In the Shadow of the Pagoda

# Catalog Note

In the Shadow of the Pagoda is a descriptive work of travel literature by E. D. Cuming, based on six and a half years' residence in Burma (Myanmar). The volume comprises fourteen chapters of sketches detailing Burmese life, character, and customs, followed by an eight-part serial narrative titled "Passages in the Life of a Dacoit." The sketches cover diverse subjects: aspects of the country and landscape; urban Burmese; jury service; local superstitions; the Shway Dagone Pagoda; domestic life; agricultural seasons; the Karen people; and dacoity (banditry). Topics addressed include the ethnically diverse population of Rangoon, architecture, transportation infrastructure including the new steam tram-cars, and agricultural practices in the Irrawaddy Delta paddy lands. The dacoit serial follows a criminal narrator through multiple episodes. Illustrations throughout feature photographs of Rangoon landmarks, pagodas, local dwellings, and inhabitants. The work aims to acquaint English readers with their Burmese subjects, drawing from periodicals including Land and Water, Cornhill, Macmillan's, and Chambers's.