Journal of a Voyage Up the Irrawaddy to Mandalay and Bhamo - Softcover

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text, images, or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1871-01-01. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... SIM PHOOGOUN : SILLAY-MYO. 27 About one o'clock p. M. we reached Sim Plioogoun, simPhoogouu. an important place on account of its trade in gram, but situated too far from the shore to admit of a visit. At six o'clock in the evening we arrived at the lively sniay-myo. town of Sillay-myo, famous for its manufacture of j boxes, drinking cups, and small trays painted and / varnished red inside, and curiously ornamented with , nondescript gold coloured figures outside. Captain Bacon kindly bought me three boxes with trays for about eight rupees. In Rangoon or Calcutta they would have cost at least three times the price. The varnish and workmanship are very superior. My Bengallee servant bought some quaint black and red drinking cups for a few annas. Wednesday, 16th November.--The temperature has now become exceedingly pleasant, and it is some days since we felt anything like heat. The nights especially are deliciously cool. The scenery is very poor. On one side a sandy reach or mud bank. On the other side shapeless coarse looking hills, sparsely covered with stunted jungle. The Burmese Goths in this part of the country have taken to white washing the outside of their pagodas, and the effect is far from pleasing. Possibly if the forest was thicker and the foliage greener, the presence of white would not be disagreeable; but the jungle is short, coarse and muddy green, and consequently^the white washing only serves to make the surrounding scenery appear dirtier. The river however presents a fine expanse of water, and notwithstanding the silt sparkles very pleasantly in the morning sunshine. / A new well of earth-oil has been recently dis I covered on the right bank of the river, amongst the bare hideous hills. The oil has been found in two or three diffe...