midnight
At length the treaty was accepted and signed , by the Burmese , and fifteen days ' truce allowed for the ratification of the treaty by the king . As the end of that period approached , the Burmese protested that they had not yet received an answer , and asked for further time ; which was refused , unless on the condition that Melloon was evacuated , and the Burmese army fell back until the ratification of the treaty reached them . As had been for some time strongly suspected , the negotiations were simply a device to arrest our advance ; and the treaty was afterwards found in the Burmese camp , it never having been forwarded to Ava . At midnight on the 18th , when the armistice came to a conclusion , the troops began throwing up earthworks , the heavy guns were landed from the flotilla and , at ten o'clock the next morning , twenty-eight guns were in position ready to open fire . In spite of remonstrances that had been made , the Burmese had , night after night during the armistice , continued to work surreptitiously at their entrenchments . It was hoped for a moment that , when they saw the speed with which our batteries had been thrown up and armed , they would offer no farther resistance . As , however , they were evidently preparing for action , our guns opened fire at eleven o'clock .