218 BIG-GAME SHOOTING IN UPPER BURMA 



Police Battalion. He will act as interpreter, 

 and do all sorts of odd jobs. Do not be per- 

 suaded to take a Burman interpreter with you. 

 He will interpret with an eye to his own wishes 

 and those of your trackers rather than your 

 own, and will afterwards sit apart with them 

 and laugh at you and your ignorance of the 

 language. Enough Burmese to carry one through 

 a day's shooting can be very quickly picked up 

 with a little diligence, and it is far better to 

 trust to making yourself understood than to 

 depend on the dubious assistance of an inter- 

 preter. Burmans particularly dislike dealing 

 through a third person, and for this reason it 

 is better to dispense even with your orderly's 

 assistance, however straight he may be, as soon 

 as you have picked up enough Burmese to get 

 along with while out shooting. When all else 

 fails the Burman is very quick to understand 

 the language of signs. 



A last word as to your trackers. Treat them 

 well, however much they may disappoint you. 

 Take them into your tent occasionally after a 

 long day and give them a stiff dollop of whisky, 

 or better still, rum, if you have it. You need 

 not trouble to water it ! Talk with them as 

 much as you can. They will not take advantage 

 of it, and by establishing friendly relations they 

 will work all the harder to try and get you 

 shooting. Faults the Burman undoubtedly has, 



