In March, 1855, the English embassy arrived. The special envoy was Sir John Bowring, Vice-Admiral and Governor of the English colony at Hong Kong. Dr. House had, some years before, received a friendly letter from Sir John through his son John C. Bowring, for whom Dr. House was collecting specimens of Siamese insects; and he looked forward with great pleasure to a personal meeting with the noted English diplomat. Again the king sent to the doctor a succession of notes received from Sir John announcing his arrival, requesting a private audience, etc., desiring these notes to be transcribed; by which means Dr. House was kept informed of the progress of affairs. The reception of this embassy was in marked contrast with the treatment of Sir James Brookes. The ceremonies were aglow with friendliness, and the negotiations were undertaken with the least possible delay contingent upon the courtesies of the occasion. The prince who was chief commissioner for the Siamese sent for Dr. House for an interview; he said that the Siamese had proposed the missionaries as interpreters on their side, but this had been declined by the ambassador on the ground that the missionaries were Americans. “Soon after [the prince] sent for me, to accompany him to the conference of the commissioners with Sir John to discuss the treaty. Found the prime minister there, who joined in urging me. But I felt constrained to decline the honour they would do me, feeling my incompetence to do justice in interpreting such important matters as might come up; then—‘Mr. Mattoon must go’—so the prince himself went over for him and carried him off as a ‘kind of companion,’ he said, not as translator;—as he did not trust in ** but in the missionary he did trust. ‘He must be as ears for him’—I understood him that the king said this last night.” While negotiations were under way both Mr. Mattoon and Dr. House were frequently summoned to assist the Siamese in the official translation of their counter proposals into English, even working all night on the final draft. DR. HOUSE AND SIR JOHN BOWRING The confidences were not all from the Siamese side. Sir John Bowring told Dr. House privately that he had “come with an olive branch in my hand, but behind me—!” and that he had been reluctant to undertake the mission but had received letters from the king urging him to come. The Siamese officials were so ready for negotiations that they readily acquiesced in the English proposals; and, apart from the preliminary ceremonies, the complete negotiations were accomplished within a week.