TO THE COURT OF AVA. 525 
of justice. A few years ago, the head man of 
one of the King’s barges was plundered, at one 
of the elephant exhibitions, of some money 
which he had about his person. The thief 
was detected and apprehended on the spot, 
brought before the King, and ordered to have 
his head immediately struck off. The Myolat- 
wun, the foster-father of the young Princess, 
had the boldness to order the execution to 
be stayed; and to represent to his Majesty, 
that the culprit was justifiable by immemorial 
usage. The King attended to the argument, 
and he was pardoned. 
A regular dinner, in the European fashion, 
was prepared for us under a shed. We did 
not return home until about sunset, and of 
course much fatigued from the disagreeable 
attitude in which we were obliged to sit dur¬ 
ing the greatest part of the time. 
As we sat in our tent, the royal procession 
passed close by us, and our conductors threw 
up the screen to give us a full view of it. The 
King was mounted on his favourite elephant, on 
a small box, or Howdah. The white elephant 
which he never rides, went before him. His 
escort consisted of several hundred musqueteers 
and spearmen mixed, in the full military cos¬ 
tume of the Burmans. This consists of a jacket, 
