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In a letter dated 9th August 1802 to Lord Wellesley, Michael Symes writes that “The VILLE DE LYONS a fine ship of 500 tons.....and we heard that the GEORGE a still larger vessel and carrying a more valuable cargo of firearms on board the wreck... the rest of their cargoes were made up of the plunder of English ships which had been captured at different periods and carried into Mauritius, and since the ships came an air of mystery and an apparent wish to conceal or disguise something have been visible.” (European Manuscript Add.13872).
This still leaves the question of the provenance of the cannon. There was an American supercargo on the GEORGE and there was also a very active American trading depot on Mauritius established between 1796 and 1798 which reached its peak in 1806 and ceased operations in 1815. In addition to the trading depot there was an American Consulate established on the island in 1794 which finally closed in 1911 and was upgraded to an Embassy thereafter. (Maritime History of the United States by K. Jack Bauer and Cozens/Byrnes Merchant Networks Project)
Engravings: The Royal Palace at Amarapura, and Burmese War Boat. From 'Europe and Burma' by D.G.E.Hall. Pub.1943. The Royal Palace at Mandalay. From 'Mandalay the Golden' by E.C.V. Foucar pub:1963. All originals believed to belong the Royal Asiatic Society.
