( 85 ) 



bearing the signature of the quorum, besides that of the "Woon. 

 Within his own District, a Governor's sway is absolute, he can 

 impose what taxes he thinks fit, the King looking to him for an 

 ever-increasing revenue. The present incumbent, I heard, was 

 more popular than his predecessor, from whose acts of oppression, 

 tyranny, and extortion the poor have barely yet recovered. At 

 present taxation depends a good deal on the means of rate-payers, 

 but I am told Rs. 12 per annum is the minimum rate fixed. 



158. PassiDg down China street on our return to the Resi- 



dency, we saw some Chinamen having a 



scrib a ed° nal Sp0rtS ° f BuXma de " game of shuttle-cock, substituting theii- 



elbows and knees for a bat, the use of 

 the hands being prohibited. The cock consisted in a bunch of 

 fowls' feathers fastened into the square hole of a China pice 

 brass coin. Next we came on a number of Burman lads, amusing 

 themselves with foot-ball. The ball, but little larger than a 

 cricket ball, is hollow, and of open rattan net work. The game 

 is generally played with sides, but occasionally each party plays 

 independently. The ball must never be touched by the hands, but 

 kept bounding from one to another by means of the feet, knees, or 

 thighs, some rules even admit of the amis and shoulders, but this 

 is not general. It is remarkable to see the skill sometimes dis- 

 played : a good player may often be seen, on the ball approaching 

 him, to take a spring, perhaps some four feet off the ground, clap 

 his feet together, and send the ball flying to the opposite side with 

 a blow from the sole of the foot. This, game though unknown in 

 India Proper, may be regarded one of the national sports of Burnia, 

 and extends far south. Wallace, in his charmingly instructing 

 work on the Malay Archipelago, mentions having seen a similar 

 game played in the Aru Islands. 



159. I now heard from the Assistant Resident that private 



information had reached him, to the 



Royal mandate proliibiting col- e ff ect fl^ fa e jQ n „ na d issued a royal 

 lection oi t icu-s elastica sucklings. -. . , ., ...° ., ,, ,. ^ « 



mandate prohibiting the collection oi 

 Ficus elastica seedlings; and he assured me his informant could 

 be depended on. This was bad news, for the motive of the order 

 was too apparent; however, I was quite prepared for little difficul- 

 ties, and resolved to overcome them if possible. The order had 

 not been sent direct to the Woon, but circulated through the royal 

 poongies, a channel generally adopted when secrecy is to be 

 observed. Evidently my visit to the capital had excited suspicion, 

 and influenced the rubber trade, for immediately after my inter- 

 view with His Majesty, the price went up 20 per cent., and con- 



