actual possession ;- vicissitudes of victory and defeat alternately, extended
and Contracted their-dominions. ‘
1 -.pinto, and Faria- d'e Souza, agree that the- Birmans, though formerly
subject to the "i&g of Pegqe, became afterwards -masters of Ava, and
caused- a revolution in' Pegue, about the "middle feSjthe 16th century.
Hamilton, a much more recent author, says, that Jthe-'kingdom of’ the
Birmans extended .-from “ Maravi,” probably Mergbd;vnear Tenasserem,*
to the province of Yunan in China, about 800 miles from north-to souths
and 250 from east to west.' The Portuguese assisted the Bir-manS iri' their
wars against the Peguers,and, according to Pinto, performed: prodigies5 of-
valour. The’account of the capture of M artaban* and the treasures found
therein, far exceed the limits ofbelief.
The Portuguese continued to exercise an influence in the Birman and
Pegue cojintries, and a still .greater in Arracan, so-Tohg^£^jaeyjmaintained'
an ascendancy oyer other European nations in the F a s t; bin on theS’dzuic
o f their settlements, and abridgment of their dominions by the Dutch, the
consequence that had been deservedly annexed to the Portuguese name,
sunk into insignificance; and the Christian settlers degenerated into a contemptible
race, distinguished only-by their feebleness and vice. During the
reign of Louis the X l \ th several splendid attempts were made tdpropagate
the doctrines of the church of Rome, and advance the interests of the
* Speaking of the capture of Martaban, Pinto says, « During this siege, they of the city
eat 3000 elephants ; there'were found 6000 pieces of artillery; as for gold, silver, precious
stones, and jewels, that were found there, one truly knows not what they were, for those
things are ordinarily concealed; wherefore it shall suffice me to say, that so much as the king
of Brama had of Chaimbainham’s treasure, amounted to an hundred millions of gold.” The
account of the feast of Tinagoojoo is ludicrously extravagant.
Trench? na.ti.qn* in ^lb^-k’qigd®Jff of theses Cxpedifens,
published hah ho\u,\eP?
1 i&rehlreif bit Ava yMlBegne, withiwh’ffirn,?'thc|Aifeb'&"€ ho i sy, s a y s , t h e kirtg
of iSi.u?h-\\ nsfcoTfsilaw t ly act v .uv’ ■'« *’
1 In the“ begimnn^oMthe V1 "tlii’tu'uup l?oih blie I n flsJf,aafl-Ehiteh'had
obtained s&id^nun^t's.n'^.ari(ni5’^fMfefsyyiS|b!| !-,i^ma^tJbmte{aEsi^Meh
f^'ere.-afterwards.' f o r f e i t e d ' - By ^ t h e ' * o f the hu-ki-i ami Luftmelmv
na^iqhs wck luuishqd fioriv'-Vtl^dtipejtl Vij-livh, n u n t v&us sulrte-
quent tot fhisi c\pu]smnyftten_ 1 unsl itecLwiuJ t>Ki 1$ •j’Vnjnpk 'a ’Sr 11 am;and
A\ 1, ufnaeTjb'cy' ippda to li nc trader it iUVr rjFtf{jT ip'h nsl'qjjf'j&H lies
imerejalntsi than ofi^ha1 parfecftttlfey.i/Iw:(hp?^uiy>-ffii v\ ho!,l/s^bVno'file y
Were riofc-JeguIarlyl enrolled:' nTheits 1 and*®!?' Ne g i rs&hfcort is^.ta^h
Tpossesjstian of p y , and lihstfc^fy
('theyeah-TS^Z. €&$ ®5jigisland t f e g tf ^ p r ia iw f iF R i f Su*'*&5trf#gJ esta'-
felfehediaIseStflement» I i f fef i t ;df<)v ^ ,cx.;,ri££tflPipii b i\ o licen- flfcriwxl
from the-%cquisitionthe- affaifs of" they]ncfa.ftP(I'ompanhS* mdC*nidit d o(
the lutiofi? wore initoo,pru tribus^ in iilothci* cjuBfet,' nlrAsiu to
-admit 'of-sparing the-supplies of men- and "mpney rjequisi®! ffirofsIeMcjual
“support. ' -
The^suptnifia’cy oPlnd-Birmans- oVeSrtKellP'eg^brsf Gbhfmued.llto^ghou-t
the’ last?,’ and“ du'fih|f the first forf^y&arsiiTl'tliclfprosoifri'ctbtun, w l& 'the
1 Peguers in the provinces of Dalla, Martaban, Tongo, andPrame, revolted; a
civil war- ensugfl, which was prosecuted on both sides \\ ill? s iv’ige-fdoi ltd
In the year 1744, the British factory at Syriam was destroyed by-fle contending
parties, and the views of commerce were suspended by precautions
o f personal security. Success long continued doubtful; at Idfigtlf ttt^fpfeners,
Aide Loubere, &l..