CRAWFURD'S COURT OF AVA.

A SHORT time since, we alluded to the Indian diplomacy of Lieu- tenant BURNES with the Court of Sinde. Looking into the se- cond edition of Mr. CRAWFURD'S Mission to the Court of' Ava, we find a still richer display upon a similar subject. Tha reader who has a taste for grave burlesque, and who would try the folly of forms and ceremonies, testing them by their strangeness, will thank us for calling his attention to this publication. The whole of the negotiations for a commercial treaty with the Ministers of the Golden Foot, are rich in humour ; some of theta are equal to the scenes of any comedy.

In the vulgar opinion, a diplomatist is a trickster, if not a

sharper, whose chief qualification is to lie with a grace. The lowest attache of a civilized embassy is, however, above this ; not because it is wrong, but because it is impolitic. Even a cad will not tell a direct lie; and men engaged with their equals in affairs of any extent, soon become moral Utilitarians, and discover that untruths or equivocations arc not only discreditable, but trouble- some. They require a succession of inventions to bolster them up : even then they arc soon detected ; the delinquent is harassed by the necessity of perpetual " explanations," and becomes after all a suspected or a marked man. Many whose experience carries them above the common notions of a negotiator, still think him full of insincerity and guile; that his course is tortuous and wily; his actions a series of veiled frauds. In some cases it may be so; but we suspect the qualities and ;requirements of a first-rate di- plomatist are of a higher kind. Nature must have given him prudence and sagacity : society must have instilled into him good manners, though the " last polish " which we hear talked of seems not indispensable, as it is seldom consistent with higher qualifications : self-training and study must have made him ac- acquainted with the theory and the history of his profession ; ex- perience and reflection with its practice and the existing position of affairs. He should have, moreover, what BACON calls " a mas- terly comprehension of opportunities," and above all, a foreseeing mind. In life, every single event may influence future events, or it may produce them. To know whether a present arrangement is final, or if not, what complexion it may throw over future cir- cumstances, or to what circumstances it may probably give rise, is the greatest accomplishment of a diplomatist; and one which can only be acquired by long and close observation of affrirs, and by "much meditating" upon their course and their results. The art which VOLTAIRE attributes in its perfection to MARLBOROUGH —" de demeler les hommes et de penetrer les rapports qui sont entre leurs plus secretes pensees, leurs actions, leur gestes, leurs discours "—is useful to penetrate intentions, and in delicate and doubtful negotiations to know what to propose, what to leave, what to insist upon, what to yield.

Qualifications of' this kind differ as much from the common

beau ideal of a diplomatist, as a profound knowledge of chances differs from cogging a die. Their union produces skill, not craft. Their exercise, whether for liberalism or despotism, may be con- sistent with the utmost plainness and simplicity of manner, such as is said to characterize METTERNICH ; and even with the most perfect openness of dealing upon the immediate bearing of the points, which is said to be displayed by TALLEYRAND—though he may not feel called upon to play the prophet for the benefit of Noodle or Doodle. Men of the stamp we have described, need not defraud their inferiors; to cheat their equals would be difficult. They play at a great and complex game, where the best player eventually wins, even with the odds against him. When the elite of our negotiators—Lord STRANGFORD, a pretty poetaster, the Marquis of LONDONDERRY, a capital cavalry officer—encounter masters of the art, it requires no prophet to predict the result. Incapacity, battled by skill, may cry out foul, foul ; but why should a man take unfair advantages, when he knows that his opponent will throw away his points ? In the East, all this is changed ; and the most cautious diplo- mate would at first be liable to be deceived, because Ire would not calculate upon the Orientalisms of his adversary. Like a "learned and restless intriguer," an Eastern negotiator will stick at nothing: he will lie through thick and thin : when told of his conduct, he will deny or equivocate—throw the misconception upon the inter- preters, or the language ; and when hunted through all his wind- ings, turn it into a joke, and laugh it out. Upon the word of an Englishman he places great reliance, even if it be a private com- munication : he will spare no pains to procure some slight confi- dential admission, which he will torture to his purpose, satisfied that if the word be passed he is safe. But, says Mr. CRAWYITRI4 it is by no means clear that he admires our conduct in this matter:

