As soon as he came within horse-length he let down his queue and bowed reverently, and I could see pride lighting his features as he confessed to the honour that had been done him in intrusting such an honourable and illustrious charge to the mean and unworthy care of so contemptible an officer.
The country before us was open meadow-land, pleasant to ride over, only here and there broken by a massive banyan tree.

Herds of buffaloes were grazing on the hillsides.

The mud villages were far apart on the margin of the river-plain, inclosed with superb hedges of living bamboo.
Thirty li from Santa is the Shan village of Taipingkai.

It was market-day, and the broad main street was crowded.

We were taken to the house of an oil-merchant, who kindly asked me in and had tea brewed for me.