1837.] Some account of the Wars between Burmah and China. 123 



a Burmese army had gone and attacked and defeated them. They 

 had escaped into China, but their families had been captured and 

 brought to Ava. The king of Ava refused to surrender the families 

 of the chiefs, and the Chinese general, after besieging Ava for a 

 month, found his army so much distressed from want of provisions, 

 that he was induced to send in to the king a proposition, to have the 

 dispute between the two nations decided by single combat between 

 two horsemen, one to be selected on either side. The king agreed, 

 and selected as his champion a Talain prisoner named Tha-mein- 

 paran. The combat took place outside of Ava in view of the Chinese 

 army and of the inhabitants of Ava who lined its walls. The Talain 

 killed the Chinese, and, decapitating him, carried the head to the king. 

 The Chinese army then raised the siege, and retreated into China, 

 without the families of the Shan chiefs. 



In the year 1442, during the reign of Bhuren-Narapadi, also 

 called Du-pa-youn-day-aka, king of Ava, the Chinese again sent a 

 mission to demand vessels of gold and silver, which they declared 

 Anora-t'ha-zo, king of Pagan, had presented as tribute. On the 

 king refusing, the Chinese again invaded the kingdom in the year 

 1443, and now demanded, that Tho-ngan-bua', the Shan chief of 

 Mo-gaung, should be surrendered to them. This person, together with 

 an extensive kingdom belonging to him, had been conquered by the 

 Burmese in 1442, and the Chinese, who styled him the chief of 

 Maing:-m6, apparently from the circumstance of a territory of that 

 name on the Shue-li river having been comprised within his domini- 

 ons, are stated to have been at war with him for several years, when 

 the Burmese conquered him. The king of Ava advanced with a 

 strong force above Ava to oppose the Chinese, and drove them back 

 to Md.'-wtin*. The Chinese again invaded Ava in the year 1445, and 

 the king again proceeded up the Erdwadi to oppose them with a 

 large force ; but before the two armies met, some of the Burmese 

 officers persuaded their king, that as the Chinese would never desist 

 invading his dominions until Tho-ngan-bua was surrendered to them, 

 it would be better to comply with their wishes. The king then 

 returned to Ava with his army, and on the Chinese following and 

 investing the city, he agreed to surrender Tho-ngan-bua, but upon 

 condition that the Chinese army should first go and bring under 

 subjection Ya-nil-theng, a town lying to the southward of Ava, which 

 was then in a state of rebellion. The Chinese consented, and after 

 taking Ya-nil-theng and delivering it over to a Burmese force which 

 had accompanied them, they returned to Ava, when Tho-ngan-bua 



* Chinese, Lortg-tchuen, 

 r 2 



