48 
JOURNAL OF AN EMBASSY 
the escort, our followers, and baggage to the new 
settlement of Amherst, on the river of Martaban. 
For this purpose I was obliged to take up the 
Bombay Merchant, an English ship of above 500 
tons burthen. We were in readiness to-day, and 
left Rangoon about half-past eleven o’clock. 
I had recommended to Lieutenant Rawlinson 
to continue at his post until he heard farther 
from Sir Archibald Campbell; being convinced, 
from what I had seen and heard, that such a step 
was necessary for the protection of the persons of 
the British merchants at Rangoon, and the large 
property in their warehouses. I had explained 
this to the Wungyi in the interview which 1 had 
with him. He seemed, however, not to be satis¬ 
fied with what I then stated ; and j ust as we were 
weighing, a message came from him to ask what 
object we had in view by leaving Lieutenant Raw¬ 
linson at Rangoon. I stated shortly, that such a 
measure was considered necessary in the present 
state of the country, and that by treaty we had 
a right to maintain an agent in the kingdom. 
From the time of our arrival to our departure, 
a period of six days, no action was fought be¬ 
tween the hostile parties; and but for the occasional 
report of a gun or musquet, and the desolate ap¬ 
pearance of the neighbourhood of Rangoon, it 
might be supposed that the country was in a state 
of perfect peace. Last evening, however, we saw a 
great number of Talain boats moving up the right 
