1837.] Some account of the Wars between Burmah and China. 139 



could not carry it, and after losing a great many men, and suffering 

 much from scarcity of provisions, they heard of the flight of the 

 large Chinese army under the king's brother and son-in-law, and 

 immediately raised the siege of Ba-mo, and fled to China. 



For more than twelve months there was a cessation of hostilities 

 between the two countries, owing apparently to a communication 

 sent from Ava to China by eight Chinese prisoners, who were released 

 for that purpose. But about the end of 1769, intelligence was receiv- 

 ed from Ba-mo, that another Chinese army of 50,000 horse and 500,000 

 foot was mai-ching against the Burmese dominions under three 

 generals, Thu'-koun-ye>, Akoun-ye', and Yuon-koun-ye'. On 

 the 21st October, the king of Ava sent a force of 100 war elephants, 

 1,200 cavalry and 12,000 foot under the Amyauk-wun*. Ne Myo':- 

 thi'ha-thc, to M6;gaung, by the route to the westward of the 

 Erdwadi. Three days after, another force amounting to 52,000 men 

 under the Wiin-gym Maha Thi'ha-thu'ra proceeded by water to 

 Ba-mo ; and in another three days, two more divisions proceeded with 

 the cavalry and elephants under the M6:meit Tso:buah and Kyo- 

 demyaza, by the road to the eastward of the Erdwadi. 



The three Chinese generals, on reaching Yoyi mountain to the 

 north of the Lizd, detached 10,000 horse and 100,000 foot under 

 the Kyen-ngan officer, Tsheng-ta'-yi'n, to advance by the M&:- 

 gaung road, and cutting timber and planks in the most con- 

 venient spots, brought them to the bank of the Erdwadi, and left 

 the general Lo-ta-ye' with 10,000 carpenters and sawyers, to con- 

 struct large boatsf. The main army then marched on towards Ba- 

 m6, and after throwing up very extensive stockades at Shue-nyaung- 

 beng, twelve miles to the east of Kaung-tofin, and leaving 100,000 

 foot and 10,000 horse to defend them under Yuon-koun-ye', the 

 rest of the army, amounting to 30,000 horse and 300,000 foot, under 

 the other two principal generals and ten officers of high rank, advanced 

 and invested Kavng-to&n towards the land side. 500 boats also, as 

 soon as they were built in the upper part of the Erdwadi, were brought 

 down and placed with 50,000 men under Yi-ta'-yi'n, the governor 

 of Thd-kyeng, so as to invest Kaung-to&n on the river face. Kaung- 

 to&n was repeatedly attacked by the Chinese by land and water, but 

 its governor, Bula Men:djcn, defended it so bravely and skilfully, 

 that the Chinese were obliged at last to confine their operations to 



* Chief of artillery ; Svmes's Amion-mee. 



f This statement is opposed to Mr. Gutzlaff's opinion, derived from the 

 Chinese accounts of this war, that some navigable river from China falls into 

 the Erdwadi, and that the Chinese army brought boats with them by that means. 

 t 2 



