cbmmunication, I received through him-, in reply to my first application, a
general'a-ssuxance' offfiie atfChShn^but a n ' equivocal answer with^resp§ct
to the -Gfi|nteseY^,'ftepeating'*the requisition for 'satisfaptqfy particulars, J
was* informed that^I. should be allowed 'parity of rank with the nobility; of
thefcbUrt, and that precedence over the Chinese deputies would be granted
to me. With those assurances I remained satisfied.' '
On th e -^ th of August, the day preceding that of our formahintroduction,
I received a message, desiring to know what number:rof'attendants I meant
to take'with me, and to specify the rank they bore,- partifejCflprfy that of-the
Pundit,: the Moonshee, and painter. I w a sa tth e same timeacqjjainfed,1 that
it Was not customary to admit armed men into the pfelace, a forafltto,fwhich
I readily assented. Late in the evening another-me|^gS'Was'^^ght. to '
inform me, that the profession of Dr. Buchanan-was held -by the Birmans
in a less dignified estimation than it bore among u s ; and that it was unusual,
on such solemn occasions, to receive a person: of his station into the
Lotoo, or great’council hall. I took some pains to vindii ate the dignity of
the liberal and enlightened profession of medicine, ancl explained to them,
that there was no monarch of Europe who did not consider a physician as
worthy to hold a place in the most distinguished ranks of society. This
difficulty was at length conquered; they agreed to receive-the Doctor, but
stipulated that he should ride on horseback in the procession, and not be
indulged with an elephant, a privilege which, they said, was granted only
to persons of the highest consequence.
Preparatory to our visit, the presents intended for his Majesty were care-
fally assorted, and put into separate boxes : they were both handsome and
costly, consisting of various kinds of European and Indian articles, such
as mirrors, cut-glass, fire-arms, broad cloths, embroidered muslins, and
Indian silks, all of ttlje -finest, qualify that ^pqki^be procured; among other
things there was 3, Shanscrit m^nuspript^.superbly illumined, and written
with beautiful ,minutenessi|jji| was .a,.cpny, of the Bagwaat Geeta, inclose»®
in a case qf.gojd» and designed as a personal compliment frqip;.Sir John
Shore, the G o v e rn o r-G en e ra l,,h is Birman Majesty: there was also an
electrical nmphme, it?f..the effect's,, ofwhich^ some og the Birmans were
not ignorant.* , The boxes were. poypredwjth, red satin, an<^ fosjengd, to
poles, for the .convenience of being carried jraumen’s ^hpjijpers. , Every
matter was .arranged on diedjay before,tl;b~^cmor\y was to .take place., :
On the 30th of August we toolcaffi'earlv breajcfagt, and about eigffi&p’clock
a Sere-dogee, or secretary of fye Lotqolcanieita acquaint us that|hoats were
prepared to convey us across .the lake,vv O u r id ^ b ^ i ^ ^ g ffireoqived orders
to hold themselves in readiness, .diBMedin thq liy g p u jtd ^ em b a ssy , and
the guard was paraded without arms. The presents having been sept before;
we walked to the water side, attended by Bjh^-Sheen, the Sje.re-dogee, and
several inferior qfficers j, at the same time, the twqjunior members of the
Chinese mission, the senjor beingnow at the point qf death, c.amg.forth from
the gate of their enclosure, attended by a* setipuejCflmparatively fvery sma|l;
VV^e found three war-boats at the bank ready torecefye u s ; these haats were
sufficiently capacious for the number they were destined to contain: the
largest was of fifty oars, but they were not, aboye one-third manned, probably
with a view to our accommodation, a? the-yessels are so narrow, that
persons unaccustomed to them.cannot sit between.the rowers without incon,
yenience: it did not, hoy?everSie!jpape jaMnptice,, that they were quite plain*
Without either gilding or paint. We were about fycqnty^iplnutes in ro,wipg
to the opposite side of the lake, and fotin<f 3 crowd oEpf^ple cqlfected
* An electrifying machine had been introduced several years ago by a Frenchman.,
Z z