And since the Malay has been ascertained to bear so close an affinity to the Coptic, such a coincidence cannot be regarded as at all extraordinary. The prayers recited by the priests on the occasion of funerals and other solemnities, are in the Pali language; but this is every where the sacred language of Buddhism, as the Latin and the Arabic are respectively of the Romish and Mohammedan communions. And no other proof seems requisite, that Ceylon itself derived the superstition of which it has become the asylum and depository, from Magadha, the birth-place of Gaudama Buddha. But these are deep matters. We must proceed to notice the Mission of Mr. Crawfurd.

This abortive attempt to establish a beneficial commercial intercourse with Siam and Cochin China, is said to have originated with Mr. Crawfurd himself, who is represented as having prevailed upon the Marquess of Hastings to send him on a mission for which he certainly appears to have been ill qualified. His whole diplomatic career was a series of blunders, for which Mr. Finlayson makes the best apology when he says:

We arrived in the country ignorant of the manners of the people, and of the state of political opinion; for even in this despotic government, the spirit of party is not unknown. That knowledge which we subsequently acquired, would doubtless have been of the first importance to the British Agent, had he possessed it on landing in Siam. The history of past negotiations is sufficient to prove that neither privileges, nor immunities, nor advantages of any kind, are to be gained from the Ultra Gangetic nations by submission, by condescension, or even by conciliation or by flattery. They despise the former as a proof of weakness; the latter, as arguing a mean spirit.'

The

But, with the examples before him, of De Chaumont in Siam, and of Colonel Symes and Captain Hiram Cox in Ava, it is most marvellous that Mr. Crawfurd should not have been aware of this. Neither the military rank nor the diplomatic character of Colonel Symes availed to procure for him even the honour of a sight of the Golden Face, or to protect him from unequivocal marks of disrespect, till he assumed the language of firm remonstrance: he then obtained all he wished for. Emperor was very reluctant to understand that the Governorgeneral of India could be any thing more than a provincial governor, with whom it would have been an infinite degradation for his Golden Majesty to correspond on terms of equality. Captain Cox, they played with; and the poor Resident could make nothing of them. The sort of mercantile capacity in which they seem to have viewed him, evidently excited their contempt. And when we recollect with what real or affected contempt a certain Emperor of the West is stated to have

spoken of the British as a nation of shop-keepers, it cannot be deemed matter of wonderment that a military and polite nation like the Birmans should regard a Mercantile Company and the Company's Agent with the same dignified feelings.

The Chevalier Chaumont, with the address and good face characteristic of his countrymen, took high ground in his presentation to his majesty of Siam, insisting upon their keeping on their shoes, contrary to all oriental etiquette, and upon delivering the letter of his royal master into the king's own hands, instead of transmitting it through one of the officers. After making three bows to the king, he began a speech standing, but, after a few words, put on his hat and delivered the rest sitting and covered. He then rose to give the letter; but it appeared to him that the king's position was much higher than had been stipulated, or than would admit of his delivering the letter without stretching his person in a manner unsuitable to his dignity. He therefore formed the bold determination not to lift the letter higher than himself, to the great consternation of his friend the prime minister, who was lying prostrate. At last, the king, laughing, stooped and took the gold box in which the epistle was contained, and afterwards conversed for about an hour with great affability. Meantime, all the mandarins remained flat on the ground. Let us now hear Mr. Finlayson's account of the reception of the British envoy.

The hall was lofty, wide, and well-aired, and appeared to be about sixty or eighty feet in length, and of proportionate breadth. The cieling and walls were painted with various colours, chiefly in the form of wreaths and festoons. The roof was supported by wooden pillars, ten on each side, painted spirally red and dark green. Some small and rather paltry mirrors were disposed on the walls; glass lustres and wall shades were hung in the centre; and to the middle of each pillar was attached a lantern, not much better than our stable lanterns. The floor was covered with carpets of different colours. The doors and windows were in sufficient numbers, but small and without ornament. At the further extremity of the hall, a large handsome curtain, made of cloth covered with tinsel or gold leaf, and suspended by a cord, divided the space occupied by the throne from the rest of the apartment. On each side of this curtain there were placed five or six singular ornaments, called chatt*, consisting of a series of small circular tables suspended over each other, diminishing gradually so as to form a cone, and having a fringe of rich cloth of gold or tissue suspended from each tablet. A few of the presents from the Governor General, as

* A chattah, in Birman, is an umbrella; and these ornaments were, we make no doubt, intended for the same article.

bales of cloth and cut glass, were placed nearly in the middle of the room and on one side; but we neither remarked the letter from the Noble Marquis, nor did it appear that any notice whatever was taken of it on this public occasion.

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The curtain placed before the throne was drawn aside as we entered. The whole multitude present lay prostrate on the earth, their mouths almost touching the ground. Not a body or limb was observed to move; not an eye was directed towards us; not a whisper agitated the solemn and still air. It was the attitude, the silence, the solemnity of a multitude addressing the great God of the universe, rather than the homage of even an enslaved people. Raised about twelve feet above the floor, and about two yards behind the curtain, there was an arched niche, on which an obscure light was cast, of sufficient size to display the human body to effect in the sitting posture. In this niche was placed the throne, projecting from the wall a few feet. Here, on our entrance, the king sat immoveable as a statue, his eyes directed forwards. He resembled in every respect an image of Buddha placed upon his throne, while the solemnity of the scene and the attitude of devotion observed by the multitude, left little room to doubt that the temple had been the source from which the monarch of Siam had borrowed the display of regal pomp. He was dressed in a close jacket of gold tissue; on his left was placed what appeared to be a sceptre; but he wore neither crown nor other covering on the head; nor was the former emblem of the office of royalty displayed on the occasion. There were neither jewels, nor costly workmanship, nor precious stones, nor pearls, nor gold observable about the person of the king, his throne, or his ministers. A considerable degree of light was thrown laterally on the floor at the base of the throne, where large and elegant fans were waved by persons placed behind the curtain. This circumstance added considerable effect to the scene.

