APPENDIX. 
103 
Q. Do you think the Burmese Government now un¬ 
derstands the nature of a negotiation with an European 
Government ?— -A. I think they certainly do ; but no¬ 
thing but actual experience could convince them. After 
the negotiation which led to the peace, they were still in¬ 
credulous of the good faith of the British, and could not 
bring themselves to believe that they were sincere until 
the first retrograde movement of the army. The pay¬ 
ment of the money was a desperate experiment on their 
part, for they thought that the British would take it, and 
still march on. I was questioned a hundred times over 
on this subject by the Woongees, and other principal 
officers of the Government, having been sent for at all 
hours of the day and night, by different parties, for this 
purpose. I was asked what pledge I would give, and par¬ 
ticularly if I was willing to leave my wife and child be¬ 
hind, in order to be put to death, should the English take 
money and still advance upon the capital. 
Q. Do you consider the Burman Government very 
faithless?— A. Utterly so. They have no idea either of 
the moral excellence or the utility of good faith. They 
would consider it nothing less than folly to keep a treaty 
if they could gain any thing by breaking it. The fidelity 
hitherto observed by the British Government in fulfilling 
the stipulations of the late treaty, stupified the Burmans. 
They knew not what to make of it; but some of them 
have now begun to admire it. I heard many make use 
of expressions like the following: 44 These Kulas, al¬ 
though they drink spirits and slay cattle, and are ambi¬ 
tious and rapacious, have a regard for truth and their 
word, which is quite extraordinary ; whereas, in us Bur¬ 
mese, there is no truth.” The first circumstance in the 
conduct of the British which struck them with surprise, 
was the return of Dr. Sandford on his parole; and next, 
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