any natio'n ; but if the Peguersfired- bn the Eriglish-ships,itviouId*heico®$V“
dered as an act of .aggression, and resented accordingly. *'=Hw much U;.is-
to rV lamented, that -such prudent and equitable principles were<rwfcWt«v
observed; thedeparture from them affixed a stain.ofethevnationaOieiiaur,
vfrhieh the lapse of more than forty years‘has not been, able to expunge.- ’
^ The Pegtie force was, on this occasion,'highly formidable; it.consisted
of two large French ships, and an armed snow, belongingitothe king of
Pegué,' with 200 Teilee, or war-boats. On the.appirsach.afitlSs aEmamfcnt,.
the Birmans manifested their apprehensions, byirç^eatingl.theïîlqptoeAtiés
to the English. Owing-to the time o f th e tide, .it wate noon cfcfifesulftft
Pegue boats could advance. When w i t h f f i f c a n n o n . ^ t ^ t h e T ^ ^ ^ s
came to anchor, and opened their guns, whilst a brisk 'diseKafg^of ^Us*
quetry was poured from the P e g S boats on the-Birman f l e e Ç OE 'f e t h e
most part, had taken shelter in a creek, and were. p r . o t e c t e d « ^ r e kept
up from a groveof mangOo trees, on the banks of the river,, in; p ^ W
of the Birmans, around which they had raised temporary^orks,va p d ^ e% 4
a battery of a few pieces of ship cannon; which,.from
little e xecutionr At this juncture the English shîps4H u n t e r a n d
Elizabeth, commenced a fire on the Birman fleet« • Thus a ^ % * b y . , u ^
pccted foes, the Birmans were obliged to abandon their - b p ^ r i a n d ^
sM te r in thogrove. Had the Peguers improved the.
and pursued their advantage with resolution, this -action might fca^, retrieved
their declining interests, and restored to them possession of the
lower provinces. In vain the Europeans persuaded them to attempt the
capture of the Birman-fleet; too timid to expose themselves. to,a close discharge
of musquetry from the grove, they were contented with the éclat of
having compelled the enemy, to retreat from their boats: the rest of th e day
was spenfnrf dist frit^mdomSfilTng.tt Duhng the night th e English-ships re-
moved out •obiptim^g Iiftri££gi Mhawns: U\o»meri being, killed, on board, the
A i cot Jttflili’JfljegueusAegtVbhuE situatiolilfoi. some days^during*n hich much
irrcgulAlJfeJfciflinishing. passed; wheniliav.ihg. exhausted th e ir ^ammunition,
without tadC-.incing-11 iffiS&irise1, the' Eeguei;s#HofegMfif' tpirekirn to Syriam,
pcebinpanied by the'English'.arid/ij&encBshipsleaVinigdthe) Birmans in posi
t i o n of the fortified »grove,iahd| th.e linb^ok-tlieuicwl «/projected town.
--> Appo'ta&a, who held' the'Ghlbf'Gphnnarid' af filyriam,.received ijhtfiSngtysk
w i atrk ofjfegpect; ;Vptfdgi'ngv this a favourable" opportunity to regain
the* alliSnce ofcih©'#ngtffdn^.li®wrote to' Mr:’ Broofed; MN*egfaisf ifiviting
vlPmfww: idnie'm poison to Syriam, and there settle IctiiiSsof pcrmaneiih
^mfeet&on.'-’"Mr. Brooke, in-.letters! of aSfrieqdLyjIbnO'ur.j'. excused himself
'from personal attendance, and Requested1 that'Mr. Whiteh'iilhhight be suffered
to proceed to his station at NbgSckis^jand theApoffipahy^tshipsipermitted te
,{3Ursue-tficfirflv’0yage®to' the same place; whlt-hen he’i'drdered' the several
bomriianders immediately to repaid ^^hb^cbmplj'ahcetbfi Apporaza with
thissfeqtiest, demonstrated hiss ardent desire to- recoven the-gdodfi will of
theiEnglish. Mr. Whitehill ldffc. Syr i am ^est?oltetf,qy 20 armed hfoits, arid
proceeding through the rivers, reached«; Negrais’ oUvstfie- 26tb,'Q§!August‘i
the-Hunter schooner sailed on the 26th of September .fblldwirigs tlie' Arcot
being delayed for; some necessary repairs.
Whilst these matters were agitating ati B^goiri iMr. Brooke wasiadvria-f
cing his negotiations with Alompra; Captain Baker and Lifeu,tenanii North
were delegated, with: presents, and instructions, toj'cbndudfe a; treaty of
amity and alliance.with" the Birman monarch:
It has been already mentioned th a t Alotnprai'Was iu rid e r1 the necessity of
leaving his post at D-agon about the middle of June,..in order to suppress
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