I remain,
Your Lordship’s obedient servant,
(Signed) W. H. SLEEMAN.

To the Most Noble
The Marquis of Dalhousie,
Governor-General,
   &c. &c. &c.

__________________________

Lucknow, 18th March, 1852.

My Lord,

I was favoured with your Lordship’s letter of the 24th ultimo in due course, and did not reply immediately as I had stated, or was about to state, in a public form, all that seemed to be required about Captain Bird and Dr. Bell.  Dr. Bell had apologised for indiscretions in conversation, but denied ever having authorised Mr. Brandon to make use of his name; and pretended utter ignorance of the intrigues which he was carrying on at the time that he was doing his utmost to convey wrong impressions to the Durbar.  I feel grateful for the support your Lordship has given me.  I cared nothing about the intrigues of these very silly men while under the impression that it was your intention to interpose effectually for the benefit of the people of Oude, because the new arrangements would have rendered them harmless; but when I found that you could not do so at present, it became necessary, for my own dignity and that of the Government, to do my best to put a stop to them.  Most assuredly Captain Bird had been trying hard to persuade the King and his minister that our Government could not interfere, and that all the threats of the Governor-General would continue to be what they had hitherto been, and might be disregarded.

I find that your Lordship has departed slightly from your original plan in regard to Burmah, by sending a detachment to make a demonstration upon Rangoon and Martaban.  There is no calculating upon the result of such a demonstration in dealing with a Government so imbecile, and so ignorant of our resources.  The places are too far from the capital, and the war party may succeed in persuading the King that in this demonstration we put forth all our strength.  I can appreciate your motive—­the wish to avoid, if possible, a war of annexation, which a war upon any scale must be.  We should have to make use of a vast number of suffering people, whom we could not abandon to the mercy of the old Government.

In the last war our great difficulties were the want of quick transit for troops and stores by sea, the want of carriage cattle, and sickness.  These three impediments will not now beset us.  Our own districts on the coast will supply land-carriage, steam-vessels will carry our troops and stores, and subsequent experience will enable us to avoid sources of endemial diseases.  I have no map of the country; but some letters in the papers about the Busseya river interested me much.  Our strong point is steam; and the discovery of a river which would enable us to use it in getting in strength to the rear or flank would be of immense advantage.  There must be healthy districts; indeed Burmah generally must be a healthy country, or the population would