A Burmese wonderland; a tale of travel in Lower and ... - Khamkoo
A Burmese wonderland; a tale of travel in Lower and ... - Khamkoo
A Burmese wonderland; a tale of travel in Lower and ... - Khamkoo
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A BURMESE WONDERLAND. 131<br />
The <strong>Burmese</strong> are fond <strong>of</strong> flowers. They do not<br />
garden <strong>in</strong> our sense <strong>of</strong> the word, but nearly always grow<br />
hibiscus, antigmon, roses <strong>and</strong> crotons <strong>in</strong> pots, or keep<br />
orchids, or tra<strong>in</strong> a p<strong>in</strong>k creeper called talk pan over<br />
a treUis ro<strong>of</strong>, just as wistaria is grown <strong>in</strong> Japan. I<br />
have seen a white variety <strong>of</strong> taik pan <strong>in</strong> Magwe. There<br />
must be someth<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> people who love flowers <strong>and</strong> pay<br />
high prices for them. Picnic parties are <strong>of</strong>ten seen<br />
return<strong>in</strong>g laden with floral spoil.<br />
We slept the first night at Taung Tha <strong>in</strong> a new<br />
zdyat, <strong>of</strong> which the teak beams had been imported<br />
from a great distance. My journey be<strong>in</strong>g unpremeditated,<br />
I had no camp furniture, but here, <strong>and</strong> at every other<br />
village, the phoongyis^ lent me tables <strong>and</strong> easy-chairs. I<br />
was impressed many times with the lavish charity with<br />
which rest-houses are so thoughtfully provided for<br />
<strong>travel</strong>lers. Seats, sheds <strong>and</strong> dr<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g-water are set<br />
out under many a wayside tree. One is <strong>in</strong>chned to<br />
take for granted these gifts, which so materially add<br />
to<br />
the pleasure <strong>and</strong> comfort <strong>of</strong> <strong>travel</strong> <strong>in</strong> Burma, without<br />
consider<strong>in</strong>g what they cost, or that they are provided<br />
by somebody's<br />
generosity <strong>and</strong> forethought.<br />
The spontaneous hospitality met with on such<br />
occasions is quite different from the welcome <strong>in</strong>voked<br />
(or shall I say provoked,) when small, fussy <strong>of</strong>ficials have<br />
you <strong>in</strong> h<strong>and</strong>. You are then skilfully surrounded by a<br />
cordon <strong>of</strong> gallop<strong>in</strong>g thugyis, who eventually head you<br />
<strong>of</strong>f <strong>in</strong>to a z yat, or shed, adorned with hideous pots<br />
^<br />
Monka.
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