They were obliged to me for my information. I advised them to turn their attention immediately to all the great points.
On the subject of the six regiments the Court differ from the view I took. Loch gave me a long statement of facts, which I must read attentively, and then communicate with the Duke.
They are so enamoured of old habits that they hesitate about desiring their Indian Governments and the subordinate correspondents of these Governments to place upon the back of their voluminous letters a précis of their substance!
After the Chairs were gone I saw Bankes and Leach, and while they were with me Sir Archibald Campbell called. I saw him immediately. He is a fat, rather intelligent-looking man, well mannered, and sensible. I talked to him of the idea of exchanging Tenasserim. [Footnote: The furthest province of the British territory towards Siam, extending along the coast south of Pegu, and lately conquered from the Burmese Empire.] He did not like giving up his conquest. I gave him one secret letter, and he will make his observations upon it.
He left Lord William at the mouth of the Hooghly. They had found out the removal of the Government was contrary to law. They had intended to be itinerant for a year or two.
It is only in the Bengal army that the officers are old. There they rise by seniority. In the Madras army they are made from fitness.
The Madras army, though most gallant, was quite unequal, from deficiency of physical strength, to face the Burmese. The Burmese soldiers brought fourteen days' provisions. All men are liable to be called upon. They never had more than 120,000 in the field.
The English army took 2,000 cannon, and it was believed the Burmese had 2,500 left.
Sir A. Campbell says there have been 60,000 refugees from Ava—all now settled in Tenasserim. I had thought there had never been more than 10,000, and that some, about half, had returned.
Upon the whole, he seems enamoured of his conquests, but he did not adduce any good reason against exchanging it.