10 A Sketch ofToungoo History. [No. 1. 



for his builders to Tyre, so Anoratha procured his from Thatung ; 

 while there is room for little doubt that Thatung was originally a 

 Hindu colony, and it is quite certain that it was in frequent com- 

 munication with Ceylon. Capt. Yule says : " Suvannabumine," he 

 adds, but unfortunately stating no authority, " is still the classic 

 Pali name of Satung." No better authority will be required than 

 that furnished by your Journal. The inscription from Ramree 

 Island* was made subsequent to A. D. 1786, and in that Suvanna- 

 bumi stands as the classic name of Thatung. " In the sacred 

 era 236," as we read, " religion was established by the venerable 

 Sona and the venerable Uttara in Suvannabume, the Thatung 



country."f 



There is great confusion and often contradiction of dates in all 

 the native histories through the carelessness of copyists. "We cannot 

 be certain of an approximation to accuracy without comparing 

 different copies, and different histories. 



Tours very sincerely, 



Toungoo, December 15th, 1857. P. Mason. 



History of Toungoo. 



The history opens with a brief epitomy of Gaudama's life, and 

 states that he came to the country of Toungoo, here denominated 

 Zeyavatana.J When he reached the place where old Toungoo 

 was subsequently built, he said to his favourite disciple Unanda : 

 " Here thou and I were brother white cocks in a former state, each 

 with five hundred followers, and fed in this place. Hereafter my 

 relics will be enshrined here and worshipped." Crossing the 

 river, on the east side, on the site of the present famous Pagodas 

 of Myatso-nyie-noung,§ he said to Auanda: " Thou and I were 



* See note f above. 



f Eendered in the Journal : " In the country of Suvanna bumi (in Burmah 

 called Sathum)." 



X CGhOOOO^COO 



