an insurrection of his Own subjects, and repel the Siamese: th e object o f
his expedition was attained with little difficulty, and he had;the additional
satisfaction to k am that Ins anas had been successful in Caf&ayythe inhabitants
of which* taking advantage of the unsettled state bf-the empire, had:
thrown off their dependence. This country is. separated from the kingdom»
of the Birmans on the north-west by the. river Keen-duem, which, taking;
a south-east course, unites its waters with those of the Irrawaddy, atshoiifc
way above the town of Sembew-ghewn. About the time. thaUAlompra,
left Ava to relieve Prome, he detached a body of troops across the-riyqrv.
under the rommand of a-distant relation»to chastize the Cassayers vfthgsef
people had, for ages past, tasted the sweets o f indegendence..only5<a t' in- ■
tervals, when the contests of the Birman and Pegue powers le a th ern ,
no leisure to enforce obedience. Thus accustomed to thejsyoksj though;
always ready for revolt, they were quickly reduced tai>-submission;»the;
prineep or rajah* who resided at Munnepoora, the. capital -of d2|sisayn
sued for peace, which was concluded , on Jerans advantageous, to ith'#Bif--
mans; and, as. is the custom, a young man and, young woman, o f the
kindred of the rajah, were delivered as hostages for the due obsefvarfce;of
the compact.
The English deputation proceeded in boats slowly up the river, whighj.
at that season of the year, is swelled by mountain torrents, and the t ^ d j
gation rendered difficult by the rapidity of the stream. A short distance
above Prome, they met a detachment, commanded by a BoOmien, or- general
of rank, in its route to Dagon; it consisted of eighty boats, and 4000
troops, to .reinforce the-army acting against the Peguers. Captain Baker
had an interview with the chief, who expressed sanguine hopes of reducing
Syrian»; and destroying the French ships that had assisted the Peguers
^^hedgteiisgx;t®aordinary, conduct th e ,English shipping at-Bagpn, was
no ijjery favourable introduction to the-,cdefegates i -nor did^aptain Baker
■esciggcrepriackfor, transactions In j$hiijhi be Certainly had no share i to
increase ffisnembaEnassiheat, he had the misfortune, the day-after; he parted
with the dqt-^lyiipni. to Ipse big colleague, Lieut. North, who died at
Roung-Y.ooah, of .-a dpejitery and-.fever. Captain Baker atftprwards^pur-
sued-hisypyage, accompanied only by the,-Bhman,s.,,, On, thp. 81 h u f Septemb
e r he. reached A va, lately the metropolis of thpjempxre,, AJompra* partial
to th e sq ep e ^ f his first success,djajfj -removed- stihesseat of ^.pyprapignt to
Monchaboo, .which he in s titu te d hi$ capital, and; fix ed o p a s the place of
bis ffitur^residence. A t C^ptai%Baker,(y ^ >^ivillyentertained' by the
Governor Sipnfthp 12th hp reached, Keaummieomn. situated o^, thefyyest
bank of-.the Irrawaddy, andon-the 16th .he received. a.yionmpns,to attend
•ft the, golden’ feet.”* heaving his beats, at npon,thp,fallowing <Jay. he pro?
«ceded by J.apd to the royal presences his reception was.,conducted wjth as
much PPm.Pvind parade, as a king so recently elevated rtptJ)is, honours, and
seated on a throne so imperfectly established, was capable of displaying,
©urmg thisiirteryiew the new monarch, ip hispopye^sation, gave a striking
iinstanceof that intoxication which usual! yattepds ap.1 unexpected, and recent
arise^pp, power: yet his- v^Cnj blastings wpre- not accompanied by any made
•of personal contempt o r indignity to -Captain Baker.,, H b ,vaunted ,of h js
victories, and the extent of his empirp,' in* a style,-of presumptuous,, vanity,
oqual to the arrogance of Xerxes; he ppbrsided our national- character ip
the affair of the shipping at Dagon, alfqgjpg that he had treatedfhe English
with kindness, which they repaid byjyerfidionsly breaking thejpromise given
to him f$||his departure from Dagon, - Tothese reproaches. CapiaiMBaker
* A Birman expression used, to deuotethe Imperial presence.