Tues. 3 [3 March 1903] Off at 5.30. Sagaing most delicious with
pagodas and monasteries down to the water's edge. Got to
Mandalay about 7 and went straight up to the Salween Hotel. The
Warrens were here having been detained by 2 of their boys
developing measles. When we had had a small breakfast we drove
out to see the sights. Crossed the moat and entered by a big gate
with one of the posts by it under which the people were buried.
Enchanting brick wall with 7 roofed spires along it and over the gates,
repeated in the moat. Water lilies. Inside cantonment and govt
officials' houses. We past [sic] the palace and out by the only palace
gate standing near Mindohn Min's tomb covered with glass work. Out
by the E gate and to a world of monasteries and pagodas. We went
to the Incomparable, of which the Pagoda is burnt down - only a very
elaborate gilded monastery remains. Then to the 350 pagodas just
under Mandalay Hill. Each pagoda contains a tablet of the Sacred
books in Pali. So back to the palace. Lovely wood building with
slanting teak beams supporting the heavy .... and big teak columns in
the hall. They were all heavily gilded. We have just done it up at a
cost of 3 lakhs and are going to spend 2 more on it. We went onto the
Lion Throne under the Centre of the Universe. You get onto it by stairs
from the hall behind and from it look into the hall of audience which is
now used as a chapel. There is besides the Lily Throne which was I
think a hall of private audiences. It, and some other rooms in a
detached pavilion, are decorated with a mosaic of coloured glass,
looking glass and gold. Part of the palace is used by the Upper
Burma Club. In a little pavilion in the garden is a tablet to say that here
Theebaw, his 2 queens and his mother in law surrendered. The
garden is ragged but pretty, with canals and tanks[?]. We then went
into the bazaar where we bought Shan silver, an amusing place,
roofed over like a Turkish bazaar. So to Beato's and home. The
Warrens are here, 2 of their boys have measles. Very hot. We went
out again at 4 and drove to the Arakan Pagoda where there is a large
bazaar and a big statue of Buddha supposed to have been executed
from the life. It was made in two bits which wd not join together until
Sakya Muni embraced them. We bought gongs from a gentleman
almost naked except for his spectacles but exquisitely tatooed. Then
to the Queen's Monastery, a lovely big place carved and gilded. The
little boys were playing a sort of football with a light ball of twisted
bamboo. They hit it in the air most cleverly, generally with the back of
their legs. We went up into the central building and tried to teach the
monk boys the names of the carved animals in English. Pea-co, they
said and Lio - they can't pronounce the final consonants. But then we
can't pronounce their initial consonants. So home and H [Hugo]
dined early and went to Toungoo. I sent Ah pu to ask if there were a
pwe and heard there was a dance to which two men in the hotel were
asked and I might go too. I took Mr Warren and off we went - one of
the two men was Tor sain ko the Govt archaeologist and the other an
ethnologist of sorts who had just been making an expedition in
Sarawak[?] among the head hunters, the other was Mr Ireland. He
showed me photographs of them. The women are dressed in metal
rings which apparently they never take off. The dance was in the
house of Theebaw's private secretary. A Huit was his name. We
were made most welcome by him and his son in law. His 2 daughters
lay on the floor in the next room and looked through the doorway
smoking big cigars. They wore tameyus[?] of dark silk, lots of
diamonds and rubies in their hair and had their faces white with
powder. The musicians sat on the floor, they were, a wooden keyed
instrument of a charming shape like a charming shape [sic], a pipe, a
harp, half strung like an Egyptian harp, and an alligator harp with 3
strings. 2 dancing girls dressed in pink and blue and pink and yellow,
chains of beads, flowers in their hair and their faces quite white with
powder. Their tameyus[?] sewn down like a tight trouser. They were
incredibly slight. The little one sang a song about love and the
charms of the sex. The dancing was mainly posturing depending
largely on the movements of the little boneless hands. Then the
second sang with great animation. Then I asked to see the court
clothes and was shown a mass of wonderful velvet and gold
garments - the minister's dress a collar of upturned wings and his high
hat, the gold clothes of the wife of a minister, with long stoles before
and behind ending in winglike curves - the little lady looked like a big
gold bird with a long tail. A lovely gold casque like a cock's comb on
her head. Another green and gold robe, very pretty. Also the coat
and headdress of a boy going into the monastery - which is that of the
Crown Prince worn on this occasion only. Then the insignia of rank, a
gold spittoon, a gold bowl and a gold extinguisher to cover his
drinking cup. Also a 9 stringed chain fastened by 4 heavy red gold
clasps. Gladstone was sent one of 12; Theebaw wore 24, the Crown
Prince 21. Then a gentleman sang to the alligator harp in a most
genteel manner - I didn't discover for a long time who was singing.
The song was about the topographical beauties of Burma and the
excellence of the climate! Then we had a duologue between the two
girls, the elder having put on the petticoat of a boy - pasoht - much
baggier than a girl's. It was about love and the girl complained that a
man's first love was seldom his last, somewhat trite. At 11.30 I
suggested we shd go. The Chinaman said yes, for the song wd last
till 5 AM. So we went. Tor Sain Ko said "They don't like your rule -
they are so bored. They miss the excitements of the old days." Poor
little dears! They like a little fun and a little crucifixion.