declared himself independent. jj Alompra sent a large detachment by la-nd,
under Meinla Rajs» against Tavoy; also a. cen^detsbfe maritime foree to
Last ®; comeBSuded by Namdeoda, The pcemeo? defeat @f ft®
JPegqgjs at Raogoe®, bad tended to dishearten the reb e ls/ fpteffi Meinla
Raja had advanced as far as Kiliegoong» within one day’s march of Tavoy,.
Ahe Commandant csupe out ha a su jfb c atin g f o o to meet him, and ‘sur-
rendered without any stipulation; he vyas afimwards:put to death. by
orde^qfAtompra.
After: the junction o f the farces under Meinla Raja and Namdeoda,
Afompra sent his weanen, and the younger; part ..of his feawljpw-ba#k-to
Monchaboo, and accompanied by Shombuan Rtaw, jpkied the army at
Tavoy. Having now a. formidable force effected and embodied, he de-
termined to chastise the Siamese for the encouragement they had given to
his rebellious subjects; he accused them of affording;F'®teet»Gn:*°.d d iö ‘
quente and fugitives, and «d secredy.afe®tti»g the Pegaer& ® attftetgJaosdle
machinations against his authority. Under this jtlea-, he ardered. the flees
to sail to Mergui. a sea port belonging to the Siamese, situated south' of
Tavoy, whilst the army advanced by land'. Mergui, being ill fortifiednÄs
easily taken. Leaving a garrison for- its defence, the Birmans marched
against Tenasserem, a large and populous town, surrounded by a: wall
and stockade; notwithstanding which, it made but a feeble resistance.
These conquests.: being achieved, Alompra determined* to Cross the peninsula,
and carry the war into the heart; of the enemy’s country; After
a .very .short, halt at Tenasserem, he undertook an expedition: against tire:
capital of Siam. - The enemy impeded his progress- by harrassing his
troops, and. endeavouring to distress him in his route, without venturing on
a. decisive action. A month elapsed before, he, reached the . vicinity of, the
metropolis, which was well, prepared td sustain a vigorous Sieg®, Provi-*
' d'ence,' however, interpased; and by abridging the: days of the conqueror,
in afl-'.probability saved the Siamese! frdHavtateb destruction. tTwu dayf'
after the Birman amy iteiH erected their stockades, - Alampra was taken, ill
«dadisea®,:wM(iini tfe®:i^34t|»ovesdaio.rtaf;. the natives cafkitiTaungnaa,
alM^desfcrlbe it as* a sprues ofi^stfSjraffPH (bf r icififro. uticf. Srlonspra
foresawt’that’bk ’.end was drawing nigh.- HeI gave -«dhi®, for an inomediate
retroaijiutheexpe^atioil of reaching his capital alive-;: and of bektgaWo-td
settle the succession, and adjust the affairs of his empire in such & manner,
as to avert the calamities of «ivihdistedjjf after his decease. On his return,
he, did not pursue the route by winch he h id advanced, but touki a direct
road by the way of Keinitufebfeiv and the Three Pagodas, Which are considered
as the boundaries between the. Yoodra (d-r Siam prop«*},-, and Birmanl
countries. His, inteawdons-, however* wsere'-frustrated,; the approaches of
mortality'were teo rapid; he grew worse; and death overtook himHje^hihi
two day’s march of Martaban-,,where he expired about the 15 th of May*
1760, add-gaffed with him to. the grave the regrets of his people* to whom
h&;yr.a8^jdstly endeared.
. Considering the limited progress that the Birmans had yet ma^'^iq^ant^
that refine, and science, that tends to expand the human, mind, Alompra,
whether? vicuM?1 ®vfhe light of a: politiciafl, or '^jldijKxs^ dhdnuihtedly,
entitled'tu>reject, The wisdom, of his caunciljs seajii|d'vfh.it lyjva lpw
had acquired : he was, not more eage® for- conqpest^thafe, ^ttenfiyk; to- the,
improvement o f his territories', and the'tprdspci lty lift-fils people, he ^succT
a severe ediGt! against gambling, and. prohibited, the usfe ,qf jfpiritupus
liquors, throughout his, dominions,;, ha. reformed) the Rhoopis,, o|^ccm5|g|,ijf
justice; he;abridgedtft®power o£magistrates*.andforhad t l t ^ t l|o|dtecide