•history becomes little better than romance. Having hitherto found the most
authentic.geographical information I could obtain Inspecting countries eastward
of the Ganges to be extremely erroneous, I was on that account more-
particularly desirous to determine the true situation of the capital of Ava ?
especially as I had now a favourable opportunity of profiting by the assistance
.of a gentleman of high professional- talents. It however seemed
expedient to obtain the sanction of the Birman government, before I
authorised Mr, Wood to commencé astronomical observations i , and, in
reply to an application I made through the Maywoon of Pegue, I received
the most liberal acquiescence ; a compliment that was afterwards enhanced
by a gracious-message from his Birman Majesty, desiring to kpnW, according
to our calculation, the exact time when the expected eclipse of the
moon was to take place, and, as it was partial, what portion of .the. lunar
body would be in shade? Mr. Wood satisfied him in .both particulars*
and we were informed that the King, on comparing Mr. Wood’s account
with his own predictions, (for he is said to be hkhseff an adept » the
science), discovered only a slight difference in the segment of the moon
which was to be obscured. Mr. Wood’s knowledge procured him considerable
respect among the better informed natives, but h eaoeited tbe f e a j r
of the -vulgar. Being obliged at night to leave: the grove and go hut- on
the plain, in eider-to have a distinct view of the- heavenly bodies, the peasants
that inhabited the neighbouring villages believed, him to b e a necromancer,
and bis telescope and time-keeper instruments of magic : in their
wonder they sometimes crowded about him so as to disturb his operations.j_
but it was nothing more than harmless curiosity ; they wanted to discover
by what means he held communication with the Matts, the supernatural
and invisible agents of the air-
5 The river, which had now 1 ISl'TI
so muoh'oiiftlic idnmbtidn'; p | ^ ^ beg hr',:
#td think lt&i’o t inipi()Vbl^lj^\\Us}ip^ldM)Ot()bli0a l ^ o m ^ g h f lust W td 1
ing o'f the ^vaters-sWa-s^H appar'ent,-^sfi hefiSha’dl siillifcient
qu units ol i un ty pioil^t c the smdl^Cdtci iU<>ifmulJwbod^cthtlie
r ris e i: sthtiBhanans. hoj^eyufywho knew tbKEjC.u ft,limn to. whole if would
rise, laughed at ouu pi optisi ugvttmit;i k,d' a* f^ c in a ttsslow as suilchn^inMili^
lion, and assuie’d its- 6lrat, within the mcinoiy ol-tman!Hhg!ffdo;®M.L'lin.\eiy
Ifurpassed a1e orfani' bquudipy^ Aj
ffiivAithtjugli]: fidnTlstiieuiatiim of. the-grounds- i ns th e |i|^ d ib d ^
ftdwelhn.- i | u « is the on]yvgrajui tliaUt 6ufbbclr a ltirK d f
that on ilicotlatnsfdtJiof the lake, ncit^thoKi^dfuuvVe|^®M^v^tiJ.<-I4;
" of win at which, ftoin the samples biouglit t(j(uscsVcint
lilfcto the finest giow th ol England Fhcyn n Iei_t [ilia nU’1 mniciapooEuw as
t qnc ta< kal,-neai ly.-h.Jl-P crown, for .maindaung,, onb a s h Uy.J ghi ng|ihnut'
hits six pounds, hut wc hul.no o C c a s t t j ; a s a h y /^i s* t [iiMi,d.y
siriulmado by the e inimisVaiyJiil'gijvbrjiinent, and‘ t h'e$bty, en 1^‘ffoirrtl
who visited us. kept our.stoie loom full ^Ui^yoerstintwIiOji nife J+WwWl
sombthbigfeither fruit, flowers, a plate ()l{lui^^Q>l wheal-, d r sonic similar,
mark of fespeet. In return, I treated^those ol the higher-orde w nil tel and-
il-weetmeats^of the -fornier they were'extrerifdlydfond;; .'and lloau^mti-y^^ffl
that from ten in the morning until'evehmg, tlie tea equipage w as
employed. An old. man who‘acted-as commissary, ajufiiv.ctltjw ^ i Ii
adjacent to our dwelling, WhoS^titlC wtfs K> ew/£un brought all fhcdeffibles
of his family to see u s ; they produced as tht^oflering, Ji eshtl{ou^^omhs:
hanging from branches of the bamb’oo-tree: the HBM^Va^HniT^ii^fi^ p
I B