lay for days and nights before Benares, moved by
its wonder and its pageantry; as I travelled in the
Himalaya and stood in the august presence of its
snows, my hopes still went back to Burma and
my project of this book. At last, in the winter
of 1899, I had my desire, I looked once more
upon the slender beauty of the Shway Dagon, and
committed myself once again to the bosom of the
Irrawaddy. The greater part of what follows ip this
book was written during this second period of my
stay in Burma. I hope that I have not failed in the
effort to combine some substantial groundwork of
knowledge with the vividness of a first impression.
I hope that those of my countrymen who know
Burma better than I do wifi not find my book
inaccurate, and that those who haye neyer been, and
may never be, in Burma, will through its medium
obtain something like a vital impression, a living
picture— for that is my ambition— of one of the fairest
and most attractive provinces of their Empire. I hope
the time will come when the people of this little
nation will be rated at their just value, and studied
with the sympathy which is distinct from the sentiment
of personal gain. Japan, which Burma much resembles,
is already fast passing into the category of modern
civilisation; its ideals are shaping swiftly in the
direction of ships of war, and armed battalions» and
Preface
economic competition, I wish I could hope with
confidence that Burma were in a fair way to taking
its relinquished place, as, under happy auspices, it
might.
As my book is mainly limited to my own impressions,
I do not think I need make any specific acknowledgments
here, so far as its written portion is concerned ;
but a word is necessary as to the pictures. A great
many of them were made by me with the express
purpose of illustrating this narrative; but Burma is
a big country, and I have been glad to accept the
aid of others in completing the series of my pictures.
My thanks are due in the first instance to Mr. Benny
of the Irrawaddy Flotilla and Mr, Grant Brown of
the Civil Service. I am especially glad to have Mr.
Benny’s pictures, for they stand in a manner for the
great organisation to which Burma owes so much,
and they remind me personally of many kindnesses
received as a traveller at the hands of its officers.
I wish to acknowledge also the courtesy of Signor
Beato, Mr. P. Klier, Mr. Francis, and Messrs. Bourne
& Shepherd in permitting me to draw occasionally
upon their stores. My acknowledgments are due in
yet higher measure to my good friend, James Middleton,
for the coloured illustrations in this book, which
he has allowed me to have copied from some of the
paintings made by him during a stay of several years
ix