and. hour.to, riyrm>^ c ^ the» jquraey. f ^i^gr.4,4 e; delfljqradon,,,^^ ,28 th of
Ma^ p ^ ^ w ^ ^ k C T ;fe«M to ^ ^M aa |nTO au n c e^ lfew fA ^ ^ ^ toM S
Ifcg J ^ ^ t a i ^ Lilitea-jfatvdine was ^isqgrdjngly appoinjtisd-.; ,;Gnli^Idly>anv
sitting. the,si;^s,,,,the . May woon. declared h i^ fegretjatfl|J|e;; supeniatural
mgcessity .that compefled him.t« preced<^.us, promising, however, to wait
at the Ijqad.of the ftangoon jriyei;, where it branchedj from the great
stream o f the, ferawaddy>-until w e js h ^ d jp b i
more than a two day’s journey. I acquiesced hi the propriety of submitting
every temporal concern to the disposal of fate,and hoped thatjy;, would
not suffer any consideration for us, to interfere with his own arrangements.
On the .d ay fixed, at seven in the:moming, he jpassed^ur .h^bit^tlo11, .and
proceeded with much pomp .to the. waterside, himself qq Jorsel^ack^his
lady in a palanquin, and his children carried astride on men’s shoulders.
His own barge was very handsome, and of the structure a p ^ r t a ^
ing to nobility; it was attended by several w a r^ b o a ^ iQ ^ ^ p iP ^ e d , with
a number of common vessels; some belonging ^ ;^ 4 r e tin u e ,np f | | p tis
merchants, who took the opportunity of his protection to transport their
merchandize duty free; The Maywoon reposed for short time j|fet}i£
house that is used as an exchange, and when the great drum that proclaimed
the hour struck the first stroke, he stepped on board, and W|S fM|
lowed by his family; in an instant every boat pushed from the shore with
a loud shout; the oars were vigorously plied, and the flood tide setting
strong, the fleet was soon carried to the northward of the city.
The boats, six in number, that had been provided for our accommo»
41130111 were novwe'adyto-fiecfeivef u s ; Dr. Buchanan, Mr. W ^ i|;4 n d ’fn l^
ielfilhadi'ea'ehtfJse^S^iteve^Sel^ "the Hindoo Pundit, fpb.#ldtreldgj©usvpr^jui
dices ren d e red ^ irkstaaSUoi him t^toing!i?l.with'1Mnssulinen', had likewise
autsmallib o a t itodibftself..' -;dihee|§i^ldd ctfldns u bh attend&Hts i tax'we: dichinot
immediately requite, Ucoupied m^thefifoSailargepSize^Mn^Mtlh1 d&'teavy
baggage, field equipage, &&'.ywer&stQw®dr id'kiiidfbf cutter* was^equipped
as a kitchen, which Was;» seldom i^aai^'iihsnohn^wnnbai’ges were "sufficiently^
spacious to «admit of» alfe (^%^y^tpUXp<J5’esifrWfitMti|i incon^
vdnience to the inhabitants. «Those Usages were of>&»Vefyidi'fffejfgrlt-1 eon-
struction from the flat-b,qttorned vessQlsfpalled »budgerows, tM t^ re used on
the .Ganges ; ours were long and nan ow, andicquucd a good deal of.ballast
to keep them steady; even with ballast they would June been in constant
danger of o v e r s e t t i n g , had they not been provided villi outrig g e^ ’which,
composed ol lliiu boards, m oftener of buoyant bamboos, make a,platlqim
that extends horizontally six or seven leet on the,outsi<lptoJ the Ijpat. from,
stem to stern. Thus secured, the vessel can incline^po farther .than until
theplatform touches the surface of the water, when sh.e^jnj^nediately rights;
on this stage the boatmen ply thprnaars^’nr impel the boat forward b y
poles; such an addition affinds a convenience unknown to the navigation
of the Ganges ; it is the place exclusively appropriated the c ^ t^ .^ h o
sleep on it at night,',gpd, by putting up mats, or spreading yisaildinmdhe
roof of the boat to-the outside edge, shelter theniseiyes from theMejdher?,
My hmgft was sixtyfeet in length, and not more than twelve inttterlfridest
part; by taking away one thwart beam near-the stern, laying alfloor two
feet below the gunwale, and raising an arched roof about seven feet above
the floor, a commodious room was formed,. fourteen, feet long, and ten
wide, with a closet behind it; at the stern there was a stage,-■cm«'which