TO THE COURT OF AVA. 
11 
General, we weighed anchor and began to drop 
down, taking our final leave of Ava. Owing to 
the intricacy of the passage, and the shallowness 
of the river, we did not get above six or seven 
miles below the town, where we anchored for the 
night. 
Dec. 15.—On the morning of the 13th we 
passed Kyaok-ta-long, which is the great police 
station in going to and coming from Ava,—a 
place which, in consequence of the vexations and 
impositions practised by the public officers, is held 
in dread by merchants and travellers. Thus far 
we were accompanied by a Than-d’hau-gan, the 
same individual who had met us in going up. 
He was relieved by the old Governor of Bassein, 
who had been again appointed to conduct the 
Mission. In consideration of these services, he 
was appointed, while at Ava, one of the Rewuns 
of Rangoon; but declined the office, in expecta¬ 
tion of the government of Dalla, or of some other 
superior appointment. 
Dec . 16.—The very difficult and intricate na¬ 
vigation between Kyaok-ta-long and Yandabo de¬ 
tained us until this day, when at half-past three 
o’clock we passed the latter place, and at four the 
junction of the Ky end wen and the Irawadi: the 
former appeared now a petty stream not ex¬ 
ceeding two hundred yards in breadth, and the 
latter had diminished to a quarter of a mile: 
after their union, however, they expand to about 
