could-only reply.by expressions*of regret; and a solemn declaration, that
Mr." Brooke; so far from,having authorized, knew nothing of such, proceedings.
Alompra listened to his assurances with more complacency than
couM well be expected from a despot, who had waded to a throne through
the blood ofhis enemies.-
At a second audience, a few days subsequent «to the first, his Majesty -
dictated a letter, addressed to Mr, Brooke, in which he granted permission,
to the Company" to • establish factories at Dagon and Bassien ; having: determined
on the total demolition of Syriam. Captain Baker made adurthen
requisition of the Island o f Negrais. Although this desire was not refused,
die formal assignment was postponed,' dwihg-to a* domestie-'mMeftune.-
which gave the Ring much uneasiness; -bid’as it was his -Majesty^ihten-
tion shortly to repafr torip%Km, to conduct™ p e r s o n P & * » - W
the completion of the grant was deferred to a futoreiopportunity.- iGaptam
Baker, having obtained his dismission, set out for. KeSouift-meoum, mid on
the 29th of September embarked to return to Negrais,
Whilst friendship and union were thus likely to ■ber'eStablished-between
the Birmans and the settlement at Negrais, theTeguers^a^ardednanothef •
attempt on the Birman post at Dagon, and were % g a ih -& % M ^ the
Arcot, and two private English ships, which, it is'probable, eM S S k c a -
«ion might have acted, in some degree,' under cdrfrpulsatory. idM m c ti
Three English and one French ship, with 300 armed boats, constituted" the
pegue force by water; and 10;000 men marched'by land, to .attack-the
hJghts at Dagon, and the fortified grofe. The Birmans, witfrconsiderablfc*
ingenuity, constructed fire-rafts, consisting of a number of boats fastened
together, and filled with combustible materials; these rafts were floated
down a strong spring-tide to where the ships -lay at anchor, and directed
with'suofr'skili’ and^M^ti? as'/tjo) Utalaigeii theiifetb'?sl^‘iheh;^fabjes, -and get
under ‘weigh; 'the iFtenGhiship’narrQwlyS^i^pLp^Ji^tSaetlOU'i1 This mar.
noeuvre’bffeeteally'removed the vessels for/th^t l$$q§a/iad prevented a cooperation
with thedand forces,TwhotfthUsi.depri^eddriHte 'support on which
they chiefly depended, made an' iiieffectualt GbfttrgdfsouStfhe' Birman .works:
they' were'-easily repulsed1, and, with the fleet and army; retreatedjtp Syriam;
from whence the^meveF^^fwdaffed tat-hazard a%fgte)jenteKprizp.,,
The affairs of th& 'BegubrsVufSi’ei jn- th is id '^ p E ^ t^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ie n Alompra
i%titime(l*Vi^£0Vibtis>from Avatf-’hisipie'scnceeammaledihis^qjm ainiyvand
spread ariheavier clou^a^^sfihfe’Curifb.itbnate^'l ahuis ^ .Liu* nnmedia_tqly(
changed 'the ‘ plan 6'&.;oper<afc>n il-instead > oj^i^dcin^at bjUg&n, (in> fortified^1
posts', .the'-attack of the?P<egupiis;i 'heiiin^urqv-b^cajiic* the ,ass|(^aiite^and
leaving the great' river, • boldly; advanced, hi^'4b.oats^tg^t^e*mput.h^rf|the
Syriam stream; thfereby cuttingsoff alb edmmunica'fcigpjwith the,<sea., .and
the^eouhtries to the- west -‘afitRarigoon. .. A p p o ra z ^ alp u ^h a srti^ ^y ^k ed
from Syriam to! Peguepieaving) his former^ stafen^tgi be ma^r^ained t by .the,
chief Woon oi Woongee, of the Pegue empue. Pcinussiori hacj pre\j£c»;sl^
been given .to the»FingHsh\f»hipsi to depart with the Compares, stoibs.
Mons. Boumo, the Frencli.Resident, continued ^j^yriiun,<where. ,having
moored his vessel close to the (factory „jj^prepared tp defendvhimself. The
tide in the •Rahgoon.riverriSes to pbupcoipmomheigh^; the rive^gfifflsgyd
of, as it is often called,, o f Syriam,. being, fed, by thet influx ciLth^seatl
through the Rangoon river, sinks at low ebb into J nifatonstdiraMtySfri tm.
The French ship; when' the water retired, tp.uoh,ec|,,the 'ffgoJtMprthe Bir^
mans, profiting, by ihenunmanageable^state, during tfi^Veps|kof itMe,
brought gun-boats »to bear in such ^.idpr^pion,t a%to, annoy,her without
* The; Birmans catty tie, Peguers, TaliensiV, (i