PEGir, X5 



to be dragged at the foot of an elephant through the ftreets tilt 

 neither fkin or flefli were left on his bones, and all the Porn^- 

 guefe in Pegu, except the few who could efcape by flight, were 

 inftantly maffacred. 



The laft great mouth of the Fegu river is the Sitang; it di- Sitang River, 

 vides the kingdom of Pegu from the province of Martaban. Martabam, 

 The city of that name was for fome time a royal relidence, and 

 had once been the capital of an independent monarchy, but 

 w^as attacked and taken by the king of Ava, who murdered the 

 fovereign, maffacred the inhabitants, and reduced the place to 

 aflies. After this, Hamilton'^ fays, that the conqueror funk large 

 veffels loaden with Itones at the mouth of the port, which was 

 once a fine harbor, fo that at prefent only fmall fliips can enter. 

 It had formerly been the mod flourilliing commercial town of 

 the Eaft, a-ul ftill retains its potteries and manufadlures, jars 

 glazed with lead ore, large enough to contain two hogflieads. 

 Hamilton alfo mentions its fiflieries, and adds, that its dried mul- 

 lets exceed in delicacy all fifli of the kind. 



From the mouth of the Martaban harbor, the courfe runs 

 due fouth, as far as the ille of 'junkfeilon, an extent of above IsleofJunK'- 

 five hundred miles. The coaft of Martaban takes in about a 

 hundred and forty of the computation ; the currents along the 

 fliore are moft fwift and violent; the country bordering on the 

 fea little known, and very barbarous. It is fkirted with fmall 

 ifles, and is full of danger. 



The natives of the kingdom oiPegu, refemble the Malays in Natives of 

 appearance and difpofition, but are more induftrious. Their 



*Account of the Eaft Indies, vol. ii. p. 63. 



mafters^ 



