It is reported that foreigners who have formed re-
lations with the women of Burma have found them
very faithful in all respects, but they are vengeful
and unforgiving, and rumour hath it that several
English brides who have come out here have been
done away with through the medium of powdered
glass or drugs. An order was lately issued to the
men in the Civil Service that they must end all re-
lations with these women, but several preferred to
marry them, and did so. One man living in the
outer wilderness could procure no minister or magis-



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Burmese Customs 87

trate to perform the ceremony for him, nor could
he obtain leave of absence in order to go to some
town. Therefore being a magistrate himself he
promptly tied the knot between himself and the
dame. This was held by the local authorities to
be illegal, but he carried his case to Parliament,
and coming off triumphant, now lives in tropical
bliss, with elephants, tigers, and snakes as his near-
est neighbours.
The natives are a kindly people and their religion
teaches them to be so. It is considered most merit-
orious to save animal life. One of our passengers,
having caught two large catfish which no one would
eat, was asked by a Burmese if they could be
bought, and they were sold to him for something
like fifty cents, their purchaser immediately restor-
ing them to their native element. When a poor
native will spend what to him is a large sum for
such a purpose it means much.
