n every thing he
possessed, except his life, to have obtained one. One of them, when he
was permitted to take a musket, looked proudly round, and said, with a
smile of joy, "Now I'm a man!"

The next day we arrived at the branch of the river where one of the
chiefs held out. At daylight our own boats were manned, and with the
Burmah boats ranged in line, made an imposing appearance, which was very
necessary, for at that time we were so short-handed, that we could not
send away more than forty men--a force so small, that, had the Burmahs
opposed to us seen it advance, they would probably have tried their
strength with us. As it was, we pulled into the stockaded town in a
line, the despatch-boats flying across us backwards and forwards like
porpoises before the bows of a ship running down the trades: not that
they had any messages to carry, but merely to show their own dexterity.
When we had advanced to within a quarter of a mile, a boat came out and
communicated with one of the despatch-boats, saying that the Burmahs
would not fight if we did not attack them, and that they would deliver
up the men detained, and their chief as a prisoner. We agreed to these
terms, landed, took possession of the chief with his gold chatta,
correspondence with Bundoolah, etcetera, and took him on board. On this
occasion, we would not trust the Burmahs employed with muskets; it was
too soon; they had only their own swords and spears.

The chief was a fine tall man with a long beard. Like all Burmahs, he
took his loss of liberty very composedly, sitting down between the guns
with his attendants, and only expressing his indignation at the
treachery of his own people. We were very anxious to know what had
become of the guns of the dismantled stockade, which were said to be in
his possession, but he positively denied it, saying that they had been
despatched in boats across to the Irrawaddy. Whether this were true or
not, it was impossible to say; but, at all events, it was necessary to
make some further attempts to obtain them, so we told him, that if he
did not inform us where the guns were, by the next morning his head
would be taken off his shoulders. At this pleasant intelligence he
opened his betel-bag and renewed his quid. The next day he was summoned
forth to account for the said guns, and again protested that they had
been sent to Donabue, which I really believe was false, as they were not
taken out of the stockade until after