ed; for to deal with ordinary robbers I conceived to be
work more suited to police than to soldiers. Upwards of thirty years'
experience had proved that the Burmese could not be relied upon for
this kind of service; I therefore recommended that a large body
of police should be raised in India without delay, and given a
semi-military organization, and in the meantime I asked for, and was
given, five additional regiments.

I felt very confident of success, for I had taken great care in the
selection of the brigade commanders and staff officers, and I knew
the troops could be depended upon in any emergency that was likely to
arise. Nevertheless, as the work they would have to perform was of
rather an unusual character, irksome as well as difficult, I thought
it advisable to issue some general instructions for the guidance
of the officers in command of the different columns.[3] These
instructions were carried out so intelligently, and the troops did
such good service, especially a very fine body of Mounted Infantry
raised and organized by Major Symons, of the South Wales Borderers,
that before I returned to India in February, 1887, I was able to
report that the country was gradually becoming quiet and the Burmese
reconciled to our rule. Most of the principal dacoit leaders had been
killed or captured, and villages which had been in their hands for
months were being reoccupied by their legitimate inhabitants; caravans
were coming into Mandalay almost daily from districts on the Chinese
borders; contracts for making roads were readily taken up, and there
was no difficulty in obtaining labour for the railway then being
constructed between Lower Burma and Mandalay, the first sod of which
was turned within a month of my arrival at that place.

In achieving these satisfactory results I was materially aided by the
hearty co-operation of Sir Charles Bernard and the civil officers
serving under him; while the entire absence of fanaticism amongst
the Burmese, and their cheerful, happy natures, facilitated our
intercourse with them. I received, besides, most valuable assistance
from the Buddhist _Poonghies_, or monks, with many of whom I made
friends. From the fact that education, secular and religious, is
imparted by these monks, and that every male, from the King to the
humblest peasant, was obliged to enter a monastery and wear the
saffron garb of a monk for a certain period, the priesthood had
enormous influence with the Burmese