INSCRIPTION FROM BUDDHA GAYA. 



181 



The guardians of Boodh's tree also delivered for the purpose of being 

 worshipped by your Majesty, some boughs leaves and fruit from the wes- 

 tern branch of the tree, and these are now in the charge of your Majesty's 

 slaves, Mengyee Maha-tsee-thoo and Men Cha-nanda-gyau-den, secre- 

 tary. The chief of the guardians of the tree, Mnlmnt Jogee informed us, 

 that in former times the dominion of the Burmese kings extended to this tree* 

 and that the J ogees are the proper descendants of Burmese ; and requesting 

 to be allowed to write and solicit your Majesty to become the protector of 

 Boodh's excellent tree, he delivered a letter for your Majesty written with 

 ink in the Devandgari character, which (your slaves) now forward. 



The good and excellent Nals directing us, the captain (Captain G. 

 Burney) and your Majesty's slaves discovered that that spot was formerly 

 a part of the Burmese kingdom, as the chief Muhunt Jogee had stated, and 

 your slaves submit a copy of an inscription in stone in the Burmese charac- 

 ter, together with its meaning. The captain also copied this inscription, 

 and on showing it to the governor general, he observed it is true the 

 Burmese have cut and put up this, but you must ascertain from Mengyee 

 Maha-tsee-thoo and Men Cha-nanda-gyan-den, the secretary, at what 

 period and in what king's reign this was done. When the captain came 

 to ask your Majesty's slaves, they stated that as the date mentioned in the 

 inscription is 467, it was done in the reign of Aloung-tsee-thoo, king of 

 Pagan : — that in that king's reign the city of Parein in Arracan was built 

 by 100,000 Talahis and 100,000 Pyoos ; — that that king possessed from 

 Arracan to Delhi ; — that he held Arracan also ; — and that in consequence 

 of his having such possession, it was said in the Arracan song — • 



Loung-tsee-thoO'khain, under orders of king Aloung-tsee-thoo, 



Ayoo-thain-rwe, who extended his views, — 



Talain-ta-thein, 100,000 Talains 



Pyoo-ta-thein-nhen, with 100,000 Pyoos — 



Twet-gyein-klia-gyein, at the proper time 



Pyikka-dein-lyouJc, corresponding to astrological calculations, 



Parein-myo-theet, the new city of Parein 



Tee-cha-lect-thee, did duly build. 



happens to take place. In the present case, the Burmese envoy evidently considered the little 

 peepul tree as a miraculous answer to his appeal, proving his own truth and virtue, although he 

 pretends to owe such an extraordinary incident to the great virtues of his royal master. 



2 X 



