APPENDIX. 
27 
managed with the greatest prudence and discretion, it ex¬ 
cited alarm on the part of the Burmese Court, and, as will 
be seen from the record of my proceedings, its arrival was 
accompanied by circumstances of a disagreeable nature, 
strongly characteristic of the jealousy and suspicion of the 
Burmese Government. 
Another proposal which has been suggested, is that of 
maintaining a resident Agent at Rangoon. This would, no 
doubt, be an arrangement most agreeable to the vanity, 
pretensions, and jealousy of the Burmese Government; but 
I do not hesitate in pronouncing it as open to still more 
cogent objections than the other. The Agent of the Bri¬ 
tish Government, in this case, would be inevitably shut out 
from all communication with the Court of Ava, and be¬ 
come virtually and practically the representative of the 
Supreme Government of India, to the Provincial Govern¬ 
ment of Pegu. His services would be of some value for the 
protection of British commerce at the port of Rangoon; 
but, jealously and narrowly watched, he would be possess¬ 
ed, in his political capacity, neither of influence nor of 
utility. 
Having stated these objections against attempting to 
maintain our political relations with the Burmese Govern¬ 
ment by means of diplomatic Agents residing in the coun¬ 
try, I have the honour to submit my sentiments on the 
mode in which it appears to me that those relations may be 
best and most effectually supported. I have no hesitation 
in thinking that, generally, all our future intercourse with 
the Government of Ava ought to be conducted through 
the military or civil officer vested with the chief political 
authority on the Saluen frontier; that little direct commu¬ 
nication should be held between the Supreme Government 
and the Court of Ava, and certainly none at all between 
it and any subordinate Burman authority. The Burmese 
