ck
gharries by which the heavy traffic of the town is carried on. These
are carts curiously shaped and often carved, with large and very
wide-rimmed wheels. They are drawn by a pair of Indian bullocks, sleek
cream-coloured beasts with mild and patient eyes, and often bearing
enormous horns, which, somewhat after the shape of a lyre, stand four
feet above their heads.

Excepting for a single rein which is fastened to a ring through the
nose, no harness is used; but, instead, the cattle press against the
wooden yoke which is fixed to the pole of the cart, and is kept in
position by long pins which lie on each side of their necks.

One thing which distinguishes these bullocks from our own is their
hump, which nearly all Eastern cattle have. This hump not only enables
them the better to work under the yoke, but, as in the case of the
camel, is provided by Nature as a storing-place for surplus fat, upon
which they can unconsciously nourish themselves when pasturage or food
is scarce.

Large-turbaned Indian police keep order in the streets, where office
"chuprassies," or messengers, wearing their broad, coloured sash of
office across their shoulders, come and go upon their errands, and,
with the white-clad butler of a "Sahib" intent upon his marketing,
mingle with a crowd which is composed of all races and all stations of
life, from the wizened labourer in his loin-cloth to the wealthy baboo
or daintily-clad Burmese lady. It is a wonderful medley of strange
faces, costumes, and tongues, and among it all the self-sufficient
crow fights with the "pi" dogs over the garbage, to the amusement of
the children, who, often quite naked, play about the gutters.

No such crowd in England could possibly have the same charm, for here
dirt, hunger, and rags are always apparent, while there the dirt is
lost in the glorious sunshine, and, instead of rags, we find bright
colours, while the people, though often poor, seldom, if ever, go
hungry.

I have tried to give you some little idea of the life of the streets,
and now let us see something of the life of the "Sahib" in Rangoon.

[Illustration: A DAINTILY-CLAD BURMESE LADY. _Page 8._]

You boys and girls whose fathers are in India know that "Sahib" means
the Englishman, the merchant or official who carries on the business
affairs or government of the country, and many of you may remember
something of your very young days out there, before the time arrived
when it became necessary fo