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BIRMAH 45
to them, that no proposals could be listened to while
they remained on English ground, the Birmans were
induced to recross the river, having received a promise
that the matter of complaint should instantly be
The refugees were already in custody ;
investigated.
and the result was, that the three principal delinquents
were surrendered to the Birman chief, who, having
attained the object of his expedition, retired with his
captives from the British frontier.
The governor-general (Sir John Shore) now deemed
it expedient to endeavour to cultivate a better understanding
and a closer connexion with this bold and
formidable neighbour. With this view, an embassy
to the Birman court was determined upon; and in
1795, Colonel Symes was despatched from Calcutta in
the character of agent plenipotentiary, with a suite of
more than seventy persons. To this gentleman's
account of his successful mission, and the historical
memoir prefixed to it, we are indebted for the mate-
rials of the preceding sketch, and for the greater part
of the information which we possess respecting the
geography, manners, and political condition of the
country. The trade between Rangoon and both Calcutta
and Madras had, for some time, been on the
increase, more particularly on account of teak timber,
the produce of Ava and Pegu,* which is invaluable
for the purpose of ship-building. But from this
period, it has been more especially an object with the
* In proof of the importance of the Pegu trade, Colonel Symes
states, that " a durable vessel of burthen cannot be built in the
river of Bengal, except by the aid of teak plank, which is only to
be procured from Pegu. Madras is supplied from Rangoon with
timber for all the common purposes of domestic use ; and even
Bombay, although the :oast of Malabar is its principal storehouse,
finds it worth while annually to import a lar^e quantity of planks
from Pegu." SYMES. vol. iii. pp. 2(>6, 10.
I) 2