

222 TUMLUONG. Chap. XXVI. 



sought information as to the view that would be taken 

 of them by the British Government. They could not see 

 why Campbell should not transact business with them 

 in his present condition, and wanted him to be the medium 

 of communication between themselves and Calcutta. The 

 latter confined himself to pointing out his own views of 

 the following subjects : — 1. The seizing and imprisoning 

 of the agent of a friendly power, travelling unarmed and 

 without escort, under the formal protection of the Rajah, and 

 with the authority of his own government. 2. The aggra- 

 vation of this act of the Amlah, by our present detention 

 under the Dewan's authority. 3. The chance of collision, 

 and the disastrous consequences of a war, for which they 

 had no preparation of any kind. 4. The impossibility of 

 the supreme government paying any attention to their 

 letters so long as we were illegally detained. 



All this sank deep into the Dewan's heart : he answered, 

 " You have spoken truth, and I will submit it all to the 

 Rajah ; ' but at the same time he urged that there was 

 nothing dishonourable in the imprisonment, and that the 

 original violence being all a mistake, it should be over- 

 looked by both parties. We parted on good terms, and 

 heard shortly after the second conference that our release 

 was promised and arranged : when a communication * 

 from Dorjiling changed their plans, the Dewan conveniently 

 fell sick on the spot, and we were thrown back again. 



In the meantime, however, we were allowed to write 

 to our friends, and to receive money and food, of which 



* I need scarcely say that every step was taken at Dorjiling for our release, that 

 the most anxious solicitude for our safety could suggest. But the first communi- 

 cation to the Rajah, though it pointed out the heinous nature of his offence, was, 

 through a natural fear of exasperating our captors, couched in very moderate 

 language. The particulars of our seizure, and the reasons for it, and for our 

 further detention, were unknown at Dorjiling, or a very different line of policy 

 would have been pursued. 



