10 Mission to the Court of Siam. [No. 97. 



tioned ; requested him to consider whether he was doing right 

 in endeavouring to place restraints on me, which we never 

 attempted with Siamese officers 5 convoy to our provinces. I told 

 him unless I was positively prevented going by Nougkan I 

 should take that route ; after a great deal of argument I have 

 been obliged to go by the route they wished. With the ex- 

 ception of this dragging me some days out of my way, my 

 reception here has been on the whole very friendly, though 

 the Myo-won's manner was constrained, and the old writer, 

 whom I suspect is the principal obstacle to going direct to 

 Bankok, prompted him. We have been plentifully supplied 

 with provisions, and since my first visit to the Myo-won 

 the people have been allowed to move freely about. I re- 

 peated the application for the convicts, and mentioned that a 

 sum of 15 rupees each would be paid to cover their expenses 

 on their delivery at Tavoy ; he again declined giving them up, 

 as I was going to Bankok, without an order from thence. I 

 applied for a boat, which was furnished, and by putting the 

 heaviest of the things in it, we shall be enabled to make longer 

 marches; one or two of the people also are sick, and unable 

 to proceed by land. A number of dishes of meat and sweetmeats 

 were again served to me, and the people who accompanied me ; 

 and after remaining an hour and a half I returned home, where 

 the Youkabat (or Nakan) soon followed me with twenty-four 

 dancers and musicians, whom he told me were all of his own 

 household ; amongst whom there were eight unfortunate women, 

 Cochin-Chinese prisoners, of whose wretchedness and destitu- 

 tion I have heard a good deal to-day; they remained dancing 

 and singing in the clear moonlight night in front of the Tay 

 till eleven o' clock, when I gave each of the performers a rupee, 

 with which they were apparently well satisfied. Their song was 

 all to one air ; though the voices frequently did not keep time, 

 it was rather pleasing ; the dancing, if it could so be called, was 

 any thing but graceful ; the words sometimes Cochin-Chinese, 

 sometimes Siamese. The town of Camboorie is situated opposite 

 the junction of the See-sa-wat and May-man-noi rivers, prin- 

 cipally along the bank of the former ; it is a long, straggling 

 place, consisting of one long street along the banks of the river, 



