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II.
1920-21, Rangoon
Everyone on Bibby Liner became agitated when the ship was entering the channel of Rangoon River. They felt less worried after passing the famous, dangerous reef at the mouth of the river. The channel became less perilous after Captain Frazer planned to build the lighthouse at the point chosen by Scottish Light House Engineer who happened to be the uncle of famous author Robert Louis Stevenson.
Also, Cecil was excited so that he closed the book he was reading. His excitement became more intense when he beheld the golden spire from the starboard of the ship he was in. He knew that in a few hours, he would be arriving in Rangoon. He saw other passengers standing very near to the rail, looking ahead of them.
Some white handkerchief dropped from someone’s hands and was flipping across by the wind until it finally landed onto the surface of the water. Cecil was looking after it and his eyes went down to the water
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An English Writer III.
C.J.R in ToungooCecil went to Toungoo (formerly named Dinnyawadi) by train to take training for I.C.S for a year. During the training, he needed to learn Judicial, General, Revenue, Land Records, Treasury, and Registration as the other I.C.S candidates did.Cecil knew that these subjects were very important to run the country’s administration. He paid much attention to them. At university, Cecil was weak in Mathematics. But, he was trying to do well in each subject.Toungoo lies on the right bank of the Sittaung river, and it is about two miles above the mouth of its tributary the Kabaung, in north latitude 18º 56´and east longitude 96º 27´.Toungoo district was formed in 1855 on the effective occupation of the province and was administered by a Deputy Commissioner, subordinate to the Commissioner whose headquarters were at Rangoon. For administration, it is divided into three subdivisions _ Toungoo,
An English Writer IV.
C.J.R in AmherstAfter the training for I.C.S in Taungoo, Cecil was posted to Amherst where Talaings or Mon lived. His intimate friends in Taungoo were happy to know the news of his posting because it was a good place to live and Cecil had a chance to apply his knowledge about administration which he had learnt from the training course.They held a good farewell party before he left for Moulemein. Some teased him that he would find his soul mate there. Some encouraged him to try the local foods and fruits such as durian and rambutan.One of his friends explained to him why the city had got the name, ‘‘Moulemein.’’His friend elucidated, ‘‘In terms of their language, ‘‘Moulemein’’ is a combination of two words ‘‘Moot’’ ‘‘Mwel Lain’’ which means having one eye.’’‘‘So the city gives the meaning ‘&
An English Writer V.
C.J.R in Hanzada, as Settlement OfficerCecil was informed to take a post in Settlement in Hezada because there was a vacant position for it. Cecil prepared to leave Amherst, and took a boat to Rangoon afterward. Cecil spent a few days in Rangoon.He liked to visit Cindy when he was in Rangoon, but he could not meet her because she was away in London for pursuing her education. So, Cecil spent time meeting old friends, loitering Pegu Clubs, and social gatherings. He also liked to buy goods at the famous Rowe Departmental Store on Barr Street.When he wanted to read new periodicals from England, he went to Smart and Mookerdan Book Store on Sule Pagoda Road. One day, Cecil and his friend James dined at Silver Grill Restaurant which was owned by an Armenian rich man. His friend told him the news of the city Rangoon, and the prospect of it in the future.The next day, Cecil went to the boat ticket center on Phyare Street where the Ir
An English Writer VI.
How Cecil shot snipesCecil remembered how he shot snipes in Kan Thar Yar village in Henzada District when he was a Settlement Officer. He normally visited the village with his D.C Mr. Morrison whenever D.C toured a series of villages for revenues and settlement purposes.Cecil came to be acquainted with Thugyi (village headman) U Thar Aung because sometimes he stayed overnight at Thugyi’s house for settlement works. During their conversation, Cecil found out about the best snipe ground in the rice fields near the village.Cecil was excited to go for shooting because he liked to do it as his pastime. He also got a gun for that from D.C too. He thought that when the time was convenient and if the things would be settled with the Thugyi, he would come for the shooting.The Thugyi invited Cecil to come to their village for snipe shooting on a certain Saturday. Cecil chose one Saturday and went out to Kan Thar Yar vill
An English Writer VII.
1930, a break from BurmaCecil went back to England to find a suitable bride for him when his age was 30 years old. He did not want to leave Burma because he found the place was agreeable and livable. He also made good friends with local Burmans who showed him much cordiality.In fact, at that time, any I.C.S officers would normally get married at the age of thirty, but not earlier than that. So, they needed to wait until they reach 30 years old. It was a headache for any grown-up British men who worked abroad to find wives. Some married local women, but they wanted their wives to be decent British ladies.For Cecil, he thought that he would marry a British woman who would be gentle and educated. And the probable solution was to go back to the U.K to choose a suitable wife back home.When he reached the U.K, he luckily found one bride named Cynthia whom he dearly married. He thought that she would be a suitable life partner
An English Writer VIII.
1936, C.J.R in Katha (Myogalay)Cecil remembered his days in Katha as DC, in Upper Burma. He had lots of Burmese friends there. In Katha, as for a European, there were not many things to do. In the morning, office work or routine check-in at nearby villages would be assisted and accompanied by ywar-thu-gyis (village headmen).In the evening, they could relax and enjoy their life in the village creek, where they could bathe, and swim. After that, they could enjoy evening times at the local club, which was only meant for Europeans.After that, his Burmese men would prepare food for him. In that way, he spent his time in Katha.Two Flashback Incidents Happened in Rangoon1940, November, Sule Pagoda RoadCecil was driving his jeep along Sule Pagoda Road, but he was not driving it fast as much as it could go. As usual, the road was busy with rickshaw–wall
An English Writer IX.
1941, The Last Supper at Myogale or Katha before Leaving for India Cecil also remembered Civil Station, the dak bungalow in Myogale. In it, the Deputy Commissioner’s house lied at the curving road past the railway station. Cecil lived there for five years. Actually, he had first come here fifteen years before. From the upstairs verandah of the house, the courthouse buildings could be seen red roofs, red-brown roads, and dusty roadside trees, flamboyant scarlet Marion. The wife of the District and Session Judge was Marion Simpson, who was thought to be the queen of Myogale Civil Station. There were also two dozen houses of European colony. On that March evening, the magenta of a bush of bougainvillea was seen in the corner of the tennis courts. Sheila Summers, wife of one of Deputy Conservators of Forests, and Henry Simpson, District and Session Judge were among the people at that evening. The club butler was Moses. E
An English Writer X.
1942, February, or MarchSometime in February or March 1942, Cecil was summoned to the Headquarters of the Government of Burma in Rangoon and told that he must immediately go down to the battle-front which was then about 60-70 miles south-west of Rangoon.Cecil needed to deliver a message to the General in Command that the withdrawal must cease, if not, the whole campaign would be jeopardized because the Japs were hammering at the gates of Rangoon.Cecil thought that the implication of the order seemed unusual, and he should have been in uniform. But, he knew that an order is an order which he needed to follow. He talked with his Kachin boy who declined to accompany him to the battle-front because the boy was not allowed to take his bicycle with him.Cecil went off alone, taking a supply train to the battle area which was on the far side of the Sittang River over which the long steel bridge was still intact. He jumped a supply tr
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