( 75 ) 



and the swampy ravines and water-courses that have unavoidably 

 been included are spanned by wooden bridges, now in a most di- 

 lapidated and neglected state; few are even safe for foot-passengers. 

 The remains of these once elaborate buildings, — with their massive 

 carvings and handsomely-turned — balustrades, and those of the 

 pagodas and zayats, go to show that works of public utility no longer 

 share the attention of the Authorities ; though they point to the 

 prosperity of the town in days gone by. The decline is attributed 

 to the constant raids by the Kakhyens, but it might more justly 

 be traced to the evil effects of an unjust G-overnment. The thought 

 uppermost in the reigning Governor's mind, would seem to be the 

 construction of kyoungs and pagodas, in the hope of establishing a 

 repute in this world for charity and good works, and seeming 

 blissful repose in his future existence. Though formerly a gay 

 young man, he now gives out that he has lost all interest in mun- 

 dane affairs, and finds comfort alone in contemplation, and pre- 

 paring for a stage of sanctity which will fit him for that absorption 

 into the essence of Buddha which is the one aim of all good Bud- 

 dhists. 



144. Within the stockade, I was informed, there are 700 houses 



Observance of sanitary rules ; des- and 4 ,200 inhabitants, made up of 



cription of houses, and roads avenu- Shan-Burmese, Chinese, and a sprin- 

 ed by fruit and ornamental trees. ^ ing of Mahoniedan and Suratee trad- 

 ers, representatives of Mandalay firms. The sanitary rules, 

 referred to at page 18, are here also strictly observed, except- 

 ing in the Chinese quarters, where these people object to conform 

 to the rule which necessitates their sweeping up and burning all 

 rubbish that has accumulated in front of their houses the day pre- 

 vious. The population appears to have been somewhat exagger- 

 ated, but it is next to impossible to obtain any reliable information 

 on such subjects from the officials. The houses occupied by the 

 Shan and Burmese portion of the community, are bamboo build- 

 ings raised off the ground three feet, and thatched with saccharum 

 spontaneum. They have a tidy, cheerful appearance, and are ar- 

 ranged, with soma attempt at method, along the main and inter- 

 secting roads, some of which are paved with burnt bricks set on 

 edge, and all avenued by fruit or ornamental trees, consisting of 

 Anona reticulata, A. squamosa, lime, sweet-lime, mango, guava, 

 pomegranate, Carka papaya, Hibiscus mutabilis, Jatroplia multifolia, 

 and Bauhinia acuminata. I also noticed one apple tree and 

 nine peach trees ; of these latter, there were also some trees in the 

 ^Residency compound, but in neither case could their origin be 

 traced. The fruit is of a flat variety. 



