rebel leadersy which were rejected; with contempt and menace : th© Peguerst
in despair shut themselves within the foFt ; a seige was commenced, and
sustained ifor a considerable time. The Beguers were atlftigth-forced'to yield.
Tcllasien and Mcenatzi, with several of their adherents,.:# ê e ted anescape
to Siam ; but Tefekien was not sn fortnnatei ! he wan captured iipthe fort»
“with many others^ andAeing as shader of A e rebellion, h£M$teWas reserved
for the decision of his sovereign.
. Maha-see-soo-ra was preparing to carry the war la to the country , of the
Siamese, when he received intelligence of the intentions of the Kipg tp
visit Rangoohrin pterdon: tins circumstance, together w ith the little .prober
bility of being able to advance far, before the season* whop tbe.rivers.swell,
determined him to pass the monsoon in cantonments, at Martaban.
Shembuan having: repelled the formidable invasion ojaphe .enemy, .and
earned his victorious arms into the territory of-another; hjngJpg^&y,jP9$<
dent conduct,-established his throne on the strong foundations^ terror,
and respect, conceived, that his presence would contribute.to a more speedy
termination of the troubles that agitated the lower provinces, and more
effectually destroy the seeds of disaffection amongrhe Peguers, which had
so often, at intervals, broke out into open rebellion The temple of Dagon.,
called Shoe-Dagon, or the Golden Dagon, an edifice of venerable sanctity,
and stupendous size, where Gaudma, the Birman and Pegue o b je c tif
religious worship, was, from time immemorial, accustomed to recdiye at
an annual festival, the- adorations of the devout, had, in the year 1769,
* The rivers in India usually begin to swell before the actual fall of rain in the low countries.
This is to be ascribed to the monsoon commencing earlier among the mountains,
and to the 'melting of the snow, With which the tops of the eastern hills are covered, to the
hottest'season .
suffered m a th damage from an earthquakes -in-particulajp the Tee, or urn*
brella,-^w^ft^4cbmposfediof opemriron-work, crowned ithe sgpfrdy hikl been
flirown1 eaa»d» rendered irreparaSb^® i B w falh
Inhhe ’Birman-empire’, 'a* pagoida is5 rtoti'deimed-' sanctified imtilisifc. reeoivel
theum'brella'; and the’ el-eeffim df Shis fast', but most important appendage,
of h’i^h sdfebinity. oriithis* eoeasiM d sisa id , ia
have'covered policy -'with' the cfo^sE '^f*®eli^i®n;1 eahslM a.qew and magnif
fi’cent ^ee' io 'berconstruetdd'-’at A-va, <aridtdeclared ihis hs^nti'drSvfcoyassesf
fi^person"Jat the fcfetem'ony of4pdt1:ftigli® t ^ ^ this .asvowed'puipoSerhp
left his- capital’,- attended by a mliSerous trahifef Birman nobility, whilst,
to increase the'-pride and pageantry »of the idi^lay,i'Bemga Aliefc; dievmfi§
fortunate ■mon'aTchidf'®,egae, wh0-%a!M&^i4ffiafileff'di6his sceptre and person
to'AJotnpra, was the- fffoseSMO®:* -A-n /arrisy,hjS|3©ito@iffiim
Composed ^emoSy-gka’rdk. rifhts %pfendid»^r^, ha'^rtgjetrihaitcd in boats,
sailM down the Irrawaddyptatsd’ arrik^diat 'Rfingooniwutbfeaiiljiatieof ©cfof
her, 17^5.- -iffellafcien, the'Pegue^^l;Avh®. had?jh|®n«e®taip ithe oaunt-ry
loaded w ith irons, lifeeftstfie,K'iing',at the town « f ’DeHoobsvR, :and
his ^rehson b y a 'painful death.
•'■^Whatever respect the ^jjlery o f conquest, and the wisdom-idf A well
reguiat|j®gpvernmenlv%inight;'attach-to the reign ©f <Shemb»an, it raiistfbe
.obscured by the cruelty exercised -on -the .present oocasioafibowdrds
his royal prisoner, the unhappy King of Pegue;. and this too, like a more .
tecent and ifeqda'lly infeumkw-regidkie, in «professing Christianity»
and enlightened by science, was perpetrated under the mockery of justice.
Shembuan, not content with exhibiting to the humbled Peguers their venerable,
and yet venerated monarch, ..bound in fetters, and bowed down
with years and anguish, resolved to take away his life; and render the