i860.] On the History of the Burma race. 61 



retain Lis position, and as the rainy season approached he once more 

 returned to Toung-u, 



The following year the king of Pegu sent a humble letter to Meng- 

 ta-ra Shwe-hti, proposing peace and friendship. The hearers of this 

 letter were the two Shan nobles, Bi-ngya-lau, and Bi-ngya-kyau, who 

 had defended the city of Pegu. The king received them kindly, but 

 would give no reply. As they could obtain no reply, they returned 

 to their own master. Their king became suspicious of them, and 

 Meng-ta-ra Shwe-hti now had recourse to a deep artifice. He caused 

 a letter to be inscribed on a scroll of gold as follows : " The king of 

 " Dze-ya-wa-ta-na Ke tu-ma-ti informs his uncles Bi-ngya-lau and 

 * Bi-ngya-ran that, when the affair as before agreed is settled, Bi- 

 -ngya-lau shall be appointed govornor of Han-tha-\va-ti (Pegu), and 

 " Bi-ngya-kyan of Mut-ta-ma (Martaban), and so be ye diligent in 

 " my royal service." This scroll being enclosed in a cloth bag and 

 placed in a basket, was entrusted to two bold and clever messengers 

 with several followers. They proceeded into the Pegu territory, and 

 at one of the border villages, having entered in a friendly manner, 

 they after a time managed to get into a dispute with the head of the 

 village regarding the provisions brought them. This gradually led 

 to a serious quarrel, and the messengers, as a large number of the 

 Talaing villagers assumed, fled, leaving behind them their baggage and 

 the basket which contained the king's letter. The villagers took 

 everything to their headman, and all was brought to the king of 

 Pegu. The letter was now discovered and without any inquiry, the 

 two noblemen were put to death. The king of Toung-u now again 

 attacked the city of Pegu, and took it after a slight resistance. The 

 king of Pegu determined to retire to his brother-in-law, the king of 

 Prome, and proceeded up the river. The king of Toung-u now con- 

 sulted with his nobles, as to whether it would be better to follow on 

 to Prome or to march against Mut-ta-ma. It was decided to do the 

 former. The king's principal general was Kyau-hteng Nau-ra-hta, 

 who was also his brother-in-law. He was distantly connected by 

 blood with Meng-ta-ra Shwe-hti, and was said to be descended from 

 one of the former kings, or governors, of Toung-u. This general led 

 the forces of the king to Noung-ro, where the king of Pegu had 

 collected an army. Kyau-hteng attacked and utterly defeated that 

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