The romantic East: Burma, Assam, & Kashmir - Khamkoo

RANGOON TO BHAMO 39
capital of the Talaing kingdom of Henthawadi.
Pegu was once a port,
and is still connected with
the Sittang river by the Pegu-Sittang Canal which
joins the river at Myit-kyo. The city was destroyed
by Alompra nearly a hundred and fifty years ago,
but of its -former greatness two wonderful monuments
remain, the colossal Buddha to the west of
the railway and the Shwe-hmaw-daw pagoda.
Long after the dome of the Rangoon secretariat
has sunk below the horizon, you can see from the
train the Shwe Dagon, which is visible as far away
as Dabein, over twenty-two miles from Rangoon
by the railway, while at Tawa, nine miles from
Pegu, the Shwe-hmaw-daw can be seen from the
left hand side of the train. From Pegu station
you are driven about a mile by way of Slaughter
House Road, the Bridge, Canal Road, and
Thanatpin Road, passing a great number of wheelwrights,
whose houses have an open lower story,
used as a store-room or stable, with the living
apartments above. You pass the Leik-pya-gan
tank on the right of the road on the way to the
pagoda's south entrance, which latter was newly
painted and lighted in 1901. The square platform