6 1 8 An account of some of the Petty States [Oct. 



paddy ground as far as the eye can reach from north to south, and five or six 

 miles from east to west covered at this season with many thousand head of cattle, 

 buffalos, also elephants in considerable numbers. Saw some of their bandies, 

 which are the best specimen of their workmanship T have seen ; the wheels are 

 exactly like, and equal to those of a common English cart. 



" 25th. I have heard to-day that orders have been given to the people not 

 to buy any thing from the merchants who accompanied me, and not to come 

 about my house. Yesterday they endeavoured to exchange their goods for cattle, 

 but the people dare not sell without orders, though anxious to do so. I sent the 

 interpreter to Chow-tche-Weet, as is the custom here, to intimate my intention 

 of calling on him. He excused himself on account of indisposition. I told the 

 interpreter also to say I was anxious to return on Saturday or Sunday at farthest, 

 and to inquire if there were any objection to my going to Zimmay, to which I 

 received no answer. 



" Called on Chow Rajawoon, an elder brother of Chow-tche-Weet's, but 

 by a concubine ; he lives in a small bamboo house outside the fort, but has 

 gold betel apparatus, the gift of the King of Siam, which is only given to 

 chiefs of rank. He has twenty-eight wives, and told me with evident exultation 

 that they were all taken prisoners by himself but one. He was chief of the Dum- 

 myas, or licensed robbers, for many years, — a situation of some honor and 

 danger, where the most barbarous system of border warfare is carried on with the 

 most rancorous hatred, and where the State looks upon the prisoners taken by 

 these treacherous midnight robbers as a principal source of its population. 



" I represented to Chow Houa the inconsistency of the friendly expressions 

 towards us, whilst the very object of my visit, from which they ought certainly 

 to expect much advantage, was defeated by prohibiting their people from pur- 

 chasing the things they were anxious to be in possession of, from the few poor 

 people who had accompanied me ; that it was bad encouragement for future cara- 

 vans on a larger scale ; but to convince them we perfectly trusted in them, the 

 merchants would remain till their things could be disposed of, and that I would 

 give a note of their names and numbers. 



" 26th. I received a visit from Chow Houa to-day, the purpose of which 

 was to induce me to remain here for two months, till the presents I had brought 

 were sent to Bankoh 5 * and the King's sentiments known. I told him my recep- 

 tion had been such that I could have no objection to remain twelve months, but 

 that the purpose of my visit had been to assure them of our friendly disposition 

 towards them, and open a friendly communication between Maulamyne and the 

 Shan country ; that we had been on the most friendly terms from time imme- 

 morial with the King, or I could not have been sent to any of his allies or 

 dependencies ; that they were now aware of our sentiments and our anxiety to 

 be at peace with all our neighbours, and that I wished to return on Sunday 

 the 31st. 



" 2$th, Paid my second visit to Chow-tche-Weet to-day, who sent in the 

 morning to say he would be glad to see me ; I was received as before, but with 

 less stiffness and more cordiality, and there were no armed people in the street. 

 He repeated his declarations of friendship towards the English, which I see no 

 room to doubt ; and said the only reason we were not on the same terms as 

 natives of the country, was the bad feeling of the Zimmay chief towards us, and 



