220 Mission to the Court of Siam. [No. 99. 



the present king (who is a natural son) took possession of 

 the throne, hearing that I spoke Burman, sent a message to 

 the Praklang, that he wished to see me, as he also has a 

 knowledge of that language. I have not heard whether his 

 request was granted. The king has for some time wished this 

 brother to throw off the yellow garment, and has promised 

 to advance him to high office, but he has vowed, it is said, 

 never to prostrate himself before the king, and does not 

 seem inclined to accept his offer ; being in the priesthood, when 

 they meet, the king is obliged to reverence his cloth. 



Mr. Hunter intimated to the Praklang my wish to call 

 on him again to-day, and as they have not made any 

 offer to assist us, it would probably be advisable at once 

 to apply to the Praklang for an order to the South- West 

 chiefs to permit the sale of elephants and cattle, as the 

 season for passing through the country is rapidly wear- 

 ing away, and especially as a letter had been received by Mr. 

 Hunter a day or two previous to my arrival, from George 

 De Castro,* dated Chumpahoon, the 7th January, to which place 

 he had been sent from Mergui for the purchase of elephants 

 and cattle, which the Myo-won had refused to sell without 

 an order from this government. In the evening, accompanied 

 by Mr. Hunter only, I went to the Praklang^s, he was waiting 

 for us in the hall in which he previously received us, along 

 with his assistant and several other government officers ; my 

 reception was cordial and friendly as before. I took with me 

 a present of two rolls of Brussel carpeting, a pair of pistols, 

 a pair of porcelain essence bottles, and a few articles of cut 

 glass; he said he was much obliged to me for not only coming 

 through the desert I had passed, to make the bands of friendship 

 stronger between the English and the Siamese, but in addition, 

 for bringing presents. I remarked. the presents were valuable 

 only as pledges of that friendship ; he said true, and that friend- 

 ship was invaluable. From the white elephant of Maulmain, 



* A person sent by the commissioner in the Tenasserim provinces to 

 purchase elephants and cattle on the public account at Chumpahoon, 

 on the Gulf of Siam. 



