a T y p h o o n on h e r way to China. T h e commander requested
permission to repair the ship and to be exempted
from th e usual charges and duties. T h e last p a rt o f the
reque st could not be g ran ted , and therefore th e commander
resolved to take h er to Singapore to repa ir h e r there. Anoth
e r vessel arrived a t the same place from E n g lan d , and last
from H u é : th is b ro u g h t several th ousand muskets, which
the K in g would not purchase because th ey were considered
o f inferior q u a lity to the muskets imported by the F ren ch .*
T h e commander b ro u g h t a le tte r from Mr. Crawfurd, the
new Resident a t Singapore, and was very well received b y
his Excellency th e Governor. T h e only news he b ro u g h t
was the d eath o f Castlereagh, the P rim e Minister of E n g land.
T h e members o f the Mission were not p e rm itted to
see th e E n g lish commander, and were now as closely watched
as i f th ey were confined in a gaol.
B y this opportunity the Mission transmitted, through
Captain Burney at Prince of Wales’s Island, a dispatch to
the Government of Ava. One of the French gentlemen
undertook to deliver it to the English commander.
Oct, 31.— T h e long expected arrival o f th e new Governor
was to-day announced to the Mission. H is jo u rn ey
from H u é took only nine days. H is retinue an d escort
consisted o f six hu n d red persons ; many o f whom dropped
behind, from th e expedition with which he travelled.
T h e Mission about th is time received intelligence th a t
the Siamese Government, having come to the knowledge of
th e correspondence which is carrying on between A v a and
Cochin China, has begun to fortify the city o f Bangkok,
an d had doubled the chain, or bomb, which crossed the
riv e r Menam ; even the Chinese in h abitants, who a re not
usually called upon on such occasions, were employed upon
these works.
* The arms referred to were old Flemish muskets.—(C.)
W e received a summons to-day to appear in the palace.
The first object which struck us, as we passed on our way
towards it, were two men in the Cangue, or wooden collar,
so large that two persons were obliged to assist in carrying
it when they moved: they were soldiers, and their crime
was disobeying, and using abusive language towards their
superior officers.
His Excellency informed us, that he was called to H u e
on our business, and should be absent about three months.
His successor, a man of about seventy .years o f age, an old
and favourite servant o f the late King, sat near him. The
members of the Mission were recommended to his care.
His Excellency observed, that the affairs of the Burman
Mission would be dispatched as early as practicable, but
that the business was o f much consequence, and required
minute consideration; especially as the two nations had
hitherto been entire strangers to each other, and a friendly
intercourse was commenced between them, only now, for
the first time.
After the audience, an entertainment was prepared for
us, of which we partook in company with several o f the
Cochin Chinese and Kambojan Mandarins. H is Excellency
was on this occasion particularly complaisant, and
condescended to sit near us and pay us compliments. W e
were entertained the whole day long with dramatic exhibitions.
On this occasion, we saw at the audience eight persons,
very poorly clad, and differing in features from all
those about them. T he Governor presented them each
with a pair o f trowsers and a shirt. His Excellency informed
us they were the real aborigines o f the country,
before it was conquered by the Cochin Chinese, and that
they were more numerous than the Cochin Chinese.
Nov. 18.— His Excellency yesterday gave over charge o f
the city and province to his successor, and all the officers