1837.] Journal of an expedition from Moulmien to Ava. 1017 



the Maulmain market, and if a favourable report was made we might 

 expect to see more of them next year. On the 25th I was sent for 

 by the Tseet-kay to the youm where I found all the officers assembled. 

 Dispatches had been received from Ava containing amongst other 

 things my leave to proceed, orders that I should be treated with atten- 

 tion : a suitable uuard given for my protection should 1 wish to go 

 on in the present unsettled state of the country, and 1 believe orders 

 also, that I should be allowed to visit theTso-boa. I received letters 

 from Col. Burn icy giving an account of the dreadfully disturbed state 

 of the country, and stating that if the present king should surround 

 Ava, which was more than probable, he should be obliged to remove 

 the residency to Rangoon ; under these circumstances he left it to my 

 own discretion whether I would come on or return by the way I came. 

 Next morning I called on the Tseet-kay and intimated my determination 

 to proceed, leaving the merchants, whose property would have ensured 

 our being plundered, to his care ; he told me the Shan countries through 

 which my march lay till within four or five days of Ava, were still quiet* 

 but that below the pass I should find every village a nest of robbers, 

 and the road very unsafe. He promised to furnish me with a guard 

 of 20 or 30 men, and some coolies to assist my own to enable us to 

 proceed with greater dispatch, but strongly advised me to return by 

 the way I had come. As I had however determined to proceed, he 

 begged me to put off my departure for a few days ; that the party with 

 the tribute from Meng-len-gyee had crossed the Thalween and were 

 daily expected, and on their arrival I could go in company with them 

 and the Kiang-tung people, who only waited for them ; our party would 

 then amount to three or four hundred men, the guard with which ad- 

 ded to mine would ensure our safety. In the meantime it was deter- 

 mined I should call on the Tso-boa on the following morning, which I 

 did in company with Meng-nay-myo. His palace which is within a 

 wooden sort of stockade, is of considerable size with a gilt spire of 

 five roofs, surmounted by a " Tee" or umbrella, as in the palace at 

 Ava. The audience hall is large and splendidly gilded about the 

 throne, on which were placed the " Meng-hmeauk-ia ra-nga-bah" (five 

 ensigns of royalty), and on each side a white umbrella. He was seated 

 at the edge of the raised floor on which it stands ; his son and son-in- 

 law were seated on each side a little in front, and below ; I had a seat 

 placed between them. The officers and people about were seated 

 behind me on the floor ; my reception was most kind and friendly — he 

 expressed his happiness at my visit and his wish to encourage inter- 

 course, but was so perfectly dependent on Ava that he could only act 



