not 
 unfrequently change into stone before they can be 
 decayed by time. But be that as it may, the soil is 
 sufficiently extraordinary to give forth a valuable 
 oil, which is used not only all over India for burn- 
 ing in lamps, smearing timber to protect it against 
 insects, but in England by some of our celebrated 
 candle manufacturers. 
 
 Early in the evening we arrived in the town itself,
 
 318 THE WHITE ELErHANT. 
 
 which is about three miles from the wells, and pre- 
 sented ourselves at once before the deputy governor, 
 whose grandeur and hauteur became not only modi- 
 fied, but positively changed to extreme politeness 
 when I exhibited my palm-leaf note, and told him 
 that being the bearer of such great news to the king, 
 I required not only a pass which would prevent 
 my being molested, but also a well-manned boat; 
 both of which requests he very readily granted. 
 
 This great man wore a gold chain, or tslao of nine 
 strings, and possessed a title of four syllables ; all of 
 which I mention because these chains and syllables 
 are matters of great importance among the Burmans, 
 and symbolize the rank of the parties who bear and 
 wear them. 
 
 With reference to the tslao, the different number 
 of its strings marks the rank. The smallest number 
 of chains is three, and the greatest for a subject 
 twelve, the intermediate ones being six and nine. 
 Four and twenty strings to the chain are worn only 
 by members of the royal family. Then, as for the 
 number of syllables in the title, you must know that 
 there is no word in the Burman tongue of more than 
 two syllables, and not many of more than one. The 
 king then reigning had a title consisting of twenty- 
 one syllables, each representing some virtue or qual- 
 ity. 
 
 Well, not contented alone with hospitably lodging 
 me for the night, during the earlier portion of which. 
 I had to undergo a severe fusillade of questions from 
 the governor and the ladies of the household (in
 
 EARTH-OIL WELLS. 319 
 
 Burma, unlike any country in Indostan, the women 
 mix as freely in society as in England) respecting the 
 size, color, appearance, and discovery of the White 
 Elephant, the governor presented me with the dress 
 of a Burman gentleman, and insisted that I should 
 remain with him during the whole of the next day, 
 to witness at least the beginning of a great festival. 
 That some festival was in preparation I imagined, for 
 on my way from the river to the governor's house, 
 which was a short distance in the suburbs, I saw men 
 engaged in making all kinds of fantastic tin shrines, 
 and enormous lanterns to contain candles more than 
 two inches thick. Some of the more elaborate offer- 
 ings Avere being paraded about the streets. 
 
 One party carried a gigantic representation of the 
 palm-leaf (which the priests use as a sunshade), made 
 of gaily painted paper, to which were attached a 
 number of little books of gold leaf; another dragged 
 about a tinsel tabernacle ; another a dragon with a 
 gaudily gilt ferocious head, at least one hundred feet 
 in length, but which was made of muslin distended 
 by hoops ; and so cleverly constructed, that it was 
 made to wind and undulate along the street, and 
 every now and then to dart its fangs backward and 
 forward at the passers-by. 
 
 This being the greatest of the Burman festivals (it 
 was the end of the Buddhist Lent), during the fifteen 
 days of the decreasing moon the cities were illumin- 
 ated every night with lanterns made of different- 
 colored transparent paper, and suspended from bamboo 
 scaffolds. At the capital, on the three terminating
 
 S20 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 days, solemn homage is paid to the king, to the prince 
 royal, and the chief queen. At the court of this 
 queen, the wives and daughters of the nobles pay 
 their homage, unaccompanied by their male relatives. 
 The rank which each lady bears in right of her hus- 
 band or father, is shown by her dress and ornaments, 
 female priority being not less scrupulously maintained 
 than precedence amongst the men. 
 
 So entirely were the people resigned to holiday- 
 making, that, but for the importance of my errand, 
 and which the governor himself did not dare delay 
 longer than necessary, it would have been impossible 
 to have procured boatmen to row us to Ava ; as it 
 was, the governor commanded the chief of that part 
 of the river to have a boat in readiness for me by the 
 second morning of the festival. 
 
 When the hour, however, arrived for my departure, 
 and as I was performing my ablutions preparatory to 
 taking farewell of the governor, I heard a great noise 
 in the front of the house, and the sound of voices a 
 few minutes afterward. Seree, who slept during 
 the night in the outhouse allotted to the servants 01 
 the governor, ran into my room, crying — 
 
 " There is great news, terrible news arrived from 
 the Golden City." 
 
 " What ! have the English stormed the capital ?" I 
 asked, for that was an event I fully expected, nay, 
 hoped to hear. 
 
 " It is not so, noble colar," replied Seree, who had 
 patriotism sufficient in him to feel indignant at the 
 question.
 
 EAETH-OIL WELLS. 321 
 
 " Then what is this wonderful news, my good 
 Seree ?" said I. 
 
 " It is news that must be whispered only ; an event 
 has happened that it would be heavily punishable by 
 the law to speak of openly," replied the Burman, in a 
 mysterious whisper. 
 
 "Is, then, the king or queen dead?" I asked, 
 knowing that to mention the death, although the fact, 
 of either of those illustrious individuals was a crim- 
 inal offence. 
 
 " It is not so ; but, O noble colar, the lord "White 
 Elephant has departed." ^ 
 
 " The White Elephant ! then has Mikee followed 
 us ?" I said, thinking only of the animal, whose taking, 
 I anticipated was to prove of so much benefit to my- 
 self, as well as Mikee. 
 
 "•The Nats be thanked, it is not so ; yet the calam- 
 ity is great, for it is the sacred beast of the Golden 
 Palace." 
 
 " This may be a misfortune, but it is good news for 
 us, for now will the elephant of Mikee be of the 
 greater value," I replied; adding, "but how know 
 you this, Seree ?" 
 
 "The messengers from the capital have but just 
 arrived to inform the governor.', 
 
 " Then we must lose no time in taking our good 
 news to the king," said I. 
 
 So having taken leave of the governor, who repeated 
 to me the details of the death of the illustrious animal, 
 and congratulated me upon the reward I should re- 
 ceive for taking, at such a juncture, such important
 
 322 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 intelligence, we went clown to the river and embarked. 
 The boat, to do me honor, was manned with twenty 
 rowers, and supplied with a good stock of provisions 
 for we could not reach Ava in less than six or seven 
 days. 
 
 By the evening of the second day we arrived at 
 Montha, chiefly interesting to me as being in the ter- 
 ritory of Kyat-pyen, or the nine mountains; and 
 which would be an earthly paradise to jewelers, for 
 the soil, which is uneven and full of marshes, forming 
 seventeen small lakes, is one of the richest in the 
 world in mineral treasures, and abounds in rubies, 
 sapphires, topazes, and other crystals. Like every 
 other art and process of production in Burma, the 
 method of procuring these gems is very primitive. 
 The dry ground alone is mined by the miners, who 
 dig square wells, supporting the sides with piles and 
 cross-pieces. These wells being first sunk to a depth 
 of twenty cubits, the miner descends with a basket, 
 and having filled it with loose earth, he ascends, picks 
 out the jewels, and washes them in the brooks of the 
 neighboring hills. They continue working the 
 wells laterally till two meet, when the place is 
 abandoned. 
 
 Of course so despotic a gentleman as his Majesty 
 the King of Ava claims the whole of this valuable 
 soil, and all jewels that may be found therein, as his 
 own property ; but, by way of encouragement to 
 the miners, he only puts in force his claim to all that 
 may exceed the value of twelve pounds; consequent- 
 ly, the miners evade the law by breaking the large
 
 EAETH-OIL WELLS. 323 
 
 stones into fragments. Still, the king's treasury 
 possesses many fine stones of great value ; and so 
 fearful is he of exciting the cupidity of foreigners, 
 that upon no occasion whatever are strangers per- 
 mitted to visit these mines. It is not, however, so 
 easy for his majesty to arrest the avarice of his sub- 
 jects; for, some time before my arrival at Montha, 
 two masses of rubies, each weighing two hundred 
 and eighty pounds, had been discovered ; but as the 
 convoy was carrying them to the king, it was at- 
 tacked by robbers, who succeeded in taking and 
 making off with one of them. 
 
 Five days after leaving Montha, Ave reached the 
 city of the Golden Foot, which cannot be better de- 
 scribed than in the words of old Ralph Fitch c who, 
 writing of Pegu, of which Ava is the model, tells us 
 so quaintly : — 
 
 " A city strong and very fair, with walls of stone 
 and great ditches round it. There are two towns, 
 the old and new. In the old town are all the mer- 
 chants, strangers, and very many merchants of the 
 country. All the goods are sold in the old town* 
 which is very great, and hath many suburbs round 
 about it : and all the houses are made of bamboo 
 canes, covered with straw. In your house you have 
 a warehouse, or godoun, which is made of brick, to 
 put your goods in ; for oftentimes they take fire, and 
 burn in an hour four or five hundred houses : so that, 
 if the godoun were not, you should be in danger to 
 have all burned in a trice. In the new town is the 
 king and all his nobility. It is a square city, great
 
 32i THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 and populous, with walls, and a large ditch around 
 them. It hath twenty gates, and many turrets, made 
 of wood, and gilded with gold, for sentinels. 
 
 " The streets are the fairest I ever saw, as straight 
 as a line from one gate to another, and so broad that 
 ten or twenty men may ride afront through them. 
 On both sides of the streets, at every man's door, is 
 set a palm-tree, beneath which a man may walk in 
 the shade all day. The houses are made of 
 wood, and covered with tiles. The king's palace is 
 in the middle of the city, and walled and ditched 
 around ; the buildings within the palace are made of 
 wood, very sumptuously gilded, and great workman- 
 ship is on the fore front, which is likewise very 
 costly gilded ; and the house wherein his pagoda, or 
 idol, standeth, is covered with tiles of silver, and all 
 the walls are gilded with gold. Within the first 
 gate of the palace is a great room, whose walls are 
 gilded with gold; and near to this are houses for the 
 king's elephant, which is marvelously large and 
 
 fair." 
 
