. India; . wise and excellent thing;yet one may, perhaps, be permitted to wonderwhether at times it is not possible to carry the spiritof toleration beyond the border-line of reason ! Hardly had our troops ensconced themselves inRangoon when the rainy season set in. Immediatelythe country became a swamp, from which arosenoxious and malaria-laden vapours. Fever, dysentry,and death stalked through the stricken a fourth of the once noble army remained fitfor active service. All hopes of being able to sailup the Irawaddy into the romantic and mysteriousinterior were at once dispelled
. India; . wise and excellent thing;yet one may, perhaps, be permitted to wonderwhether at times it is not possible to carry the spiritof toleration beyond the border-line of reason ! Hardly had our troops ensconced themselves inRangoon when the rainy season set in. Immediatelythe country became a swamp, from which arosenoxious and malaria-laden vapours. Fever, dysentry,and death stalked through the stricken a fourth of the once noble army remained fitfor active service. All hopes of being able to sailup the Irawaddy into the romantic and mysteriousinterior were at once dispelled ; the river had becomea raging torrent. To advance by land was equallyimpossible. Truly here was a sorry plight 1 Meanwhile a British force had invaded Burmafrom the north. It was to them an entirely unknowncountry; and they fared but little better than theircomrades at Rangoon. Through pathless forests andfever-laden jungles they had to force their died of fever and disease. Sometimes in the 214. taa 3 -3 ao <D i •B C 03ft •a 3 THE GOLDEN KING course of their march they came across deep quagmiresinto which hundreds of their bullocks, elephants, andcamels would sink, or become so imbedded in themire as to be unable to move. Everywhere theforce found its way impeded by giant stockades ofinterlaced trees and bamboos. Behind these crouchedthe Burmese soldiers, firing with antiquated gunsupon the invaders. Against such defences artillerywas useless. The British commanders would attemptto carry the position at the point of the bayonet,often losing heavily in the contest; it would havebeen better had they tried to expel the enemy bymeans of shells and rockets. The Burmese foughtwith hoes and spades rather than with muskets andswords. Each man, as he advanced, would dig a deephole in the ground in which to shelter, and thus pro-tected would fire complacently at the advancing foeuntil prompted by discretion to seek a more distantrefuge. For two long years the war dragg
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