ADVENTURES WITH A CAMERA IN MANY LANDS 



107 



AT THE FOOT OF THE SHWE DAGON : BURMA 



The famous pagoda at Rangoon attracts worshipers from all parts of the East, but at 

 festival times the huge terrace from which the golden bell temple rises is the scene of gaiety. 

 Impromptu picnics are held beside the many shrines which cluster about the main pagoda, a 

 temporary stage is set up for the dances, of which the Burmans are so fond, and the big 

 white cheroot demands a large place in the picture. 



tion at Gauhati. It was to wait there for 

 a few minutes before going on to the 

 ferry crossing at Pandnghat. So I shoul- 

 dered my camera and went off to utilize 

 the time. Seeing a very interesting old 

 woman in the bazaar, I pointed to my 

 camera and asked if I might take her pic- 

 ture. Her reply was to jump up with an 

 alacrity surprising in one of her years 

 and disappear into her home. Once safe 

 in the shadow, however, she turned and 

 signaled me to wait. 



Down the village street, the motor bus 



soon turned the corner with a roar. 

 Knowing that the Assam mails were in 

 the body of the machine, and that time 

 and tide set the tradition for the King's 

 mails, I started away; but out from that 

 doorway stepped my genial friend, 

 proudly bearing up under the greatest 

 weight of jewelry that I ever saw one 

 woman wear. 



While the mail waited and the motor 

 horn honked, I took several pictures of 

 the happy old lady, and then, with the 

 last film wound from the roll, I snapped 



