SI AM. 



their king, queen, and moft of their princes, they lamented 

 their humiliation and fervitude, and anxioufly fought for 

 a deliverer. With this view they felefxed one of their 

 companions, named Manlong, a gardener, who, fingularly 

 quahfied for the office they devolved upon him, by corporeal 

 and mental endowments, undertook to refcue them from the 

 yoke of tyrants, on condition of their cutting off the heads of 

 all the little fubaltern tyrants whom the Peguefe had fent to 

 opprefs them. They readily fubmitted to his terms ; and 

 after the maffacre, Manlong was proclaimed king. Havmg 

 prepared a force, and eftabhflied a difcipline which rendered 

 the Birmans almoll invincible, he began by the capture and 

 complete ruin of the city and port of Siriam, which took 

 place about the year 1759 ; and advancing to Martavan and 

 Tavail, the new monarch received information of the riches 

 of Siam, and formed the defign of its conqueft. He began 

 by fending 30 fhips to pillage the cities of Merghi and Ta- 

 naferim, and this fuccefs led him to flatter himfelf that he 

 fhould be able, with great eafc, to fubdue the whole kingdom 

 of Siam. The court of Siam, hearing of this irruption, 

 fent to the biihop of Tabraca, to requell that he would arm 

 the Chriftians, who amounted only to the number of 100, 

 and yet acquitted themfelves with greater honour than the 

 pufiUanimous multitude. The Bn-man fovereign, being at 

 the dillance of three days' march from Yuthia, the capital, 

 died in confequence of an abfcefs. The fuburbs, however, 

 on the Dutch quarter were ravaged and burnt ; and the fur- 

 rounding country was expofed to a thoufand cruelties. The 

 death of Manlong delivered the Siamefe capital ; the 

 youngelt of his fons having afTumed the fceptre, found him- 

 felf under the neceffity of regaining his own kingdom, in 

 order to ftifle any revolt. The Siamefe fovereign, however, 

 having rallily pronounced a fentence of death againit the fa- 

 vourite of his brother, was forced to abdicate the throne ; 

 and in confequence of this event he became a Talapoin, or 

 monk, in May 1762, and many of his nobles followed his 

 example. Siam remained in a ftate of fecurity, upon the re- 

 port that the new prince of the Birmans had been dethroned 

 upon his return to Ava ; and that his elder brother, who 

 bad fucceeded, had nowifh to make conquefts. This pacific 

 monarch dying fuddenlv, a pretence of war was afforded by 

 the affiilance which the Siamefe had given to a rebel Birman 

 governor. In January 1765, the Birmans attacked Merghi 

 and took it ; and then proceeded to Tanaferim, which they 

 reduced to afhes. Fluilied with fuccefs, the general of 

 the Birmans marched againft Yuthia, not doubting that the 

 conqueft of the capital would induce other cities to fubmit. 

 The provinces on the north-weft of the royal city were ra- 

 vaged ; isd the inhabitants faved themfelves from death or 

 flavery by difperfion into forefts, where they participated 

 the food of wild beails. The Siamefe, threatened with 

 fpeedy and total dettruclion, reunited their forces ; but 

 though they fought with ardour, their fanguinary defeat 

 fubjefted their country to the power of their conqueror. The 

 fields, ravaged by the confuming flames, prefented nothing 

 to them but aflies, and famine became more terriblu than 

 war. The viftorious Birmans built, at the confluence 

 of two rivers, a town, or rather a fortified ftation, which 

 they called Michoug, The Siamefe, on their part, at- 

 tempted to fortify the capital, and earneftly folicited the 

 affiftance of two Englifh vefTels which happened to arrive. 

