( 186 ) 



the manufacture of swords, which they sell to the Kakhyens at 

 from Rs. 2-8 to Rs. 5 per blade. Weaving is also carried on, but 

 chiefly for home consumption, though the owner is generally open 

 to a good offer. Squatters are taxed at Rs. 2-8 per head, and per- 

 manent residents at Rs. 12 per annum per house. 



306. Sunday, 15th February 1874. — Thermometer, 69° at 

 6 a.m. ; rain overnight ; my house leaked like a sieve. So entirely 

 has the surrounding country, to the base of the hills, been 

 denuded of timber to make room for paddy cultivation, that I 

 actually found firewood selling here at Rs. 2 per stack of 65*5 cubit 

 feet. Yan Sing had an interview with the royal hpoongyee to-day, 

 who sent word to say that I was to report secretly to him any order 

 I received from the Governor. 



307. Monday, 16th February 1874.— Thermometer, 71° at 

 6 a.m. ; dense fog up to 11. Royal dak boat arrived, bringing letters 

 from the Resident of Mandalay, dated up to 24th January. An order 

 was issued by the Governor that I was not to go out shooting, as 

 the report of a gun would excite the Kakhyens, and probably bring 

 about a disturbance ; I was most vexed at this, being chiefly 

 dependent on my gun for the pot, and besides which the order 

 interfered with my collection of birds. The dak boat leaving for 

 Mandalay to-morrow, the remainder of the day was spent in writing 

 letters. I had been suffering greatly from an attack of neuralgia, 

 and a return of dysentery ; the last time it troubled me I cured my- 

 self in four days, simply dieting and using tepid claret-and- water 

 injections. 



308. Tuesday, 17th February 1874.— Thermometer, 71° at 

 6 a.m. ; dense fog up to 10 a.m. ; sent my packet of letters over to 

 the Governor for despatch. I was too unwell to leave my house 

 to-day. 



309. Wednesday, 18th February 1874. — Thermometer, 72° at 

 6 a.m. ; dense fog up to 9 a.m. ; still confined to my house ; a native 

 doctor called and offered to cure me : I too gladly accepted his ser- 

 vices at any figure, but his remedy only increased the pain which 

 now extended down the whole of my left side, and I was unable to 

 leave my bed : by way of consolation, the wretched ninny told me 

 this was part of the cure, and that in a few days I would be quite 

 well. It is needless to add that I did not give him a chance of 

 experimentalizing any further on me. 



310. Thursday, 19th February 1874. — Thermometer, 69° at 

 6 a.m. ; fog, less dense. I found the greatest difficulty in procuring 

 anything to eat, the people would not part with their fowls with- 

 out an order from the Governor, and that could not be obtained. 

 x\fter great trouble I managed to purchase for one rupee an old 