 Then as a proof of the honest dealings of the 
 people in his day, this old English merchant tells us, 
 "There are in this town eight brokers, who are 
 bound to sell your goods for you at the price which 
 they be worth, and you give them for their labor two 
 in the hundred, and they be bound to make your 
 debts good, because you sell your merchandizes on 
 their word. If the broker pay you not on the day 
 agreed, you may take him home, and keep him in 
 your house, which is a great shame for him ; and il
 
 EARTH-OIL WELLS. 325 
 
 he pay you not presently, you may take his wife and 
 children, and his slaves, and bind them at your door, 
 and set them in the sun, for this is the law of the 
 country."
 
 326 THE "WHITE LLEI'HANT. 
 
 CHAPTER XXVIII. 
 
 I HAVE A1ST ADVENTURE WITH A KING WHOM I 
 FIND AriCKBACK. 
 
 "Truly I know not where we may lodge, or 
 how I may obtain this desirable audience of his ma- 
 jesty," said I, as we entered the Pegu gate of the 
 outer city. 
 
 " Had the noble colar ch igned to ash, his servant 
 ■would have told him, that the most fortunate of hun- 
 ters, Mikee, desires that he may seek the house of 
 Shwe Maong, the buffoon of the Golden Foot, who will 
 entertain him till he is fortunate enough to obtain an 
 interview with the Prince of Brome, through whom 
 alone he can obtain an audience of the Golden 
 King" 
 
 " I am a dolt, or I should have known that Mikee 
 
 would make every provision, so let us to the house of 
 
 this buffoon. But what have Ave here ?" I added, 
 
 as at that moment a multitude of persons came 
 
 oward the gate. 
 
 "The funeral procession of the wife of a praw 
 lord)," replied Seree; and we stood upon the steps 
 of a zayat, or chapel, to see it pass. 
 
 The funeral ceremony of the wife of a great lord is 
 thus lucidly described by the envoy Crawford ; —
 
 ADVENTURE WITH A KING. 32 7 
 
 "The insignia, or arras, of the husband were borne 
 in front Then come presents for the priests, and 
 alms to be distributed amongst the becrsrars, consis- 
 ting of sugar-cane, bananas, and other fruits, with 
 ready made garments. A shabby elephant, on which 
 was mounted an ill-looking fellow, dressed in red, fol- 
 lowed, bearing a box-, in which were to be placed the 
 bones and ashes of the deceased ; an office which is 
 considered so ignominious, that it is performed by a 
 criminal, who is pardoned for his services. Even the 
 elephant is thought to be contaminated by being thus 
 employed, and for this reason an old or maimed ani- 
 mal is selected, which is afterward turned loose into 
 the forest. 
 
 " A band of music followed the elephant ; after 
 which came a long line of priestesses, or nuns, all old 
 and infirm; then came ten or twelve young women, 
 attendants of the deceased, dressed in white, and 
 carrying her insignia. Then the state palanquins oi 
 the deceased, and her husband; the bier; the female 
 relations of the family, carried in small litters cov- 
 ered with white cloths ; the husband and male 
 relatives on foot, dressed in white, followed in order. 
 
 " The body was conveyed to a broad and elevated 
 brick terrace, where it was to be burned. We as. 
 sembled ou this to see the ceremonies. The coffin 
 which was very splendid, was stripped of the large 
 gold plates with which it was ornamented ; and the 
 class of persons whose business it is to burn the bod- 
 ies of the dead were seen busy in preparing the ma- 
 terials of the funeral-pile.
 
 328 the white elephant. 
 
 " These corpse-burners, or chandala, form a class 
 hereditarily degraded from the rest of the people, 
 and are held to be so impure that the rest of the 
 people never intermarry with them." 
 
 " When all was ready, the mourners sat down at 
 the foot of the coffin and began to weep and utter 
 loud lamentations. Their grief, however, was per- 
 fectly under control ; for they ceased, a3 if by word 
 of command, when the religious part of the ceremony 
 commenced. It sometimes happens, that when the 
 families of the deceased have few servants or relatives, 
 hired mourners are employed for the occasion. 
 
 " The first part of the office of the chandala was 
 to open the coffin, turn the body upon its face, bend 
 back the lower limbs ; place six gilded billets of wood 
 under its sides, and four over it. The priests had 
 neither joined the procession nor taken any share in 
 the funeral rites, but were assembled in great num- 
 bers under a shed at no great distance. But now the 
 high priest came forward, and, along with the hus- 
 band, took in their hands the end of a web of white 
 cloth, of which the other was affixed to the head of 
 the coffin. They sat down, and the friends and 
 principal people joined them. The priest, followed 
 by the assembly with their hands joined, then mutter- 
 ed the following prayer from the Buddhist creed : 
 
 " 'We worship Buddha. We worship his law. We 
 
 worship his priests.' And then repeated the five 
 
 commandments. ' Do not kill. Do not steal. Do 
 
 •not commit adultery. Do not lie. Do not drink 
 
 wine.'
 
 ? 
 
 ADVENTUKE WITH A KING. 
 
 " The husband tlien pouring- water upon the cloth 
 from a cocoa-nut shell, pronounced after the priest 
 
 these words — ' Let the deceased and all present par- 
 take of the merit of the ceremonies now performing,' 
 To which the assembled people replied — ' We partake, 
 or we accept.' " 
 
 " The pouring of water upon the ground is con- 
 sidered by the Burmans the most solemn vow. It is 
 as if it were calling the earth to witness, or rather 
 the guardian Nat or tutelary spirit of the place ; who, 
 it is supposed, will hold the vow in remembrance, 
 should men forget it. 
 
 " Two other priests followed the first, repeating the 
 
 same, or similar prayers and ceremonies. After this, 
 
 the company retired to some distance, and the funeral 
 
 pile was lighted. 
 
 " Notwithstanding the pomp and parade of this 
 
 ceremony, it was upon the whole not solemn, and in- 
 deed in all respects scarcely even decorous. The per- 
 sons not immediately concerned in the performance 
 of the funeral rites laughed and talked as at a com- 
 mon meeting, and the solemnity of the occasion 
 seemed to affect no one beyond the husband and the 
 son. The spectators in general seemed to view the 
 ceremony with some vanity, as a grand natioual and 
 religious display, but nothing further. Even the 
 husband, who shed some tears, was not altogether 
 insensible to the pomp of the occasion. He turned 
 round to me and said, " Have you examined my wife's j 
 paraphernalia ? There they are behind you ; I beg 
 you to look at them. They were all bestowed upon 
 
 * ft
 
 
 ■°. 
 
 ' 
 
 30 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 her by the glorious king.' And the high priest, 
 while he was still sitting on the ground, and when he 
 had hardly done with prayer, turned round upon ob- 
 serving us, laughed very heartily, and said uncon- 
 cernedly, ' Who are these strangers ?' " 
 
 When the procession had passed, we followed to 
 witness the burning. After which, we made our way 
 into the inner town, and after a short time reached 
 the palisades of the king's palace; a building which 
 had not then been long erected, but was yet famous 
 as having been the cause of one of those minor dom- 
 estic tragedies so common in Eastern nations. 
 
 The architect having, at least in the eyes of the 
 king, committed some professional mistake in the 
 construction of the great spire, his majesty remon- 
 strated with him, declaring that it could never stand; - 
 but the man, with a boldness wonderful for a slave,, 
 pertinaciously insisting upon its durability, was sent 
 to the State prison for its contumacy. Shortly after- 
 ward the spire in question fell during a thunder- 
 storm. This accident enraged the king ; bnt as about 
 the same time accounts were received at court of the 
 landing of the English army at Rangoon, his majesty 
 superstitiously believing that there was some mys- 
 terious connection between the two events, imme- 
 diately ordered the unfortunate architect to be de- 
 capitated. 
 
 " Truly, the house of this buffoon, is a wearisome 
 istance, said I, much fatigued. 
 " The impatience of the noble colar is great ; yet, 
 if he dares to cross the palace ground, we may 

 
 AD VENTURE WITH A KING. 331 
 
 shorten the distance to the house of Shwe Maon," 
 said Seree. 
 
 " So be it," I replied, opening a wicket. 
 
 But Seree cried aloud, "The Shi-ko — the Shi- 
 ko." 
 
 So saying, he pulled off his shoes and fell upon his 
 hands and knees, bowing before the palace. 
 
 This, however, I could not do ; it was too humiliat- 
 ing ; yet, fearing that I might get into trouble by 
 omitting the ceremony, I looked around for a minute. 
 I could see no person near ; and so starting at full 
 speed ran across the grounds toward the river, hop- 
 ing to get without the sacred precincts as speedily as 
 possible. Seree followed ; but turning an angle of 
 the building, who should I see before me but Sinbad, 
 mounted by his old man, coming full galop in our 
 direction. Literally, it was a short, stout gentleman, 
 some forty years of age, upon the shoulders of a 
 stalwart fellow, in whose mouth was a muslin bridle ; 
 at which the rider, while he goaded him with the 
 blunt end of a spear, twirled and twisted with as 
 much vehemence as if he had been near the winning- 
 post of a ^tee-course. 
 
 I could go no further for laughing. A man of 
 forty riding pickback, playing at horses, was so com- 
 ical ; and so intent was the rider and his man-horse, 
 with their faces toward the ground, that they ran 
 against me with such force that I fell, the horse 
 stumbled, and the rider was made to fly some distances- 
 ahead. 
 
 Fearing he was hurt, I would have stopped to help 
 21
 
 332 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 him from the ground ; "but Seree, taking hold of my 
 arm, exclaimed — 
 
 " Run — run for your life ; let them not see your 
 face. Run, for it is the Golden Foot." 
 
