Cox's Eurmkan Empire. 
Aiam-praw to the throne. It is true 
he is now unfit for the station, but his 
age, and his merits, certainly entitle 
him to an honourable tranquillity. 
A ROYAL VICTIM. 
August IS. Last night a rich Burrn- 
han was beheaded by order of his ma¬ 
jesty, his body exposed, and his pro¬ 
perty confiscated. A party of Chinese, 
with presents from a frontier province, 
have arrived, and the sheradoghee, who 
came up the river with me, and was 
sent on an embassy to China in April 
last, has returned with them. It ap¬ 
pears, or rather, it is said, he was pre¬ 
vented proceeding by some insurrection 
in China. 
August 20. In the morning I sent my 
interpreter to make a last effort with 
the attawhoon of the palace, to deliver 
a letter from me to his majesty; but 
both of those he saw positively refused, 
saying, that they dared not. One of 
them said his majesty’s sword [is too 
sharp; you see a rich man was be¬ 
headed but yesterday without com¬ 
mitting any fault. He then stated his 
case ; the unfortunate man had been 
renter of a considerable district, and 
amassed wealth by oppression; com¬ 
plaints were lodged, he was tried, 
found guilty; mulcted, and declared 
incapable of serving his majesty, who 
ordered him to retire from court, and 
never appear before him again. Un¬ 
fortunately for him his ambition would 
not permit him to lemain quiet in ob¬ 
scurity ; his wealth enabled him to find 
patrons, and through them he twice 
petitioned his majesty for permission 
to reside at the capital, and be enrolled 
as one of his merchants ; these petitions 
were rejected. He, notwithstanding, 
persevered to a third attempt, and to 
ensure success offered a considerable 
bribe to one of his majesty’s favourite 
daughters to present it, which she un¬ 
dertook. The king, on receiving the 
petition, was extremely enraged, and 
exclaimed, I have repeatedly ordered 
th is villain not to presume to approach 
me; let him be immediately appre¬ 
hended and confined. This order was 
given at four o’clock in the evening, 
and immediately executed. The man, 
too late dreading the effects of his ma¬ 
jesty’s wrath, immediately began to 
scatter his wealth among the royal fa¬ 
mily ; money and jewels were sent to 
all such as were supposed to have in¬ 
fluence ; the bribes were received, and 
he was told not to suffer any apprehen¬ 
sion ; however, at seven the same 
591 
evening his majesty ordered that he 
should be beheaded, and his property 
confiscated. The sentence was imme¬ 
diately carried into execution, and the 
myrmidons of the palace took posses¬ 
sion of his property. His body is ex¬ 
posed above ground, pinned to the 
earth, where it is to rot; the king’s 
doctor cut off the tip of his nose, ears, 
lips, tongue, and fingers, which, with 
some of his blood, is to form a com¬ 
pound in some medicine of wonderful 
efficacy in ensuring longevity, and pros¬ 
perity to those who are so happy as to 
obtain a portion of it from his majesty’s 
bounty. This is one of the palace nos¬ 
trums, of which there are many others 
equally mystic in the preparation, and 
wonderful in the operation; these his 
majesty occasionally dispenses to the 
credulous multitude. The fall of a 
rich man proves a source of revenue 
beyond the amount of his immediate 
assets. His books are carefully exa¬ 
mined, and all whose names are there 
entered, whether the account has been 
settled or not, are sued for the full 
amount of the entry, and are obliged 
to pay the demand, without daring to 
demur or question the legality of the 
action ; and names are often inserted 
on the occasion.* My cash-keeper is 
among the sufferers on this ; his name 
is down for 600 ticals, which he so¬ 
lemnly declares he paid near two years 
ago ; and many other merchants in 
town have been charged in sums pro¬ 
portioned fo their supposed fortunes. 
Exclusive of these mulcts, the defunct 
was found possessed of cash to the 
amount of 40,000 ticals ; and jewels 
and merchandize amounting teas much 
more. The principal part of this sum 
the king, it is said, has given to his 
favourite grandson. 
A CONSPIRACY DETECTED. 
September 5. A conspiracy, in which 
the mhee whoonghee and his sons are 
deeply implicated, has just been dis¬ 
covered by the confession of one of 
the conspirators: their plan of opera¬ 
tion was, that when he had marched 
with the army to the hills, about a 
day’s march, he was to make a signal, 
and then the conspirators in the fort, 
&c. were to arm themselves and fol¬ 
lowers from his magazine, and set fire 
to the city in various quarters. This 
was to be a signal for him to return 
and complete the business. This con- 
* Something analogous to extents in aid 
in the revenue laws of England, 
fession 
