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should have been on my way towards Bamo, long ere this. The chief "Inner" minister, a personal friend of the king, and having authority over the Bamo district, has told me that there would be no objection to my going to Bamo. The Maguee Minggyee, however, who is the virtual Prime minister and whose "veto" is sufficient to prevent any step being taken, has heard of the English wanting to send an expedition to Bamo and will say nothing about it, till he is furnished with the particulars of the "personnel," as well as objects of the said expedition. He is also offended by an article in the Rangoon papers, which preceded my arrival here.

I have to send you by the next mail an account of a trip to the Shan hills to the Eastward of this; I went up among these mountains to see some tea plantations the king wants to work, in order to know how best to recommend His Majesty to proceed. I had never seen a tea plant in my life before (!) I must tell you; but the idea gave me a very pleasant trip with every advantage of safety and comfort and a week's mountain air and exercise. Although a special guide, the Governor of the district, and about thirty men accompanied me, I had no opportunity of transporting either plants or rocks, and the spoil was therefore trifling. The king insisted on my recommending what course to pursue in order to get tea fit for European markets from these old plantations. I advised that a superintendent be obtained from Calcutta with a few natives to manufacture tea, and another to form fresh plantations. He enquired the cost and salaries, &c., and on my preparing a rough estimate, His Majesty requested me to get the men here, offering to give the money first into my hands if I wished. I have acceded to their real wish, however, and advance the money myself leaving a copy of the contract by which the Burmese Government on one side and the workmen on the other, will be bound, in the hands of the " Inner minister."

I write to Grindlay and Co. by this opportunity to endeavour to get these people. There is no reason against the encouragement of Burman tea growing; if they do their utmost they can grow but a few thousand pounds, and this utmost they will not do. If the tea fields do become productive, all the better for us, both ultimately, and in the meanwhile, that it is by English aid, the advantage is gained.

His Majesty has asked me about several other industrial enterprises. Among other things he wants to increase and encourage

cotton cultivation by every means; he asked me to get him the estimate of a Hydraulic Press for packing cotton, a Whitney Gin for removing the seed, and the machinery for making yarn. I tried to persuade the king to give up the latter project, showing him that it would be a losing one, His Majesty, however, says: "Never mind, let me lose."

He is very anxious to get some mocha coffee seed, cinchona-tree seed, good tea seed and for distribution among the peasantry American cotton seed. He asked me the day before yesterday whether we could buy all the cotton the country would grow! I am preparing a short summary of our cotton transactions that will surprise him even more than what I told him on that occasion. He asked what I thought of the country in comparison with those I had visited. I intimated that I did not wish to speak out on this subject, "the discourse would be long." My not being a master of the Burmese language, especially of the Court dialect, prevented my speaking out the truths that I hope to have yet an opportunity of suggesting to His Majesty. "After you have been here five or six years you will understand all about the country;" "Whenever you think of anything that will be to my advantage, let me know;" said the king. When I spoke of the undeveloped wealth in the mountains and the soil of the plains; he agreed, and said, "Ah! the Burmans are very idle." I in turn replied " 'tis true! 'tis true!" Usually Camaratta acts as interpreter when I see the king; on the occasion, no one was present but one of the "inner ministers" and myself, His Majesty seemed to be more free even than usual. Yesterday he sent for me, from his impatience to know about what I could tell him of the prospect of his getting machinery to further the cotton exportation. On my entering the inner palace, the sound of the rattan, and its victim surprised me. By and bye, I found the "inner" minister looking on at a general flogging in the yard below, of the door-keepers who had allowed a priest to come into the inner part of the palace, without orders. This minister occupying one of the highest positions, the chief member of the interior council of four, had been scolded but a few days ago by His Majesty, and told that he was a liar, and deserved to have his mouth so struck with a shoe that all his teeth would fall out. Now, seeing the whipper lay it on mildly, he went down the steps, took the rattan himself and flogged the executioner with his own hand to show him how to do his duty!!

The king gave me the other day a pony. The Maguee Minggyee told me that he had presented two to His Majesty, and advised me to ask his colleague whom His Majesty had directed to give me the pony to give me one of them. I went through the royal stables and picked out the best of about fifty. His Majesty I presume is ignorant that the palace stables contain nothing but small seedy ponys of very inferior value. The one I chose is one of the two the Maguee Minggyee had given, the only two in fact that I should not be ashamed to ride. His Majesty has bought a house for me, and seems to count on my residing here.

If our Government pleased to appoint a Consul here, I am sure it might be done. It is a great pity that there is no respectable representative of any English house of business here. I am the only Englishman in the place, and cannot but observe that the failure in the attempt of Rangoon firms to do business here is the fault of themselves or agents. The laws are such, that a contract is not worth the paper it is written on. But the only firm in the country that can do business on any but a huckstering scale is His Majesty. His Majesty is compelled to do his business through a set of Armenians and Moguls who cheat him, and defile his reputation into the bargain. If the king were wise and used his means well, he might be one of the rich monarchs of the East, instead of the poorest. He professes that the English help could be of great service to the kingdom, and hints his fears that our Government would hinder his being supplied with this aid.

