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



expiation, but certainly did not render them criminals for life; 

 their case was, I believed, very different from the Thugs, who, 

 for murder of the most cold-blooded character, were condemned 

 to imprisonment for life. The subject was then dropped. I in- 

 troduced that of the Chinese caravan, and requested him to give 

 orders to the Zimmay chief not to prevent them from coming on 

 to Maulmain; he said he had sent for the Zimmay Chow-Hona, 

 and in presence of Mr. Hunter had given him positive instruc- 

 tions on that head, and he had assured him, the Chinese had never 

 been interfered with, but that finding the market at Maulmain 

 did not suit their goods, had, of their own accord, declined 

 going there. I mentioned the facts of the case, which were, 

 that the Chinese from the first had expressed an earnest wish 

 to trade directly with us, and in spite of the lateness of the 

 season, several of them had come to Maulmain, (sent by the 

 head man of the caravan) after my first meeting them in Laos, 

 and so satisfied were they with the market, that a large party had 

 last year come to Zimmay, where they had been prevented pro- 

 ceeding by the Chow-Hona of that place; many of the goods in- 

 tended for Maulmain not suiting the Laos market, they were 

 obliged to take back with them, or dispose of at a considerable loss. 



It was now half-past eleven, and the old gentleman intimated 

 that it was time to go to the palace. I pressed him to settle 

 these matters as soon as possible, as the season was wearing 

 away, and I wished to start for Laos in a few days; he said I should 

 go any way I pleased; if I wanted boats, he would furnish them ; 

 if I wanted to go by land, I could do so ; and that I should not 

 be detained longer than necessary. The old gentleman was ex- 

 ceedingly affable, friendly, and good tempered throughout the 

 whole discussion. We took our leave, and he immediately got 

 into his boat to go to the palace. 



February 28th, — In the morning I went to the camp (so 

 called) of the native Christians, who live about a mile above 

 the town. In going there, we went down the river a few 

 hundred yards, and entered a small branch which forms the 

 island on which the town is built; it is not more than per- 

 haps 120 feet wide, houses are built close down to the water 

 on both banks, and the stream, except in the centre, crowded 



