PEGU. 



^3- 



ftands on the eaftern bank, in about Lat. 18° 8'. In its pro- 

 fperity it confifted of two parts, the old and the new ; the laft was 

 the royal refidence, and completed about the year 1567, by Man-' 

 daragri, the fecond Burmagb king. A tyrant monarch arofe^ 

 who oppreiTed his fubjedls to fuch a degree, as to encourage the 

 neighboring princes to invade his dominions, and in 1596, he 

 was belieged by them in his capital. The Portugiieje^ in con- 

 junction with certain Turks, caufed the liege to be raifed, but 

 out of a hundred and fifty thouflmd inhabitants, only thirty 

 thoufand were left, all the others periilied, either by the fword 

 or famine j it had at that time three thoufand cannon for its de- 

 fence,- of which one thoufand were biafs. The kings of Aracan 

 and Taii'^u took advantage of his diftrefs, the city was again be- 

 fieged, furrendered to the latter, and the unfortunate monarch, 

 and his whole family, put ta death by order of his own lifter^, 

 queen to the victorious king ; the place was foon deferted, and 

 the feat of empire transferred to Ava. The city of Pegu was of 

 vaft lize, a regular fquare, with four grand ftreets leading to- 

 four gates, and being feated on a plain, a perfon at the center 

 could fee them all at once, though the city was a mile each way. 

 The houfes were built with bamboo ; it was furrounded with 

 •walls, and a deep wet ditch, ftocked with crocodiles, to prevent Croco&iles. 

 people attempting to get in or out of the city by fwimming or 

 wading. 

 The bore, or head wave of the tide, which runs up this river is Bore, or Head 



Wave* 



of amazing violence and rapidity ; people who have the misfor- 

 tune of being fliipwrecked on the banks near the (liore, at low 

 water or ebb of tide, are obliged to feek the land with all poffible 

 fpeedj for fear left they fliould be fwept away. On its entering 



the; 



