The accession of King Mongkut so completely changed the attitude
of the government towards foreign nations that the danger of a
clash with England disappeared over night. In due course of time
Queen Victoria sent a note of congratulations to the new Siamese
sovereign and expressed her desire to send an envoy for the purpose
of revising the existing treaty. Upon receipt of this letter the
king despatched it to Dr. House with the request to “transcribe
it in a plain, legible hand”; for though the king could read and
write English fairly, he preferred to have letters from abroad
transcribed in a handwriting with which he was familiar, to avoid
misunderstanding. In this connection, Mrs. Leonowens, who acted as
his English secretary some years later, says that at times the king
would insist upon his own diction in English in spite of warning of
its turgidity, and when his communications of this character were
misinterpreted he would lay the blame on his amanuensis.
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.