1808.] Dwettinfa works of art, laws, Sfc. of the Karens. 167 



This genealogy, as given above, is probably inaccurate, being the 

 first ever obtained, but it may serve as a ba*is for future correction. 



Tounyoo Tradition. — Thirty years ago I met with a tradition in 

 Tavoy, that the Karens had formerly a city at the north, called 

 Toungoo. On coming here, I found the Karens in the confident 

 belief that the first city in Toungoo was built by a Karen. This 

 tradition is in a measure confirmed by a Burmese history found in 

 the Kyoungs. It is therein stated that about the year A. D. 1298, 

 a teacher at the town of Htieling said to one of his pupils called 

 Karen-ba : " If you go south, you will become a great man." He 

 went south, and took up his abode in the south-east of Kaylen, 

 naming the place, " Karen City." 



His name signifies " Karen father," and the Karens claim him for 

 one of their nation, which some Burmans admit, while others say it 

 was a name bestowed upon him, because he treated the Karens like 

 a father. He subsequently united with two Burmans, the history 

 states, the sons of a former ruler in Toungoo, that the king of 

 Martaban had defeated and carried away captive. The three jointly 

 founded the red city of Toungoo, A. D. 1281. The elder brother of 

 the Burmans was killed by the younger, A. D. 1317. The youn- 

 ger survived seven years, dying, A. D. 1324. Karen-ba then 

 reigned alone, but the son and widow of the younger Burman 

 were discovered in a plot to assassinate Karen-ba, and they were both 

 put to death, lie reigned epiietly eighteen years longer, and died 

 A. D. 1342. This is the last record of Karen-ba in the Burmese 

 books ; and though there is nothing incredible in his being a Karen, 

 yet there is no evidence to show that the Karens had any part in the 

 city. 



The Karen traditions are pure myths, without a particle of historic 

 truth. They say that the present city of Toungoo, which they 

 regarded as the largest city in the world excepting Ava, was built by 

 a Karen called " Tan-oo Shan," which signifies, " Ruler of Toungoo," 

 and he had a wife called Khai-pa, but known in tradition under the 

 name of Sa-mu-wa, signifying " White Lady." 



Soon after Toungoo was built, the King of Ava came down and 

 fought against ^it, and killed Tan-oo Shan. His death is attributed 

 to his not listening to his wife. While a personal contest was going 



