joeed of, and tendered, paymait'beforehand; an offer- that was declined.
As our baggage and necessaries had not yet been disembarked, we returned
to dine on board. Early in the afternoon the Ackawoon’s boat > was perceived
rowing towards the house, with design,- as we imagined, to prevent
by .anticipation the promised visit, : Ciaptafia Thomas ordered his barge to
be manned, and accompanied me:"oh shore. To this interview Baba-Sheen
brought with him, a s interpreter, a Mussulman merchant, who spoke
Persian tolerably well, through whom I was enabled to convey niy-Senti-
ments with more ease than at our former meeting,
- After andnterchange o f compliments, I told him that the friendly inclinations
which had long subsisted between the. British government in India
and his Birman Majesty, had been a source of so much satisfaction to the
(JoveriioriGeneral of India, that, with a view to perpetuate an union
mutually advantageous.to both countries, he had deputed me, in the cha-
, racter of public minister, and a confidential person, to strengthen th.e bonds
of amity, by the delivery of friendly letters; and togoffer,.in.his name,
assurances of a perfect regard. In proof of this, I had brought certain
products of our country, which, together with the.letters, I was .charged to
present in person' to his Majesty at Ava, and to the. Viceroy of Pegue;
that-, coming in such a capacity, I felt much chagrined at finding, on the
part of the Rangoon government, an apparent want of confidence, for
which I could assign no cause; and experiencing a degree of restraint,
imposed on myself and my people, so inconsistent with what I expected:
that I could no otherwise account for such conduct, than by attributing
it either to their misunderstanding my intentions, or my own want of
knowledge o f their customs; that I wished exceedingly to ascribe it to
the kiter, bat found it difficult to persuade myself that such obvious
EMBASSY 2T 0 M Y A . 1 4 9
(harks of distrust could be ^alt’ogeth'ei1'matter owdfffi’; * without any'otbejf'
meaning;'1
To this (the interpreter replied on thê part!'*0f-lfas^sSpefioT,i%i^’’a ,-Very
verbose, and affected ïstyle, tlfflt'hó‘thi^^'^®«i'ifaï^Ë^-'ifrdM’,tHte’,ïiïlenlicfri of
Baba-Sheen and’t-Hdf^ffii^fèVRahgb’ön-thiah'fb’^wb umbf^^^wcfflefdfsrë-
spedt it was of their naridrr; a n f tlM t h ^ r e s ’trlifit which
was’noWfSO irksome woiiM"," hê'Had^n^lpuK^ spe’édïfy^iÉfe rfemoraifi
IbëpIieÜ,. that-it was my^eafhesf-desiredhhhaftf^iin^rird'fjr the Bn man,
government, by at quiescing in cvei^c&tahoTJuftlidtll^^
foi pcrsonsiin ihc'capaVhh 1 ‘ficld. pio\idLd'Vüéfi1^'?Tr^)¥i^dyvrae^S8'iïdf5rot
gjtoi) hoJnfi84i&Uagnit> oi th J f tiu /l rCpievented è V ^ o ^ p o u F
mwhi&b-Sfe c-dfd«ielbf-the-council o f RangooWcould not* lie justified, tinder
an\ plea ol form or custom; this was, tlieinteiduticmTai&'iSn^^fej^^i^
of the Pnglisli ships,in the iiyer, against -’göfng onboard the Sea
pay me that mark-oftrespech'tb"'which he -V e ife flw I wls'urtrfïèS. as
agent/ from the English government, and which those gentlemen ‘■wc'iê
solicitous to ofhr me in that dfaiactcr; that ’thuPpiohlihlliJKI t^m-rai y'lix>
thevusage of aBtoivil'ized states, was’too%i^fpeetful t8t y e p u s s c < l o v e r
iti' silence, „and ^oiiSdNonly’ arise-’f r ito ' uhVdrt-hy's®^icïdns;%frfrbm ’an*
intention, forgive offence': I desired that1 he^roüAl kvbür^m'è witman
fxsptakaMto of such extraordinary an^hnex'péhted-'tVêat^ilÖt: 5 0
: T q tMs ap^ipiisif^®, Baba'Sheen replied1 in i^^ife^riff^lünsStiil^tér^
language; assuring me-that what had* b e ^K d ^ i# # as - only -in1' ctmforihiiy
to, t o g established usage, which*'he bêggèd’ I ■|$billd',höt take' umssj hr
lohsider in a mistaken point o f view? that if I would'ènlfh’l^m )ïM I,eï#s
for the Viceroy to him, he would forward fheim b^ a Safh'^dssèifler^^hó
would Mtam in two or -three days, and“^ b i b ï y '6f tn |^ iti* f im P a n