ROUTES TO BURMA FROM ENGLAND 229 



Mr. Geo. W. Bird, of the Burma Educational Department, has 

 also recently in his admirable work Wanderings in Burma 

 dealt with the subject at some considerable length. I shall 

 only touch lightly on these matters as I proceed ; the principal 

 object in view being to produce a text-book on sport for those 

 who intend visiting the country. 



Rangoon may be reached from England by two direct lines 

 of steamers, the Bibby and Patrick Henderson's. The former 

 line do the passage in about thirty days, calling at Colombo, 

 and are most comfortable. The latter line take sometimes 

 from thirty to thirty-three days, and charge as passage money 

 30 ; the food and service on board are everything that can 

 be desired. The journey by the Bibby line, only first-class 

 saloon accommodation, is $o. Passengers have no difficulty 

 in getting their luggage passed through by the Customs officials, 

 who come on board all vessels entering port. Import duty is 

 however charged, if my memory does not deceive me, on all 

 fire-arms, at the rate of ten per cent, on the value of each 

 weapon. Hotels under European management are to be 

 found both in Rangoon and Mandalay. The principal in the 

 former town are Evershed's, Sarkies, Great Eastern, and the 

 British India. 



The sportsman on his arrival in Rangoon should first of all 

 make up his mind by what route he intends proceeding to 

 Upper Burma, which may be reached in two ways, viz. (i) by 

 train to Mandalay, a distance of some 386 miles, or (2) by a 

 splendid service of fast steamers, belonging to the Irrawady 

 Flotilla Company, plying twice a week between Rangoon and 

 Mandalay. The journey by rail may be completed in twenty 

 hours or less ; by steamer again up the Irrawady several days 

 are required, as the distance is greater and the steamer stops 

 at various stations en route. This is, however, a most enjoy- 

 able trip, and if the sportsman is not pressed for time the 

 latter journey is certainly to be recommended. The Irrawady 

 Flotilla Company are in possession of as fine a fleet of river 

 steam-boats as any now afloat. The saloon accommodations, 

 furniture, and fittings for Europeans are superb, and last, but 

 not least, most of their vessels are lighted by electricity, and 

 their victualling department, in the way of food, liquor, ice, 



