1839] Mission to the Court of Siam. 1025 



a bundle over their shoulders, which gave an exceedingly picturesque 

 effect to the whole little encampment. It is now impossible to send 

 back for the carpet, and should the wild elephants come upon it in the 

 night they will certainly tear it to pieces, our lost elephant will also 

 have an opportunity, and as I believe he has not been in bondage 

 above eight or nine months, he will probably be admitted into the 

 herd, and having nothing to distinguish him but his belt, (should that 

 fortunately not be torn off in his rushing through the jungle,) I fear 

 we have not much chance of recovering him. I shall however halt 

 here to-morrow, send one of the horses for rice to the Siamese Kareen 

 village of Kenk-khaung, and all the elephants after the fugitive one. 

 The path to-day has generally been good and level, through a high 

 tree jungle, and occasionally in a ravine, always with high hills at a 

 short distance, and our course more direct than on any previous day. 



January 5th. — Halt on the Thaung-kala. About 4 p. m., the party 

 sent for rice returned with a most welcome supply of two baskets, 

 enough for two meals for the whole party ; the Siamese interpreter to 

 whom the money was entrusted, after a vain attempt to get the 

 others to join him in withholding it from the villagers, separated 

 from them and has not yet returned ; the head mahout who was of the 

 party, bought the small supply we have obtained with his own money, 

 and the Tsokay of the village promised to bring us an elephant load 

 to-morrow; he told the mahout the king would punish him if he 

 received payment for the rice, but he would take what I chose to 

 give him as hire for his elephant. I had already despatched two 

 elephants for the load of the fugitive one, and immediately the rice 

 arrived I sent the three others with the head mahout and a supply 

 of rice for three days to look after him, with directions to return in 

 that time, whether they recovered him or not. 



January 6th. — Halt at Thaung-kala. About half-past 4 the Sia- 

 mese interpreter returned with the Tsokay of Thaung-kala, who ac- 

 cording to his promise to my people yesterday, brought me three baskets 

 of rice, some salt and chillies ; he received one rupee for the rice, and 

 I gave him and the chief person who accompanied him two cotton 

 handkerchiefs each, with which they were very well pleased; he had 

 accompanied some Siamese officers with a letter to Maulmain some 

 time ago, and professed to recognize me, I believe however I was in 

 Calcutta at the time he refers to. I had just given up hopes of him, 

 and supposed the interpreter, from what I had been told yesterday by 

 the people who accompanied him, had very probably gone off to Tahine, 

 where he has a wife and children, especially as he had received an 



