410 Some account of the Wars between Burmah and China. [June, 



mines, the sun- descended king and master of the golden palace. The 

 ancestoi's of the two brothers have inherited and ruled in succession in 

 this Zabudipa island, lying to the southward of Myentmo mount, from the 

 first creation of the world ; and the two brothers are enjoying in the east- 

 ern and western great kingdoms, prosperity equal to that of the Thagya:- 

 Nat*, with very great glory, power, and authority. From the time even 

 of our ancestors there has been no enmity. The younger brother, the 

 sun-descended king, is an independent sovereign, receiving the homage 

 of great kingdoms, and of an hundred umbrella-wearing chiefs. The elder 

 brother also is an independent sovereign, receiving the homage of great 

 kingdoms, and of an hundred umbrella-wearing chiefs. If the two brothers 

 enter into a permanent agreement and friendship, conformably to the union 

 which has subsisted between them uninterruptedly in former states of 

 existence, it will be like a nail driven in (as firm) to their posterity. The 

 elder brother, who possesses the great kingdoms, and the golden umbrella 

 and palace to the eastward, as well as his queen, sons, daughters, nobles, 

 officers, and the inhabitants of his country, are in the enjoyment of health, 

 peace, and happiness ; and he desires to learn, that his younger brother, 

 who possesses the great kingdoms and the golden umbrella and palace to 

 the westward, the master of the golden palace, as well as his queen, eldest 

 son, the heir-apparent, his other sons and daughters, nobles, officers, and 

 all the inhabitants of his country, are also in the enjoyment of health, 

 peace, and happiness. 



' For one reason, because friendship has existed from former states of 

 being ; and for another, because the elder loves the younger brother, he 

 sends, with a royal letter on gold, a piece of gold, and desires that two 

 pieces of gold may become like this one piece. It is now seventeen years 

 since the gold and silver road, and gold and silver bridge have not been 

 opened or traversed between the elder brother and younger brother, pur- 

 suant to the arrangement made in 1769, that ambassadors of rank should 

 pass between the two great countries, in order that a sincere friendship and 

 esteem might arise. When friendship has been established between the 

 two great countries, each must receive favors from the other. The elder 

 brother has in front of bis palace and worships eight images of Byamha'1", 

 which it has been the custom to worship from the creation of the world ; 

 but loving the younger brother, and desiring that he should worship in 

 the same manner, the elder brother presents these images to the younger. 

 If the younger brother worships them, bis glory and power will be as re- 

 splendent as the rising sun. The son of the lord of Kaing:mah, who wears 



* This is the Chinese Tien, or Shang Tien, lord of heaven, and the same as 

 the Hindu god Indra, one of whose names, Sugra, although written in Burmese 

 Thugra, is pronounced Thagyd. 



t Byamha, written Bramha, is a being of the superior celestial regions of the 

 Buddhists. 



