154 Autohiograj^hy of Tsura Moung^Bo. [Apri-c 



us to take shelter in the island of Callagouk. It was on this 

 island, that, at the suggestion of Moungshoeyai a rich per- 

 son who was with us, we set to work, and dug a well, and 

 planted it round with cocoanut and beetle-nut trees. This 

 well is the same which I visited in company with some 

 English officers a short time ago. I had not been there for 

 20 years, but recognized the spot, few of the trees we plant- 

 ed remained, and the sea had made great advances on the 

 ■island so as to threaten a speedy destruction of the well 

 which at present is in good ordeT and yields abundance of 

 good water. We staid here three days and then took our 

 depature for Ye. At Ye I remained and speculated in the 

 building of boats. 



On the Teturn of my boat from Penang to Ye in the 

 month of Pyatho 1170, the Doinwon's* army had reach- 

 ■ed Martaban, and he had issued an order that no 

 boats should leave any of the poTts without his per- 

 mission, accordingly my boat was detained at ^e, until 

 the arrival of the Doinwon there, with an army con- 

 sisting, as was generally supposed of 30,000 men. I 

 petitioned him for the release of my boat, and 

 offered him a present of 15 tickals of gold which he would 

 not receive, but directed me to hold my boat in readiness 

 to convey some of the sick of the army to Tavoy, after 

 which, I was told, I might return. I conveyed forty sol- 

 diers in my boat to Tavoy where in common with many 

 others I was obliged to anchor in the harbour at the en- 

 trance of the river where I found several other boats full of 

 soldiers. Seven or eight days after reaching Tavoy, the 

 Doinwon arrived there with his army by land. We were 

 then ordered up the river, and the troops we had on 

 board were disembarked. An account of our cargoes was 

 demanded. On giving in mine, the Doinwon directed 

 me to land the articles and deliver them up to him, say- 

 ing, he w^ould purchase the whole ; this was done to all 

 the other boats also which had come from Penang. Af- 

 ter going through the formality of taking the account, and 

 the deliveiy of the articles, the Doinwon ordered the 

 crews of all the five boats to be seized and have the letoik 



JDuiavvou the tiiie of the Burmese general ciitrusted with the expcdiiio u 



