vitéd to marry Birman wives, the Hindoo*'prejudice being hère unknown.
Shembùen rebuilt Awà Haüng,jé* ■* ancient Ava,* the metropolis
of the empire whieH tad ‘fallen tö ruin during the late com-
tndtioii^ The Siamefe, though vaiiquiflied, remained unfûbdued ; and
there is an inveterate enmity betwixt the nation^ which-will prevent
either férvitude' or alliance.5 A'-Siamefe prince aflumed the monarchy,
andin 1771 defeated the Birmans. Shembuen afterwards turned his
arms ta the weft, and forced the raja of Cachar to pay Homage to his
power. He died ft* ,Ava in 1776, and was fiicceeded by his foH
Chénguza, whofe tyrannical conduct occafioôèd a confpiràcy,’ ' at die
head of which 'was ShémbUert Minderagee, the prefeat monarch,
younger brother of thé dééeaféd 'Shembuen; Chenguza was flain itt
1782.
: Soon after'Mindéfàgee withdrew;, the feat'bf-government from Ava,
and founded a new city to ‘the N.
tenfive lake called Touhzemautf, formed by the influx of the' river,
during the monfoon, through a narrow channel, which afterwards expands
tó a milib and a half broad, by fevèn or eight miles in' iefigth.
Between this lake and the river Irrawady ftânds thé :rièw édpftaibXm-
merapoorâ, eoriftrudéd of wood, but which "has lpeedirÿ3Bécbrüè'3ôiiei of
the moft flourifhing cities :m the èaft, the fituation ■ bSging'iHbre 'ftïong
than that of Ava.
The fouthern conquefts of the Birmans had already extended as‘fat as
Merghi, and the northern province?, formerly belonging to Sjam,'' had
been reduced to fubjedion and tribute. Minderagee determined to pafs
the mountains of Anoupee, and fubdue Aracan, thevarja'j or1 prince
beihg of a fupine cbarader, and his fubjeds unwarlike, ' though they
Had never'been reduced to pay homage to any ! foreign po%ef. This
iconquéft was commenced in 1783, and wasfpeedily effeded, the bööty
moft highly valued, being an imagé of Gaudma, the Boodh of -the
Hindoos, made of burntfhed brafs.
After this conqueft the Birman arms were again turned again ft Siam
and'in 1785 à fleet, was fent to fubdue the ifle of Junkfeylofi, -which
«carries on confiderable trade in ivoty, and tin, ând is the only remaining
• ’ Symcs,,;. 17^./. . . : .. ■
mart
mart o£ Siamefe trade on this coaft. ^leetirig with a repulfe^ .foe Bir- Modern
man monarch left his capijal at thp head of ,30,000 men, with a train
20-,field pieces ; but v^aa defeated by the king of Siam^ who, in fijs
turn, failed in an inyafion of. the^vi^CFOyaJty, of Martaban, whi,ch comprehends
Tavoy, Merghi, and ,all the Birman^poffeffions to the fouth.
In 1793 a treaty was ratified between the Birmans and ;Siaine£e, by
which the latter ceded the weftefn maritime'towns as far S. as Mergpi
;iqcliifiye. But with this exception, and that of fome northern provinces.
the Siamefe „monarchy retains„a-confiderable portion of its ancient
fame. Hence it appears that’ the Birman empire can fcarcely be
computed to extend beyond "the rood degree of longitude, and that -
only in the part to,the north of Siam.;
: . GTHrA :P T E K II;. . -
| , E-0 L'li^rCJiX, * G e OG®. A ■* -"
Keligion.r— Jfyws.-— Government:-^- Population.—? Avmp:.-—Mavf.—- Revenues.— -
. Political Important^*-
THE'Birmans foirbw-the worfhip .of Hindoftan, not-'^yoWries-jOf Reugioh.*.
Brahma but- as- difciples of Boodh, which' latter xis admitted;; by
Hindoos of' in . defcripiionl wife* the ninth Avatar, or.Se&ento£the
deity, in-his capacity of preferver.*1 ’ I^e;-reformed*the doctrines'-cbn-- _
tained In the.Vedas, and feverely cenfttred the facrifice off cattle, or even \
the depxivihg.ariy heing oflifo: By a Angular tranfooftt&$vthe name ■
of Gottna, or-Gafidma, wh6"isTaid to havO'been-ft .ph^tof4hher,',abdbt.
ydats’b'efofdChrift, and taught trlfe religion Of generally
aCeeptfcd-forithat- of the-divinity.’- This-fed-As faid fas. to*-exceed in-kn- -
| J Symts,
I lill I m tiquitj