 I did not, however, require much persuasion; the 
 title was sufficient. I had upset the Golden Majesty 
 of Ava in the midst of his daily exercise, so I ran 
 toward the river. A spear whistled past my ears, 
 the king was following, puffing and panting in the 
 most unroyal manner ; but, fortunately for me, so en- 
 raged as to forget to call to the guards. 
 
 We were, however, too far ahead ; we had turned 
 by a portion of the building which hid us from his 
 sight. Then we soon reached a narrow path between 
 two walls ; darting along this, Ave came to a house ; 
 and seeing it was untenanted, passed through from 
 front to back, and were safe in the midst of a crowd 
 of people on their way to witness the preparations 
 making for a great elephant fight. 
 
 " Thank Heaven Ave have escaped the king and his 
 royal cockhorse," said I. 
 
 "Truly, it is fortunate that his majesty did not 
 overtake us, for Ave should have been less than the 
 dust," rejffied Seree 
 
 "Not even the news I carry Avould haA-e saved 
 us?" 
 
 " Nought beneath heaven could have saved the life 
 of the noble colar, so great is the Golden Avrath," 
 said Seree. 
 
 "It will be a lesson for his majesty not to get into 
 useless passions," said I.
 
 ADVENTURE WITH A KING. 333 
 
 " Alas ! the Golden King is perhaps even now but 
 doubly enraged, and running about his palace chasing 
 his lords with his spear; for such is his majesty's 
 custom when any object of his wrath escapes him," 
 said Seree. 
 
 " But this Shwe Maon ? Are we near his house ?" 
 said I. 
 
 " Truly, we are not far distant, for it is near yon 
 Temple of Ti-lo-men-lo," replied Seree, pointing to 
 the umbrella spire of a religious building. 
 
 "Ti-lo-men-lo ! " said I, wonderingly, and at which 
 you will not be surprised, when I tell you that the 
 English of this title is, "As likes the umbrella, so 
 likes the kingdom." 
 
 " The noble colar thinks the title of the holy build- 
 in o- extraordinary. It is less so, however, than its 
 history," said Seree. 
 
 And as we proceeded in the direction of the temple 
 he related the following story ; — 
 
 " The king, the father of the Prince Ozana, being 
 about to abdicate his throne, knew not to which of 
 his five sons, who were all of equal merit, he should 
 resign his crown. At length, however, he bethought 
 of placing the white umbrella of his royal state in the ' 
 midst of his children, and at the same time of praying 
 that it might fall toward the rightful heir. Having 
 done this, the umbrella fell toward the prince Ozana, 
 who was immediately crowned king ; when, without 
 envy at his exaltation, the four brothers betook them- 
 selves to the monasteries and became priests." 
 
 " These legends are good, Seree, for they exhibit
 
 33 i THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 the admiration of even warlike people of all ages for 
 princes who rule by peace, love, and wisdom, instead 
 of war," said I. 
 
 " Truly, it is better to be wise than warlike, yet 
 the four princes were not so wise as the prince Yaza ; 
 for," added Seree, " Avhen the King Abhira died, his 
 two sons disputed the throne, but agreed, by the ad- 
 vice of their respective officers, to let the question be 
 decided in this way: that each should construct a 
 large building during the same night, and he whose 
 building should be found completed by the morning, 
 should take the throne." 
 
 " A queer style of settling such a dispute ; but who 
 came off winner ? " said I. 
 
 " Yaza, the younger," replied Seree ; adding, " for 
 he used planks and bamboos only, and covered the 
 whole with cloth ; to which, by a coat of whitewash, 
 he gave the appearance of a finished building." 
 
 '•But this was cheating, not wisdom," said I. 
 
 As, however, Seree could no more understand that 
 the two words did not mean precisely the same thing 
 than the rest of his race, he but shrugged his shoul- 
 ders as if in pity, or in contempt for my innocence. 
 But when we had passed the temple, and arrived in 
 front of a large house, which bore no distant res- 
 emblance to a wagon upon stilts, he said — 
 
 "Here may the noble colar rest, for it is the dwell- 
 ing of Shwe Maon." 
 
 So saying, Seree sprang up the ladder like a cat to 
 announce my arrival; and having been within the 
 house for some few minutes, he returned and begged
 
 APVENTUEE WITII A KING. 335 
 
 of me to enter. I did so, but instantly sprang back- 
 ward so far, that it was miraculous I did not go 
 head foremost down the ladder ; and certainly I do 
 not remember ever to have been so near fainting, 
 either before or since. 
 
 There were three persons in the room — a man (I 
 thought at the moment a baboon), a woman, and a 
 child ; the two former of whom were crouching upon 
 the ground, in order to receive me with respect. 
 But the first object, the man who had caused me 
 such a fright — "Well, I will describe him, if I can. 
 
 In height he seemed to be about five feet four 
 inches, and slenderly built ; but the whole of his 
 forehead, the cheeks, the eyelids, the nose, including 
 a portion of the inside, the chin — in short, the whole 
 face, with the exception of the red portion of his 
 lips, — were covered with fine, silky, lank, silvery 
 grey hair. On the forehead and cheeks this was 
 about eight inches long; and on the nose and chin, 
 about four inches. 
 
 His ears, within and without, were completely cov- 
 ered with hair about the same length as that on his 
 face, which chiefly contributed to give his whole ap- 
 j^earance, at first sight, the unnatural and inhuman 
 aspect which had terrified me. Moreover, his entire 
 body — for the greater portion was exposed — with 
 the exception of the hands and feet, was covered 
 with the same long, mane-like hair. 
 
 The Avoman, his wife, was an ordinary-looking 
 Barman female; but the child, a little girl, was, like 
 its father, covered with hair.
 
 336 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 Thus, you see there was some reason for my fright, 
 which I suppose the hirsute being must have been 
 prepared for, as with a good-tempered smile, and in 
 a clear, ringing voice, he said — 
 
 " The colar is alarmed at Swe Maon." 
 
 What could I reply ? Nothing, for I really felt 
 ashamed for having exhibited disgust at his misfortune. 
 Seree, however, came to my relief by saying — 
 
 " The worthy Shwe Maon is the friend of the hun- 
 ter Mikee." 
 
 "He is the slave of the brave hunter, who saved 
 his life once when he would have been hunted to 
 death in the woods as a baboon," said Shwe Maon ; 
 adding, " but the noble colar needs refreshment." 
 
 After which, he spoke not another word until, with 
 the aid of his wife, he had placed before us a good 
 meal of fish, rice, and tea ; when, finding him intel- 
 ligent, even above the average of Burmans, and, 
 moreover, very communicative, my curiosity getting 
 the better of good manners, I entreated of him to 
 tell me his history. To which he replied — 
 
 " There can be no doubt that the request of the 
 noble colar is reasonable, for it is not possible that 
 he can ever have seen a human being so monstrously 
 disfigured." 
 
 "Is it possible that the worthy Shwe Maon can 
 forget that the elephant, the noblest of animals, is at 
 the same time of most unshapely form ?" said Se- 
 ree. 
 
 " The worthy Seree it is that forgets that the noble 
 beast is not alone in his unshapeliness, but of a nu-
 
 aJDVENTUEE WITH A KING. 837 
 
 merous tribe," replied this singular being, bitterly 
 adding, to nie — 
 
 " Know then, O noble colar, that my father was a 
 basket-maker, in the service of the prince of that 
 part of Laos which is nearest to the Saluen river, and 
 three months' journey from this great city. When I 
 was born, and until I was six years of age, with the 
 exception of the hair upon my ears, I was like the 
 rest of the inhabitants of this world. The strange 
 appearance, however, of my ears was sufficiently cu- 
 rious to cause the Prince of Laos to present me to the 
 Golden King, who had me taught the tricks and to 
 climb like the monkey tribe, which, as day by day 
 the hair upon my body increased, I so strongly re- 
 sembled. So I grew in the favor of the Golden 
 King, till, when I had reached my twenty-second 
 year, he presented me with my wife, this house, and 
 an income of rice and fish sufficient to keep us ; for 
 all of which gracious favor I am required to amuse 
 his majesty's lonely hours by my antics." 
 
 Then when he had finished his story, I begged of 
 him to tell me if, by any chance, he had heard of the 
 fate of my friend Mr Johnson, at which, shrugging 
 his shoulders, he said — 
 
 " The sahib Johnson is with the rest of the rebel 
 colars, in the great prison. Moreover, the Maha 
 Silwa, who is greatly in the favor of his majesty, and 
 is soon to depart to again meet the army of the inva- 
 ders, daily prays of the Golden King to permit him 
 to sacrifice all the prisoners upon the altar of the 
 Nat of Victory, that his anns may prove successful."
 
 333 THE WHTTE ELEPHANT. 
 
 " But surely this cannot be ; for it is not the sahib 
 Johnson the friend of the great Prince of Promo, 
 who must shield him from being murdered, even if 
 he cannot procure his release?" said I, greatly a- 
 larmed for the life of my friend. 
 
 " The influence of his Golden Highness the Prince 
 is great, but that of the chief queen is all-powerful, 
 and her majesty's hatred of the colars is so great, 
 that she is even now seconding the prayer of the 
 Maha." 
 
 "Then I will throw myself at the feet of the king, 
 and demand my friend's life, in return for the news 
 I carry," said I. 
 
 " Truly this thing may not be, for none dare ven- 
 ture into the Golden presence and live, without the 
 aid of a great lord of the court." 
 
 "Then will I seek the presence of his Highness 
 the Prince of Prome to-morrow, and demand this 
 aid of him, for he was my father's friend." 
 
 "Even this thing, O noble colar, is not possible, 
 for to-morrow the elephant sports commence," said 
 Shwe Maon. 
 
 " Then this thing is possible, O worthy Shwe 
 Maon, and the noble colar is most fortunate ; for he 
 can present himself at the gate of the Prince's pal- 
 ace, and await the return of his highness from the 
 sports," said Seree. A course which I at once re- 
 solved to adopt. 
 
