While in this debilitated state, she learned through her servant that his master had arrived in town, under the charge of several Burmans, and that it was reported that he was to be sent back to the Oung-pen-la prison.  Being too weak to bear ill tidings, the shock had well nigh destroyed her.  When she had in some measure recovered her composure, she sent Moung Ing to her old friend, the governor of the north gate, begging him to make one more effort for Mr. Judson.  Moung Ing then went in search of ‘the teacher,’ and at length found him in an obscure prison.  Her feelings while he was gone, Mrs. Judson thus describes: 

“If ever I felt the value and efficacy of prayer, I did at this time.  I could not rise from my couch; I could make no efforts to secure my husband; I could only plead with that great and powerful Being who has said, ’Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will hear, and thou shalt glorify me;’ and who made me at this time feel so powerfully this promise, that I became quite composed, feeling assured that my prayers would be answered.”

She afterwards learned that as soon as Mr. Judson was found of no farther use at Maloun as interpreter he was transferred without ceremony to Ava, where happening to meet no one who knew him, he was ordered to be taken whence he came, when he went to Maloun, viz:  Oung-pen-la.  But at the instance of, Mrs. Judson’s faithful messenger, Moung Ing, the governor of the north gate presented a petition to the high court of the empire, became security for Mr. J., obtained his release, took him to his house, and removed Mrs. Judson thither also as soon as her health permitted.

The English army, which had all along offered peace on condition of the payment of a certain sum of money, offers which the Burmans had constantly rejected, had now advanced so far as to threaten the golden city itself.  The Burmans were thus compelled to negotiate, and all their negotiations from beginning to end, “were conducted by Drs. Judson and Price, though they were often interrupted or entirely broken off by the caprice and jealousy of the Burman monarch and his officers.”  The king placing no confidence in the English, and having the most absurd ideas of his power to force them to his own terms, sent messengers at every stage of their advance to induce Sir Archibald Campbell to abate his demands and alter his conditions.  No pains was spared to fortify the golden city, even while Dr. Price and other English prisoners were engaged in the business of negotiation.  Mrs. Judson had the pain of seeing their house without beautiful enclosure of fruits and flowers, entirely destroyed, to make a place for the erection of cannon.