This incident naturally led to a conversation concerning the American missions in Burmah, as soon as our friends were again on board the steamer, and moving up the Irrawaddy.
"Since the early part of this century," said the Doctor, "the American Board of Foreign Missions has been represented in Burmah; their stations are scattered throughout the country, and the labors of the missionaries have been attended with a great deal of hardship. Of late years they have fared better than they did when they first came here, as the authorities are less suspicious of them than formerly, and the comforts of life are more easily obtained. In the early days, and especially in the time of the first Burmese war, they were frequently arrested and thrown into prison: one of them, whose name is well known in the United States, was kept in chains for more than a year, and for a large part of that time he was under sentence of death."
One of the boys asked who this missionary was.
"He was Doctor Judson—Adoniram Judson," was the answer; "he came to Burmah in 1812, and died in 1850. He was two or three times in America between those years, and he died on a voyage from Rangoon to the Isle of France, where he was going on account of his health. He did a great deal for the advancement of the Burmese; he learned the language, and prepared a Burmese-English dictionary, together with a good many translations. The dictionary he made is the one now in use, though it has been considerably increased by other scholars.
"His imprisonment and sentence to death was owing to the suspicion that he was in secret correspondence with the English, who were then at war with Burmah. He and his wife were living at Ava, which was then the capital. At the time the war began, when the news came of the fall of Rangoon, the king was very angry, and ordered the arrest of three Englishmen residing there, and also of Mr. Judson. The prisoners were bound with cords, and then led away; on reaching the prison they were loaded with chains, and all four were fastened to a bamboo pole, so that if any one moved in the least degree he was sure to rouse his companions.
MRS. JUDSON VISITING HER HUSBAND IN PRISON.
"Mrs. Judson was arrested at the same time, and ordered to remain a prisoner in her own house. Here she was kept for several days, and she obtained her release by making a present to the governor of the city; then she set about obtaining the liberty of her husband and the other prisoners; but all that she could accomplish was to secure a modification of the severity of their treatment. As often as she was allowed she went to the prison, but she was generally stopped at the door, and could only talk with her husband with an armed guard standing between them. During the time of his captivity she wore the Burmese dress, so as to attract as little attention as possible when going about the streets.