in,
and Akjab. Buddhism is there the prevailing religion, and the caste
system, such as is found among the Hindoos, is unknown. The people are
more prosperous. The city of Rangoon has, among other notable objects, a
celebrated Buddhist pagoda, the great dome of which is covered with
solid gold plate. The pagoda is situated on a high elevation above the
city, and the dome is one of the most notable and costly works of
architecture in the world. It is visible at a great distance out on the
ocean, and when the tropical sun throws its rays on it, it looks like a
flame of fire, whose splendor is too dazzling for the eyes to endure.

At a dinner party arranged for me by the American consul at Rangoon, I
met many of the prominent men in this city. Among these a judge of the
supreme court, one Mr. Allen, who, late in the evening, at a game of
whist, informed me that he had on that day been engaged in the trial of
a Birmese prince accused of murder, and that he should pronounce
sentence the following day. I could see that he had already made up his
mind; still he politely asked me a few questions on international law
with reference to the trial. The next day the prince was sentenced to
death because he had violated the law of the land, which seems to prove
that the English administration of justice in Asia is no respecter of
persons.

In Birmah elephants are used for loading and unloading goods in the
harbors. In the city of Mulmain I saw some of these wise animals piling
up heavy timber in a lumber yard. The elephant put his tusks under the
beam and his trunk over it and handled it with great ease. Having lifted
the beam on the pile, he looked at it carefully to see if it lay in
right shape, and if not, he would move it with his trunk. It was
wonderful to see how well these animals seemed to understand what their
drivers said. If a very big log could not be moved in the usual manner
he would roll it with his feet or shove it with his head, or even put a
chain around it and pull it along, and all this at the command of the
driver who remained sitting on the head of the animal.

[Illustration: ELEPHANTS PILING TIMBER.]

On April 25 I again embarked, this time on the steamer Asia, sailing
across the Bay of Bengal, and arrived on the first day of May at the
seaport, Bimlipatam, on the Madras coast. It was a pleasant city of
white houses and situated at the foot of a high volcano. Here I saw for
the first time the notorious car