1869.] On the History of the Burma race. 47 



" negociate let a horse soldier from each army engage in single combat ; 

 " if our horse soldier loses, we will retire ; but if yours is defeated give 

 "us up the wives and children of the chiefs." On hearing this, king 

 Meng Khoung was much disturbed, as his best soldiers were all in 

 Pegu. But one of the prisoners, brought to the capital by the 

 prince, named Tha-mein-pa-ran, an officer of high rank and son-in- 

 law to the king of Pegu, agreed to fight the Chinese champion. 

 The duel was fought on horseback, and though the Chinese, or Tartar, 

 was clad in armour, the Pegu chief came off victorious. The Chinese, 

 true to their word, then withdrew to their own country. 



In Pegu, the Burmese Prince Meng-rai-kyau-tswa was closely 

 besieging the city of Da-la, which was held by By-ngya-Da-la, one 

 of the sons of the king of Pegu. Ba-dza-di-rft was anxious to com- 

 municate with his son, but was unable to do so. One of his nobles, 

 Ai-mwun-ta-ra planned to enter the place himself by pretending to 

 desert to the Burmese. This was approved by the king. He was 

 received with great joy by the Burmese prince, was entrusted with a 

 command, and during a skirmish managed to enter the city of Da-la. 

 The Burmese now considered they had him safe. But after a few 

 days, he let himself be launched on a raft bound up as a corpse upon 

 the tidal stream, and so passed unmolested, floated by the tide, 

 through the Burmese camp and war-boats. When passed danger, 

 he rose up and proceeded at once to his master at the city of Pegu. 

 Having reported all he had seen, king Ba-dza-di-rit determined to 

 relieve Da-la. He therefore marched with a considerable force, and 

 Prince Meng-rai-kyau-tswa was obliged to retire. He entrenched 

 himself at a distance. The city of Da-la was thus relieved. Ba-dza- 

 di-rit now, after much manoeuvring provoked the Burmese Prince to 

 leave his stockade and come out to fight. The prince was confident 

 and boastful. He had dosed his elephant with spirits, and had drank 

 some himself. He pushed forward with a small force in front of the 

 main body of his army. With a few horsemen he made great 

 slaughter among the Talaing army, but his elephant became blown, 

 and the Talaing chiefs seeing he had no support at hand, surrounded 

 him with thirty elephants. His elephant was wounded by a hundred 

 darts and disabled. The Prince dismounted and received a severe 

 wound in the thigh, either from a spear or an elephant's tusk. He 



