a string of pearl and some fine muslin.

The sandohgaan

announced the offering, and enumerated the articles with a loud voice, entreating, in my name, her gracious acceptance of them. She looked at the English gentlemen with earnestness, but seemed entirely to disregard the Chinese, although their dress was much more showy than ours: her manners was on this occasion extremely complaisant, and she asked several questions, such as, what were our names? how we were in health? what were our ages? on being informed, she obligingly said she would pray that we might attain as great longevity as herself; adding, that she had reached her 72d year. I did not perceive, amongst the numerous company that attended, any of the junior princes, or of the principal ministers, although there were several personages of distinction. After she had retired, a very handsome dessert was served up: the fruits and preserves were delicious: whatever China could yield, was united with the produce of their own country. Having tasted of various dishes, we withdrew without any ceremony; and as none of the royal family were present, there was no necessity to delay our departure: we accordingly returned home, a good deal oppressed by the heat of the weather, and wearied by the repetition of tedious formalities.'

The major next visited the other members of the royal family, by all of whom he was entertained in the most handsome and liberal manner. After this he visited the different curiosities of the capital. In the imperial library the books were deposited in elegant chests. They were regularly classed,' says our author, and the contents of each were written in gold letters on the lid. The librarian opened two, and shewed me some very beautiful writing on thin leaves of ivory, the margins of which were ornamented with flowers of gold, neatly executed. I saw also some books written in the ancient Palli, the religious text. Every thing seemed to be arranged with perfect regularity, and I was informed that there were books upon divers subjects; more on divinity than on any other; but history, medicine, music, painting, and romance, had their separate treatises. The volumes were disposed under distinct heads, regularly numbered; and if VOL. IV.

G

all the other chests were as well filled, as those that were submitted to our inspection, it is not improbable, that his Birman majesty may possess a more numerous library than any potentate from the banks of the Danube to the borders of China.'

Our ambassador likewise visited the high priest, whose residence is described to exceed in size and splendour any similar building in the universe. The numerous rows of pillars,' says he, some of them 60 feet high, all of which were covered with burnished gilding, had a wonderfully splendid effect: it would be difficult to convey, either in language or by pencil, an adequate description of this extraordinary edifice. The boundless expenditure of gilding on parts exposed to the weather, as well as in the inside, cannot fail to impress a stranger with astonishment, at the richness of the decoration, although he may not approve of the taste with which it is disposed: I could not have formed in my imagination a display more strikingly magnificent.'

At this time news arrived at the Birman court, through the channel of some Frenchmen, that the affairs of England were in a desperate state. This intelligence operated powerfully on the Birman court, which began to treat major Symes with the most marked haughtiness, as the representative of a provincial governor: but the British ambassador acted with great judgment and spirit, and remonstrated in such a style that the ministers were alarmed, and he was promised the honour of an audience of his Birman majesty. His introduction is thus described:

• Having entered the gate, we perceived the royal saloon of ceremony in front of us, and the court assembled in all the parade of pomp and decoration. It was an open hall, supported by colonnades of pillars 20 in length, and only four in depth: we were conducted into it by a flight of steps, and advancing, took our places next the space opposite to the throne, which is always left vacant, as being in full view of his majesty. On our entrance, the basement of the throne, as at the lotoo, was alone visible, which we judged to be about five feet high; folding doors screened the seat from our

view. The throne, called yazapalay, was richly gilded and carved; on each side a small gallery, inclosed by a gilt balustrade, extended a few feet on the right and left, containing four umbrellas of state; and on two tables, at the foot of the throne, were placed several large vessels of gold, of various forms and for different purposes: immediately over the throne, a splendid piasath rose in seven stages above the roofs of the building, crowned by a tee, or umbrella, from which a spiral rod was elevated above the whole.

