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



was I think more stiff and constrained than I have had with any 

 of the numerous native chiefs I have visited in this country. 

 Soon after my return, his brother brought about thirty or forty 

 large trays of sweetmeats, and twelve or fourteen men loaded 

 with cocoanuts, jacks, and other fruits. I begged him to convey 

 my thanks to the Myo-won for his attention and hospitality, 

 and a request that the guides might be ready early to-morrow, 

 as I wished to start in the cool of the morning. The objections 

 to the land route were again raised, and as the only reason 

 assigned was that the Myo-won had written to the Myo-won of 

 May-klong that I would come that way, but that of course if 

 I wished to go by land, I should not be prevented ; as I do not 

 know in what way I may be obliged to travel into Laos, I parti- 

 cularly wish to avoid being parted from my elephants, as the 

 state of the roads may be made an excuse for detaining them, 

 and their absence be pleaded at Bankok as a bar to going up 

 the country at the season when the water is at the lowest ; and 

 as I believe one object of some importance will be gained by 

 breaking down the ridiculous restriction to our intercourse with 

 this people, I assured him I asked for nothing we did not 

 readily accord to others ; and drew his attention to the perfect 

 freedom from restraint of their officers at Tavoy and Maulmain, 

 and repeated my wish to go by land ; pointed out to him that we 

 were here to the south of Bankok, and should now have to return 

 N. E. whereas had I been allowed to proceed, which I wished to 

 do directly, across the country from Camboorie, and which any 

 other person going to Bankok would have done, I should by to- 

 morrow have reached that city, &c, though making the acquain- 

 tance of the Myo-won of Pra-pree had rewarded me for coming 

 so far out of my way ; but I now wished to take the nearest route. 

 He said he would take his brother's orders, and went into the 

 town for that purpose. I requested him to say, as curiosity was 

 not my motive, if the Myo-won would say he did not wish me to 

 see that part of the country, I would go by any route he pleased. 

 As he had not returned at 11 o'clock I told the mahouts to 

 get the elephants early in the morning to start by land, as I had 

 agreed with the Myo-won personally in the forenoon. The town 

 of Rajapore, or as it is commonly called, Pra-pree, is of very 