 The captain of one of them confented to defend the capital, 

 on condition of being fupplied with cannon and ammunition : 

 but the jealous Siamefe infifted that he Ihould firft lodge his 

 merchandizes in the public magazine. With this condition 

 he complied, and going on board his (hip, haraffcd the 

 enemy, and deftroyed their forts, fo that every day was 



marked either by their defeat or flight. But demanding 

 more ammunition, the daftardly court became afraid, that 

 the Englifh captain," with his fingle fhip, would conquer this 

 ancient monarchy. Its indignant captain withdrew, after 

 feizing fix Chinefe vell'els, whofe officers received from him 

 orders upon the king of Siam to the amount of the mer- 

 chandizes which had been lodged in the public treafury. 

 Upon his retreat, the Birmans, finding no oppofition, fpread 

 univerfal defolation, and configned even their temples to the 

 flames. Inftead of recurring to arms, the fuperftitious mo- 

 narch and his minifters repofed their whole confidence in their 

 magicians. A Siamefe prince, indeed, who had been 

 baniflied to Ceylon, raifed a little army, and returned to the 

 affiftance of his country ; but the diftra£led court of Siam fent 

 forces to oppofe their deliverer. Many of the Siamefe, jufUy 

 provoked by this conduct, joined the Birmans, who in March 

 1766 again advanced, after having been repulfed by the 

 Enghfh captain, to within two leagues of the capital. In 

 September 1766, the Birmans feized a high tower, at the dif- 

 tance of about a quarter of a mile from the city, and raifed a 

 battery of cannon, which gave them an abfolute command of 

 the river. In this ftate of urgent danger, 6000 Chinefe were 

 charged with the defence of the Dutch faftory, and of a large 

 adjacent temple. The Birmans, in confequence of previous 

 Ikirmilhes and a fubfequent affault, feized on five confiderable 

 temples, which they converted into fortreffes ; but in an- 

 other aflault they were compelled to retire. The Siamefe 

 officers, eager to fecure the magazines of grain, as a future 

 refourcc, produced an immediate famine ; which, followed by 

 a contagious diforder or peftilence, occalioned the moft dread- 

 ful devaftation. The Dutch factory was in vain defended 

 by 'the Portuguefe and Chinefe ; and after a fiege of eight 

 days. It was taken and reduced to allies. The whole Chrif- 

 tian quarter of the city fliared the fame fate ; and the virgins 

 were obliged to marry the firft young men that prefented 

 themfelves, in order to be protefted by the matrimonial tie, 

 which the Birmans reverence. The Birmans, demanding an 

 unconditional furrender, affauked the city, and captured it 

 on the 28th of April 1767. The wealth of the palaces 

 and temples was confumed by the flames, or abandoned 

 to the foldiery. The golden idols were melted ; and 

 the viftors, findins; that their avarice had been facrificed to 

 their fury, recurred to afts of violation and cruelty. The 

 great officers of the kingdom were loaden with irons, and 

 condemned to the gallies. The king, attempting to efcape, 

 was mafiacred at the gate of his palace. When nothing re- 

 mained for thefe conquerors to deltroy, they refumed their 

 march to Pegu, accompanied, among other captives, with 

 the remaining princes and princeffes of the royal blood of 

 Siam. In June the Birmans quitted Siam, after having 

 burnt the town of Michoug, foon after its conftruftion. 



When the Birmans evacuated their conqueft, the Siamefe 

 ilfued from their forefts, and fuperftitioufly direAed their firft 

 rage againft their gods, for having abandoned them to a de- 

 ftruftive enemy. Availing themfelves of the wealth which 

 accrued from the ftatues, filled by fuperftitious perfons with 

 gold and filver, who expected to find them when they re- 

 vifited this world, they proceeded to eleft a leader ; and Phaia- 

 Thae, an officer of acknowledged ability, was the objeci 

 of their choice. This new prince difplayed confiderable 

 bravery and talents; and in the year 1768 fuppreffed a rebel- 

 lion that was inftigated againft him. The Birmans in vaia 

 attempted to renew their incurfions into the Siamefe terri- 

 tory : they were repulfed, and afterwards obliged to turn 

 their arms againft the Chinefe, who were defeated in their 

 turn. For further particulars with regard to the hiftory of 

 Siam, fee Birman Empire. Indeed, if the Birman empire 



maintain^ 



