80 On the History of the Burma Race. 



" teacher Sheng A-ra-han, the erroneous doctrines of tlie A-ri sect 

 " were renounced. Those A-ris, in order to propagate such doctrines 

 " as they pleased among the people, used to make a book according 

 " to their desire, and put it in the hollow of a thakhwot tree, and 

 " when the hark which grows rapidly, had closed over it, they would 

 " pretend a dream, and persuade the king to go to search for a book 

 " in the tree, which being found, both king and people believed what 

 " was false. So the story of a prince born from the egg of a dragon, 

 " whether old or not old, appeared to readers as if ancient and true, 

 " but nevertheless must be rejected. What has now been advanced 

 " is more credible, and more in accordance with the ancient records of 

 " Pugan ; therefore it should be made permanent." 



This dissertation on the lineage of Pyii Tsauti, or Pyii Mengti, is 

 a fair specimen of explanations given in the history followed by the 

 present writer, for occasional deviations from previous stories in the 

 Burmese chronicles. The present version of the fable, is no doubt 

 more acceptable to the supposed descendants of Pyu Mengti, than the 

 legend of his birth from a dragon's egg. 



Pyii Mengti became crown-prince at sixteen years of age. King 

 Tha-mug-da-rit died after a reign of forty-five years. A hermit, for 

 some reason not explained, was raised to the throne. He reigned for 

 fifteen years, and is called Rathe" Ryiing. Pyii Mengti then became 

 king in the year 89 of the last era established at Prome. His power 

 and glory were great. His dominion extended to the upper course 

 of the Irrawaddy. The Chinese having invaded the province of 

 Rau-tham-bi, which lies to the eastward of Bhaman, the king with 

 a vast army repelled them. Near his capital, he built a pagoda where 

 he had killed the monster bird. He also built many other religious 

 buildings, and caused books of laws to be compiled for the benefit of 

 his people. He 'died after a reign of seventy-five years, aged one 

 hundred and ten. 



In the history of the Pugan kingdom after the death of Pyii 

 Mengti, it is related that the city was much enlarged by his descend- 

 ant Theng-lay-gyung, and was called Thi-ri-pits-tsa-ya, probably 

 from the site of the palace having been changed. In the reign of the 

 next king Ryaung-dii-rit, who came to the throne in the year 931 

 of religion, (A. D. 388), it is related that the important event of the 