• We had been seated a little more than a quarter of an hour, when the folding doors that concealed the seat, opened with a loud noise, and discovered his majesty ascending a flight of steps, that led up to the throne from the inner apartment; he advanced but slowly, and seemed not to possess a free use of his limbs, being obliged to support himself with his hands on the balustrade. I was informed, however, that this appearance of weakness did not proceed from any bodily infirmity, but from the weight of the regal habiliments in which he was clad; and if what we were told was true, that he carried on his dress 15 viss, upwards of 50 lbs. avoirdupois weight of gold, his difficulty of ascent was not surprising. On reaching the top he stood for a minute, as though to take breath, and then sat down on an embroidered cushion with his legs inverted. His crown was a high conical cap, richly studded with precious stones; his fingers were covered with rings, and in his dress he bore the appearance of a man cased in golden armour, whilst a gilded, or probably a golden, wing on each shoulder, did not add much lightness to his figure. His looks denoted him to be between 50 or 60 years old, of a strong make, in stature rather beneath a middle height, with hard features and of a dark complexion; yet the expression of his countenance was not unpleasing, and seemed, I thought, to indicate an intelligent and inquiring mind.

On the first appearance of his majesty, all the courtiers bent their bodies, and held their hands joined in an attitude of supplication. Nothing farther was required of us, than to lean a little forward, and to turn in our legs as much as we

could; not any act being so unpolite, or contrary to etiquette, as to present the soles of the feet towards the face of a dignified person. Four Bramins dressed in white caps and gowns, chanted the usual prayer at the foot of the throne: a nakhaan then advanced into the vacant space before the king, and recited in a musical cadence, the name of each person who was to be introduced on that day, and the present of which, in the character of a suppliant, he entreated his majesty's acceptance. My offering consisted of two pieces of Benares gold brocade; doctor Buchanan and Mr. Wood each presented one. When our names were mentioned, we were separately desired to take a few grains of rice in our hands, and joining them, to bow to the king as low as we conveniently could, with which we immediately complied. When this ceremony was finished, the king uttered a few indistinct words, to convey, as I was informed, an order for investing some persons present, with the insignia of a certain degree of nobility: the imperial mandate was instantly proclaimed aloud by heralds in the court. His majesty remained only a few minutes longer, and during that time he looked at us attentively, but did not honour us with any verbal notice, or speak at all, except to give the order before mentioned. When he rose to depart he manifested the same signs of infirmity as on his entrance; after he had withdrawn, the folding doors were closed, and the court broke up.

In descending, we took notice of two pieces of cannon, apparently 9-pounders, which were placed in the court, on either side of the stairs, to defend the entrance of the palace. Sheds protected them from the weather, and they were gilded all over: a royal carriage also was in waiting, of curious workmanship, and ornamented with a royal spire; there was a pair of horses harnessed to it, whose trappings glistened in the sun.'

The letter of his Birman majesty to the governor-general ratified immunities of considerable importance to British merchants. The object of the embassy being thus obtained, major Symes prepared to depart. Previous to his departure, his Birman majesty, with great liberality, presented the

ambassador with a splendid history of the Birman kings and of the code of laws, requesting, in return, certain religious books written in the Sanscrit language.

On the 29th of October, the maywoon of Pegu visited me,' says the major (who was now ready to depart), in a very handsome war-boat gilded to the water's edge, accompanied by several others that were plain; he invited me on board, and we took our seats on the prow, which, in Birman boats, is always the place of dignity. When we left the shore, the whole fleet pushed off and followed us; the morning was fine, and the water smooth, whilst the spires of Ummerapoora in our stern, the white temples and lofty hills of Chagaing opposite, and the fort of ancient Ava below, formed a very cheerful prospect.' The river where the major embarked was at least one mile wide. During the voyage he was treated with great kindness and attention.

On the 15th of November, at nine o'clock at night,' says our narrator, we anchored below the town of Panlang, being unable to stem the tide; and at 11 my people hailed a strange boat coming with the flood, that rowed towards us. Instantly I heard an European voice, to which I had not of late been accustomed, and soon recognized that of captain Thomas, of the Sea-horse. I had sent an express when we were at Meeaday, to apprize him of our approach, and desire him to get ready for sea; he had learned from a small vessel that we were at hand, and came thus far to meet us. It being impossible to sleep, we passed the night in conversation; the account he gave of his treatment by the municipal government of Rangoon during my absence, and of the conduct of the Birmans in general towards his crew, was perfectly satisfactory. He had unrigged his ship during the monsoon, and covered the decks with an awning of mats, as a protection against the weather. Being in possession of a tolerably commodious house near the quay, he obligingly offered me a room in it; of this I availed myself, having no intention to remain at Rangoon longer than absolutely necessary, and hoped to limit my stay to a very few days. At midnight we got under way, and on the morning of the 15th of November, landed at Rangoon.