TO THE COURT OF AYA. 23 
about the appointment of resident ambassadors, 
as provided for in the treaty of peace, alleging 
the great distance of England from their coun¬ 
try ! It was necessary to remind them, in lan¬ 
guage not to be misunderstood, that Calcutta, 
and not London, was to be the place of resi¬ 
dence Of the Burman Ambassador. 
In my first interview with the Siamese Mi¬ 
nister, on my mission to that country in 1822, 
the servile demeanour of his officers and fol¬ 
lowers towards him, forcibly struck my com¬ 
panions and myself as highly offensive. In the 
demeanour of his officers and retainers towards 
the Wungyi, upon the present occasion, there 
was in comparison very little to offend. The 
former sat on chairs, and, in the discussion 
which ensued, offered their opinions with per¬ 
fect freedom ; and the latter were seated on the 
floor, in the usual Oriental posture, without ex¬ 
hibiting any constraint or embarrassment. The 
only exception to this was, the person charged 
with his Excellency’s spit-box, and who, pros¬ 
trate in the Siamese fashion, held the precious 
utensil over his head, without venturing to 
look upwards. 
Among the crowd of inferior officers and 
dependents seated on the ground, some of our 
party, who had known him well during the 
