482 
JOURNAL OF AN EMBASSY 
through the suburb to the Aracan temple, we 
called at the house of an Armenian, to see some 
rubies and sapphires which he had for sale. He 
produced a few small ones, which we purchas¬ 
ed ; and told us in confidence, in the Hindus¬ 
tani language, that, for fear of the Government, 
he dared not produce some large and valuable 
ones which he had, but which he would offer to 
us at Rangoon, to which place he was proceed¬ 
ing in a few days. Any ruby worth more than 
five viss of silver, or five hundred ticals, is con¬ 
sidered the property of the King; and to be 
possessed of it, or to expose it, is deemed a 
fraud punishable by fine and confiscation. 
The lady of Dr. Price, who, as I observed in 
a former place, was a Burmese, died on the 
27th, of an attack of cholera morbus, which 
was at present prevalent in Ava, but generally 
not fatal. In her case, the complaint was aggra¬ 
vated by her pregnancy. The disease brought 
on premature labour, and she sunk in a few 
hours. Although a convert to Christianity, 
the funeral ceremony was according to Burman 
rites, excepting that the body was interred 
instead of being burnt. The King, as a mark 
of attention to Dr. Price, whom he considered 
as his servant and subject, ordered that the 
funeral should be public, and directed some 
