110 



BURMAH. 



choice, but objections were raised by England, 

 and in Bulgaria such a candidate was strongly 

 disapproved by the popular party. 



Departure of Kanlbars. Notwithstanding the 

 protests of the Russian agent, the state of siege 

 was again proclaimed at Sofia, and, after the 

 Bourgas affair, at Philippopolis and other 

 places. On Nov. 14, Gen. Kaulbars declared 

 the trial of the Bourgas conspirators null and 

 void. Capt. Nabokoff, the officer of the Rus- 

 sian army who, in the Czar's uniform, led the 

 attempted insurrection, was tried and con- 

 demned to death by court-martial, and then 

 handed over to the Russian authorities. An- 

 other complaint was raised about a Russian 

 cavass that had threatened a constable who 

 demanded his name and passport with a pistol, 

 and was arrested, but given up to the Russian 

 consul when it was known who he was. Gen. 

 Kaulbars again threatened to leave Bulgaria, 

 with all the Russian consular officials, if the 

 police commissioner of Philippopolis were not 

 dismissed on account of this alleged indignity. 

 On Nov. 19, after confiding the protection of 

 Russian subjects to the German consul-general, 

 Kaulbars left Sofia and went to Constantinople. 

 In his note to the Bulgarian Government, an- 

 nouncing his departure, he said that the Gov- 

 ernment had rejected Russia's counsels, which 

 were intended to extricate Bulgaria from her 

 difficulties, and had continued its insolent at- 

 tacks on Russian subjects; and that, as Bulga- 

 ria had lost confidence in Russia, his further 

 presence was useless. The departure of the 

 Russian agent was not intended as a prelude 

 to armed intervention, such as was intended 

 when he before threatened a rupture, but was 

 the conseqnence of the abandonment of the 

 military policy in the face of the firm attitude 

 of Austria, supported by Germany, in her re- 

 sistance to the occupation of Bulgaria, and 

 having the diplomatic support of Italy also, 

 and the offer of a British alliance. 



In the beginning of December the Porte 

 urged the Bulgarian Government to accept 

 Prince Nicholas of Mingrelia as the only means 

 of pacifying Bulgaria, admitting that the re- 

 gency must maintain order, but advising the 

 regency to close the door to eventualities that 

 might arise so long as there existed an oppos- 

 ing element. The regency replied that Bul- 

 garia would never accept the Prince of Min- 

 grelia, but that a new Great Sobranje would 

 be called if the Porte would propose a suitable 

 candidate for the throne. 



Bl'RMAH, a country in Farther India, for- 

 merly the independent kingdom of Ava, as it 

 was officially styled, annexed to the British 

 Empire on Jan. 1, 1886, by the following proc- 

 lamation, issued by Lord Dufferin, Viceroy of 

 of India: 



" By command of the Queen Empress, it is 

 hereby notified that the territories formerly 

 governed by King Thebaw will no longer be 

 under his rule, but have become part of her 

 Majesty's dominions, and will, during her Ma- 



jesty's pleasure, be administered by such offi- 

 cers as the Viceroy and Governor-General 

 may from time to time appoint." 



Thebaw Min, the last King of Burmah, was 

 born in 1858, and succeeded to the throne in 

 October, 1878, after the death of his father, 

 Mindoon Min, who drove his brother, Pagan 

 Min, from the throne in 1853. Thebaw, after 

 he was taken prisoner by the British in No- 

 vember, 1885, was assigned a residence in 

 India, where he is interned. 



Government. The system of government in 

 Burmah has been a pure despotism. The reve- 

 nues were at the absolute disposal of the mon- 

 arch. The ownership of all the land was either 

 vested in the crown, or had been bestowed on 

 favorites of the King. There was a Privy 

 Council, called the Byadeit, consisting of four 

 Atwen-Woons, who advised the King private- 

 ly, and discussed questions before they were 

 presented to the Hlootdaw, or public ministry. 

 The latter consisted of four Woon-Mengyees, 

 who held their deliberations under the presi- 

 dency of the King or the crown-prince, in 

 open meetings before the public. Four assist- 

 ant ministers, with a multitude of secretaries 

 and subordinate officials, conducted the ad- 

 ministration at the capital under the orders of 

 the Hlootdav/, which possessed supreme judi- 

 cial, as well as executive and legislative, func- 

 tions. The kingdom was divided into prov- 

 inces, ten in number, over each of which 

 presided an Hkhay-in-Woon, or umbrella-bear- 

 ing chief. Woondouks administered the dis- 

 tricts of these provinces, Woons the subdivis- 

 ions of the districts, and Myo-okes the town- 

 ships. These officials of various grades exercised 

 judicial as well as administrative authority. 



Area and Population. The area of Independ- 

 ent Burmah has been estimated at 190,000 

 square miles, and the population at 4,000,- 

 000. The Burmese, as distinguished from the 

 Karens, Sachyens, Shans, and Chinese set- 

 tlers, are supposed to number not over 1,000,- 

 000 souls. They are a mixed race, sprung 

 from Mongol hunter tribes from the north, 

 Chinese colonists, Pelugu immigrants, and Ma- 

 layans. They have the facial type of the 

 Chinese, and in other physical characteristics 

 resemble the Malays. They are an active, 

 lively people, fond of athletic games, brave 

 and energetic, but too much devoted to pleas- 

 ure for continued labor. The condition of the 

 poorer classes has deteriorated during the reign 

 of Thebaw, who, however, kept opium out of 

 the country, and saved his people from the 

 vice which threatens their kindred in British 

 Burmah with total ruin and extinction. The 

 women mingle freely with the men, and exer- 

 cise an influence in business and in public affairs 

 fully equal to that of the stronger sex. The 

 Burmese are good-natured, generous, and hos- 

 pitable, but all classes show a singular disre- 

 gard for human life and indifference to scenes 

 of cruelty and suffering. Those of official sta- 

 tion develop arrogance of character, duplicity, 