His Majesty has undoubtedly great faith in every thing English, of course faith is here quite divorced from charity-and nothing is better than that this faith should be cultivated and fed. The French have been unlucky in the figure they have cut here. The king was intensely disgusted at the set that D'Orgoni brought here, their quarrelling, and exposure of each other's rapacity, even in his presence, abusing each other in the most violent manner, have made an impression on his mind that nothing will remove. I am sorry that a Frenchman here, a gentleman not of the D'Orgoni set-is about to bring here a French mint. Every aid, and step by which His Majesty endeavours to civilize his country should be supplied by us. There is more reason for this than I can detail to you here. For the good of this people, for the advantage of our own commerce, and

for the advancement of civilization and Christianity, we should assist to raise this country, while it has a ruler willing, nay anxious to avail himself of every aid he can obtain to that end. The present king would rather get cotton grown, iron smelted, pottery made, and produce of all kinds exported, than get fresh muskets or cannon when he knows he can't afford to load them. The muskets he has, he lets remain rusty and uncleaned. In the scientific or natural history way I have been able to do nothing. The Maguee Minggyee promised to lend me every assistance, i. e., leave to collect in getting Burman specimens, but wished me to write to Calcutta and get some foreign trees and plants for the king's garden; His Majesty too asked me to get him some shrubs and trees or seeds of them, to plant in his "botanical garden," where he purposes to collect all the plants of the world!! Some flower-scented flower seeds and flowering shrub seeds he much wishes. The Shan hills, I think might prove favorable to the quinine tree. I discovered the real cinnamon tree in abundance there, with bark of apparently prime quality. If any cinchona or quinine tree seeds are procurable in Calcutta may I ask the favour of a few being sent to me by post?

Mandaley, February 12th, 1862.

Your kind note of December 14th I received four days ago.

In my last I said I hoped to be able to send you the account of my trip to the Shan hills, and of my being about to start immediately for Bamo. I have been so busy lately that I have not had time to write out my notes of this trip. My trip to Bamo is very indefinitely postponed. The Court of the great king, Lord of countless umbrellas, is a little disturbed with doubts of my being really a harmless "teacher officer," or a disguised powder barrel. The Golden Face is in fact dim towards me. I have not seen it for nearly a fortnight, and of course, am devoured with grief! It is very likely, however, the sun will shine again soon, especially if Colonel Phayre sends a pleasant message to them, or I get something to present to His Majesty's garden by the Steamer.

Further than Bamo, I would not think of attempting and am quite certain I should get no one to accompany me.

These Mussalman Chinese are inclined to be aggressive towards Burmah. I have private information of a message they sent to this Court, requesting to be allowed to come to trade by the Bamo road. Their request was accompanied with a threat. Their adopted faith has very likely infused into them a fighting spirit. They are masters of western Yunan, it is certain; and hold all the doors of communication between China and Burmah.

I am delighted to find Colonel Sarel's account of his trip up the Yang-Tse Kiang in the No. of the Society's Journal just received. Yunan then imports cotton from both sides, and exports minerals. Its trade with Burmah if re-opened will be in the hands of the Panjais or Mussalman Chinese, not as of old in the hands of the orthodox Chinese. As far as I know, the Government here sent a pacifying reply to the Panjais from Yunan, and ordered the official at Bamo to allow them to come, but without arms, and to watch with vigilance their numbers, and doings.

I dream of the removal of the capital (query whether as a capital) back to Ava, of a beautiful pleasant suburb at Sagain with a steam ferry between: Ava to be the depôt of the China trade vid Theinnee; having ready communication, with Tonghoo; and a half way station or depôt, for the Bamo China trade which used to bring into the king's coffers five lakhs a year! Now of course not a rupee is collected at Bamo from the China trade.

You cannot imagine how difficult it is, to get information and yet avoid exciting suspicion here. I hope to get, however, correct and full particulars of the present and past state of the Bamo and China route; if I fail in getting up there myself.

You are no doubt well aware of what is going on in Cochin China, and read the signs of General Bonard's ("the French Mouravieff,”) doings. The Cambodia, as far as I can learn here, and I trust my information, is navigable for large boats up to Kiang Tsen, latitude 20° 50′ from thence to just below Kiang Hung Gyee in latitude 22°, it is obstructed by rocks and rapids, over which small boats only can be dragged. Above this again, the river is open and clear.

Kiang Hunggyee is in Burman territory. Kiang Tsen, as far as I have ascertained, is Siamese. That is, the Shan inhabitants are tributary to Ava and Bankok respectively. So you see how near our

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