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and ask your Royal Master to give you some authority to act, and not come here with your gun boat and guns past Packnam in violation of treaty which says all guns shall be sent on shore, when a vessel is bound up the River."
The fortification of Packnam consists of only one fort on right hand side of the river as you go up. This fort was built more for appearance than anything else. An American 6-inch gun would knock spots out of it. The river at its month is very wide at high water, and about a half mile wide at low water. The channel is very narrow, with two sunken junks on either side. They were sunk there, loaded with stone, to keep the Burmese from entering the river. Bangkok, the capital of the Kingdom, is situated about 25 miles up, and, in my opinion, a very beautiful city as compared with other oriental cities. The people are very friendly, and, for aught I know. strictly honest and straightforward in their dealings with foreigners, except in
