judged it more prudent .to lead them at once to battle, than to waste time
in the operations o£,a:sieg{^ the termination of which seemed precarious
and remote.
With this design he left Ava 'in his real", and proceeded with his whole
.f a c e towards Keoum-ipeoum, where he found-Alompra prepared to give
him battle; an engagement ensued;.the contest was chiefly confined to
the fleets, whilst small parties of either army skirmished on shore. The
action is said to hav.e been obstinate and bloody:, atlengthjthe.Peguers;
on a report being spread that Shembuan had left theJoft o'fAva, and -was
advancing to attack their rear, gave -way, and fled with pr^cipit^fi^n.
Numbers were slaughtered in the retreaj, and Shembuan .issuing .from the
fort of Ava, completed their overthrow; .Alompra pursued the fugitive
Peguers as far as the city of Sembew-Ghewn, after which-he petu
Monchaboo. Apporaza, with the remains of his army,.retired to ||p ,p ro ^
vince of Pegue. 7
The power of the Peguers now seemed hastening to its^wane' p4ye%>npS
withstanding the recent check they had received, Tresh.prepai^tjpn^iv^er.e
piadb to prosecute the war. A t ihig.time, rather real or pretendedTfution
impelled them to a measure, not legs r ^ u g p ^ t ’tQ f ^ s w i i ^ t ^ f a n ) ^ ^
event proved, injurious to their own interests. It was,.alleged, that a
conspiracy had been formed against the Pegue goyenu-aent, b^thgm&ged
prisoner,-the dethroned monarch of the Birmans,*.which, had been discovered
when on the point of execution. All the principal men o f the Birman
nation we#e supposed (0 be cohfederated in the^plot; little -Fonnafey
was used to ascertain whether the accusation was true or false. On the
13th of Ocfober the Peguers rose, and, having first slain the unhappy
monarch, slaughtered indiscriminately several hundred Birmans, sparing
Neither agefhldpsex. ilfFMseAsanguinariy* dels' -were as cmielly retaliated.
The B irm an?^ thbtfgh - s u b d u e d e r y numerous in the IpWns and
districts ofrPromri, Ke’ounzeik,- iLbprizay,- and <Derfopbew.,', Exasperated' at
itheijrhurder ofbheikind'nafelv, anof thedat^'pR tbembretljreh,, thqyfiiflaw, to
‘arms,’ arid with*- a* barbarityldothirigiinferiora.to.' that whicll: had been exer-
iracaoted -- adsfeVbrp retribution. Promo,' Denpobb#,
Tittbnzay, 8cc. changed m'asters-j'^^IfceiE^garrisona fblhptheiviqtims of
ve^erige:-
^ ^ ^® i^ |^® ^ tr'lm sa e fib nS ^ '1th^BiF&frlta'dyltaIhi’|ek'Vas sedulously em-
pldyeSl ii-h^mp^^iSpKis^gpb'i. fbAnpyb T h e eldest son oflthe late depgs,e^.
■and^muMS'etlU-feifig^S hearing- that Alofnpr& h'ad|rkfeed.fthe, sjfaflard b.f
revolt, jreturned’ tbilMonchaboo, and*’.witFt 'at decty of3 l iM , and .attached
people, called Qiiois,1*tHfl.t' inhabited an^^as^nppnwipce*
■jbuAfeckthe'fbxtuBe^ofithei adventurer’.! ^Hiseyp^gymarf, yptp^rafedjjy
the successes, of his .paqty,-fbfd the_dirinc-
$jpns oferoyalty, and attempEv,tcpp^ercise spjvereign.sw^y* a%'his, hereditary
right. Such claims,''however, w ere w'hoJl\(^ink]^p!|VbIe y\ itf^
chief, whos%SQppQsition so(§i"cori\ ui^cd tfjc pun’u noj. only
oj the futility of his hopes, but likewise that has ln^harbouiccUthunis fus
own person was -no- longg^.sepure; lie . thepJorq,,;^ tetk .wilhdic yv, and
again sough t.an asylum among the;Siamese; This,stop s(/eniau.ed Mompra,
that; under, prgtencp^of a; CMispiracy^heieaused- ne^Xthpusstrid-pf the
Quois %be„dut todeath.«/«.
These events ocejipied the* greater pajtpof which,, w^s
drawing to’ia'blosef^when Bginga Della,
from Pegue, accompanied by his-’brqther, to retneve thd( hitt^disgraedul
By some, Yoos. t Called MuJdrM, east of Asa.