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



the letters) to come on, without orders ; the Praklang had 

 immediately dispatched an order that he should be forward- 

 ed forthwith. I doubt there is little chance of their arrival 

 here in less than a week. 



February 16th. — Benedito visited me to-day to make arrange- 

 ments for the audience. Mr. Hunter had, however, settled 

 all these matters with the Praklang. In the evening I heard 

 prince Chow-fa, who will probably succeed to the throne, was 

 going on board the whale ship Hamilton, and as I knew he 

 wished to see me, but did not wish openly to come here till 

 after the audience, I went on board just before dark, and 

 soon after it was dark he came on board. He was in a small 

 boat, and only four or five men with him, dressed, as all 

 ranks usually are, with a cloth and crape scarf round his 

 loins ; he is a stout dark man, about 30, with a good tempered 

 appearance, of which he has the character, laughs heartily, and 

 speaks English with very tolerable proficiency ; he is intimate 

 with Captain Browne and Mr. Hunter ; shook hands with me on 

 coming on board, and said, " oh, oh, I should not have seen you, 

 till you had seen the king". I told him I had heard much of 

 him, and was very anxious to see him, but this meeting was of 

 course quite accidental. He remained about an hour talking 

 familiarly with us all ; he expressed a wish to see the map I had of 

 Ava, and the North of Siam, and talked of my route and observa- 

 tions. He is himself an excellent observer, and much attached to 

 the English and English manners and habits. 



February YJth.— This being the day appointed for my audi- 

 ence with his Majesty, about half-past nine, Benedito, who was 

 to accompany us from the house, reported the boats ready to 

 take us over the river, and at 10, we started ; Mr. Hunter and 

 myself in one boat, such as is used by the ministers ; Captain 

 Browne, of the whale ship Hamilton, Mr. Smith, and Mr. 

 Hayes, gentlemen belonging to Mr. Hunter's establishment, and 

 an officer of Captain Browne's ship in a second boat, like a Bur- 

 man poung; and my followers in a third. In a few minutes 

 we crossed the river, and passing up beyond the landing place 

 used by the king, landed near some large sheds, where we found 

 Piadadie, and several other native Christians, officers of the 



