1857.] The Remains at Pagan. 33 



made out.* 

 Every main cornice, for instance, is crowned with a sort of battle- 



The relator, William Methold, in the supplement to Purchas's Pilgrims, calls 

 the monarch king of Pegu, and at Pegu he appears to have held his court. But 

 he was in fact properly the king of Ava. 



News was brought of Samuel's death to Masulipatam where Lucas Anthonison 

 happened now to be factor for the Company. He took the opportunity of send- 

 ing two agents carrying a letter and present for the king, professedly to apply for 

 the restoration of Samuel's effects, but also with a small adventure to make trial of 

 the trade. 



The agents were unfaithful. They misappropriated the proceeds of the trade, 

 and wrote most discouraging accounts of their treatment. But they were sent 

 back in April 1619, with most of Samuel's property, as well as a present from the 

 king and a letter inviting trade.* 



The history at this period is very obscure, but it would appear that soon after 

 the time mentioned, British intercourse with the Burman countries became more 

 free than it ever was again up to the annexation of Pegu. Dalrymple ascertained 

 from old documents at Port St. George, that the English had settlementsf at Prome 

 and Ava, as well as at Sirian, and even at a place on the borders of China, which 

 he conjectures to have been Bamo. The Dutch, who had a considerable trade 

 with Burma, likewise possessed factories in the Upper Provinces, and are said 

 to have been at this time in occupation of Negrais. 



On some dispute with the Burmese Government, the Dutch threatened, or 

 attempted, to invite the interference of the Chinese. On this, both Dutch and 

 English were ejected.^ 



In 1658 or 1659, when a Chinese force invaded Burma, and attacked the 

 capital, the guns on the ramparts of Ava are said to have been served by a party 

 of native Christians under a foreigner named Methari Kdtan, a name which Col. 

 Burney happily suggests to be intended for "Mr. Cotton." § 



* A small but beautiful example of the Pagan architecture in its typical form 

 is the Sembyo-Ku or " Cave of the white Elephant." 



* Methold in Purchas, V. 1006. 



t He says at the beginning of the 17th century. But it could not have been 

 earlier than the circumstances mentioned by Methold. 



X This is Dalrymple's account. I find, however, in Valentyn's great " Beschry- 

 ving van Oost Indien," or Description of the Dutch East Indies, (Dordrecht and 

 Amsterdam 1726) vol. V. pt. II. p. 126, that the Dutch had a factory at Sirian 

 from about 1631 till 1677, with subordinate factories at Ava and other places. 

 The Dutch Government of Coromandel sent several embassies to Ava also. 

 \ a lent yn ascribes the breaking up of the trade to the constant wars that were 

 going on in those regions. 



§ J. A. S. B. VI. 126. 