'When we had passed the screen and come in sight of the throne, we pulled off our hats and bowed in the European manner, the two Moormen at the same time falling prostrate, and crawling before us on the ground towards the throne. We were desired to advance in a stooping posture.........When we had advanced a few paces, being distant from the throne more than half the length of the hall, all the ministers being a considerable way in front of us on either side, we were desired to seat ourselves on the carpet in the narrow lane or space through which we had advanced. We now performed the salutations agreed upon, after which a voice from behind the curtain in front of the throne, interrupted the silence which had hitherto prevailed, by reading in a loud tone a list of the presents which had been sent by the Governor General. The king now addressed some questions to the Agent (Mr. Crawfurd). He spoke in a firm, though not a loud voice. In person, he was remarkably stout, but apparently not bloated or unwieldy: he appeared to be about sixty-five years of age. The questions were repeated by the person who had read the list of presents; and from him they were conveyed in whispers by several individuals, till they reached the Moorman, who, prostrate like

the rest, whispered them to the agent to the Governor General in a tone which I could not hear, though placed immediately behind him. The answers to the throne were passed on in the same way. From the tenor of these questions, as related afterwards by Captain Dangerfield, it would appear that they were of a very general nature. While these questions were passing, betel was introduced in handsome silver vessels and gold cups. The audience having lasted about twenty minutes, the king rose from his seat, and turning round to depart, the curtain was immediately drawn in front of the throne. On this all the people raised a loud shout, and turning on their knees, performed numerous salutations, touching the earth and their forehead alternately, with both hands united.

The princes and ministers now assumed a sitting posture, by which, for the first time, we were enabled to observe their respective places. We left the hall of audience without further ceremony. A heavy shower of rain had fallen during the interview, and the roads leading to the different parts of the palace, at no time noted for cleanliness, were now converted into a dirty puddle; we therefore requested to have our shoes, but in vain, for no notice whatever was taken of our request. On leaving the door of the audience-hall, a paltry Chinese umbrella, which might be purchased in the bazar for a rupee, was given to each of us. Not knowing with what view it was presented, I was about to reject it, when I was told that it was meant as a present from the king!'

It was afterwards distinctly stated to them, that the mission had been designedly received by the king as a deputation from a provincial government. The consequence was, that every person of rank carefully abstained from coming near them. To heighten their mortification, it so happened, that a CochinChinese embassy arrived at Bankok about a month after; and the manner in which it was received, was in every particular a striking contrast to that with which Mr. Crawfurd submitted to be treated. Instead of a sort of canoe, which was sent down to receive the British Agent, a grand array of highly ornamented royal barges, such as are described by M. Loubéré, were now brought out, and the aquatic procession was most splendid and imposing. In a few days the ambassador was admitted to an interview with the king, without having gone through those forms which the British Agent had been made to believe to be indispensable, and without having previously visited the Prince or any minister. He was moreover carried to the palace by his own followers in a palanquin, preceded by a number of armed men; he got out of his vehicle at the inner gate, and walked up to the hall of audience without laying aside his shoes; his own interpreter accompanying him into the hall. The Cochin-Chinese remained at Bankok about three weeks after this, witnesses of the manner in which

it was deemed fitting and expedient to treat the British Agent; and then returned to their own country, to pave the way for his being received at Hué with even less consideration than had been conceded to him at Bankok.

The Mission proceeded in the first instance to Sai-gon, the capital of the province of Don-nai, where they were treated with sufficient courtesy. On the part of the inhabitants, indeed, Mr. Finlayson says,

، The attention, kindness, and hospitality we experienced, so far exceeded what we had hitherto observed of Asiatic nations, that we could not but fancy ourselves among a people of entirely different character. In almost every street we were invited by the more wealthy Chinese to enter their houses and partake of some refreshments. They could not have known before hand that we were to visit the place; yet some of the entertainments laid out for us, were in a style of elegance and abundance that bespoke the affluence as well as the hospitality of our hosts.'

The authorities at Saigon were not easy till they had obtained a sight and a copy of the Governor General's letter, and examined Mr. Crawfurd's credentials. In their subsequent interview with the Cochin-Chinese governor, the question was started, how the Governor-general of Bengal could address a letter to their king, seeing that it was customary for kings only to write to kings. There was surely nothing very unreasonable in this demur, as European monarchs are not accustomed to correspond, otherwise than through their ministers, with any but their good and royal cousins. From Saigon, they continued their voyage to Turon, where they found that their arrival had been for some time looked for; and here, the first inquiry put to them was, whether the letter for their king was from the king of England. A list was demanded of all the persons on board; but when barges arrived to convey them to the capital, it was peremptorily insisted upon, first, that only ten-and at last that only fifteen persons, including the crew of the ship's long boat, should be allowed to proceed. It was evidently the object of the Government, to strip the Mission as much as possible of an imposing or even a respectable appearance, and to treat it accordingly. They had scarcely entered the quarters provided for them at Hué, when a messenger came from the Mandarin of Elephants to obtain the letter for the king, in order to its being examined previously to its being presented. Mr. Crawfurd delivered the letter, together with Portuguese and Chinese translations, the latter executed by the Missionaries at Serampore. The next day,

"the clerk returned with the Chinese translation, stating, that there were certain expressions in it which rendered it unfit to be laid be