182 
JOURNAL OF AN EMBASSY 
of our arrival, and selected by themselves for 
that purpose. Upon this point the Burmans are 
punctilious to an absurd and very troublesome 
degree. No chief will enter the house of an in¬ 
ferior, or even of an equal; for to do so, either 
implies a derogation of dignity, or an extraor¬ 
dinary condescension. The King never enters 
the house of a subject, not even of his bro¬ 
thers ; although with the latter he is familiar, 
and will often be seen walking arm-in-arm in 
the courts before their dwellings. A Wungyi 
never enters the house of an Atwen-wun or 
Wundauk, the next persons in rank to him, and 
so on in succession. We conformed to this 
prejudice, and accordingly made difficulties 
about meeting the Burman Commissioners un¬ 
der the shed where they wished to hold the con¬ 
ference. I insisted that they should come over 
to receive us, which they readily complied 
with; and meeting us half-way from the house, 
they conducted us to the shed, where we were 
all seated upon chairs, and the conference com¬ 
menced. The principal Burman officers, seven 
in number, were habited in their dresses of cere¬ 
mony, and wore their chains, and other badges 
of nobility. Their dress consisted of a crimson 
velvet cloak, with loose sleeves, having abund¬ 
ance of gold lace, and of caps of the same fabric 
