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2 February 1906 — En route to Burma | |
Friday. 2nd [February 1906]. We were supposed to be going to land at Rangoon at 9.30 a.m. but the tide was low & we did not get on shore till 12. Mr Arthur Fanshawe had kindly telegraphed to Mr A. Angelo, Private Secy to the Port Master here, to look after us. He kindly came to meet us & carried us off to Hotel Allendale in the cantonments near the SweDagon Pagoda. We found good rooms prepared for us. He then took Nela off again in his trap to Cook’s to order our berths for Ceylon on 15th. I remained behind & was looking vaguely out into the garden when I saw a woman in beautiful pink Parsee costume. I said to Baker look at the lovely colours in this land!” & lo! it was Miss Sarabji who was here for a night en route for her return journey to Calcutta having just left Princess Louise Augusta of Schleswig Holstein up in the country. We fell into each other’s arms & went in to lunch together. She is most enthusiastic about her tour in this country– She raved about Mandalay & advises that we should stay there as long as possible & not attempt to travel about too much. At 4 oclock, she, Nela, Mr Angelo & I went for a drive. Dropping Mr Angelo to pay a visit at Govt Hse we drove on to the village of Kemmadine where the only work is that of the makers of the image of Buddha from the size of 5 inches to 5 feet. We wandered in & out of the little shops– The people did not seem to mind but smiled & made us welcome. Under the sheds where stood round the Alabaster, stone or brass Buddhas were the little houses in wh the natives live—they seemed to consist of a small room mounted on 4 posts abt 4 ft from the ground as a precaution against damp & insects—furniture there seemed to be none—no glass windows & doors that would not shut. The usual long bedstead stood under the shed on wh the whole family often were sitting crosslegged. The women were smoking thick white paper cigars twice the size of my thumb. All smiled & nodded & tried to speak to us– At last Cornelia Sarabji succeeded in finding an old Buddha in brass which pleased her & we carried it off & returned to find Mr Angelo & so to Allendale. We all dined together & after dinner walked off to the SweDagon Pagoda to see it by moonlight. It was a wonderful sight– The great dog which stands at the gate to watch & which is about 50 ft high looked grim in the half light. There were but few people about & no one took much notice of us except 2 boys who brought lanterns to show us the way. It was like a queer nightmare of strange things, the glimmering lights, the images of Buddha of every size & in every material—the hundreds of Pagodas great & little round the platform which encloses the gold Pagoda– We could hardly take it in it was a strange jumble in the half dim light & we went to bed almost bewildered. | |
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