January seventh. This morning, the same party as yesterday came off again, with the addition of the two deputies from the seat of government, and their retinue, consisting of umbrella-bearers, trumpeters, and sword-bearers. The two deputies appeared anxious to make as much as possible of themselves. They ran over various questions of the same nature as those put by their precursors; which having been briefly answered, they were told that the envoy was then preparing a despatch for the king, and that in about an hour, it would be taken on shore by a naval officer; when they must be prepared to receive and forward it immediately to the capital of the province, or wherever else it might be necessary for them to send it, in the first instance. They then entered upon a number of impertinent queries, such as, whether there were any presents for the king; what were the contents of the letter to him; asking to see a copy of the envoy’s despatch to the capital, and the envoy and captain’s commissions. In all these inquiries they were immediately checked, and with some difficulty, brought to answer the questions, whether they were willing to receive and forward the despatch or not. Having answered in the affirmative, they were told that was satisfactory—that the despatch was being completed—that in the meanwhile they should return and make preparations to receive the officer who bore it.
The subject of provisions and particularly water, was again introduced, but nothing satisfactory was elicited in reply; the market, they said, was open.
A little after noon, the despatch was carried on shore by Lieutenant Brent. It was a letter in the form of a Chinese memorial, from the envoy to the king of Cochin-China, and was written both in Chinese and English. The following is a copy:—
“To his majesty, the king of Cochin-China:—
“The undersigned, Edmund Roberts, has the honour to inform your majesty, that Andrew Jackson, president of the United States of America, being desirous of opening a friendly intercourse with the king of Cochin-China, has despatched the United States’ ship-of-war Peacock, commanded by Captain David Geisinger, to your majesty’s dominions. The president of the United States of America has despatched the undersigned, his special envoy, to your majesty’s court, intrusting him with a letter to your majesty, and has clothed him with full power to treat with your majesty, for the important objects which the president of the United States has in view. He therefore requests that your majesty will grant him an interview, with the least possible loss of time.
It was the intention of the commander of the said United States’ ship-of-war, to have entered the bay of Turan; but having been driven from thence, after repeated attempts, by adverse winds and currents, he has been compelled at length to enter this port. As contrary winds and currents now prevail, it is rendered impossible for the envoy to proceed to Turan bay. The undersigned must, therefore, await your Majesty’s answer here.
Dated on board the United States’ ship Peacock, in Vung-lam roads, province of Fooyan, Cochin-China, the seventh day of January, A. D. 1833, the fifty-seventh year of Independence.
(Signed) EDMUND ROBERTS
Not being well acquainted with the Cochin-Chinese forms, the letter was simply folded up in paper and sealed, being enclosed in vellum, and addressed—