"At every few steps the leader called out, 'Does any one speak Burmese?' People stared at him, and some laughed, and thought him insane, but he kept on up and down the streets with his comrades, repeating his inquiry in his own language, for he knew no other—'Does any one speak Burmese?'
"For nearly an hour he continued in this way, and just as he was about to give up, and try some other means of making himself understood, some one who spoke Burmese stepped from the crowd and asked what he wanted.
"His first inquiry was whether there was an agency of the firm to whom the cargo of salt belonged. Finding there was none, he named other houses of Rangoon with no better luck, and at last asked for the British India Steam Navigation Company.
"He went at once to the Company's agency, but it was closed for the night. He was there bright and early next morning, and his first request was for a telegram to be sent to his employers at Rangoon, so that they would know he had not run away with the cargo of salt. He wanted his character vindicated first of all, and then he asked if he and his comrades could be sent to Rangoon, and allowed to pay their passage on arrival, as they had not sufficient money to pay in advance.
"Those who heard his story could hardly believe it, especially when they saw the boat in which the five men had come across the Bay of Bengal. But they were fully convinced when a despatch came from the house at Rangoon to send the men back, and draw for expenses. The firm had full faith in the honesty of the old man, as he had been a long time in their employ.
"The agent of the French Steamship Company bought their boat for a good price, to keep as a curiosity, and gave them a free passage to Madras; from Madras the British India Company gave them passage to Rangoon, where they arrived safely, and were heroes in the eyes of all their neighbors and friends."
Doctor Bronson reminded the captain that there were several instances on record of boats not over twenty feet long that had safely crossed the Atlantic Ocean.
"Yes," the captain answered, "that is quite true; but bear in mind that the boats you speak of were specially built for the voyages they undertook; they were well provisioned and watered, and were in the track of steamships, from which they could obtain fresh supplies nearly every day if they wanted them. The men who managed them were experienced sailors, and were provided with instruments by which they could work out their positions, and know where they were. In the case I speak of the boat was totally unfit for ocean navigation, the men on board had never looked on the sea, and knew nothing about it; they had no proper supply of provisions, no instruments whatever, and even if they had possessed any, they were ignorant of their use. When you consider all the circumstances, I think you will agree with me that the voyage of the five Burmese was the most remarkable you ever heard of."