 The rest of the evening was passed in listening to 
 Shwe Maon's account of the great grief of the people 
 at the death of his Highness the late White Elephant,
 
 ADVENTURE WITH A KING. 339 
 
 and, moreover, the details of the funeral obsequies, 
 which had been concluded two days before our arri- 
 val in the city. 
 
 According to custom, the same ceremonies had 
 been performed at the death and obsequies of this 
 animal, as those at the demise of a chief queen for it 
 was a female. At its decease, as at that of an empe- 
 ror, it was publicly forbidden, under heavy penalties, 
 to assert that it was dead ; the law being that, in 
 speaking of the lamentable event, it should be merely 
 asserted, " it has departed," " or disappeared." 
 
 " At its obsequies the body was placed upon a 
 funeral pile of sassafras, sandal, and other aromatic 
 woods, then covered over with similar materials, and 
 the pyre set on fire, with the aid of four immense gilt 
 bellows, placed at its angles. After three days the 
 chief nobles gathered the ashes and remnants of the 
 bones, enshrined them in a golden urn, which was 
 buried in the royal cemetery, and over which it was 
 intended to raise a superb mausoleum, of a pyramidal 
 shape built of brick, richly painted and gilt
 
 Si-0 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 CHAPTER XXIX. 
 
 AN ELEPHANT FIGHT, AND AN AUDIENCE OF THE 
 GOLDEN FOOT. 
 
 The next day accompanied by Seree, I joined with 
 the crowd on its way to see the sports at the Ele- 
 phant Palace ; a building appropriated for exhibiting 
 — for the diversion of the king and court — the taming 
 of elephants. 
 
 It is on the banks of the river, about one mile from 
 the city. The chief place is a square enclosure, sur- 
 rounded everywhere by a double palisade, of immense 
 beams of teak timber. Between the palisades there 
 is a stone wall, fourteen feet high, and twenty feet 
 in thickness, on the top of which the chief spectators 
 seat themselves to witness the sport. 
 
 In the middle of this enclosure, which is carpeted 
 with greensward, stands a temple, also surrounded 
 by a palisade. This building is dedicated to Udin 
 main-so, who, in consequence of his skill in taming 
 elephants, was, at his death, created a king of Nats, 
 and guardian and protector of elephant hunters. 
 
 The king, having taken his seat upon the wall, and 
 the princes, after removing their shoes, having as- 
 cended, and crawled to the right and left sides of his
 
 AN ELEPHANT FIGHT. 841 
 
 majesty, the signal was given for the commencement 
 of the sport. 
 
 We had scarcely reached the top of the wall — of 
 course at a great distance from the king and his 
 nobles, and among the common people — when Seree 
 exclaimed — 
 
 " They are coming !" and a cloud of dust heralded 
 the approach of twenty female elephants, who were, 
 partly by force, partly by persuasion, endeavoring to 
 drive a wild male into the enclosure ; and when, after 
 about an hour, they had succeeded, and had played 
 with him for some time, the females were with- 
 drawn from the enclosure, one by one, and replaced 
 by unarmed men, who, by gestures and their hands 
 alone, endeavored to provoke the beast to run after 
 them. For a time the animal withstood their efforts 
 with stoical indifference ; at length, however, as if it 
 had had more than sufficient of their nonsense, it 
 caught up one of its tormentors with its trunk, threw 
 him into the air, and caught him as he fell, upon its 
 tusks ; then, with its trunk, placing the writhing 
 wretch upon the ground, it trampled him beneath its 
 feet, to the evident delight of all the barbarian audi- 
 ence, but the king, who immediately retired from the 
 scene ; not, however (I afterward discovered), from 
 the same sensation of horror and pity for the poor 
 fellow which for a moment caused me to feel faint 
 and ill, but because it is a maxim that the sight of 
 blood is unfit for the eyes of so sacred a personage. 
 
 The elephant, having thus frightened the rest of 
 the men from the contest, no sooner had his majesty
 
 342 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 retired, than twenty goats were driven into the en- 
 closure. These little animals, however, very cleverly 
 managed to elude the trunk of the elephant ; nay, 
 with such ease and unconcern, that they began to 
 quarrel among themselves. 
 
 At length the elephant, beginning to exhibit signs 
 of fatigue, three tame males, each mounted by a 
 mahote, were brought in to secure him ; an operation 
 easily effected by throwing ropes around his neck 
 and tusks, and then dragging him by aid of the three 
 tame animals into a shed without the enclosure. 
 
 After the removal of tli3 elephant and the goats, I 
 witnessed a series of twenty boxing-matches ; and al 
 though they were very good for Burmans, they were 
 not to be compared, either in skill or indomitable 
 pluck, with the brutal prize-fights at the same period 
 so disgracefully common in England. 
 
 The boxers were stripped naked, with the excep- 
 tion of a piece of red cloth tied around their waists, 
 and advanced into the ring using provoking language 
 and gestures. They closed almost immediately, and 
 wrestled, using, in the meantime, their hands and 
 feet with considerable adroitness. The fight consist- 
 ed of three rounds, unless decided earlier by some 
 obvious advantage on one side, and by the umpire, 
 who sat in the ring. These boxing-matches among 
 the Burmans are much more humane than those once 
 common in this country, for the loss of a single drop 
 of blood is considered to be the loss of the battle. 
 This rule, however, is the cause of much amusement, 
 for, to determine this point, the umpire frequently
 
 AN ELEPHANT FIGHT. 343 
 
 stops the fight to make a minute examination of the 
 mouths of the combatants; and as he who has but a 
 scratched skin sedulously endeavors to hide the 
 wound, when detection takes place the audience be- 
 come aroused to merriment. 
 
 At the close of the combats, the Prince of Prome, 
 as representative of the king, presented dresses as 
 prizes to both winners and losers, and so brought the 
 entertainments to a conclusion. 
 
 Boxing and wrestling are favorite pastimes among 
 the Burmans ; yet, strangely for a people barbarous, 
 cruel, and brave, in these they exhibit a humanity 
 which more highly civilized peoples would do well to 
 copy. The envoy Crawford, who witnessed a series 
 of boxing-matches, writes : — 
 
 " These were, after all, but bloodless combats, and 
 were evidently not intended to be otherwise ; for 
 when there appeared the least risk of mischief being 
 done from the irritation of the combatants, they were 
 carefully parted by the umpires and their assistants. 
 Notwithstanding the partiality of the Burmans to 
 such exhibitions, one of our English battles would 
 shock them exceedingly. 
 
 " During the many encounters which took place 
 upon the present occasion, no serious accident took 
 place ; and I saw but one instance where one of the 
 combatants was temporarily disabled ; this was oc- 
 casioned by a blow with the knee, given by his an- 
 tagonist in the mouth, which knocked him down, 
 but it was inflicted with so much dexterity that we 
 could scarcely perceive how it was done. It, however
 
 Stt-i THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 excited great applause, not only in the ring, but among 
 the nobles." 
 
 " Let ua now hasten to the palace of the prince, 
 that we may reach the gates before the arrival of his 
 highness," said I. 
 
 " Truly, it will be wise, for the prince is even now 
 preparing to depart," replied Seree. 
 
 And so descending from the wall, we mixed with 
 the stream of human beings which was now flowing- 
 back to Ava. 
 
 Having passed through the greater part of the city, 
 Seree led me through a narrow and almost untenan- 
 ted street, as he said, by a nearer route. However 
 that might have been, we had not reached half way 
 down this street before we were overtaken by the 
 retinue of some great man, headed by an officer, who 
 cried to us to fall upon our faces while his mighty 
 master, the brother of the Golden King, the Prince 
 of Prome, passed. 
 
 "The Prince of Prome!" I exclaimed, jumping to 
 my feet ; for, like the rest of the passers by, I had o- 
 beyed the officer's command. 
 
 " Does the slave laugh at us ?" said the officer, at 
 the same time striking me upon the head with a 
 bamboo. 
 
 Now although his highness was a great man, I do 
 not think I should have received a blow from his own 
 hand without a proper acknowledgement, but a blow 
 from a miserable, tawdry, half clad Burman official, 
 that indeed was beyond my philosophy to endure ; 
 so, without a moment's hesitation, and perhaps under
 
 AN ELEPHANT FIGHT. 345 
 
 the inspiration of the scenes I had not long before 
 witnessed, I acknowledged his favor "by a receipt in 
 full between his eyes, which sent him beneath the 
 elephant upon which the prince Avas mounted, and 
 where, recovering himself, he sat in a state of aston- 
 ishment upon his hind quarters, with his head up- 
 ward, and supporting himself by his hands in a 
 position not unlike that of a frog expectant of rain, 
 crying to the attendants, " Seize the rogue — seize the 
 rogue." 
 
 And dearly should I have paid for my temerity, 
 for a dozen swords were at my breast, but for the 
 prince, who, with scarcely less astonishment depicted 
 upon his countenance than that of his officer exclaim- 
 ed— 
 
 " The youth is bold. Whose dog is he ?" 
 
 " A colar rebel," exclaimed the officer, now resum 
 ing the proper use of his legs. 
 
 " Let him be spread out in the sun s " said one of 
 the soldiers. 
 
 "He merits to be trodden to death, by the ele- 
 phants," said another. 
 
 But to the surprise of the whole party, the prince— 
 who, I suppose, was in a good temper at the time, 
 and so much amused that it was really wonderful 
 that he did not command me to repeat the perform- 
 ance — ordered the soldiers to let me alone. 
 
 Gaining confidence from this order, and the sood- 
 natured smile upon the prince's countenance, I pluck- 
 ed from my breast the palm-leaf document which 
 had been given to me by Mikee, and threw it into
 
 346 TEE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 the lap of his highness, who, having glanced at the 
 characters written thereon, said — 
 
 " The youth brings great intelligence, aud should 
 he honored. Let him follow us to the palace." 
 
