MR. STANLEY.  “But I suppose there would be no objection to my putting in a word on the Burman Empire, which probably you are not much acquainted with.  Parts of it are in the same longitude as the north of Sumatra; and I merely wish to mention some peculiarities connected with the Burmese.  The government is entirely despotic, and the sovereign almost deified.  When anything belonging to him is mentioned, the epithet ‘golden’ is invariably attached to it.  When he is said to have heard anything, ‘it has reached the golden ears:’  the perfume of roses is described as grateful to the ‘golden nose.’  The sovereign is sole proprietor of all the elephants in his dominions; and the privilege to keep or ride on one is only granted to men of the first rank.  No honors here are hereditary.  All officers and dignities depend on the crown.  The ‘tsaloe,’ or chain, is the badge of nobility, and superiority of rank is signified by the number of cords or divisions.”

GEORGE.  “Is it true that they are a proud, consequential people?”

MR. STANLEY.  “Yes, quite true.  Men of rank have their barges tugged by war-boats, common watermen not being admitted into the same boat with them.

“A singularly absurd custom takes place in this country, in certain forms of political homage shown to a white elephant,—­a preternatural animal kept for the purpose,—­superbly lodged near the royal palace, sumptuously dressed and fed, provided with functionaries like a second sovereign, held next in rank to the king, and superior to the queen, and made the recipient of presents, and other tokens of respect from foreign ambassadors.”

CHARLES.  “Well, that is an odd superstition.  I am much obliged to you for going out of the track to tell us these strange ’sayings and doings’ of the Burmese.  Are we now to resume our station?”

MR. WILTON.  “You are pilot.  Charles; we rely on your guidance!  Go where you please:  we are not to control your movements.”

CHARLES.  “Then, like Sir James Brooke, I will go to Borneo; but I do not expect to be made a rajah for my trouble:  indeed I scarcely know if I should like to live there, although it is the largest island in the world, and is very fertile, and contains diamond mines and vast quantities of gold.”

MR. STANLEY.  “By-the-by, that reminds me of the fact that the petty prince of Mattan, in Borneo, is in possession of one of the largest diamonds in the world.  It was obtained a hundred years ago from the mines of Landak, and is worth 269,378_l_.”

EMMA.  “Which are the other large diamonds?”

MR. WILTON.  “The Great Russian diamond, which is valued at 304,200_l._; and the Great Pitt diamond, valued at 149,605_l_.  But we are departing from our subject.  Borneo is, next to New Holland, the largest island in the world.  It is 900 miles long, and 700 broad.”

DORA.  “When did Sir James Brooke go to Borneo, and what was his object in going?”