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The Ruby Mines of Burma.
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syndicate to carry out our enterprise, and engaged the services of Captain Aubrey Patton (now Major Patton-Bethune) as our representative. In January, 1886, Captain Patton started for India on our behalf, furnished with a letter of introduction from Lord Harris to Lord Dufferin, who was then Viceroy. On arriving at Rangoon, our agent found that Messrs. Gillanders, Arbuthnot & Co., of Calcutta and Rangoon, in conjunction with an eminent j"ewel broker of London, had already made an offer to the Government for a lease of the Ruby mines at the annual rent of two lakhs of rupees. This offer the Government was disposed to accept ; but our representative, who had full discretionary powers, made an offer of three lakhs, whereupon the Viceroy telegraphed home for enquiry as to the bona fides of my syndicate. The India Office sent in reply a favour­able telegram ; but notwithstanding this assurance, the Indian Government, after some further negotiations, de­cided to invite public tenders.
Having reason to believe that several competitors might appear, we deemed it expedient to increase our offer, and finally our tender was made for four lakhs of rupees. On April 15, 1886, a telegram from the Foreign Secretary in India informed our representative that his tender, on our behalf, had been conditionally accepted by the Governor in Council.
It was decided, in July, 1886, to despatch a military expedition to the mines, and the Government of India wrote to our agent, suggesting that a re­presentative of the syndicate should accompany the force. Accordingly, my son, Mr. George Skelton Streeter, with Colonel Charles Bill, M.P., and Mr. Reginald Beech, the three members of my syndicate, started at once.