1TB JOURNAL OF AN EMBASSY 
and ceremony, and that in the meanwhile the 
commercial treaty might be settled. I readily 
embraced the proposal of discussing the terms 
of the commercial treaty, without loss of time; 
and said that I had already prepared the draft 
of such a treaty, in English and Burman. The 
difficulties encountered on former occasions in 
negotiating with officers of the Burman Go¬ 
vernment not duly authorized, induced me to 
request that any person or persons appointed 
to negotiate with us now, might be vested with 
full authority to treat. The Burman officers 
replied, that the negotiators, on their side, would 
be vested with such powers as were given at 
Yandabo. He first proposed this day as the 
first for entering upon the negotiations, but 
afterwards suggested that the 11th would be 
more convenient. He explained, that on that 
day business would be transacted, and that the 
three following days would be devoted to the 
annual exhibition of boat-races, at which his 
Majesty and Court would all be present, and to 
which we were invited. The negotiation, he 
continued, would be renewed on the 15th and 
16th, shortly after which the Mission would be 
introduced to the King. In fact, it was deter¬ 
mined that we should be presented on the first 
day of the new moon, which is a Burman fes- 
