TO THE COURT OF AVA. 
201 
commander of the army during the greater part 
of the war, and the latter the well-known ne¬ 
gotiator of the abortive Treaty of Patanago. 
He returned in about two hours, and said that 
he was requested to state, that in consequence 
of his Majesty having directed an exhibition of 
fireworks on Monday, for which due prepara¬ 
tion would be requisite, it would be necessary 
to postpone the appointed meetings of the 15th 
and 16th, to discuss the Commercial Treaty. 
It had been agreed upon at an early period, after 
the Supreme Government had resolved upon 
sending an embassy to Ava, that the Mission, 
during its stay at the Burman capital, should 
occupy the house of JDr. Price, which is on the 
Sagaing side of the river, opposite to the palace; 
and, with the view of preparing it, this gentle¬ 
man had received from the British Commis¬ 
sioners at Rangoon an advance of one thousand 
rupees. We had signified our wish to take pos¬ 
session after our introduction, and no objections 
had been offered. We were now, however, in¬ 
formed by Dr. Price, that the Wungyis object¬ 
ed to the house at Sagaing, on the cogent ground 
that it was more elevated than the King’s barge, 
as it lay in the river, and that such a spectacle 
would not become the King’s dignity. I begged 
Dr. Price to state to the Wungyis, that his mes- 
