the channels and the mouths of rivers, the noife is mod tremendous.
The bore is faid to be fixteen feet high ; the barks
■which run up the Pegu river, are carried with the rapidity o f an
arrow out o f a bow. I f they cannot finilh. their voyage in a
tide, they anchor on fome o f the numerous fand banks with
which the river is filled. The expanfion of the tide on thofe
elevated parts leflens the danger; as foon as the barks begin to
be lifted up, they prepare for their voyage. At a certain time
the mariners loofen their anchors, and are carried on as I defcribe.
I f they, or even the largeft ihips, lay in the channel, they would
certainly be overfet, and the crew and the cargo at once overwhelmed
in the wave ; for this reafan, large ihips: feldom venture
to navigate this river, but difoharge their lading at Siriam,
from whence it was wont to be conveyed to Pegu in barks.
T h e Poriuguefe very foon got confiderable intereft in this
country, but by their profligate conduit were expelled by the
Syi.veiha, his reigning monarch. One. fbomas Sylveira had by his valor
sad fate. done conUderable fervice to the king in the Siumefi wars; - he
became a prime favorite, had-his ftate elephant and body-guard
allowed; till one day paifing through the ftreets, and hearing the.
mirth o f .nuptial merriment in.a burgher’s houfe, flopped at the
door, and underftanding that the bride was a virgin o f uncommon
beauty, requefted a fight of h e r ; the bridegroom, thinking-
it an extraordinary honor, brought her to the fide of Sylveira s
elephant; the ruffian caufed her to be feized, and carried to his
houfe. The unhappy bridegroom, unable to fuftain. his lofs, cut
his throat; the relations, rent their cloatbs, and,ran through
the ftreets, appealing to their gods and monarch for revenge.
The king heard the complaint, caufed Sylveira to be feized, and
- 6 t0
to he dragged at the foot o f an elephant through the ftreets till
neither flrin or fleih, were left on his bones, and all the Portu-
guefe in Pegu, except the few who could efcape by flight, were
inftantly rriafTacredv
T h e laft great mouth o f the Pegwriver is the Sitang% it di- Sitano Riverì
vides the kingdom o f Pegu from the province o f Martaban'. M a r t a b a n ,
The city of that name was for fome time a royal refidence, and
had once been the capital of an independent monarchy, hut
was attacked and taken by the king o f Ava, who murdered the
fovereign, maflacred the inhabitants, and reduced the place to
aihes. After this, Hamilton* fays, that the conqueror funk large
veflels loaden with ftones at the mouth of the port, which was-
©nee a fine harbor, fo that at prefent only fmall ihips can enter.
It had formerly been the moli flourifhing commercial, town o f
the Eaft, and- ftill retains its potteries and manufactures, jars
glazed with lead ore, large enough to contain two hogfheads,
Hamilton alfo mentions its fffheries, and adds, that its dried mullets
exceed in delicacy all fifh o f the kind.
From the mouth o f the Martaban harbor, the courfe runs
due fouth, as far as the ifle of Junkfeilon, an extent o f above I s l e o f J u n k . -
SEILON.
five hundred miles. The coaft o f Martaban takes in about à
hundred and forty o f the computation ;. the currents along the
fhore are moft fwift and violent ; the country bordering on the-
fea little known, and very barbarous. It is fkir.ted with fmall
ifles.,, and is full of danger.
T h e natives of the kingdom o f Pegu, refemble the Malays in Natives ok
appearance and difpofition, hut are more induftrious. Their
♦ Account of the Eaft Indies, vol. ii. p. 63,
mailers*