( si ) 



lie institution, leads to the belief that he gives a preference to the 

 latter faith, as nearer resembling Bhuddisni, in the matter of 

 continence, self-denial, poverty, and humility. 



162. Having finally settled on the route I intended to 

 . , , „ take, and made all necessarv arrange- 



^Private intemew with the Go- ^^ for my jolimey> l sent my ^ 



phments to the Governor, asking his 

 acceptance of a few presents, and soliciting the favour of a private 

 interview on the morrow. I received a very polite message in 

 return, thanking me for the presents, and saying he would be 

 delighted to see me at any hour that might best suit my conve- 

 nience. The following day, about 11 a.m., I called, and received a 

 most hearty welcome ; I was met at the door by the Governor 

 himself, who shook hands and ushered me into the reception-hall, 

 keeping my hand in his till I was seated ; he was less reserved and 

 more communicative than on the last occasion, and expressed a 

 desire to know the real object of my mission ; I quite satisfied him on 

 this subject, but mentioned that besides gathering information con- 

 nected with the habits of the Fieus elastica, I intended collecting 

 specimens of all plants of interest, or that were valuable for medi- 

 cinal or other economic purposes. He seemed interested in my 

 description of our system of distingiushing plants, and immediate- 

 ly sent for a few leaves said to have medicinal properties, with a 

 view to gaining my opinion, he politely put it, though no doubt, his 

 object was to test my knowledge of the subject. Fortunately, the 

 three specimens were Azadirachta indiea, Calotropis gigantea and Bixa 

 orellana, all of which I was familiar with, and able to describe their 

 different uses. A medicine chest that had been presented him 

 some time ago, was next produced, but none of the bottles had ever 

 been opened, for no one knew the use of the different drugs ; this 

 I explained, and had the proper doses written on the bottles in 

 Burmese. When we came on the quinine and ipecacuanha, I rather 

 surprised my friend by telling him that we had already commenced 

 to cultivate these plants in British Burma ; he at once begged a few 

 for the king, which I promised, immediately after our experiments 

 had reached a certain stage of success. I now solicited some infor- 

 mation regarding his district, and a map was produced, drawn 

 something after the fashion of one illustrating altitudes ; the whole 

 plan being covered with hills rising one above the other, and the 

 principal roads and rivers being made to run through a most im- 

 passable line of country. The approximate distance of the different 

 places were judged by the lines, and cross-lines with which the 

 map was covered, each square being intended to represent ten 



