( 83 ) 



Chinese troops, the Commander-in-Chief of the force having pro- 

 mised the Chinese Government, to have peace restored within three 

 months. They also gave, as their opinion, that immediately the 

 war was at an end, the Chinese would merely reside at Bhamo 

 during the business season, making Momein their head-quarters 

 for the remainder of the year. They seemed opposed to the idea 

 of opening out trade with Western China, and pointed to the in- 

 superable difficulties that presented themselves. This objection 

 was but natural, considering the proposed scheme would have 

 interfered with their interests, they now being the only people in 

 the field; but, as regards the obstacles, they were immensely exag- 

 gerated, beyond doubt. It was fortunate these men could not 

 understand Mr. Cooper's Chinese (which he afterwards told me was 

 a peculiar Court dialect unknown to the masses), or I should have 

 lost the benefit of the interesting conversation, that was now carried 

 on through an interpreter. 



156. During our rambles we came on a large pagoda in course 



of construction, which we were in- 



Pagoda intended as memorial of f orme d was being built at the expense 

 Governor s good deeds. „ ., „ to . . 1 " 



oi the Governor ; enquiry, however, 

 led to the disclosure that the labour was gratuitous (which really 

 meant forced), and the material supplied on the same principle, so 

 that this building, which was intended as a lasting memorial 

 of his good deeds and munificence, resolved itself into a monu- 

 ment of his oppression and injustice. The building was sur- 

 rounded by eleven young /cms elastica, reared from cuttings taken 

 from the trees in the stockade four years ago, just on the first burst 

 of the rains : they averaged eleven feet high, and looked remarkably 

 healthy. 



Our eagerness for sport had led us to misjudge the distance 

 we had come, and it was long after dark before we got back 

 to the Eesidency. The long walk and bracing atmosphere had 

 fully prepared us for dinner, and after drinking to absent friends 

 and enjoying a pipe or so, we were literally driven to bed, by the 

 clouds of smoke from the wood-fire lighted in an earthen pot in 

 the absence of a more suitable fire-place. I would have preferred 

 an extra great cost, to the stifling atmosphere we had to breathe, 

 but my companion suffered so much from the cold, that I could 

 say nothing. The thermometer stood at 47° F. in my bed-room, 

 where there was no fire. Although we had not a very good day's 

 sport, we enjoyed ourselves immensely, and gained much valuable 

 information regarding the manners and customs of the people, 

 and their state of contentment : they appeared generally to be 



