TO THE COURT OF AYA. 
52 9 
chair. Our reception was not formal, but very 
polite. We were seated immediately in front 
of him, at no great distance. He asked Dr. 
Wallich how he liked his visit to the moun¬ 
tains, what new plants he had collected there, 
and what was the nature of his employment in 
Bengal. He made inquiry respecting my visit 
to Siam, and its object. The answer was, that 
I had gone there to form a commercial arrange¬ 
ment, as here; and to negotiate for the resto¬ 
ration to his country of a Malay prince, called 
the King of Queda. The Burman courtiers did 
not at first understand who this King of Queda 
was, but recognised him at length under the 
appellation of Prince of Gita. It was possible 
that their information respecting him was better 
than they pretended; for the Court of Ava, in 
1823, had carried on an intrigue with this chief, 
with the view of supplanting the Siamese in the 
supremacy which the latter had long exercised 
over his country. The King observed, that he 
understood that our departure was fixed for to¬ 
morrow ; and caused it to be explained to us, 
that it would be agreeable to him if we put it 
off for a day or two. 
It was now signified to us that the elephant 
combats were about to commence, and we took 
leave with a respectful bow. Dr. Wallich, upon 
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