Opposite lay the Burman province of Martaban, which had been desolated during the war, and was now the haunt of terrible Malay pirates, who came and robbed in the town, and then fled securely to the opposite bank, where they could not be pursued.

The English officers had entreated the Boardmans to reside within the cantonments, but they wished to be among the people, so as to learn the language more readily and become acquainted with them.
One night, Mrs.Boardman awoke and found the lamp gone out.

She rose and re-lighted it.

Every box and drawer lay overthrown and rifled, nothing left but what the thieves deemed not worth taking.

She turned round to the mosquito curtain which concealed her husband; it was cut by two long gashes, the one close to his head, the other to his feet.