230 WILD SPORTS OF BURMA AND ASSAM 



wines, aerated waters, etc., is everything that the most fastidi- 

 ous could desire. 



Let us now suppose that the sportsman has arrived 

 by train at Mandalay with the intention of proceeding 

 up the country. He would first, after his arrival at the 

 station, proceed to the dak bungalow, or rest-house, pro- 

 vided by Government for the use of travellers, where all 

 his belongings would be deposited, and where for a very 

 moderate sum per diem his wants would in every way be 

 most comfortably attended to. The only hotel which merits 

 special notice is the Hotel Europe. The visitor, it is presumed, 

 before leaving the interesting city for fresh fields and pastures 

 new higher up the river, would naturally pay a visit to the 

 various objects of interest to be seen in this town, such as 

 Theebaw's palace, the " Centre of the Universe " as it is called 

 by Burmans, now converted with the various other buildings 

 within the walled enclosure into useful abodes and pleasure 

 resorts for the officials, civil' and military, now residing in 

 Mandalay. One portion of the palace proper serves now as 

 the dining, reading, whist, and billiard-rooms of the Upper 

 Burma Club. The roof and ceiling are supported by huge 

 posts of teak, and the whole interior is covered with gold-leaf. 

 Beautiful ornamental tanks, grottoes, rockeries, rustic bridges, 

 and winding paths shaded by grooves of tamarind, mango, 

 bamboo, and other flowering trees meet and entrance the eye 

 on every side. The king's throne is simply a pedestal of 

 wood, of shape similar to those seen in temples,, "ponghyi 

 kyaungs " or monasteries, and is about eight feet high. Some 

 of the carved teak-wood spread over the whole area of the 

 palace is very fine. British and native troops occupy various 

 buildings within the enclosure, and other blocks of buildings 

 again are utilized as offices by the Government officials of the 

 various departments, such as Military, Medical, Forest, P.W.D., 

 etc. The building adjoining the theatre, built by King 

 Theebaw for the Parsi Theatrical Company, a room used by 

 the court when witnessing these performances, is now used as 

 the mess-room of the garrison. There are numerous other 

 places worthy of a visit in Mandalay and its environs, such 

 as the Kutho Daw or 729 tablets, the Queen's Kyaung or 



