A Burmese wonderland; a tale of travel in Lower and ... - Khamkoo

A BURMESE WONDERLAND. 151
Such wholesale misery was not confined to the
inmates of the palace. The public at large suffered
indiscriminately. We cannot do more here than
recall the total extinction of the Taking nation, the
subjection of the Karens, the decimation of Arakan and
Tavoy, and the ruin of the Shan States which to this
day have a population of only 23 to the square
mile !
It can hardly be doubted but that a streak of
madness ran in the House of Alaungpra, accentuated
perhaps by the marriage of half-brothers and halfsisters.
Ba-gyi-daw was a complete lunatic for the
last 6 or 7 years of his life. Tharrawaddy Min was
noted in youth for his charming mamiers, till later in
life he turned ferocious. Supayalat herself has been
mad, and her mother, who was responsible for the
massacre, was of such a character that we can scarcely
regard her as sane.
Apart from jealousy, Supayalat had many redeeming
points. She was kind, and even generous. Her
manner could be charming. She drew people to her.
and she was a good friend. But supreme authority,
and complete ignorance of any power beyond her own,
unbalanced her ; while fear lest any woman should
tamper with Thibaw, whom she passionately loved,
induced a ferocity that knew no limits.
The history of the Denegris throws an interesting
side-light on the Court life of Thibaw and Supayalat.
Old Monsieur Denegri was a silk weaver. It was he