34 The Remains at JBag&n. [No. 1. 



mented parapet assuming in the repaired buildings a coarse incon- 

 gruous appearance in rude plaster-work. In the temples which 



The trade seems to have revived towards the end of the century. In 1680 

 and 1684, the Company's agents had made unsuccessful attempts to re-establish 

 factories in Burma or Pegu. In 1686-7 their attention was turned to Negrais ; 

 a survey was made of the island, and it was taken nominal possession of. 



In 1695, Nathaniel Higginson, governor of Fort St. George, sent Mr. Edward 

 Fleetwood and Captain James Lesly as envoys to the court of Ava. Their 

 objects were to obtain the settlement of a factory at Sirian, the release of English 

 captives, and of a sloop belonging to one Bartholomew Rodriguez, which had 

 been confiscated, and the restoration of the effects of one Adrian Tilbury, a 

 merchant of Fort St. George, who had died at Martaban. 



They carried presents to the amount of about 1000 pagodas, and a letter from 

 Governor Higginson, written in a very humble style. The presents were a 

 regular mercantile speculation. The envoys were to try to get as much as 

 possible in return, " asking for more" if they found it feasible, and were them- 

 selves to get ten per cent, on the proceeds as an incitement to do their best.* 



Mr. Fleetwood does not appear to have been a gentleman likely either to 

 impress the Burmese court with an exalted impression of his country, or to bring 

 back with him any interesting particulars of theirs. He seemed to think he had 

 made a great coup in providing himself with a letter of introduction to the king's 

 mistress. The mission had as little success as it deserved under such auspices, 

 but the re-establishment of the factory at Sirian was conceded. Two years later 

 (1697) Mr. Bowyear was sent as chief of the factory at Sirian, and with a mission 

 to the court similar in its objects to Fleetwood's. It appears from the instruc- 

 tions that the return-presents made to Fleetwood's mission had been profitable 

 to Mr. Higginson, and he was not indisposed to repeat the speculation. But 

 he honourably adds ; " If the returns of the present shall stand in competition 

 with, or hinder, the restoring of Bartholomew Rodriguez his cargo, I had rather 

 forego the receiving of any returns for the present, than hinder the restoration 

 of the cargo." No record of Bowyear's mission has been found, and it is pro- 

 bable that he did not proceed to Ava, as the king died just after his arrival in 

 the country.f 



In 1709, a Mr. Richard Alison or Allanson was sent as envoy to Ava. No 

 account of his mission has ever been printed. It appears from Hamilton's ' New 

 account of the East Indies'^ that this gentleman was twice deputed to the court 

 of Ava. But the date of his other mission is unknown. From this point I shall 



* Higginson's Instructions to Fleetwood. In Dalrymple's Oriental Repertory, 

 II. p. 337 et seq. 



t Bayfield ; see below. 



X Edinburgh, 1727, Vol. II. 



