It was late whemwe re turned »home, and : our repose was .disJairbedi by a
renewal ofthe-noisesiwhicbthe (LjhiHesewere-.accus.tomeds.to make ; they
sounded ,all night o h loud. gongs^the fanerai knell of .the. departed embassador,
uttering at intervals.horrible cries and lamentations. One of. the
mourners imitated with his voice,j.the howling of a dog -.so; naturally, that
all the; curs ■ belonging to the boat people, and. the Cassay huts; iniour'
imighbourhoodi joined in ;therçh.(u^.* .Oiyïpf9xii»:ity t®|h!êsg:pe5sonagÇS
proved to us a source of great molestation.
\ About this time a ludicrous circumstance happened, which. Only deserves,
notice, as ititends ;toV illustrate the .character o f. the--people,raud
shew to what an abject state, despotic tyranny can debase the human mind.
The Engy Teekien, or prince royal, took a pleasure in.,collecting foreign
beasts; among otters, he had procured male goats.ifcom,-.aJmps,t every
country of the east. A flock of these, consisting-^ mpredba^Airlyi W8RÇ*
gent -to fegd on the borders, of t t e lake, near. ome4rg||^|^t we,bagjpej|gelr
to have three, or four she-goats, that hadrbçen brought.froçr , Bengal, !®^
the sake of their milk. Allured by the bleat of the females, the whole
flock of males one. night broke through the. paling, and .'made^a,forcibly
irruption into pur court; the suddenness of the aÿack^at su,c$*;aaa-hqjotV"
surprised us not a little ; I got up,, and ordered the Birman guards that
were posted at. the gates; to d riv é them, away, w h ig p ttey atterupted to^ddi
by shouting at them, but without any effect, as the animals, sçmç of,which
were very large, had now become furious, and after fighting with each
otter, began to rush through our houses. I then; desired the Bitmaps to
make use of sticks, but this they positively, refused,- saying that the goats
were “ praws,” or. lords, meaning that they were ennobled by belonging
to the Prince, and that no person dared, on any account, offer injury to
4$ them ; having no other kfernative^ we armed our servants and the soldiers
with terge bamboss, whösubdued these troublesome invaders, though
' « t-w iih o u t :muebdifficulty, and é o ^ i l s k ; tütilst S e Birmans lifted up
thmt hands and; eyes itt astonishment* a tm i r temerity : the Praws, however,
were severely beseténV' Having a t ferfgttegot rid of them, I returned
à) r© st,an d te ard no more tif th em n tté l^ p
- T h é itffënsë bekt ©f thé fite-eeSdays^^eiiP^in the formalities'óf visiting
thé pfitldes, made me po^péh&Vny further ehtfemonials until the 6th a(
tögfmonth fSèptémber)', which d ay wàs -appointed' to -pay our respects to
the Seredaw Pôüridageé PtâW, » ^ h 'ê ^ r c h prie's^Ôf-thhAirman empire:
ht the -intermediate tone' a difference' of'-opinibn arose, in regard to the
etiquette öfi'cohip»HrehfsV in^whichf dMmot think-mysblf at'-fibOrtyito depart
from what I -C ó h sid te red ^ a ttèn tio h .d u e ^ ^ y p ùM J ^ ir a c të r .
T-te »grand ruling feoUncil of the Birm‘an,'natib'nI has ralfMdy*been de->
scribed 'asJcönsistingïof four chief JfitÊinhers^dntMed Woongees, and1' four
junior members, called Woondocfe, bèfweémwftomttteFb-îs ~a wfcfedispa-
rity of rank. The placbofrthird 'Woongèh'Wai «va^nty ændöthè junioh
bears --veiiy. small comparative importance'with the two seniors', -who, in
feet, govern the empire. These persdnkgfes, wbose*power is s o ^ |f à tsSpoÿ-*
sess a corresponding degree of pride fthegovernorsóf provînees^re âvlthêir
esteem men of little corftequënce, and are often treated h y these m||i&èj&
tvitfrexeèsfiwartög^ee, ch ic h is nöt>solely e&tffined-fo^hose.'&hose «ka-
ation and expectations place themdn tfStateöf dependence, feut is iridiserk
minatdy extended to kil'; nor-could I hope to 'he -exempted from receiving
a share in common with others. T was informed,'that after paying
my respects to the loyal famdy and the Sèré'(feW,'ïit-*wks‘e»pècteal diat I
should wait on the two senior «Wooiigees; and'bffëf ahem- in person die
3 D