 Whereupon the attendants moved forward ; and 
 as Ave proceeded they bowed and smiled, and at 
 times gazed at me as if they believed me to be a 
 beloo, or devil ; for no other, in their opinion, could 
 have secured the friendship and favor of so mighty a 
 personage as their master by thrusting his chief offi- 
 cer beneath the feet of his elephant. 
 
 Arriving at the palace, the prince commanded me 
 to await in the outer apartment until he sent an 
 officer to conduct me to his presence. This happened 
 in about an hour, when, having removed my shoes, a 
 gentleman of the household conducted me into a spa- 
 cious room, where his highness was sitting upon a 
 sofa — not after the fashion of Asiatics, cross-legged, 
 but in the European manner — indulging in the use 
 of betel-nut. 
 
 At a sign from the prince, the attendants left the 
 room when he ordered me to seat myself upon the 
 mat before him, and relate the particulars of the cap- 
 ture of the White Elephant; a command I readily 
 obeyed, at the same time not forgetting to give the 
 entire credit of the discovery and taking to Mikee. 
 
 " Truly," said his highness, when I had concluded, 
 *' this Carian is a great hunter, and deserves, that 
 the rest of his days should be fortunate. But the 
 brave youth who shared in the dangers of the hunt, 
 and is the first to bring the good news, merits reward.
 
 AN ELEPHANT FIGHT. 347 
 
 Thinking this an opportunity for making myself 
 known, I said — 
 
 " Thy servant, O noble prince, seeks not to take 
 from the merit and reward of the brave Carian." 
 
 " Is it possible that a person can be found so un- 
 reasonable as to refuse honor ?" said the prince, 
 lifting his eyelids with astonishment. 
 
 " It is justice, justice alone, O noble prince, that 
 is now sought by " 
 
 "The young sahib Oliver, the son of our friend 
 the late sahib," said his highness, interrupting me. 
 
 The son of the late friend of the noble Prince of 
 Prome is known to his highness ?" said I. 
 
 " The brother of the Golden King has eyes and 
 ears throughout the earth," was the proud and truly 
 Oriental reply. 
 
 And as I felt that now or never was the time to be 
 bold, I said — 
 
 " The great prince, then, must know that his servant 
 seeks the release of the sahib Johnson, who is now 
 in chains, and the merchandize and silver of his late 
 parent." 
 
 " The sahib Johnson was once the friend of the 
 king's brother; but when he repaid our favor by 
 aiding his rebel countrymen to place their dogs' 
 feet upon the sacred soil of the Golden Foot, his 
 majesty commanded him to be put to death." 
 
 Although greatly alarmed at this intelligence, I 
 did not believe it to be other than a threat ; perhaps, 
 too, I thought, to extort money, for the kings and 
 princes, like the slaves and ministers of Burmans,
 
 348 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 will enter upon no negotiation that has not self-inter- 
 est for at least a portion of its basis. It was a fortu- 
 nate thought, and made me bolder, so I said — 
 
 " The liberty of the sahib Johnson, who is as the 
 father of thy servant, is of more value in the eyes of 
 thy servant, O great prince, than the merchandise 
 and flowered silver of the late sahib Oliver." 
 
 " The life of the sahib Johnson, as also the silver 
 and merchandise of the youth's late parent, depend 
 upon the breath of the Golden King," was the eva- 
 sive reply. 
 
 But the mighty prince is loved by his Golden 
 brother, and possesses influence. Let him, there 
 fore deign to use it in favor of the orphan of his 
 friend." 
 
 " The youth is wise for his years, and knows that 
 it is but of little use to cry for water that has been 
 poured into a colander ; therefore, since he seeks not 
 to offend the Golden ears by asking for his parent's 
 fortune, his eyes shall rest upon the countenance of 
 the king, who will do him honor for being the 
 bearer of great news," replied the prince, taking my 
 bait. 
 
 And thus did he covertly and secretly accept or 
 rather retain my money, in return for the life of my 
 friend, of whose safety I now felt sure. Then per- 
 ceiving his highness yawn, as if the audience had 
 become tedious to him — and it takes but little to tire 
 an Asiatic prince — I made my shi-ko ; when his high 
 ness, touching a silver bell, a chamberlain made hia- 
 appearance, whom he ordered to conduct me to the
 
 AN ELEPHANT FIGHT. 349 
 
 Louse of visitors, a small gilded building within the 
 grounds of the palace, whei*e it was his custom to 
 lodge those whom he desired to honor. 
 
 The same evening I received another mark of the 
 prince's favor, in the shape of a state dress of crimson 
 velvet laced with gold, from his own wardrobe, in 
 which I was to appear at court the following morning, 
 but was to wear that evening at a theatrical enter- 
 tainment which he was about to give in honor of the 
 festive time, and to which it had pleased his highness 
 to invite me. 
 
 At eight o'clock, the hour the play was to commence 
 I proceeded to witness the performance, accompanied 
 by two of the gentlemen of the prince's household. 
 The theatre was uncovered, — indeed, it was the open 
 court of the palace, — but splendidly illuminated by 
 lamps and torches ; in fact, not unlike in appearance 
 one of our own public gardens. 
 
 I was conducted to a seat raised about two feet 
 from the ground, and covered with rich carpet, just 
 beneath the raised, gilded, and canopied throne pre- 
 pared for his highness, while a crowd of spectators 
 stood around the stage. 
 
 The appearance of the prince and his wife was the 
 signal for the commencement of the amusements 
 which consisted of the performance of an eminent 
 Siamese mimic, who delighted the audience by his 
 wonderful delineations of the passions — now making 
 them grave, then sad — changing his countenance and 
 gestures from pain to pleasure, from joy to despair, 
 from rage to mildness, and from laughter to tears
 
 350 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 with a rapidity and truthfulness that would have done 
 honor to a London theatre. 
 
 After this performance, we were treated to a gen- 
 uine Burman play, also acted by Siamese artists ; the 
 the story or fable of which was taken from one of 
 their sacred books, and represented the battles of a 
 mythological personage called the holy Ram, with 
 the chief of the demons, who had carried away Ram's 
 wife by means of enchantment. 
 
 Of course, like all heroes, Ram meets with many 
 changes of fortune in the attempt to recover his wife ; 
 but at length, being wounded by a poisoned arrow, 
 the medical sages discover that the only antidote to 
 the poison is to be found in a tree upon the summit 
 of a mountain, at so great a distance that to procure 
 it seems impossible. Fortunately, however, in this 
 strait, Hoonyman the ape-god makes his appearance 
 and volunteers to fetch it ; but when the illustrious 
 ape gets to the mountain, he finds so many trees that 
 he knows not which to choose. To prevent mistakes 
 he takes up one half the mountain upon his shoulders, 
 and with the greatest possible ease transports it to 
 the doctor's, who there and then curing the Ram, the 
 enchantment of the lady becomes dissolved, and she 
 is very properly restored to the bosom of her family, 
 greatly to the delight of herself, Ram, the audience, 
 and especially myself, for I had become very tired of 
 the whole affair by the time it had concluded.
 
 A SURPRISE. 351 
 
 CHAPTER XXX. 
 
 AN INTERVIEW WITH THE GOLDEN FOOT — A SUR- 
 PRISE. 
 
 The next day being a levee, or " Ask-pardon day," 
 so called because upon that occasion the great nobil- 
 ity proceed to court to ask of the great king pardon 
 for their hidden as well as known offences, and also 
 to make presents, I was to be presented at court. 
 
 In honor to the rank of the Prince of Prome, the 
 procession of nobles was formed at his palace. His 
 highness was carried in a conopied sedan, surrounded 
 by ten golden umbrellas, and followed by his state 
 elephants, led horses, and soldiers to the number of 
 about four hundred. Then followed the other prin- 
 ces of the blood, and their numerous retainers, the 
 masters being attired in their crimson robes, and 
 wearing golden crowns, in front of which each wore 
 their titles. 
 
 The procession being formed, and myself placed 
 upon one of the elephants, near the Prince, it advanc- 
 ed at a slow pace, so as not to distress the bearers of 
 presents. The houses in the streets through which 
 we passed were low, built of wood, and covered with 
 tiles, and had been prepared for the occasion, being 
 fresh whitewashed and decorated with boughs and
 
 352 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 flowers ; and the shops were crowded with their most 
 costly goods. In front of each house was a slight 
 latticed railing of bamboo, over which was apread a 
 shade of bamboo mats, that reached from the eaves of 
 the dwellings to the railing, so forming a covered 
 balcony, every one of which was crowded with spec- 
 tators, men and women indiscriminately. Boys sat 
 on the tops of the houses, and the streets were so 
 thronged as to leave but sufficient space for the 
 procession to move without interruption. 
 
 To me, a very comical part of the scene was the 
 posture winch the multitude preserved. Every per- 
 son, as soon as we came in sight, squatted on his 
 hams, and continued in that attitude till we had passed 
 by : this was an indication of high respect. Through- 
 out the crowd there was no disturbance, or any 
 extraordinary noise ; the populace gazed in silence, 
 but did not attempt to follow us ; and in this order 
 we reached the royal abode. 
 
 That portion of the palace which contained the 
 Hall of Audience consisted of a centre and two wings ; 
 the first containing the throne, and directly fronting 
 the outer gates. The building was of wood, excep- 
 ting its many roofs, which were covered with plates 
 of tin in lieu of tiles. Over the centre was a tall, 
 handsome spire, called by the Burmans Pyat-that, 
 crowned by the tee, or iron umbrella, which as I have 
 said, is an exclusive ornament of the temple and 
 palace. 
 
 The Hall of Audience itself was without walls, 
 and open all round, except where the throne was
 
 a suepeisl:. 31 
 
 53 
 
 placed. The roof was supported by a great number 
 of handsome pillars, richly and tastefully carved; 
 while the whole fabric was raised some twelve feet 
 high; upon a terrace of stone and lime, so smooth and 
 highly-polished that I mistook it for marble ; further 
 there were three entrances, one at each wing, and 
 the other, which was appropriated to the sole use of 
 the king in the middle. 
 