on the contrary, he probably laughs at us as fools. Yet after all, many of his tricks, like those of children or rustics, are for small matters—things which might be obtained without, or which are scarcely wsrl h obtaining. The great quality of Oriental diplomacy is not matter, but form: the struggle is upon points of etiquette —the kind of salutation, the profundity of a bow, how the embassy shall sit, and upon what, whether the head or the feet are to be covered, where the envoy and train are to dismount, what they are

to ride, and when to lower their umbrellas. Great too was the skill of the subjects of the Rising Son Monarch in blinking the fact of the Embassy coming from the Governor-General of India; for it is derogatory to Oriental pride to receive an envoy from a viceroy. The first official of rank, though an old acquain- tance, and courteously minute in his inquiries after the heal ths and ages of the parties present, never mentioned the person who sent them. The courtiers were more skilfully polite : they used a term which might apply indifferently to the Governor-General or the King of England; and perhaps a Burmese philologist might dis- cover that the phrase was rather derogatory to majesty. We laugh at these matters, as indicative of barbarism ; yet, in practice, we stickle like the Burmese. Surely the Persians are wiser. When the Envoys of this polished people came to England, they nerved themselves to fight a battle upon the forms which should take place on their public reception. Their wishes for a sort of procession were not only acceded to, but outrun, even, if we rightly remem- ber MORIER'S delightful sketch, to the offer of a troop of Life Guards. This facility surprised the wary formalists : they insti- tuted such inquiries as they could ; and came to a determination to go to court like other people, lest they should be laughed at as barbel ians.

But to return to Mr. CRAWFURD. The object of his mission to the Court of Ave, was to negotiate a commercial treaty. In his own opinion, the time was ill chosen. The trading negotiations should have gone on simultaneously with the political ones, and the terms been dictated under the mouths of the British cannon. As it was, he was scarcely successful; owing not to any ab- stract unreasonableness in his demands, but to the ignorance of the Burmese in political economy, and to their patriotic unwilling- ness " to change the laws" of Ava. They were averse to "theo- ries," and beset by practical difficulties. As regards forms, the ne- gotiators of the Rising Sun were at least a match even for the vete- ran Anglo-Indian. Upon shoes and obeisances he was triumphant; but they tricked him at last with respect to the umbrellas, and, direr still, the presents—or, as they made it appear, the tribute. The advance of a foreign army almost to the capital, had exasperated the court and disturbed the people. The great wished to impress upon the little, that the English had repented of their deeds, and were turning from their evil ways—that the embassy was a kind of penance. With this view, the mission was admitted to its first audience on a sort of fast-day, when all the courtiers demand par- don for former offences, and present gifts as expiatory offerings. The account of the ceremony is a pleasant piece of grave comic narrative; but is too long to quote. We must glean a few bits from other points: and here is the Envoy's remonstrance to begin with, and the vengeance which he took upon the venerators of the White Elephant for their courtly tricks.

" The circumstances which attended our introduction to his Majesty, ap- peared to call for a distinct remonstrance ; and, in conformity with what I had intimated to the Burmese chiefs at the opening of the conference, I addressed them in the following terms, through Mr. Judson. My notes were prepared during the intervals of the conference, and handed over to the interpreter, who bad time to translate and consider them beforeshe spoke. The language, as it now stands, is nearly a literal translation of what he delivered in Burman. E. "The principal business of this day's conference being over, I take this opportunity of addressing you respecting some circumstances of an unpleasant

