COCHINCHINA. 257 
fleet was lying quietly at anchor. The alarm, however, being- 
given, the troops were soon embarked. The fate of the day 
was doubtful till the Frenchman's ship, which in a French- 
man's narrative is said to have done wonders, got aground ; 
when the commanders of the seven Portugueze vessels im- 
mediately ran away, and carried off their ships to Macao. 
The young King displayed the greatest coolness and intre- 
pidity but, being overpowered by numbers, was obliged to 
effect his escape by a precipitate retreat. 
By this attack a considerable part of Yin-i/acs fleet was 
disabled or destroyed ; but it answered no other purpose than 
to rouse his attention towards the southern parts of the country. 
Caung-shung, indeed, had scarcely returned to Don-nai, 
which he reached with difficulty on account of the monsoon 
being adverse to his return, when intelligence was received of 
a large army being on its march against him. It was soon 
discovered that any resistance which he could oppose would 
be nugatory ; and, therefore, he determined at once to aban- 
don the country. Having collected the remains of his family 
and a few faithful folloAvers, he embarked in the river of Sai- 
gong ; and, putting to sea, arrived safely on a small unin- 
habited island in the gulph of Siam call€d Pulo Tfai. Here 
he was joined, from time to time, by about twelve hundred 
of his subjects fit to carry arms. The usurper, having dis- 
covered the place of his retreat, resolved to send out an ex- 
pedition against him ; but Caung-shung, apprized of his in- 
tention, deemed it more prudent to embark for Siam, and to 
throw himself on the protection of the King of that country, 
