“The gentleman,
“TUMBAH TUAH.
“Bencoolen, the 31st day of the month of August in the year 1832.”
The superscription was as follows:—
“Presenting itself before the visage of his Excellency Colonel Geisinger, commanding the American ship-of-war.”
Translation of a Letter from the Sultan of Muscat to the President of the United States.
“IN THE NAME OF GOD, AMEN.
“To the most high and mighty Andrew Jackson, President of the United States of America, whose name shines with so much splendour throughout the world. I pray most sincerely that on the receipt of this letter it may find his Highness, the President of the United States, in high health, and that his happiness may be constantly on the increase. On a most fortunate day and at a happy hour, I had the honour to receive your Highness’s letter, every word of which is clear and distinct as the sun at noonday, and every letter shone forth as brilliantly as the stars in the heavens. Your Highness’s letter was received by your faithful and highly honourable representative and ambassador Edmund Roberts, who made me supremely happy in explaining the object of his mission, and I have complied in every respect with the wishes of your honourable ambassador, in concluding a treaty of friendship and commerce between our respective countries, which shall be faithfully observed by myself and my successors, as long as the world endures. And his Highness may depend that all American vessels resorting to the ports within my dominions, shall know no difference, in point of good treatment, between my country and that of his own most happy and fortunate country, where felicity ever dwells. I most fervently hope that his Highness the President may ever consider me as his firm and true friend, and that I will ever hold the President of the United States very near and dear to my heart, and my friendship shall never know any diminution, but shall continue to increase till time is no more. I offer, most sincerely and truly, to his Highness the President, my entire and devoted services, to execute any wishes the President may have within my dominions, or within any ports or places wherein I possess the slightest influence.
“This is from your most beloved friend,
“SYEED BIN SULTAN.
“Written on the twenty-second day of the Moon, Jamada Alawel, in the year Alhajira 1249,[†] at the Royal Palace in the city of Muscat.