 Stopping before the royal entrance, the officers of 
 state dismounted, and leaving their retinue, umbrellas, 
 and litters outside, followed the Prince of Prome, who 
 led the way to the presence chamber, when the party 
 filed off to the right and left, myself among the latter, 
 leaving the princes alone in front, and near the throne, 
 before which all squatted upon their hams, in such a 
 position as not to exhibit the soles of their feet ; to 
 have done which in the presence of royalty would 
 have been considered akin to treason. 
 
 Gorgeous as was the hall itself, it was exceeded in 
 show and richness by the throne, which stood at the 
 back of the hall, beneath a canopy fringed with gold, 
 upon a pedestal of mosaic, mirrors, colored glass, and 
 silver. 
 
 For about ten minutes the audience sat looking 
 wistfully at the lattice-door at the back of the throne, 
 when the music commenced, and shortly afterward 
 the Golden King, my friend of the pickback, made 
 his appearance, tottering beneath the great weight 
 of his robes ; but that his walk was a little unsteady, 
 you will not Avonder, when I tell you he wore a tu- 
 nic decorated so plentifully with rubies, sapphires
 
 354: THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 and other precious stones, that there was not the 
 space of a finger to spare. His crown, which was 
 shaped like the spire of a Barman pagoda, was of 
 solid gold, and studded with jewels ; while in his hand 
 he held a ehowrie, that is, the white tail of a Thibe- 
 tian cow. This ehowrie is one of the five important 
 symbols of Burmese royalty. The other four being 
 an ornament for the forehead, a sword of state, a 
 queerly-shaped pair of shoes, and the white umbrella. 
 
 Splendid, however, as was the dress of the Bur- 
 mese monarch, he seemed to have strange notions of 
 dignity,at least that dignity with whichEngland's mon- 
 archs comport themselves, and of which even I know 
 no more than what I have observed in illustrated 
 histories, where the pictures lead you to believe that 
 the monarch (being once made up to look like a 
 king), with sceptre in hand, and crown on head, he 
 thus stiffly passes the rest of his life. But be this as 
 it may, the king of Ava, seeming to have more re- 
 gard for his rich dress than his dignity, had no 
 sooner ascended the steps than he flapped the sacred 
 cow's tail backward and forward upon the royal 
 scat for about five minutes ; after which, as if satis- 
 fied he had removed all the dust, he adjusted his 
 robes and sat down, whereupon the Avhole audience 
 joined their hands above their heads, and knocked 
 the ground three times with their foreheads. 
 
 As soon as his majesty had made himself as com- 
 fortable as Avas possible, under such gorgeous circum- 
 stances, the queen, quite as weightily and richly at- 
 tired in silk velvet, gold, and jewels, ascended the
 
 A SURPRISE. 355 
 
 stops, and took her seat by the side of her royal 
 husband, being probably the only queen who ever 
 occupied such a position, in not only the Barman, 
 but any Oriental court; but then her majesty was 
 rather an extraordinary personage. 
 
 It was said that she was of humble origin : indeed, 
 the daughter of the chief gaoler of Ava. As queen, 
 however, she had so entwined herself around the 
 heart of his majesty, that he rarely went abroad, or 
 showed himself to his people without being accom- 
 panied by her. On the most solemn and important 
 occasions she sat with him on the throne, and in 
 public processions her vehicle was carried by the side 
 of his majesty's; and even when they were spoken 
 of, the customary form of expression was, not the 
 king raid queen, but the " two sovereign lords." 
 
 When the royal lady had taken her seat upon 
 the throne, and received the homage of the audience, 
 a band of Brahmin soothsayers, who stood behind 
 the throne in white caps and robes trimmed with 
 gold, chanted a hymn, after which the Than d'hau- 
 gan, that is, reporter of the palace, sang, in a sonorous 
 voice, the list of offerings his majesty had made to 
 the pagodas of the city. 
 
 And this, the first portion of the ceremony being 
 accomplished, the present-making and pardon-asking 
 of the tributary princes, nobles, and merchants was 
 initiated by the Prince of Pronie, who delivered an 
 oration, which, although the common form of ad- 
 dressing the Burmese king, so far surpasses in ex- 
 travagance the forms of all other Eastern nations,
 
 356 THE WHITE ELEPHANT, 
 
 that I will repeat it for your edification. Thus it 
 
 ran 
 
 "Most excellent, glorious sovereign of land and 
 sea, lord of the celestial elephant, lord of all White 
 Elephants, master of the supernatural weapon, 
 sovereign controller of the present state of existence, 
 great king of righteousness, object of worship, — on 
 this excellent, propitious occasion, when your majesty, 
 at the close of Lent, grants forgiveness, thy servant, 
 the Prince of Prome, under the excellent Golden 
 Foot, makes submission and tenders offerings of ex- 
 piation." 
 
 Then, having repeated a fist of the presents, the 
 prince took from the hands of a noble a few grains 
 of rice, and again performed the shiko, in token of 
 his homage and submission. 
 
 The same ceremony having been performed by the 
 other princes, nobles, and merchants, in the order of 
 their rank, his majesty arose, and trembling as before 
 beneath his covering of jewels and gold, tottered 
 down the steps most unmajestically, yawning at the 
 tedium of the gorgeous burlesque, in which, although 
 silent, he had been the principal performer. The 
 queen followed, and then the princes and nobles arose 
 and took their departure in the order of state in 
 which they had arrived. All, I should have said, but 
 the Prince of Promo, who, waiting till the others had 
 left the Hall of Audience, then beckoned to me to 
 follow him through a door at the back of the throne, 
 which led into the vestibule or anteroom of the inner 
 palace, when, motioning to me to remain, he left me
 
 A SUKPKISE. 357 
 
 pondering as to whether he had or had not gone to 
 procure me a private audience. 
 
 I had waited about an hour when a richly-attired 
 personage, whom I afterward found to have been 
 one of the royal chamberlains, led me through a suite 
 of rooms into a large apartment, where I saw dancing- 
 girls and female minstrels, crowned with pagoda- 
 shaped tiaras, like those worn by the nobles. 
 
 At the extreme end of this room was the royal 
 sofa, ornamented with gilding and looking-glass ; and 
 near to hand a crimson and yellow rug, upon which 
 were placed the golden sword-holder, spittoon, betel- 
 box, and many other small ornaments of the same 
 metal, inlaid with gems. 
 
 These royal playthings were really very handsome 
 specimens of Burman artifice ; but while I was ex- 
 amining them the music struck up, some guards en- 
 tered by a small door near the sofa, and squatted 
 down upon their hams, as indeed did all present, and 
 the king made his appearance — no longer the jew- 
 elled and golden dummy of the Audience Hall, but 
 clad in a robe of white muslin, across which was 
 thrown the nine-stringed and splendidly-jewelled 
 tslao, with a head-dress of a similar material ; and, 
 moreover, as lively and merry-looking as when I had 
 seen him taking pickback exercise in the front of his 
 palace. 
 
 When his majesty had thrown himself upon the 
 sofa, and had begun to chew his betel-nut, the chief 
 minister crawled toward the royal feet, and with 
 tremulous voice, said —
 
 353 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 "May the meanest of the slaves of the magnificent 
 Golden Foot speak and live?" 
 
 " Does the dog dare bring to us ill news in our 
 hours of relaxation, that he fears to speak?" said the 
 king. 
 
 "Alas! O king, one of thy armies has been sur- 
 prised by the rebel colars." 
 
 "Who, of course, have been all slain by our brave 
 soldiers," said the king. 
 
 " Alas! if I may utter the words and live, it is not 
 so, O great king ; for the rebels were so numerous, 
 that they dispersed the soldiers and slew thy brave 
 general." 
 
 " Truly, then, he merited his death ; for why didn't 
 the fool run away," said his heroic majesty, and his 
 reply is chronicled in history. 
 
 The king then waived his hand as a sign that the 
 audience was ended, but the minister said — 
 
 "Truly, O great sovereign, the empire is being 
 ravaged alike by friends and enemies ; for not only 
 are the rebel colars advancing, but the two great 
 chiefs of Laos, your majesty's tributaries, are destroy- 
 ing each other's territories, and each demands the 
 aid of the Golden Foot to subdue his enemy." 
 
 " This is another affair, and demands our attention, 
 replied the king, seriously ; adding, to the Prince of 
 Prome, " Is it possible that our wise brother has no 
 plan for subduing both these chiefs, who are troub- 
 ling us with their quarrels ?" 
 
 To which the prince, first crawling nearer the sofa, 
 replied —
 
 A SURPRISE. ' 359 
 
 " It once happened, O king and brother, that two 
 cocks of equal strength began fighting in the presence 
 of a countryman ; after continuing their combat for 
 some time, they were so overcome by their exertions, 
 that they were unable to do anything more, when 
 the countryman sprang upon them, and made himself 
 master of both. Thus ought you, O king ! to do at 
 present. Let these two troublesome princes fight with 
 each other till you see that their resources are ex- 
 hausted, and then, pouncing upon them, seize their 
 territories for your royal self, and so all trouble in 
 that quarter will find an easy ending." 
 
 "The wisdom of my brother is as brilliant as the 
 chiefest jewel in our crown; so let the affair be set- 
 tled," replied the lazy monarch, again waiving his 
 hand to the minister, who then shikoed and took his 
 departure. 
 
