  1. MY DEAR CHILDREN,—Since I last wrote to you I have visited several of the large cities of India. A week ago I was in the largest city of all. 2. On Christmas morning I sailed down the mouth of the Ganges into the open sea, on my way to the country of Burma. 3. Now I am in the chief town of Burma, and you will expect me to tell you something about the land and its people. From what I have seen, I think Burma is a prettier country than India. 4. In the chief town there seem to be people from many lands. I saw Chinamen, with their pigtails hanging down their backs. I also saw Indians from across the sea, and white men from our own country. Of course, there were also many Burmese, as the people of Burma are called. 5. Kate and May will like to hear something about the Burmese girls and women. They are not at all sad like the Indians, but are very bright and gay. As I write these lines I see a party of Burmese girls passing my window, I can hear them laughing. 6. They are very dainty in their dress. One girl wears a skirt of pink silk and a blouse of light green. She has bracelets on her arms, ear-rings in her ears, a string of coral round her neck, and flowers in her hair. 7. In one hand she carries a bamboo sunshade; in the other she holds a big paper cigar! She is very fond of smoking, and you never see her without a cigar. On her feet she wears sandals. 8. The men are gentle and rather lazy. The women have far more "go" in them than the men. Many of them keep shops, and are very good traders. The wife is the chief person in every home. 9. The men also wear skirts, and sometimes their jackets are very gay. They wrap a handkerchief of pink, or of some other bright colour, round their head. 10. The Burmese worship Buddha, a prince who lived more than two thousand years ago. He was a very noble man, and he gave up all the pleasant things of life that nothing might turn his thoughts from goodness. 11. Amongst other things he taught men to be kind to animals. All animals are well treated in Burma. 12. All over the land you see temples to Buddha. These temples grow narrower and narrower the higher they rise. They all end in a spire above which there is a kind of umbrella. It is made of metal, and all round its edge are silver or golden bells, which make pretty music as they are blown to and fro by the wind. 13. By the side of many of these temples you may see a great image of Buddha. Most of the images are made of brass. The Burmese pray before these images, and offer flowers and candles and rice to them. |
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