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glaring mendacity of all that follows, we are inclined to think that the whole of our hero's career, as described by M. Dumont, must partake greatly of the apocryphal. The needy adventurer, who on his arrival in Calcutta pestered the authorities, but without success, for some assistance, and then found his way to Pegu, where he was equally importunate and equally unsuccessful in his proffers of service to General Godwin, is said to have spent several years in a "voyage, d'agrement" through India, where he acquired such a reputation as a talented, enterprizing, and withal dangerous Frenchman, that his very name acted as a sort of nightmare on the Governor General, and the Anglo-Indian papers represented him as "le Scipion Gaulois"—" le mauvais genie d' Albion." With such a reputation, we are not astonished at learning that the Emperor of Burmah solicited the aid of D'Orgoni, to defend his kingdom against the unjustifiable and iniquitous aggressions of the English:

"He could not say nay to such a glorious summons, and from that moment he was pursued by the hatred of the British. As soon as it was known that he had quitted Calcutta, and gone in the direction of Ava, the Governor General despatched a steamer in pursuit to seize and bring him back. Having escaped as by a miracle, he ' resolved to baffle his pursuers by making the best of his way to Ava, through savage populations, infuriated to the last degree against all Europeans whom they confounded with the detested English." The appeal from His Majesty of the Golden Foot, and the pursuing steamer, are of course merely phantasies of M. D'Orgoni's brain. One of the Hon'ble Company's vessels conveyed him to Rangoon, where he staid for several months, supported mainly by the hospitality of some English merchants, being also no unfrequent guest at the Messes of several British regiments, where there certainly was no dis. play of that "haine Britannique" which is said at this time to have been pursuing him. At the close of the war he found his way to Ava. When the news of his arrival there was received," the rage of the British," we are told, "was extreme, the Governor of India tried every 'expedient to possess himself of the fugitive-he determined to have him dead or alive, and a price was put upon his head. But by the Burmese, Captain D' Orgoni was received as a liberator. He was welcomed with ceremonies and distinctions almost fabulous. He was immediately created General of Generals, and set earnestly to work to organize a defence for which no serious preparations had 'been made from that time he became the omnis homo, Commander-in'Chief, and Prime Minister. His reforms and his decisions extended to 'all departments. Before long-after several severe combats, in which 'the General appeared to have communicated his own intelligence and energy to the troops placed under his orders, the invasion was completely arrested, and the Anglo-Indian force found itself shut up and 'blockaded in a few places, which were protected by their artillery, ' and victualled only by the aid of their steamers.* Then came an armistice, soon converted into a peace-and the Burmese Empire

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was saved from the dismemberment, not to say complete subjugation, with which the British powers had threatened it. This happy ' deliverance was the work of General D' Orgoni, who had instructed 'the Burmese in a new style of tactics, and had alone conducted the war. As a recompense for such services, he was created a Prince of the Empire with ceremonies of the most striking description." Then we are favored with a full, true, and particular account of the ceremonial, which it is hardly necessary to add, is as purely fictitious as the preceding part of the narration.

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"Before midday on the 4th January, 1854, the General D' Orgoni proceeded to the palace of the Heir Apparent, to whom he was presented with all due formality. After the usual exchange of compli'ments, the Prince with a numerous cortége accompanied him to 'the Emperor's residence. When they arrived at the entrance hall of the golden Palace, the general was obliged, according to the usual etiquette, to wait with his Interpreter and other attendants, until he was summoned by the Grand-Master of the ceremonies to the Emperor's presence. On his passage through the numerous apartments which led ⚫ the throne-room, he found a double row of Officers whose costume and gold swords formed a dazzling coup d'œil. His Majesty was seated upon a magnificent throne, surrounded by the princes of the blood, ministers, and nobles. Having most carefully observed the different 'salutes and marks of respect required by etiquette, the General pro'ceeded to occupy the place assigned to him immediately behind the hereditary Prince. For five minutes there was a solemn silence. It was broken by the Emperor, who addressed the General in the most condescending manner, saying he was about to invest him with a title which had never before been bestowed upon any European. Upon this, an Imperial Secretary read with a loud voice an Edict, setting forth the reasons which had determined His Majesty upon bestowing this distinction, and detailing the honors and authority attached to the title. Then a herald advancing to the middle of the Hall pronounced, with all the power of his lungs, the following 'words: D'Orgoni-Neh-myo-ti-he-zi-ah!' which in the Pali or Classical language signifies. D'Orgoni, Cousin del' Empereur-Homme 'de belle apparence-General de la Victoire."

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Truly the Pali is a most comprehensive language!! The ceremony of investiture was not complete without an audience of the white elephant, which intelligent animal is said to have presented the newly made Cousin of the Emperor' with a silver statuette of itself. Immediately after this M. D'Orgoni returned to France, charged with some secret political errand, and it is mentioned as a proof of his great audacity that, on his way, he actually passed through and staid a month in Calcutta, "where his most mortal enemies resided." Having revisited Ava to report to the king the result of his mysterious mission, he has again returned to Paris, but this time as "ambassador 'extraordinary from H. M. the Emperor of the Burmans to H. M. Napoleon III. charged with a mission of which the following are the

principal points :-1st, to conclude with the French Government, a treaty of commerce advantageous to European interests; 2nd, to create a mercantile Company in France, on the model of the E. I. 'Company, but one which will make honorable use of the immense riches of Burma, and introduce into that as yet little known country • French civilization; 3rd, to make arrangements with the Pope for the protection of the Catholic population of Indo-China; 4th, to engage some young and zealous Frenchmen, capable of organizing the Burmese army."

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We are not informed when General D' Orgoni anticipates being able to return, with all the objects of his mission successfully accomplished, to resume his place among the high dignitaries of the Burman Empire, but when he does come, we may expect the sun of England's glory to set very shortly afterwards, for "then" we are told.—

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"Les oies de Londres ne sauveront pas le Capitole William, qui, a 'cette heure, encore, eléve sa tête superbe, audessus de Calcutta, ou plutot audessous de l' Hindostan."

In M. Dumont's plan for a French Crusade in Indo-China, which is comprised in a few pages at the end of his work, the chief rôle of course is assigned to D' Orgoni, who is to throw himself at the head of his Burmese Guerillas, supported by Europeans, through the passes to the north-east of Ava, from which, M. Dumont imagines, it will be easy to strike at the heart of the Chinese Emfar as Canton itself!! pire, and even penetrate through it as We have certainly never seen any attempt at eulogy, which, by its absurd exaggeration, so utterly defeated its own object. A would-be panegyric, it is a real burlesque. And yet, perhaps, to the majority of the readers of this pamphlet, who will not be in a position to judge of the correctness of the facts, D'Orgoni will appear as great a hero, as he wishes to make himself out.

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