IN THE BURMHAN EMPIRE. 209

I did not determine lightly, and therefore never
wavered in my resolutions. Finding I was not to
be moved by their eloquence, they submitted and
wrote down my answer. When they had done,
willing to soften matters, I told them as they
had apologized for the inconveniences I had suf-
fered from their customs, I must now apologize
to them for the disappointment they had suffered
from mine ; that with us no minister could assume
or exercise the public functions of station, until his
authority had been unequivocally acknowledged.
After a short pause, they desired leave to retire ; I
rose from my chair and said, I was extremely sorry
they should have been deputed on so fruitless
a mission, and expressed my hopes that our next
meeting might be more to our mutual satisfaction:
they then withdrew. It may not be improper
to note, that I permitted them to enter the room
and be seated, sometime before I came to them;
I received them dressed in my regimentals, as I
have always been when visited by men of rank
or public officers ; I delivered what I had to say
in a serious but mild tone of voice, and did not
deign to allude to the reception at Calcutta of
the Arrakan messenger, who sat on the ground list-
ening in silent astonishment; perhaps, comparing
in his own mind the opposite conduct of the two go-
vernments. Mr. Moncourtuse attended them back
to the looto, and informed me when he returned,

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