1840.] Mission to the Court of Siam. 247 



she was told should be remitted, but the form of a reference to 

 the Praklang must be gone through ; and this evening I told 

 Piadadie to ask him to give an order on the subject. 



March \9th. — Left Bankok at noon, and in fifteen minutes 

 (against the tide) entered the creek just below Chow-fa's 

 palace, which communicates with the Soop-Ham river; and in 

 ten minutes reached the landing place on the left side of the 

 creek, where the road to the town of Nak-outcha-thee com- 

 mences. Here one boat being much crowded, I landed fourteen 

 of the people, with a pass from a writer in the department who 

 accompanied us, to proceed thither by land. At 2 p. m. the 

 tide set so strong down the stream, that we were oblige to halt 

 till 5 p.m., when we started again, and at seven were overtaken 

 by a boat with a present of dried fruit and pickles from his 

 Majesty ; after taking which on board, we pulled on for the 

 greater part of the night. 



March 20th. — At 6 a.m. reached the new fort and town of 

 Moung-tat-chin, where we breakfasted. The Myo-won, a very 

 intelligent person, came to the zeat after breakfast, and express- 

 ed much interest about our present position with the Birmans. 

 We left Tat-chin at 10 a.m., but were obliged to come to a halt at 

 eleven, from the strength of the tide. At 3 p.m. the tide being 

 nearly done, and having little but the force of the stream to con- 

 tend against, we started again, and at 4 passed the branch of 

 the river which running westerly communicates with the May- 

 klong. On the angle of the right side of the bifurcation stands 

 the old town of Tat-chin, even now a very long village, contain- 

 ing four or five hundred houses in a row, two or three deep, 

 along the bank of the main river, and this branch. At8h. 20m. 

 entered, on the left side of the river a small creek, which 

 cuts off an angle of it, so narrow that at one or two turns 

 we had some difficulty in getting the long boat round. There 

 were two or three small villages on its banks, and a few cane 

 fields, but, generally the banks were low, and covered with 

 dunie or nipa. From this, at 11 p.m., we again entered the 

 main river, and pulled on for a great part of the night. 



March 21s/. — Start at 5 a.m., and at ten halt an hour for 

 breakfast, (myself and people having had no dinner yesterday,) 



