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7 February 1906 — Mandalay | |
Wednesday. 7th [February 1906]. Miss Townsend came again at 7.30 for us in her poney shay & drove us into the town where we bought a Burmese umbrella each of us & then went to Ma Chin’s curio shop. I bought there a handsome old gilt chest with high relief carving from scenes in Burmese history. It cost me 50 rs & is well worth it. Ma Chin who was formerly lady in waiting to the last Queen said that it was the property of one of the R. family who want money. We returned to the hotel by 9– At 11.30 Nela & I went off to fetch Miss Townsend & she & another lady accompanied us to see the Burning of the Holy Man– I cannot imaging a more cheerful funeral– Singing dancing eating was going on & no one seemed to pay attention to the cremation. Seven guns were fired off & at the last the coffin was set fire to & a small column of smoke rose in the air. On a platform near were several Burmese gentlemen & Miss Townsend have introduced us to one stout old man in pink petticoat, white jacket & a pink scarf tied round his head, he invited us to sit with him. This individual was formerly High Admiral in Chief to the late King. He had led his 2 small ships against our attack in a matter of form. He seems quite resigned to his present inactivity tho’ he is said to be often intriguing against our Govt. He was smoking one of the huge cheroots of the country. While the Burning was going on an itinerant conjuror did tricks to amuse us & a crowd who squatted round. He was deft but did nothing very uncommon. After about an hour the Burning was said to be over & as we left the only thing to be seen was a man ladling spoonfuls of water in the cradle suspended aloft—with what object we cd not ascertain. After lunch hearing much drumming & singing at the Magistrate’s house near Nela & I went over to see what was going on. We found the ceremony of making the boy a monk had begun– The Punggis had arrived & were sitting crosslegged on their platform each with his big palm leaf fan before his face. The friends & relations of the boy were all squatted in front of them. The host presented the presents—the monks intoned the laws—the audience prostrated themselves– One of the gentlemen who could speak English well came to where we stood at the back & explained to us that these ceremonies corresponded with Baptism in our religion & that the children then gets a name given him. He even said that there was not much difference between our 2 religions– At the end the band was brought into the enclosure & set up a most tremendous din with fifes added to the drums. Our friend explained that this was done to arouse the Nats or spirits & to make them take notice that all these ceremonies had been performed so that in the next world they should not be forgotten in favour of the boy. The Pungys rose & went out, each being followed with men carrying the presents he had received– We also retired all ceremonies being over for the day. But the rejoicings never stopped going on even all the night. Much laughter & merriment, & singing & dancing so that one got scarce any sleep. Nela & I dined with Major & Miss Townsend & met a Mr Clayton son of Canon Clayton of Peterboro who is a colleague of Cecil Aldersons. We went to bed early hoping in vain to sleep. | |
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