1868.] On the History of the Burma Race, 109 



when they stood on the defensive, as to advance so far as that city 

 away from their resources. And their own account in the national 

 history is quite inconsistent with such a theory. In short, what 

 they relate, is just what a prudent general would do in similar 

 circumstances. That is the pass into Burma likely to be taken by 

 the enemy was, that formed by the course of the Ta-ping or Bamau 

 river through the mountains. The Burmese army defended that 

 pass, and had a fortified post called Nga-tshaung-gyan a little in 

 their rear. For three months they resisted the Tartar army, but 

 being overpowered by numbers, were forced to retreat, and abandon 

 the fortified post. They then took post at the Male hill, nearly 

 two hundred miles further south where they built two stockades. 

 Here a decisive battle was fought, in which the Burmese acknow- 

 ledge they were entirely defeated, and the Ta-ruk army marched 

 on to the capital Pu-gan, about one hundred and fifty miles distant. 

 Now, from this narrative, it is evident that there was fighting in 

 the hilly country bordering on Vociam, but some six or seven 

 ordinary days' journey from it ; and that the great battle took place 

 at least some ten or twelve days' journey farther still. How is this 

 to be reconciled with Marco Polo's battle near the city of Vociam ? 

 In the first place, Marco speaks of the kingdom of Vociam, and it 

 appears from the Burmese history, that after the war, the Chinese 

 added to their territory several of the frontier districts which 

 remained under the direct government of the Tartar governor of 

 Yung-chaug. So that Marco appears to attribute to the kingdom 

 of Vociam a greater extent of territory to the west, than it possessed 

 before the Avar. And as he states, the Khan " added the lands 

 of Mien to his dominions," he perhaps used the term kingdom 

 of Vociam, as extending down to the Irrawaddy river. But 

 Marco's is a somewhat disjointed narrative, and in the 51st Chapter, 

 appears to raise up a subsequent expedition with the capture of 

 Pu-gan in the reign of Na-ra-thi-ha-pa-te. His words are as 

 follows : — " When the great Khan conquered that city, he desired 

 " all the players and buffoons, of whom there were a great 

 " number in his court, to go and achieve the conquest, offering 

 " them a captain and some warlike aid. The jesters willingly 

 " undertook the affair, and setting out with the proffered assistance, 



