n; all the business of the bazar is carried on by
women. There was a great variety of silk weaving of every conceivable
shape and style, the sarong being prominent. This is a long colored
garment which the women of Burma wear pinned tightly around them below
the waist, unlike the fuller skirt we had seen in India, the dress being
completed by a short, loose jacket which shows a white under-vest and a
long, wide sash. The market was also very interesting, in a small
building next or adjoining the silk bazar.

[Illustration: _Burmese country house near Mandalay_]

It may be well to speak here of the happy, contented, pleasure-loving
Burmese women. Indeed, their condition could have been envied a few
years ago, even in a portion of our own United States, as they can hold
property in their own right and are entitled to their earnings. This
causes them to be very industrious as well as executive. It is possible
that the sunny aspect of Nature may partly be responsible for their
joyous appearance, as it certainly causes the men to be very indolent
and quite willing that their wives should carry on their business,
provided they are left undisturbed to enjoy life in their own way.

The women are very fond of dress, and, unlike the women of India, wear
only real jewelry; travellers see a profusion of solitaire diamond
rings, every one of which is said to be genuine.

There is no caste in Burma and no division of class; in the olden time
any one might become a prince or a prime minister if he had the ability
to rise. There is little expression of art or literature, the life being
very simple. The people are indeed children of Nature, and the only
expression of taste is to be found in their pagodas and monasteries.
Their silver work and wood carving are fine. The houses in the country
are usually built of bamboo, raised from the ground on poles, four to
six feet, as protection against floods, reptiles, and other mishaps.
The floor usually consists of split bamboo, the thatched roof of
elephant grass. The sides of the house are of bamboo, opening to the
street on verandas. Some have second stories. Around these homes birds
and animals and naked children are everywhere to be seen.

Among the incidents of our stay at Mandalay I remember a native dance,
called "Pwe," given one evening in front of the hotel. This was a little
on the order of a vaudeville, consisting of a mixture of talk, song, and
dance. The performers were arrange