strictly prohibited, and a seeandbednvictipn of drunkenness incurred the
inevitaMeipenalty of' d eath-,r-
The ?imbeGile minority of the legal heir to the, throne ^aye his upcle
Shembuan, who, as the; nearest relation^became the natural- gu,ardianJb£th&
child, an. opportunity to undermine the claims and to usurp the rigbhof the
sonof his deceasedbrtjther, Shembuan, on the demise of^a&dogee-Praw,.
assumed the reins of government with a strong- hand^n.or.%. Unascertained
that he ever acknowledged holding them hUrust for t h e H | :F ^ Y S B
he might have done on the first assumption of;rp^al,power,^he^qgn, threw
aside ail disguise, and was proclaimed and acknowledged lawfuf sovereign
of die Birman and Pegue nations. .
Nor would Shembuan, who had thus-unjustly deprived a' nephew of his
birth-right, - have scrupled to- secure firm possession: of the'throne
by imbruing his hands in innocent ^ blood, had not a sister of Alompra
humanely interfered, and obtained charge of the chdd'„ under ^ g rgm is e
that he should be educated in religious obscurity,, ampng the Rhahaans,
and never be k r a situation to disturb the government,of l ^ u n c l e ^
Thus freed from the dread of competition, Sfembuanjhac|| lgisurp, to
follow the bear of Ins own deposition, vrhich ;was by n a tu r& $ ^ q tj and
atobUiom. His first undertaking was against the Siamese; as^gnmgJor the
rupture the customary excuse, that certain delinquent subjects
Birman government had received protection from th a n ; likewise that
Alompra, his frther, had enjoined his chiHren in his last mnments toprda
secute the war against, the Siamese, which,he had been prevented by. death
alone from bringing to a Successful issue. Such were the pretences, and
perhaps as well founded as pretences for war usually are. Two-armies
were commanded!--by ,a
' genefa#n’am^d^h)d|bedee;theftotK^bpr&ceiMklhicf thfe-Soigthwalr d» by Sitand
and.'M artabun$1 unde-nt*hb?c»^flucV-'wf '\Iah<fn»HhaV‘whilst‘a llcuml’ small»
'V^selS^ifi#ed' out4fbr theStedb^tab^^jK^ej slaSitjhi^tbwhsfiwasf d&trasted
to .Ghedookaminee.- "v
Thaequipmenli3c®^eSe^artoaiheftts^w^s^not-r&dm^l)g{bd'Uintil tbeicoiji^
irienodmen t- rof dhc year l ?6 apdt!tboi^ip!;(?g^^a%'® Sb&y<>we,rbi>ibfi:eadi 9
ness, was- 'sotslow ^ fh i^p ^E i^ o f importance- CGUldlbSteffSdtedv'dpiii-ngi that;
year. :.Imtb.e^bgginbiHg^ ofrAe(ineX't,j;Debbte'de^0vfer^iap.iitbei&praVHace of
Zemee, whilsfepphedookkminee withscfe^fi|^^iaptur^i3&37ayc^;#vvhichV
thought lt'had heui i educed by,' Ailoril-pray-w-as too remote to be nAuried#
and sooii’s'Eey^ltpdji to its’ former possessors. - jUijfre idetashmcnt- led*by
Mahanortha alsbspenetrateditoi-iTav'oy feyflarid ;»* anditeantobed'-there during
the. rains. The forces of- Deebedee" passed, the wet seats (« o n the, b-oddeteiof
the-Yoodra country: . these-/-different - parties ^.erenprepared to iaet. in
concert, and attempt the conquest o f the Siamese capifeafr d£
Wh%t njatters’ were- thus transacting?» the'; sbttt-h^ast<! quarter,. Shemt;
buan iharched ini person against the Munipora Cassayers^ who,;taking»
advantage of the state -of^ affairs-;, had thought» fib to disclaim the yoke of
foreigners, and refusW»; to';affikhowledge. thet sujfrpins^yb of the Birman
monarch. This enterprize, however, appears to have, been a:'predatory:
incursion, rather than an. invasion with a views, of permanent, conquest^.
The .stay §£emhuan made in the country did not exceed month; he,
returned in, obedience to more urgent calls;- laden with^thp, bpoty: of the,
frontier towns, &nd"acfcdmpanied by a tiumerods train of pfiSonets ’of evfery
age and sex.
In the beginning of the year 3 766, the southern armies cpmmenced thfir