41. A Note on "Old Guns in Bengal." 



By Rev. H. Hosten, S.J. 



The frequent finds of old guns in Bengal will surprise less, 

 when we remember how large a number the native chiefs had 

 at their disposal. 



In a letter of Father Nicolas Trigault, dated Goa, the eve 

 of Christmas, 1607, we read : 



* ' It is now time that we should pass on to the kingdom of 

 Pegu, formerly one of the most flourishing, and now so deso- 

 lated and depopulated, because of an infinity of evils and 

 calamities which it has suffered, that it is but a desert and 

 uninhabited forest. The king of Bengala 1 was lord of Pegu, 

 who had bestowed the government of it on a certain Portuguese 

 Captain called Philippe Brittus. 2 He at once built there a 

 fortress and, collecting the remnants of the Pegans roaming, 

 and wandering in the woods, he assembled them in a small 

 town. 



M However, the king began to suspect the Portuguese 

 [Captain] and called him to his Court. He defended himself as 

 best he could, and finally withdrawing with great protestations 

 of obedience to the king (tout a plat de Vobeyssance du roy), he 

 placed the kingdom into the hands of the king of Portugal. 

 And having received help from the viceroy of the Indies, he 

 bravely defended the citadel, 3 and finally, after having with a very 

 few men gained several battles against the king, he destroyed 

 a great naval army which the son of the king had brought to 

 besiege the citadel, and took him prisoner, before he could set 

 foot on land. Great were the spoils then taken : among other 

 things he seized nine hundred pieces of artillery , I say nine 

 hundred again, lest you should think that I am making a mistake 



• * • 



m writing. 



' ■ The father ransomed his son with a large sum of money 

 and made peace with the king.* But, perfidious as he was, 

 this barbarian, after recovering his son, broke his word at 

 once, and, on that occasion, arming a bigger fleet than before, 

 came with his son to exterminate wholly the Portuguese. 

 But, he met with the same fortune as heretofore, except that 

 he escaped by flight, while his son was once more taken by the 



* Arakan. 



* Filippe de Brito Nicote. Cf. Index of Vol. 2 in Dan vers 1 Th 



Portuguese in India (s. v. Nicot 



3 Of Pegu. * Of Portugal. 



