in the
scale; but all was done under the terrible drawback of climate. Mrs.
Boardman never was well from the time she landed at Moulmein, and her
beautiful flower-covered house at Tavoy was the constant haunt of
sickness, under which her elder child, Sarah, died, after showing all
that precocity that white children often do in these fatal regions. A
little boy named George had by this time been born, and shared with his
mother the dangers of the Tavoy rebellion, an insurrection stirred up by
a prince of the Burmese royal blood, in hopes of wresting the province
from the English.

One night, a Burmese lad belonging to the school close to the Boardmans'
house, was awakened by steps; and, peeping through the braided bamboo
walls of his hut, saw parties of men talking in an undertone about lost
buffaloes. Some went into the town, others gathered about the gate, and,
when their numbers began to thicken, a cloud of smoke was seen in the
morning dawn, and yells from a thousand voices proclaimed, "Tavoy has
risen!"

Boardman awoke and rushed out to the door, but a friendly voice told him
that no harm was intended him. The revolt was against the English, and
never was a movement more perilous. The commandant, Colonel Burney, was
absent at Moulmein, the English officer next in command was ill of a
fatal disease, the gunner was ill, and the whole defence of a long,
straggling city was in the hands of a hundred Sepoys, commanded by a very
young surgeon, assisted by Mrs. Burney, who had a babe of three weeks
old. The chief of the fight was at the powder magazine, not very far
from the Boardmans' abode. It was attacked by two hundred men with
clubs, knives, spears, but happily with very few muskets, and defended by
only six Sepoys, who showed great readiness and faithfulness. Just as
their bullets seemed to be likely to endanger the frightened little
family, a savage-looking troop of natives were seen consulting, with
threatening gestures aimed at the mission-house, and Mr. Boardman, fully
expecting to be massacred, made his wife and her baby hide in a little
shed, crouching to escape the bullets; but this alarm passed off, and, at
the end of an hour, the whole of the gates had been regained by the
Sepoys, and the attack on the magazine repulsed. Mr. Boardman took this
opportunity of carrying his family to the Government house, where they
were warmly welcomed by Mrs. Burney; but it was impossible to continue
the defence o