 It was then that the prince seized the opportunity 
 of commanding me to come forward and pour into 
 the Golden ears the refreshing news of which I was 
 the bearer. I obeyed; and while I repeated the 
 history of the taking of the White Elephant, his 
 majesty listened so attentively, and with such joyous 
 countenance, that my hopes arose very high in my 
 heart, even to the restoration of my property, as well 
 as the liberty of my friend. Guess, therefore, my 
 astonishment, when, at the conclusion, the king, 
 without even deigning to look at me, but addressing 
 the prince, said — 
 
 " The happy discovery of the sacred beast again 
 ^ restores us to our rank as the greatest of the kings of
 
 360 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 the earth, and great is the merit of the Carian hun- 
 ter, who shall he made mighty among men ; but what 
 dog's son is this who dares bring stale news to our 
 Golden ears." 
 
 Enraged beyond all prudence by this reply, I said 
 — "Stale news, O king! How can this thing be 
 possible, when deputed by the brave hunter himself, 
 whom I aided to capture the sacred beast, to bring 
 the intelligence to your majesty. Thy servant hath 
 rested upon his way but time sufficient to recruit 
 nature." 
 
 "Truly, O king and brother, the words of the 
 youth are straight as the flight of the arrow," inter- 
 posed the Prince of Prome, at the same time hand- 
 ing to his majesty the palm-leaf which I had entrust- 
 ed to his highness's care. 
 
 " Ah ! then the other dog deceived us," said the 
 king, upon examining the leaf; adding, "let the 
 rogue be brought forth." And I received another 
 and greater surprise, for among the people at the 
 other end of the apartment came forward — Naon 
 Myat. 
 
 Not, however, in the attire becoming the slave of 
 the Prince of Prome, but in the rich garb of one who 
 had received the king's favor. 
 
 " This rogue, O king and brother, is my slave. I 
 sent him to the city of Rangoon to bring to Ava the 
 youth before thee ; but the dog fled from his charge, 
 and should be punished with the loss of his miserable 
 life," said the prince. 
 
 " The wisdom of our brother is great, and his name
 
 A SURPRISE. 361 
 
 is engraven upon our heart. Yet this thing may not 
 be ; for this fellow, dog though he be, being the first 
 to pour such glorious news into our ears, must hence- 
 forth be free," replied the king. 
 
 " O king and brother, let not thy royal eyes be 
 blind to justice. This rogue of a slave must have 
 stolen the glorious news, for, as thou hast seen, this 
 youth is the only person deputed by the now illus- 
 trious Carian to convey to thy ears the intelligence," 
 said the prince. 
 
 "Has the dog no reply?" said the king, addressing 
 Naon. 
 
 "The colar boy is a rebel, and in league with the 
 traitors now in chains awaiting the Golden King's 
 mercy. Moreover, great king, he is a rogue, for he 
 stole from thy servant the palm-leaf message which 
 was entrusted to thy slave," replied Naon, as demurely 
 as if he had been speaking the truth. 
 
 "Ah! this thing is possible, my brother, and 
 accounts for this boy having possession of the palm- 
 leaf," replied his sapient majesty, with evident de- 
 light. 
 
 The prince, however, shook his head, saying — 
 
 " This is not possible, O king and brother, for the 
 youth has said it ; and these Western colars are as 
 celebrated for their foolishness in always telling the 
 truth, as we Burmans are for our wisdom in keeping 
 the truth secret when it answers a purpose." 
 
 "Then is thy slave foolish, for he has told the truth," 
 said Naon, again. 
 
 And this aroused me from the state of indignant
 
 362 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 stupor into which his assertion had plunged me, and 
 I exclaimed — 
 
 " Thou treacherous rogue " 
 
 But before I could conclude the sentence, the king, 
 who preferred having to reward Naon than one of 
 his own enemies, and who, moreover, had now be- 
 come puzzled, said — 
 
 " When two slaves assert their claim to an honor, 
 which can only belong to one, who shall decide?" 
 said the king. 
 
 " The illustrious Carian himself,0 king and brother," 
 suggested the prince. 
 
 "Truly, thy advice is good," said his majesty; 
 adding, "let them both be secured in the jn-ison 
 stocks until the arrival in the city of the great and 
 fortunate hunter, Avhose duty it shall be to decide, 
 when the reward and the punishment shall be both 
 meted out as they are found to be deserved." 
 
 " Truly, the wisdom and justice of the Golden 
 King shineth as brilliantly as the sun in the heavens," 
 said the prince, as I thought, with a curl of contempt 
 upon his lip. 
 
 Thus, at least for the time being, ended my sanguine 
 hopes ; but as we were leaving the Golden presence, 
 the king, who in his great joy at the discovery of the 
 White Elephant evidently did not wish to exercise 
 severity, even toward a criminal, said, as if the 
 thought had suddenly occurred to him — 
 
 "Stay, thou dogs. Upon the arrival of the illus- 
 trious hunter the truth must be known, when he who 
 is deserving will be rewarded, and he who is not, in-
 
 A SURPRISE. SC3 
 
 stantly punished. Therefore, .as we would not that 
 the sun should go down without having witnessed 
 our readiness to show favor to the brinsrer of the 
 glorious news, let him who is false declare his false- 
 hood, and he shall be pardoned." 
 
 "This is wise, O king and brother; but should the 
 slaves refuse thy magnificent offer ?" said the prince. 
 
 "Then he who is guilty shall die beneath the feet 
 of our elephants the moment after the words of proof 
 have quitted the lips of the Cariau hunter," replied 
 the king, warmly. 
 
 Now Naon, who had hitherto despaired for his 
 life, knowing that the decision of the hunter would 
 be in my favor, and rejoicing at the opportunity offer- 
 ed him of escape, bent his neck to the ground, and 
 confessed that on the instant he had seen the first 
 cords thrown across the White Elephant, he had re- 
 solved upon carrying the news of its capture to the 
 king, in the hope of obtaining the reward ; unfortun- 
 ately, however, for himself, quite ignorant that the 
 reward was due, not to the person who brought the 
 first intelligence, but to him who was deputed by the 
 hunter. 
 
 " This is well," said the king ; adding, " and the 
 
 dog merits punishment; as, however, he has our prom- 
 
 se, led him be stripped of his robes, and sent from 
 
 the city, that our eyes may not again be darkened by 
 
 his villainous countenance." 
 
 And Naon, too glad to escape upon such easy 
 terms, crawled sideways, crab-like, out of the pres- 
 ence.
 
 064: THE WHITE ELEPHANT, 
 
 "It is now fitting that the colar youth should 
 claim his own reward in silver, jewels, or land," 
 said the king, m the exuberance of his gratitude to 
 the Nats. 
 
 Then performing the shiko, I said — 
 
 "It is not silver, jewels, or land that is at the heart 
 of thy servant, O king over numerous kings, and lord 
 of the White Elephant." 
 
 "Truly, the youth is as foolish in his modesty as 
 in his truthfulness," was the reply of this unprinci- 
 pled chief of an unprincipled people; adding, "yet it 
 is the command of the king that he should claim a 
 reward, or the Nats will deem us ungrateful, and 
 punish the kingdom by some accident to the sacred 
 beast itself." 
 
 Then I replied— "The reward I seek, O mighty 
 king, is the liberty of my friend the sahib John- 
 son." 
 
 But, to my astonishment, his majesty arose from 
 his sofa, and, choking with indignation, snatched up 
 a spear by his side — a weapon with which, when very 
 an g x T» ne was in the habit of chasing his chief min- 
 ister about the palace — and cried to the prince his 
 brother — 
 
 " Take the vile dog hence, or we shall forget our 
 promise, and slay him upon the spot." 
 
 Now, this was very fine for a king of Burmans, 
 but then I did not value his passion at one fig ; indeed 
 I have at all times a contempt for passionate people. 
 Moreover, I was so indignant at his injustice, that I 
 should have replied to his majesty rather pertly, had
 
 A SURPRISE. 365 
 
 not the Prince of Prome immediately led me from 
 the presence, made me mount his own elephant, and 
 taken me to his palace, Avhere he soothed my feel- 
 ings by telling me that he would take care of me 
 until his royal brother's temper should become suf- 
 ficiently calm for him to again plead for my friend's 
 liberty.
 
 36 G the white eletiiant. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXI. 
 
 an ENmrr destroyed a\d a friend recovered. 
 
 Thus, as if too good to be punished, and not good 
 enough to he rewarded, I passed many weeks in a 
 hind of honorable confinement in the palace of the 
 Prince of Prome ; meanwhile remaining in profound 
 ignorance as to the real cause of the king's violent 
 behavior at so moderate a request as the release of 
 Mr. Johnson. Alas ! I had forgotten that while the 
 Maha Silwa, that most inveterate enemy of the Eng- 
 lish, continued in favor with the king, such a thing 
 was, to say the least, improbable. 
 
 I have told you that this general had earnestly 
 sought to have the whole of the European prisoners 
 sacrificed, by way of propitiating the favor of the 
 Nats upon an expedition he was about leading against 
 the English. Whether, however, his majesty was 
 less cruel than his minister, or really feared the 
 British army too much to comply, I know not ; cer- 
 tain, however, it was, that the general had to depart 
 with his army without the sacrifice being granted ; 
 and, moreover, it was said, with no small decrease of 
 the favor of the king, who was angry that, some short
 
 CONCLUSION. 367 
 
 time before, when the English had made overtures 
 for a treaty of peace, he had permitted the Maha 
 Silwa to reject it, and prolong the war." For truly," 
 said his majesty, "it is well to be at peace with these 
 colar rebels ; for he who is at war with them is in 
 the position of a man who has hold of a tiger by 
 the tail, which he fears either to hold or to let go." 
 
 Well, one day, while the people of Ava were in 
 the midst of their preparations for the reception of 
 the White Elephant, whose arrival was now expected 
 daily, there came terrible news ; no less, indeed, than 
 that the army of the Maha, some sixteen thousand 
 strong, had been defeated in a great battle upon the 
 banks of the Great River, and nearly all of them either 
 bayoneted or drowned. 
 
