Page:Lord Amherst and the British Advance Eastwards to Burma.djvu/65

 fruit and blossom, and making the path possible. The road itself is beautiful and romantically wild. Their train consists of several hundred persons dressed in scarlet and yellow, table-servants, bearers, spearmen, and the crews of the yachts. Lady Amherst and her daughter return home laden, as less exalted ladies might be, with trophies of their excursion, flowers, and plants and sketches.

The following little incident is curious. On April 28, 1825, Lady Amherst and her daughter attend a meeting in the Town Hall to hear a report of the Committee for the native female schools. Mrs. Pearson, Mrs. Shakespear, and Mrs. Harington were present. Lady Amherst says:—

'Mr. M—— got up chiefly to eulogize Mrs. Wilson who manages the schools, after which he launched out into the most vehement abuse of the native religions, several of the principal Baboos being present. It was one of the most ranting and violent discussions I have ever heard. He wound up this strange speech more like a strolling player than anything else, by comparing Mrs. Wilson to Bonaparte and her scheme of education to the road over the Simplon. A clergyman begged leave to propose a vote of thanks to Almighty God for the success of the undertaking. The natives present were evidently much disgusted by this gross impropriety; as to myself and Sarah we were shocked to be made a party to such unwarrantable proceedings.'

Soon after comes a description of a warrior of those days of whom mention will elsewhere be made:—

'Colonel Gardner arrived here from Arakan in a very ill