246 Mission to the Court of Siam, [No. 99. 



from the chief of Bengal, and was proceeding to Yahine, 

 Zimmay, Lagon, and Lebong, and ordering all the different 

 chiefs of towns to pay us attention, and supply us with all ne- 

 cessaries. I conceive it might be turned into a sort of roving 

 commission, as the Praklang told me when inquiring about 

 the road, that he knew nothing about it, he had never been 

 there, so no particular chiefs are mentioned, but to all we may 

 fall in with. The person who is appointed to go with me to 

 Nak-outcha-thee came this evening, and told me it would be ne- 

 cessary for him at this season (new year) to renew his oath of 

 allegiance, so that I fear I shall not be able to get away to- 

 morrow. 



March 18th. — The Praklang returned last night from Pack- 

 nam where he had been to see his brother and his fleet off, 

 and as the detention of the people to swear allegiance to-day 

 had detained me, I sent the port captain to him to say I 

 wished to see him to take leave this evening, as I intended to 

 start early in the morning ; he excused himself (as I expected) 

 on the plea of indisposition, but wished me a pleasant journey, 

 &c. In compliance with the Praklang's instructions, Pia-pi- 

 pat and Pia-Taip on the evening of the 14th sent for the 

 Jaung-Kieuk and his wife to the Praklang's hall of justice, 

 to determine whether, and on what terms, she would be allowed 

 to accompany him. It is one of the highest courts of law in 

 the kingdom, and I thought it too good an opportunity to wit- 

 ness a trial to be missed, and went down to the hall privately ; 

 the judge, Pia-pi-pat, gave me a seat on the bench, that 

 is, on the floor beside him ; plaintiff and defendant set them- 

 selves down before us, without regard to any particular arrange- 

 ment, one or two other low officers were seated near the 

 litigants, and several other people lolling about the floor near 

 us. The place was the passage up to the Praklang's house, 

 and looked like any thing, according to our notions, but a 

 hall of justice. All the people spoke at once, some laughing 

 and joking in the middle of the proceedings. The deci- 

 sion was, that the woman should go as a matter of favour, 

 but that she must pay 755 ticals debts due, and 319 ticals 

 lawyers' fees. On some old law pleas this last sum, however, 