 This defeat, of course, was attributed to the cruel, 
 but brave and unfortunate Maha, who was now hated 
 as much by the king as he had always been by the 
 people ; all of which, had he been as wise as he was 
 brave, he would have anticipated ; but no, still trust- 
 ing to the favor of his king, he found his way to 
 court, and, on his first audience, had the indiscretion 
 to beg for another army to lead against the English, 
 whom he promised to destroy that time without fail ; 
 but his majesty, now provoked beyond all patience at 
 his assurance, and angry with himself for having 
 broken off the negotiations for peace, commanded the 
 general's immediate execution. 
 
 Savage as was the nature of this man, I could not 
 but feel pity for his miserable fate. As soon as the 
 royal command had gone forth, the Maha was drag-
 
 368 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 ged from the Hall of Audience by the hair of his head 
 to the prison. On the way he was treated with the 
 most savage ferocity by the gaolers and executioners, 
 who knew it was safe thus to treat a man who had 
 not only incurred the displeasure of the king, but 
 that of the people ; so he was stripped naked, the 
 executioners disputing with each other for different 
 parts of his dress, and thus dragged to the prison from 
 whence after an hour's sojourn, he was driven at the 
 spear's point to the place of execution, amidst the 
 jeerings of the populace ; and, indeed, otherwise so 
 maltreated that he was nearly dead before suffering 
 decapitation. 
 
 Thus wretchedly died the man who had been the 
 cause of so much miseiy to the European prisoners ; 
 and now I hoped that the royal policy would be 
 changed toward them : but for many days after the 
 Maha's execution nothing was thought of in Ava but 
 the preparations for the reception of the lord White 
 Elephant. The midtitude flocked from all parts of 
 the country to the city to witness his arrival. His 
 lordship's establishment was appointed under the 
 charge of his principal officers, namely, a wun, or 
 minister, a wun-dauk, or deputy-minister, and a sare- 
 gyi, or secretary ; for the proper support of all of 
 whom the king assigned one of the finest districts hi 
 his kingdom. 
 
 On the day of his arrival, a festival, which lasted 
 three days, was commenced by a great display of 
 music, dancing, and fireworks; and he entered the 
 Ava river through rows of splendidly decorated boats,
 
 CONCLUSION. 309 
 
 fiMed with tlie nobility in their state dresses, headed 
 by the king and royal family, in their golden boats. 
 The animal stood upon two large flat-bottomed boats 
 made of teak wood, in a superb pavilion, with a roof 
 resembling those of the royal palaces, adorned upon 
 every side with gold, and draped with silk embroid- 
 ered with the same precious metal, and which was 
 towed by three golden boats ; in the largest and most 
 conspicuous of which stood the fortunate hunter, 
 Mikee, attired in the garb and wearing the golden 
 crown of a noble of the second rank to which he had 
 been raised in honor of the Elephant, to whom, for 
 many days after its entry into the city, the most costly 
 presents continued to be made by the lords, ministers, 
 and chief merchants of the empire. 
 
 It is a pity to tarnish this glittering description ; 
 yet, for truth's sake, I must tell you that it was very 
 well known that these presents were more to satisfy 
 the avarice of the king than to do any especial honor 
 to his brute highness, the elephant ; for all these 
 magnificent gifts — and one of them was a vase of 
 gold weighing four hundred and eighty ounces — 
 found their way into the royal treasury. 
 
 When the elephant had been installed in his palace, 
 and the festival had closed, Mikee, in addition to his 
 titles — which, by the way, although they delighted 
 the hunter, were too numerous for me to mention — 
 had conferred upon him a large village ; and, more- 
 over, an office in the state. After which, the first 
 thought of the grateful fellow was to make inquiries 
 about myself of the Prince of Prome, which were
 
 870 THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
 
 answered by his highness bringing him to ray lodg 
 ings in his own palace. When, as modest in great 
 ness as he had been in his peasant state, his only re- 
 ply to my warm congratulations upon his good fortune 
 was — 
 
 " The despised Carian has been fortunate ; still the 
 merit belongs not to him, but to the holy Brahmin 
 and the Nats, who chose Mikee as they might have 
 chosen a grain of rice out of a field ; but," he added, 
 " the Carian hunter can know no pleasure while the 
 noble colar is unhappy ; and it is not possible for his 
 generous heart to be buoyant while his friend the 
 sahib Johnson still remains in chains, expecting the 
 long-threatened death." 
 
 "This is true," Mikee ;" and, catching hold of his 
 arm, I added, " both my fortune and my friend are 
 lost ; for the first I care but little, so that the latter 
 be saved. O Mikee ! you once promised not to quit 
 the hunting-grounds until thou hadst done me some 
 great service. It is that service I now require at 
 your hands." 
 
 " Mikee uttered no idle words, for they are still en- 
 graven upon his memory. It is therefore only for the 
 noble colar to command to be obeyed." 
 
 " My friend the sahib Johnson, canst thou aid in 
 obtaining his liberty ?" I replied ; adding, however, 
 despairingly, "but this thing thou canst not perforin, 
 O Mikee ; for not even his brother the Prince of Prome 
 could soften the heart of the Golden Kins: in favor of 
 a European prisoner." 
 
 "Knows not the noble colar that the terrible Mala
 
 CONCLUSION. 371 
 
 Silwa has been executed for his crimes, and that thus 
 one terrible influence over the Golden mind has been 
 swept away ?" 
 
 " True, true, O Mikee. The removal of that tyrant 
 gave me hope ; but the king hates the Europeans, and 
 loves their wealth too much to restore the liberty of 
 the one or resign the other." 
 
 Then having pondered for a minute, the hunter 
 said — ■ 
 
 " It is true the Golden King and lord of many 
 elephants loves wealth ; but it is fortunate that it is 
 so, for by wealth may the liberty of the sahib John- 
 son be obtained." 
 
 " Alas ! O Mikee, thy words are cruel ; for well 
 thou knowest I possess not one ounce of silver I 
 could offer as my friend's ransom." 
 
 " But the noble colar claims the property of his 
 late parent. Would he forego these claims ?" 
 
 "Willingly, O Mikee. But to what purpose ? for, 
 truly, the king is so powerful that what he has al- 
 ready seized he can retain, fearing neither the clamor 
 of his prisoners nor that of so humble a person as 
 myself." 
 
 "This is not so; his majesty would make ptace 
 with the English, and fears that he shall be com- 
 pelled by them to return the property of his prisoners," 
 said lie. 
 
 " Ah !" I exclaimed, as a light flashed across my 
 mind," " thou hast already been using thy influence 
 over the Golden Foot, my good, brave, kind Mikee," 
 said I j adding, "is it not so?"
 
 372 THE WHITE ELT'iniANT. 
 
 Then taking me by the hand after the English 
 fashion that I had taught him, Mikee said — 
 
 " Pardon thy servant that he kept thee so long in 
 suspense, but he knew not that even the generous 
 colar would sacrifice his all for his friend." 
 
 " Then it is so ; you have pleaded before the king 
 for my friend's liberty, and you have been successful?" 
 I said, with delight. 
 
 " After the installation of the sacred Elephant, it 
 was my first duty to inquire for him I may now call 
 my friend, and from his Highness the Prince of Prome 
 I heard of your unsuccessful suit, and the anger of 
 the Golden Foot, when I vowed to Guadama net to 
 seek thee until I could be the bearer of good news. 
 Then, at my audience to receive honors from tke 
 king, instead of land for myself, I claimed, as my re- 
 ward, that the sahib Johnson should be set at liberty, 
 and to thee thy parent's property restored. The re- 
 quest caused his majesty to be seized with a fit of 
 anger; which, however, being beneath the shadsw of 
 my recent services, soon became softened, and he con- 
 descended to inform his slave that, as the necessities 
 of the state during the war had swallowed the whole 
 wealth of the Europeans, it was impossible that he 
 could restore it ; and, moreover, that he was so fear- 
 ful that the English would make the restoration of 
 the prisoners' properties a condition of peace, t&at he 
 had determined to restore none to liberty who w*uld 
 not voluntarily present their property t© him as a 
 free gift ; and thus can I only offer thee the liberty of 
 thy friend upon condition "
 
 CONCLUSION. 373 
 
 " That I resign all claim to iny father's property," 
 I said. 
 
 Himself the vehicle of these hard, unjust conditions, 
 Mikee could but bow an affirmative. But need I tell 
 von, ray reader, how gladly, heartily I accepted them, 
 or with what joy I shortly afterward received my 
 friend in the palace of the Prince of Prome, in the 
 presence of his highness and Mikee. 
 
 Although sadly altered in appearance from half 
 starvation and long confinement in the miserable 
 prison of Ava, he no sooner heard the conditions of 
 his release, than he stoutly refused to accept it at 
 the cost of my fortune, till the Prince of Prome 
 said — 
 
 " Truly, the sahib Johnson must be possessed by 
 evil spirits, who are eating away his brains, for has 
 not the young colar Oliver the friendship of the 
 brothei', and the now greatest friend of the Golden 
 Foot." 
 
 " Pardon, great prince ; but as it would indeed be 
 ungrateful of thy servant to doubt the power and 
 goodness of such friends, he consents," said Mr. 
 Johnson. 
 
 And with wisdom; for it had suddenly occurred to 
 him that the words of his highness signified, what 
 really happened at the termination of the war between 
 the English and the Burmans, the restoration of 
 about half the property due to us both. No bad 
 portion, I thought, either, when I remembered the 
 hands through which it passed, which were even those 
 of our good friend the prince himself, who, although
 
 in possessii many good qualities, couiti not Handle 
 
 coin without a large per-centnge of it adhering to his 
 fingers. 
 
 In conclusion I have only to add that, with the 
 remnants of our properties, Mr. Johnson and myself 
 established ourselves as merchants in the capital city, 
 where, after twenty years of toil, losses, and gains, 
 we managed respectively to accumulate sufficient 
 money to support us comfortably in our own country 
 for the remainder of our lives. 
 
 THE END. 
 
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