ved without creating a laugh. The play ended very
curiously; after the prince had gained the princess, they had a
procession, in which they made an imitation of a ship, out of compliment
to us; and then built a little house on the stage with singular
rapidity, to the door of which they conducted the youthful couple,
closed it, and then the play was over. In the meantime _pickled tea_
(which is a great compliment and excessively nasty) was handed round to
us, and we all partook of it, taking it out with our fingers; but we
could not swallow it, so it remained like a quid of tobacco in our
cheeks until we had an opportunity of getting rid of it.

The purser had had the foresight to put a couple of bottles of wine, and
one of brandy, in the pockets of the marines, which were now produced,
while the band continued to play, and wrestling was introduced. We
asked the chief to join us, but he refused; he handed down a sort of
picture, in which was represented the white elephant, pagodas, etcetera,
and told us that he was not only the war chief, but the head of the
religion at Naputah, and that it would not be right that he should be
seen by his people transgressing the laws. In the meantime his
daughter, who did not come out to us, was very anxious to know what sort
of people we were, and she sent for one to be brought in to her. My
clerk was the favoured party. She examined him very closely, pulled his
dress about, made him bare his legs, to see how white they were, and
then dismissed him. The clerk reported her as very handsome, and quite
as white as he was; splendidly dressed; and with an air of command,
which showed that she was aware of her importance.

We staid about two hours longer, and then we rose to go away. The chief
walked with us down to the boats, and we were not sorry to find
ourselves on board again; for the population was much more numerous than
we had imagined, and had any treachery been attempted, we must have
fallen a sacrifice.

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN.

EXPEDITION TO BASSEIN CONTINUED.

May, 1836.
Although on friendly terms with the chief of Naputah, he was a person of
such weight in that part of the country, that it was advisable, if
possible, to identify him with us, so that he should never again fall
off, and oppose us, in the contingency of a reverse, on the Irrawaddy.
The next day we sent for him, informing him that it was t