TO THE COURT OF AYA. 
141 
to this Hindoo colony, I may notice that there 
are five or six villages of Catholic Christians 
under a pastor, who was called to us Don Joseph, 
and who is an European Italian. These Chris¬ 
tians were carried off by Alompra, when he took 
Syrian in the year 1757. He placed them here, 
where they have continued ever since, dressing 
in the Burman costume, and chiefly occupied in 
cultivating the soil. 
Having put the steam-vessel in such order as 
to make a respectable appearance on our arrival 
at the capital, we quitted Kyauk-ta-long at half¬ 
past ten o’clock this morning. The officers of 
the Burman deputation showed the utmost anx¬ 
iety to detain us until an answer should be re¬ 
ceived to their dispatch, and farther instructions 
obtained from the Court. I wished to show 
them that the Mission came as a matter of right, 
in virtue of the treaty, and that no order could 
be expected but one inviting us to proceed, 
which we should certainly meet on our way. 
After we had proceeded a few miles, the expect¬ 
ed instructions met us. The following is a trans¬ 
lation of the written order, which shows the 
minute attention paid by the Burman Court 
to the trifles of etiquette:—“ Men-ten-si-thu, 
Royal Secretary, &c. It is necessary that the 
Chiefs and Officers who have arrived at Kyauk- 
