134 
JOURNAL OF AN EMBASSY 
particular aversion to cruelty. If blood be drawn 
in inflicting punishment, the master is liable to 
fine or other penalty according to circumstances ; 
but the debt is not considered as cancelled. If the 
bond-debtor be a female, and the debt equal or 
exceed twenty-five ticals, the master is considered 
to have a right to use her as a concubine. If it 
be under the amount now specified, and the master 
forcibly cohabit with her, the debt is considered 
as cancelled. If the female bonds-worn an bear 
her master a male child, she is entitled to her 
freedom, or, what is the same thing, the debt 
is considered as cancelled. Slave debtors may be 
sold from one master to another, without their 
consent, or, in other words, the mortgage is trans¬ 
ferable like any other property. The original 
debt once liquidated, the slave-debtor is consi¬ 
dered a freeman, and the rights of the master 
cease. 
The hereditary class of slaves consists generally 
of prisoners of war, either presented to the captors 
by royal authority, or purchased in the market 
when they are disposed of, commonly at very tri¬ 
fling prices, by public sale. From all I could un¬ 
derstand, the number of these is very trifling, as 
it seems to be the practice to convert them into 
bond-debtors. Even when they ransom them¬ 
selves, however, they are considered to be Bur- 
man subjects, and consequently prohibited from 
leaving the country. At present a large propor- 
