against M Siamese, j Deebedee;e a t e1s4 country by
th e ro u te Of T.aunglee ahd Mainhoot, a f t em a r f pm w io g ^ ^ o r e southerly
direction,'in. order .tp effect a junc tion
WaMOy in a 'Mw8- • Their: H&kw;w%s. j o ^ l i ld y ^ispoted by
the Siamese ;,.and Deebedee’s division suffered seriously d u r in g a .a a rb h o f
"fifteen, days* K |^ w i t |i § tM id i ^ # s t rs§ig&aee, a juhetifitt 'W ^* § ffih l|d ?
eontinuing ;to
harrass them in their march, by irregular a tta ck s a n d A eq u ^ fc a k jm isb e s.
H aving.a t k n g th penetratqd as far as th e baBfcs#fja i'ixer,*;seven ©r eight
days’ journey from, the fort,, the .Siamese tried the. fortune, t f ,a general
aferioh,wWeh termmatingtntfevoorablyvlbek am y -tfisp e is ed isp a rti^ ^ fe
ing :{q Siam, ’whilst th e remainder either-«Onasaiiad- jtkemselves^n idle
woods, o r sought security in distant
defeat was the immediate investiture-of S i am h y th e Birmans.; T b g ifo ri#
b y n ature strong-from its almost insulated situation, is rep re sen te ffio shave;
been well built, according- to the Ba ste ra ffe sb io a ,| having. a ,gnod;ditch,i
protected by a strong rampart &ced w ith masonry, land- strengthened by
equidistant towers. T h e artiUery « it either side was of little u se; for though
there were a few guns mounted, an d ;some b ro u g h t ag a jn st th e piafSv^ ybt
they neithm:-contributed to th e success o f the a tta ck , nor th e seeurity .of
th e defence.: passive blockade is the favourite system o f B irman wariiwej,
• The city of Siam is frequently called by the Birmans Dwarawuddy, and by the Siamyfp
SeeT-ihaa. Both these are Pali, or Shanscrit appellations. Most places of note are distinguished
by two names, one in the vulgar tongue, which, is the most general, the other, a
Shaijscrit term, seldom used but by the learned, and to be found only in books treating on
religion and science ; thus Pegue is called Henzawuddy ; Arracan, Deniawuddy, Sec.
i Probably what is called by the Birmans the Boomagurry Meep.
+ During the monsoon, the city of Siam is insulated,
Thp'Birman..aria|fAhaji»3been0^^c«lte citytewo-^^nthsl ^heftf-Mrfh^
nuntobakdied: *>As' t|jp}0fftceii sfirirnghestmani, ‘he h‘ddb$^<tiief coiilmandj
\yhich ,afteKhjs;de4e^Se;dew.olyed<fmi^©eebtedlee(*^hbife«^p®sen|ed'as better
.qualified fo^fehpjS&isritb^i histpfFbdeqessOr.. $ In %fstewehq^afteri-'this
eicehti Jthe ® ii&g raft Siam? panic 3jlrfi^k4a.ind3t]hopel;6sS‘i1 isiSf^ly.s^it-hdreW
flSGpMrhe -fort, iufiQrdertt0j^^fk!sbtl|a^«'ntpr^he.handsf0fchiS*^e^|sf|andj
eluding'riie Birman outposts;‘k)i^ht.irefu^fa)i^®ii,gi.tliei]lp.i^'.4JThe SjatmeseJ
thus-dtsoi ted by iL p t lcadoi, io1lu.cd to c ipftulatt.icTm, W\ cmtpi oposetl,
anikkeGepted:- a hCat»y''fflidp»^a5’'iilip0sedftti|p(inCf|lle M®h'fb!ita!h^rltlje
defcncts oiwtlieicky.wcle dostro\cfd;,,and .t ^jitinuso-.irrirunoi -appointed',
who took an oath ol,3nMegiaficc *to .the' Bimun mohutclty,- iu<l cnoageid
fetpay ajr.'annup riibftteitavDe'ebecl£e re&fflhsd with hlS^S?|ote®s*aHi?y
tent the:.prbvince'"bf M'airtkbatgvoiir.ichedcte!y-the spoils of D w araw uddy.jj
,f^ ^ re e ^ k is k fe '’i^asl6Se eXpethtionCdrawn to a^onfelulfibn.f wfen* d hfe#
^^MgPPfhibafelied from an o^posite'iffifeet'ioii.« Thb-Chinese ^overnmeifty
wh'dSW a^btfi&ri'is dfily exceeded by'its ffride and^arftgaMe^iiad planned
fhe^Mijugation ofttherBirffiSri, inlefiding;f&; add'-thydbifilmoh,bfi’tffe Irrawaddy^
atid-the fertile plains of iZ(krirem',,5:t6't'beir,^n'p-^^%rrMd<ystre'tcKecf
b'feyQnd^theiiimits to which-dny government can-fefiSentiy^e^ie'nthih^dorre
©f restrictive authority. Iii tb&:Be£in#mg o f’ihfe-year 1-767, b f l 13 lkbf’the
Birm'an aera, the-Goverrior' df-^ukritafigpseht intimkribnlto'Shembiikn, 'that
an army of Chinese was -advancing JFrotn the westermfrontiers sfk^toany
and had already passed the mountains that skirt th £ “Offihe^drid’ the
Birman empires : t l # IhftelfigeTicc was scarcely communicated! kben'ife
was" confirmed by the actual 'invasion. THm-Ghihese forces,*computed at
50,000 men, approached fay unremitting,marches. Leavin&the province
* The name by which the country of Ava is known to the Chinese.