king, what can I do?' 'You can
state their case to the queen, and obtain their release,' replied I.
'Place yourself in my situation,--were you in America, your husband,
innocent of crime, thrown into prison, in irons, and you a solitary,
unprotected female--what would you do?' With a slight degree of feeling,
she said, 'I will present your petition,--come again to-morrow.' I
returned to the house, with considerable hope, that the speedy release
of the missionaries was at hand. But the next day Mr. Gouger's property,
to the amount of fifty thousand dollars, was taken and carried to the
palace. The officers, on their return, politely informed me, they should
_visit our house_ on the morrow. I felt obliged for this information,
and accordingly made preparations to receive them, by secreting as many
little articles as possible; together with considerable silver, as I
knew, if the war should be protracted, we should be in a state of
starvation without it. But my mind was in a dreadful state of agitation,
lest it should be discovered, and cause my being thrown into prison. And
had it been possible to procure money from any other quarter, I should
not have ventured on such a step.

"The following morning, the royal treasurer, prince Tharyawadees, chief
Woon, and Koung-tone Myoo-tsa, who was in future our steady friend,
attended by forty or fifty followers, came to take possession of all we
had. I treated them civilly, gave them chairs to sit on, tea and
sweetmeats for their refreshment; and justice obliges me to say, that
they conducted the business of confiscation with more regard to my
feelings than I should have thought it possible for Burmese officers to
exhibit. The three officers, with one of the royal secretaries, alone
entered the house; their attendants were ordered to remain outside. They
saw I was deeply affected, and apologized for what they were about to
do, by saying, that it was painful for them to take possession of
property not their own, but they were compelled thus to do by order of
the king. 'Where is your silver, gold, and jewels?' said the royal
treasurer. 'I have no gold or jewels; but here is the key of a trunk
which contains the silver--do with it as you please.' The trunk was
produced, and the silver weighed. 'This money,' said I, 'was collected
in America, by the disciples of Christ, and sent here for the purpose of
building a kyoung, (the name of a priest's dwelling) and for our support
while teach