TO THE COURT OF AVA. 
139 
tauk. The last syllable of this word means lite¬ 
rally a “prop.” The Wun-dauks, although they 
sit in council, do not deliberate or vote. What¬ 
ever business they transact is in the name of their 
superiors, but in this capacity they do a great deal. 
The Wun-dauks have their assistants, called Sare- 
d’hau-gyi, literally “ great royal scribes.” They 
are from eight to ten in number. These are, in 
fact, the secretaries of the Lut-d’hau, and their bu¬ 
siness is to record its proceedings. 
The second council, like the first, consists gene¬ 
rally of four officers. The title of these is Atwen- 
wun, or more correctly Atweng-wun. The last 
syllable of this word is already explained: the 
other means inside, or interior. These officers con¬ 
stitute the private advisers of the King. What¬ 
ever emanates directly from the King is first dis¬ 
cussed in the privy council, and then transmitted 
to the Lut-d’hau. It deliberates and votes on the 
same principle as the superior council, and, like 
the latter, its members, both collectively and indi¬ 
vidually, exercise judicial functions. From the 
frequent access of the Atwen-wuns to the King’s 
person, it often happens that they possess more 
real power than the Wun-gyis themselves. It is 
still a disputed point at the Court of Ava, whether 
the rank of Atwen-wun or Wun-dauk be the 
highest. 
Attached to the privy council are secretaries, 
commonly thirty in number. These are named 
