18G8.] On the History of the Burma Race. 75 



their tribute. He went himself to demand it, throughout all Dzam- 

 bu-di-pa or the continent of India. But misfortune followed him. 

 The sea dragons were offended, and carried his ship to their own 

 regions. In other words his ship foundered at sea. This happened 

 after a reign of seventy years when he was one hundred and five 

 years old. " Reflecting," observes the writer of the Maha-radza- 

 weng, " on the story of king Dwot-ta-bung, the lords of great 

 " countries should remember, that it is not proper to take so much 

 "as a single fruit, or a single flower, of those things which pertain 

 " to the three precious jewels." 



Dwot-ta-bung was succeeded by his son Dwot-ta-ran in the year 

 171 of religion. He reigned twenty-two years. 



No particular event is related of the succeeding kings until Thi-ri- 

 rit came to the throne in the year of religion 424. He had a deep 

 regard for religion, and the people during his reign were happy. 

 But with him the race of Dwot-ta-bung came to an end, and an- 

 other dynasty succeeded. 



The story is thus told. A certain man of that country placed his 

 young son with a Bahan at a monastery, where he became a Tha- ma- 

 ne or probationer for the higher degrees of the order. The Bahan 

 liked him and taught him the Bi-da-gat and Be-deng. The Bahan 

 had a cock who, when he crowed, seemed to say, " Whoso, eats my 

 head will be king hereafter." The Bahan, hearing this, called the 

 youth and told him to prepare the cock for food. The probationer 

 did so, but in the preparation the head accidentally touched the hinder 

 parts of the bird. Thinking this rendered it unclean for the Bahan, 

 he ate it himself. The Bahan asked him where the head was, and 

 the probationer told him. The Bahan thought, " Now we shall see 

 if the animal's crowing comes true." He had the young man edu- 

 cated in every branch of knowledge, and then entrusted to the care 

 of a nobleman. At length he was introduced into the palace, and 

 the king retained him there. The king, having no son of his own, 

 adopted the young man, and created him crown-prince. Eventually 

 he succeeded to the throne, and reigned fifty-one years. This king- 

 was called Nga-ta-ba, because the cock in crowing seemed to utter 

 those words ; and also because he was of another lineage and not of 

 the existing royal race. No explanation is given in the history re- 



