532 
JOURNAL OF AN EMBASSY 
seen, having the trunk, head, and part of the 
neck of a white flesh colour, and in other re¬ 
spects altogether perfect, was brought up close 
to the shed under which we were sitting, and 
he mounted it with great agility, placed him¬ 
self upon the neck of the animal, took the hook 
in his hand, and seemed to be perfectly at home 
in this employment. We afterwards saw the 
Heir-apparent, a child of thirteen years of age, 
guiding his elephant in the same way. This 
practice is, I believe, peculiar to the Burmans ; 
for, in Western India, at least, no person of 
condition ever condescends to guide his own 
elephant. There is at least some manliness in 
the custom ; and I should not be surprised to 
And that the neck of the elephant would be 
found, on experience, the most agreeable and 
easy seat to the rider. After the King’s de¬ 
parture we repaired to a shed, where dinner was 
prepared for us, as yesterday. At this enter¬ 
tainment we had walnuts and chesnuts, just ar¬ 
rived from China ; and some very good oranges, 
from Lao. This last fruit does not grow well 
at Ava; and among the Burmans, what is not 
good almost spontaneously, is not likely to be¬ 
come so through their care or skill. The ju¬ 
nior Atwenwun of the two negotiators did the 
honours of the feast, and, with three or four 
