424 
JOURNAL OF AN EMBASSY 
our escape from Ava, along with the Bengal Se¬ 
poy prisoners, who were lately liberated. I de¬ 
sire to return to my native country, provided I 
can effect the release of my relatives and friends, 
who are in captivity.” 
Among the Burmese, all prisoners of war, 
whose lives are spared, are condemned to slave¬ 
ry, and generally given by the King as presents 
to the principal officers of Government. As 
their fidelity cannot be relied upon,—as they 
frequently make attempts to escape, and as too 
many are generally brought at once into the 
market, the value set upon them is very trifling. 
An old Siamese woman, who was taken prisoner 
in her youth, in one of the incursions into Siam, 
and whose prime cost was a flask of spirits, was 
pointed out to me at Rangoon. She was sold a 
second time, I was told, at the enhanced price 
of five ticals, or 1 2s. 6d .!! 
Nov. 19.—A person waited upon me, in the 
course of the afternoon, in behalf of the Atwen- 
wuns, to say that they could not, according to 
their promise, give me a final answer to-day, as 
neither they nor any of the other public officers 
had been able to get a sight of the King for five 
days. They would come, however, they said, 
if I wished it, lest I might charge them with 
breach of engagement, or, as they styled it, Half- 
