162 Autobiography of Tsura Moung-Bo, [April 



goon about sunset and delivered his packet to the Gai- 

 wons excusing himself from attending, on account of not 

 having had his dinner. The packet was broken open and 

 by the light of a solitary wax candle the four Gai-wons each, 

 chose one of the eight papers which the packet contained 

 ' — Tsikkai Moungno took one, Gnakan Moungbai took ano- 

 ther. Tsaraighee Moungshoe took a third. I was all this 

 time close to the upper stage of the Goum where the officers 

 of government were collected. They commenced reading 

 to themselves the contents of the papers by this solitary 

 light, and every now and then I could observe they shook 

 their heads. At last Gai-won Moung Bo said " it is not 

 a subject to be kept secret, every body should know it.'^ 

 The Gountsarai was called and the document read aloud. 

 It turned out to be a proclamation from Major Canning. 

 Messrs. Turner, Wade, Sarkis and Aratoon, besides many 

 other merchants were sent for, and asked their opinion as 

 to the expected result of the proclamation. They, most of 

 them said that the vessels were not come with any hostile 

 purpose but merely to negotiate on the subject of Bundoola 

 having committed aggressions on the Chittagong fron- 

 tier. 



The Gai-wons would not believe this and had all the 

 kulas+ imprisoned in the Goum. 



There was an immense crowd round the Goum. None 

 of the people would believe that 40 or 50 vessels had arriv- 

 ed for the purpose of negotiation, and expressed their opi- 

 nion to that effect loudly. The Gai-wons immediately set 

 about to call on the different Thooghees and Gaons of dis- 

 tricts to furnish their quota of men ; tied many of them up, 

 and used threats. I was employed the whole night with 

 the men under me throwing up a parapet; the next day 

 about one o'clock the ships came up the river, and then 

 commenced the cannonade on the town, at which all the 

 chiefs and their people fled from the place. I also went 

 off to Pusandown where my house was. There I advised 

 my friends to betake themselves to their boats, and fly up 

 the river which they did. I remained in my house to look 

 after my property. I had a quantity of beetle, nut, oil, to- 



Foreigners. 