nature which occurred yesterday. This embassy, you are aware, came to the Burman Court from a great government exercising sovereign authority. The presents which we brought were offered as marks of friendship only. When you recollect the issue of the late war, was it not generous on the part of the Governor-General to send an embassy and presents in this way ? Was it not conferring a favour ? (here the junior Atwen-wun very readily replied, ' Yes, yes.') The mission was conveyed to the Palace on elephants miserably equip- ped, compared to those on which your own officers of all ranks rode. We were made to dismount at the corner of the palisade of the Palace. Your own officers rode in their litters to the very gate. Your officers of every rank made use of their umbrellas to the very gate et the Palace. We were rudely requested_ to take ours down, long even before reaching the Rung-tl'hau. A Sare-d'hau- gyi wanted us to make an obeisance to the Palace when we were not near it, although I had repeatedly caused it to be signified that we should make no obei- sance except to the King in person, and your officers had acquiesced in this ar- rangement: this was an act of gratuitous rudeness. I beg that the Sark- d'haugyi may be reprimanded. The list of the Governor-General's presents was read along with the list of presents from Saubwas and others. There was great impropriety in this, which cannot escape yourselves. I mention all these matters, that they may never happen again. I am convinced they were un- known to his Majesty, or they would not have occurred now."

B. "It is the uniform custom of the country, in the case of embassies from China, Cochin-China, and Siam, that the ambassadors dismount at the corner of the palisade. All these points of ettiquette are settled by the King's order. There seas no intentional disrespect in the present case. All the Government officers desired to treat the Ambassadors handsomely. So far as the Sore- d'haugyi has behaved improperly and disrespectfully, it is his own affair, and

we will take measures for seeing him punished." • • * • " Many questions were put to us respecting our reception at the Court, and the thing. we had seen. They knew that I had visited the Court of Siam, and a great object with them was to obtain a favourable answer to the comparison which I should draw between that and the Burman Court. No essential point connected with the wealth or strength of the two nations was at all touched upon. The prin- . opal topics were the comparative splendour of the two palaces, of the court, of the courtiers, and of the King. They were especially desirous to know, whether the King of Siam had or had not a white elephant. On the first-mentioned topics they received such replies as gratified them; but on the important subject of the white elephant, it seemed, under all circumstances, net areewry to withhold the truth from them. They were sensibly mortified when 1 informed them, that the King of Siam had six white elephants instead of one, and that I had actoally seen four of them. They asked, whether the Siamese elephants were equally white with that which I had seen yesterday. 1 replied, that the Siamese elephants were all whiter. They seemed to doubt the accuracy of my information, and began a sort across-questioning. They begged to know when I had visited Siam ; who was King at the time ; his age ; his successor, &c. /sc. I satisfied them with precise dates and circumstances. They dropped the subject, and their silence evidently implied that they were chagrined that every circum- stance of the parallel drawn between themselves and the Siamese should not have received a flattering answer."

It has been already intimated that the Burmese nobles we rather intent upon trifles; but, with the weakness, they had the penetration of children. Of this, the basis on which the parties were to treat, or the duties of an Ambassador, may afford a specimen.

" The Envoy Crawfurd is a distinguished, wise, and prudent man, selected by the English Ruler. Ile has come to the royal country in the capacity of Ambassador. We also are persons trusted and favoured by the Rising Sun Monarch ; and we are selected and appointed by his Majesty to discuss what- ever is to be discussed. The discussions relate not to the personal affairs of the Envoy Crawfuld, the affairs of his children, or of his wife. We also speak not of our personal affairs, the affairs of our children, or of our wives. It is our business to please the golden heart of the Rising Sun Monarch, and his to please the heart of the English Ruler ; and thus we are to have regard to the good of both parties. It is proper to bear in mind, that the way to preserve peace between the two great countries, is to keep in view the welfare of both countries and sovereigns, and so to manage the discussion, that there may be no excess, but straightness and right."

The childishness is not confined to the Ministers. An "exalted personage" is represented as far from being one whom " passion cannot shake," whilst the effects are shown in no very dignified manner.

