armies are continually moving over a vast region, it can
hardly be expected that the soldier and the scholar should
be united. It has been mylot to servVin that distant cbuntry
from an early agei until I attained the meridian of life;
and it may perhaps soften criticism, that I aspire not to the '
ornaments' of language,; and little aim at a polished struck
ture of style: I have written my own book ; my,tehM
object is.to be intelligible, and my single claim, to be.
believed.
The rise and fortunes of Alompra; and the establish:-;
ment of the present Birman dynasty, supply a short, but
highly interesting, period of oriental history .thesp extraordinary
events having happened within the memory of
many persons still living, are authenticated by individual
who themselves bore a part in the transactions*arfd although
their relations,are liable to that bias-which is inseparable
from the human min^, when the passions are, engaged, and
self-interest is concerned; yet the leading,fac^afe such as'
do not admit of misrepresentation; to: these, therefore, I
have , confined myself, as closely as perspicuity would
allow.
For the account of the disastrous fate;of our countrymen
at Negrais, and the destruction of the. E n g lis h and French
(;<> the repertory off Mr.
D d rym p le a mo^trU§§fel and j udiciou'S compilation, which
hMfc ffjfehWcd frord oblivion- many valukble and curious
papers'.: : I
: £ I The IjpyasiOh bf Ava by 'thefihinese ddring the reign of
King Shembukhi and, the subsequent expedition into the
d&ssay country, were iecount^dlo me by! kftofdf Mussulman
soldier who. bore arms iinfboth : he eohldihfeve' no: iiMnee-
•meit ^ddheeive?,and' the leading^circtimstances -of his nar-
sfgjie-leonfir® ejd from othef quartefsu
The eyents which tookfplac.elinithe. southern, countries,5
infegue and Siam, w^MiscI generally known, that inquiry
pOed only, be made to obtain information,|
I am obhged to the kindness sbf-Mr. Dalrympfe for the
construction | o f the: feeder^' Map prefixed*, to $
which fas been compiled from the materials, collected by
Dr. Buchanan, and transmitted-to the Gosurt of Directors;
it is laid down o®; a eohtracted sfcale, being designed merely
to .point out the relative situation of the, kingdomof Ava;
with reference to other countries, and to ascertain its local
position: *on the globe. The materials requiti#®ltdiigive
an-^ecurate topographical display of all the parts of so extensive
an empiflC, could not be procured during tire short
a