“After my arrival at Penang, I was informed that Colonel Bannerman had protested against my interference at Acheen, and had written in such terms to the supreme government, that it was incumbent on me to await the answer. I complied with this request; and while the question was pending, proceeded to this place, (Singapore,) effected my object, and returned to Penang in time to receive the further instructions of the supreme government. These only tended to confirm what I had formerly received, and Captain Coombs and myself accordingly proceeded to Acheen. We remained there nearly seven weeks; during the early portion of which, we were directly opposed in our politics; but at length, after a paper war, which actually occupies above a thousand pages of the Company’s largest sized paper, he came round to my opinion, and was satisfied, that in justice and honour, there was but one course to pursue, namely, supporting the cause of the legitimate sovereign. The spurious claims set up by Syed Hussain were proved to be unfounded, and it was clear he had grossly deceived our government. We therefore concluded a treaty, and effected all the objects we required, namely, the right of having a resident and establishment at Acheen, and to exclude all foreign European nations from having a fixed habitation. All that we had then to do, was to require the governor of Penang to restrict Syed Hussain from further interference, and troops and equipments of course became unnecessary. “I never had a more disagreeable duty, and consequently was highly satisfied to bring our mission to so desirable a conclusion. It was an object of great importance to take the right side of the question; and had our government been once committed on the other, and troops introduced, we should soon have been so deeply involved, that a worse than Candian war might have been apprehended. In a country like Acheen, by military operations, we had every thing to lose, and nothing to gain.”