" On the 10th instant, a circumstance took place, which in almost any other. country would have been very immaterial, but which was here attended with un- pleasant consequences to the mission. His Majesty, contrary to the custom of his predecessors, is frequently in the habit of going abroad with little pomp or ceremony. On the oecasion now alluded to, he was amusing himself on the river-side with an elephant-fight. Four or five soldiers of the European escort happened about this time to cross the river, and passed by without noticing the King, or indeed being aware that he was present. This gave high offence. Ac- cording to the Resinous, the soldiers ought to have squatted down, thrown off. their shoos and held up their hands in an attitude of suplication. I was imme- diately waited upon by the chief+ to remonstrate upon the conduct of the sol- diets ; which was represented by them to be such as would have cost a Burman• his head ! I had the satisfaction to find, on inquiry, that the soldiers were not in the least to blame; and assured the aid's, that had they been aware of his ltlajesty's presence, they would have conducted themselves with every possible, respect towards him, and rendered hint the same compliment as to their own sovereign. This assurance, however, fell far short of their expectations. [in- formed them, theretbre, that the soldiers should not again be allowed to enter the town, to prevent the possibility of all misunderstanding on the subject. Inde- pendent of my assurance, however, they took elfsetual steps to prevent their doing so, by ordering the gates of the town to be dosed whenever persons be- longing to the Mission presented themselves. As an apology for this ungracious proceeding, the example of the Chinese Embassy was quoted ; no individual be- longing to which, it was stated, and I believe correctly, was ever allowed to enter the walls of Ava. The King was described to us as being in a high state of irritation,—going about with a spear in his halal, as is his custom on such OCCIS10119, and vowing destruction to his recreant 'alinisters, whom he charged with all kinds of offences. if I am lightly informed, his irritation atwe ftom a tliffigent cause. Upon our first arrival, his Ministers appear to have deceived him with false hopes and expectations, by representing' that the British Mission was sent by the Governor General to make submissions, and to atone for what had passed, by entering into arrangements for the restoration of the ceded pro- vines s, and the remission of the debt due.' There was a necessity for undeceiv- ing his Majesty at last ; and his coming to a knowledge of the real facts was, in all probability, the true cause of the displeasure which his Ministers feigned to attribute to the pretended disrespect of the European soldiers. I should have mentioned also, that offence was taken at the conduct of some of our native fill- lowers, and especially of the Lasears, or native seamen of the steam: vessel. The charge against them also was want of due respect when the King presented him- self. It was stated that they tint not throw themselves, as they should have done, into a crouching attitude; but stood on tiptoe, and stared—far too curiously."

• " The Ministers last night reported to the King the progress of the negotia- tion. His Majesty was highly. indignant ; said his confidence had been abused,. and that now, for the first time, lie was made acquainted with the teal state of affairs. He accused the Ministers of falsehoods, inalversations, and all kinds of offences. His displeasure did not end in mere words; he drew his (hi, or sword, and sallied forth in pursuit of the offending courtiers. These took to immediate flight,—some leaping over the balustrades which rail in the front of the Hall of Audience, but the greater number escaping by the stair which leads to it ; and in the confusion which attended their endeavours, tumbling head over heels, one on top of another. Such royal paroxysms are pretty frequent ; and, although attended with considerable sacrifices of the kingly dignity, are always bloodless. The late King was less subject to these fits of anger than his present Majesty,

but he also occasionally forgot himself. Towards the close of his reign, and when on a pilgrimage to the great temple of 3lengwan, a circumstance of this description took place, which was described to me by an European gentleman, himself present, and one of the courtiers. The King had detected something flagitious, which would not have been very difficult. His anger rose; he seized his spear, and attacked the false Ministers. These, with the exception of the European, who was not a party to the offence, fled tumultuously. One hapleve courtier had his heels tripped up in his flight : the King overtook him, and wounded him slightly in the calf of the leg with his spear, but took no further vengeance."

Though the account of the negotiations is the most amusing portion of the volumes, it should be stated, that it is not the most important. The chapters on the government, commerce, and na- tural productions of the Burman empire, are very valuable. But the most practically interesting of all, is the description of the ceded territory. The position is good; the soil appears to be fertile ; the climate comparatively temperate, and very healthy. Now that the Indian empire is thrown open to Englishmen, no better spot for settlement than Marteban could perhaps be found : and the publication of this new and cheaper edition, at a period like the present, when Hindostan is opened to individual enterprise,. is well timed.