22 
JOURNAL OF AN EMBASSY 
wives of his Excellency. His principal wife 
had remained with his children at Ava, as a 
pledge, according to custom, for his loyalty. 
Our conversation was of a very general nature, 
and chiefly consisted, on the part of the 
Wungyi, in attempts to persuade us to remain 
at Henzada, until express leave was received 
from the Court for our proceeding. The first 
question put by him, after we were seated, was 
an inquiry after the health of His Majesty the 
King of England,—no mention being then, or 
afterwards, made of the Governor-General, who 
had sent the Mission. This little circumstance 
evinced sentiments in the Burman Government, 
notwithstanding their defeats and humiliations, 
exactly corresponding with what I had expe¬ 
rienced on the part of the Siamese and Cochin 
Chinese Governments. These half-civilized na¬ 
tions, notwithstanding their knowledge of the 
power of our Eastern empire, feel the utmost 
repugnance to placing themselves on a level 
with a mere viceroy. In the discussions which 
took place under the British cannon at Yan- 
dabo, within forty miles of the capital, and 
when the Government of Ava was humiliated 
to the last degree, the Burman Commissioners, 
feigning to forget that they were negociating 
with the Indian Government, made difficulties 
