14 Mission to the Court of Siam. [No. 97- 



river, for there started to meet us the moment we halted 

 on the opposite bank, four handsome large boats with plat- 

 form in the middle, covered with a high roof on four very high 

 posts ; in mine there was a carpet and pillow. We pulled ra- 

 pidly down the river, about a quarter of a mile, and land- 

 ed at a neat, well finished (I may call it) house, with two 

 wharfs run out into the river, which ran a few feet from 

 the doors ; here I found the Myo-won' s brother, the Tseetkay, 

 Nakans, and some other officers of the town, waiting to re- 

 ceive me, seated at the edge of the raised centre of the house ; 

 there were one or two small China tables and chairs, two 

 or three Calcutta made chairs ; and a large old Dutch looking 

 high backed ornamented heavy one in the centre of the room, 

 on which I was requested to be seated. Conversation was 

 confined to a very few questions, when a party with at least 

 twenty trays of fruits, vegetables, and sweetmeats, from the 

 Myo-won, was presented by his brother. The people and my 

 servants were requested not to cook any thing, as every 

 thing ready dressed would be supplied us, and in a few 

 minutes my dinner was brought in, consisting of rice, roast pork, 

 fowls, ducks, and soup, curries of three or four kinds, and 

 some stews ; as the curries were not the most inviting, I smug- 

 gled my own curry on the table, and managed to make my 

 dinner, after which the people were served in an equally 

 plentiful manner. Two officers (writers), were appointed to 

 attend to all my wishes, a band of eight singers and musicians 

 came by the Myo-won' s order to amuse me for an hour and 

 a half, all very well dressed, who remained till 10 o'clock p..m. 

 when our watch was set, and quiet obtained for the night. 

 The music was much less soft and pleasing than that I have been 

 accustomed to hear in Laos, called Siamese. By some ac- 

 cident one of the horses was drowned in crossing the river 

 to-day, he had in the last few years travelled with me up- 

 wards of two thousand miles, in the course of which he had 

 repeatedly crossed rivers of much greater width. The Myo- 

 won sent several messages expressive of his sorrow of the 

 accident, and an offer of two or three horses to replace 

 him. 



