UPPER BURMA 



CHAPTER I 



RANGOON TO MANDALAY : THE COUNTRY AND PEOPLE. 

 [W. S. THOM] 



THE first portion of this work treats of Lower Burma, its 

 people, the sport, and the ways and means by which it may 

 be best obtained. It shall in turn be my endeavour to give 

 to the best of my ability, although I am neither an adept with 

 the pen nor a learned naturalist, a similar account of that 

 portion of the country known as Upper Burma. Six out of 

 the eleven years of my service were spent in Upper Burma, 

 five in Lower; the " Land of Pagodas." I had therefore many 

 opportunities of enjoying to my mind that most enjoyable of 

 all sports, viz. "big game shooting." Most of my short leave 

 and every available hour of my spare time were utilized in 

 this manner. I was thus able to study and note the habits, 

 haunts, and peculiarities of the many wild animals to be met 

 with in the vast tracts of hill, jungle, and dales of Upper 

 Burma. Always in the best of health and condition, and 

 backed by a good constitution, I was enabled to endure fatigue 

 and hardships when in pursuit of game without any very 

 serious after effects, and could at the same time when in the 

 clutches of malaria throw it off after an attack of a few days. 



It is not my intention to dwell on statistics relating to the 

 history, trade, products, the people, their language, religion, 

 and customs, etc., as these subjects have partly been discussed 

 and dealt with in the earlier part of this work by my colleague. 



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