matters of business-might he disciissedy and I- might fix on whatever day- f
thought, proper-.toidepart.j_ ■
With this desire I willingly acquiesced, -aS affording me an opportunity
of fequiring.toiJfenojv^his Majesty^eritisjentiments, as well'as thff motives,
that on their part gave rise to^a'eonduetfnfeoimiyjt.ettoqp a nature.
Nothing passed in the interval, except thatd'received intimation through*
a private and respectable channel, that the* court, although-ntfobjeetion
would be formally stated, hacb Gome- to a decided resOfedfflPef ebiisidiijStg‘
mead;a pfi*son deputed from a provincial imd subordinate power,-and
as the representative of an equal and sovereign state ; and' tha^SrfpUiPsU::
anefo of this, estimation his Majesty did not intend jtt^rojfoUrime witff a
personal audience «d leave. (M the truth of. this information 'I had Q m
reason to doubt; but hcloic I took any measures to under ciscj'th(^|^ffi?
in a public mariner, I deemed it expuhcnl to have-'an assumjition.Js'o
haughty and imperious, verified by the highest authority.
Op the- 19th" of September, I prot ceded to the* Lotoo. wJfeie-I
about twelve o’clock,. and 'found the council of state already assembled;
the ministers and the-attendant officers being'all dressed in tjiSir robes, and
caps "of ceremony. A few minutes after we had taken our seats, the presents
were brought, consisting of three large boxes, covered with red
cloth, and two elephant’s teeth of considei ible size . These I was desired
to receive in the name of the Birman king, for- the English government;
at the same time, two large rings were presented to nne ;one a single ruby
set in gold, the other a sapphire, which I was requested-tb- accept as a personal
tpken: of his Majesty’s favour : a ring was also given to Mr. Wood,
and another to Doctor Buchanan. When this ceremony was' ended, I
addressed myself in the Birman language to the Woon'gees, and desired to
_know' thS^pplicd?-to*my situation, which
had induced his Majesty to decline honouring me with a personal
i'Crjce which umiphmeiit-'idR.undusiood „vasuilsiMly pajefr by their court
'to?the d^pyties tof|.al'|.lss®6gti; stales. To this interrogation4received.; an
equivocal reply ;;ei,af®qil rephatiH^St,^they persisted, in returning’an evasive
answer. I th4f|H^itedk^^he,-infom]4dl5''WhelI|^’qrfcno®!it was his
Majesty^i0|ileiiuiwto^;4iwi-\«fijjic iu.per&d^ before my’depairturiy ag:the
representative of die \fc?e&i.noi;,foeiiqi,,ib Thisa^toeStioiiK thfcy!.'said they
could not; a:nswer,^i|akiMWmg-his Maj es t yjs^pleltSureAl' afterwards asked’
• whether the king preserved his intention of sending an autharifdtkperson
from hi^dn^aBepgahia9 had been-ffiftimafisek toime^hy what R^ficeiieck
to be competent authority, and whethei the suggestions, which I had submitted
for. the advancement and protection of commerce, had been taken
into consideration. These several points, they said, werWtheii^dei^dis-i.
oussion; and would-be speedily duennrnedj djov,$qixiiTil?a JrrioMi the
Sp3& -tha t if I would fix on. a^jplec^eqseMO'ck-ffjk my. departure, \the
■q^^^rpapersiafr^l^^^s^nkhbe prepared^ kiiSiidkiV'e'ihWfeine two
jfey? t%my, settings out*. ‘ I iuenlion^llff^iilj^M^obeii:; they
replied that the letters should be in readiness by what [ understood to be
the 1 st of October ; but by some misapprehension
her'; adding,their hope that LVdomldcomd M town on?fch'e^StodfflSeptdtfisS
her, the anniversary of Saridaing-guite,.;'a’.vd:ay on which all the nobility
pay homage to his Majesty. To their invitation I answered, that my
having that honour, must depend on circmnstances not yet ascertained. *>
This interview left .me; little room to doubt of theirstifcation in which
the Birman, court held my public: character, notwithstanding it was
judged advisable, from motive?* o|*pb'lfe^^oi-'Wbi'H Making adyf direct
3 F