A new message now arrived from Sir Archibald.  No smaller sum than the one stipulated, (about five million dollars) would be received, but it might be paid at four different times; the first payment to be made within twelve days, or the army would continue its march.  In addition, the prisoners were to be given up immediately.  The king, who had learned the value of Mr. Judson’s services, declared that those foreigners who were not English, were his people, and should not go.  The missionaries were ordered to go again to the English camp, to propose to them to take a third of the money and give up their demand for the missionaries; and threatened that if unsuccessful in their embassy, they and their families should suffer.

Their situation was now truly perilous, for the Burman arrogance was at this time heightened by the boast of one of their generals, that he would so fortify the ancient city of Pugan, which lay in the route of the British toward Ava, that they could never advance beyond it; and that in fact he would destroy or drive them from the country.  The invincible English took the city, however, with perfect ease; and the king being enraged that he had listened for a moment to the braggart, and thus provoked the British officers, had him executed without ceremony, and gave out that it was to punish him for violating his command ‘not to fight the English.’  The same night, Dr. Price was sent with part of the money, and some of the prisoners, but returned with the alarming intelligence, that the general was angry, would not communicate with him, and was marching upon Ava.

All was now confusion in the palace; gold and silver vessels were melted up, and the money weighed out; and Mr. Judson was hurried into a boat, and sent to the British camp.  He was instructed by the English general that every foreigner who wished to leave the country, must be permitted to go, or peace would not be made.  The members of government now had recourse to solicitation, and promised to make Mr. Judson a great man if he would remain.  To avoid the oduim of expressing a wish to leave his majesty’s service, he told them that Sir Archibald had ordered that all who desired it, should go; that his wife had often expressed that desire, that she therefore must be given up, and that he must follow.  The prisoners were then all released, and on a cool moonlight evening, with hearts overflowing with gratitude and joy, they took their passage down the Irrawady, bidding a final adieu to the scene of their sufferings, the golden city of Ava.

With what delight did they the next morning hail the sight of the steamboat that was to conduct them to the British camp.  “With what unspeakable satisfaction did they again find themselves surrounded by the comforts and refinements of civilized life.”  The kindness of General Campbell was more like that of a father to his own family, than that of a stranger to persons of another country.  Indeed it was to