18C7.] The Pegu Pagoda. 117 



meritorious works of his predecessors, and therefore having associated 

 with himself his queen Kethanee and his chief noble and ministers, 

 erected the Pagoda called Kyaik-depazan, to the service of which 

 they dedicated Gua Tsaukha and seven families. The king also 

 dedicated forty-seven families to the service of the Shwe Hmaw- 

 daw. 



Ariendaraza reigned seven years, and died in 557. His son Hientha- 

 raza or Mahiengtharaza succeeded him. During his reign a particular 

 storm occurred, which blew off the Htee of Shwe Hmawdaw, as well 

 as the upper portion of the Pagoda itself. All were seized with 

 fear. The king had the damages repaired and a new jewelled Htee 

 constructed. The Pagoda was raised three cubits % more, making its 

 height 75 cubits. Four families of Htwonkalaing were dedicated to 

 the Pagoda, and the village of Htwonkalaing given to them for their 

 subsistence. 



Hientharaza reigned 17 years, and died in 573. On his death there 

 was an interregnum of 17 days, during which time the chief 

 Hpoongyee managed the temporal affairs of the kingdom, until 

 Giendraza ascended the throne. The chronicle does not state what 

 relation this king bore to his predecessors. Three months after his 

 accession to the throne, he repaired the west face surrounding wall of 

 the Shwe Hmawdaw. This king was wise and powerful, well versed 

 in the ten laws of kings, was possessed of the three kinds of strength, 

 knew the four stratagems, and was full of the four laws of charity. 

 He erected the Kyaikpadaing Pagoda, an elegant structure on the top 

 of an eminence about 8 miles south of Pegu. Concerning the erec- 

 tion of this Pagoda the chronicle relates that when the king was 

 making a progress through the country, he learnt from ancient records 

 that three holy hairs had been deposited by the Hermit Gandawadee 

 in the Thoowonna Hill, and a cairn of stones was placed over them. 

 Finding a heap of stones on the south-west extremity of this Hill, he 

 concluded that this must be the very spot where the three hairs had 

 been deposited, and accordingly he erected over it a Tsedee 87 cubits 

 high, gilded the structure, and crowned it with a golden Htee. He 

 appointed nine families of Htwonmai to be its servitors, and dedicated 

 to it the land immediately around, within the following limits : on 

 the east 400 " Tas," on the north 200 " Tas," on the west 300 

 15 



