194 
JOURNAL OF AN EMBASSY 
river. The escort and our servants were very 
comfortably provided for in other covered boats. 
The King and Queen had already arrived, and 
were in a large barge at the east bank of the 
river. This vessel, the form of which repre¬ 
sented two huge fishes, was extremely splendid : 
every part of it was richly gilt, and a spire of at 
least thirty feet high, resembling in miniature 
that of the palace, rose in the middle. The 
King and Queen sat under a green canopy at 
the bow of the vessel, which, according to Bur- 
man notions, is the place of honour; indeed, the 
only part ever occupied by persons of rank. 
The situation of their Majesties could be dis¬ 
tinguished by the white umbrellas, which are 
the appropriate marks of royalty. The King, 
whose habits are volatile and restless, often walk¬ 
ed up and down, and was easily known from the 
crowd of his courtiers, by his being the only per¬ 
son in an erect position, the multitude sitting, 
crouching, or crawling, all round him. Near the 
King’s barge were a number of gold boats, and 
the side of the river, in this quarter, was lined 
with those of the nobility, decked with gay ban¬ 
ners, each having its little band of music, and 
some dancers exhibiting occasionally on their 
benches. Shortly after our arrival, nine gilt war- 
boats were ordered to manoeuvre before us. The 
