66 
Dr Hamilton'’s Account of Two Maps 
belonged to Upper Laos ; at any rate, they would not appear 
to be under the government of the two military chiefs. 
The whole territory included in the first map extends, along 
the parallel of 100^ E. from Greenwich, from the boundary of 
Siam to that of China, about 200 geographical miles ; and along 
the 20th degree of N. latitude about 200 geographical miles ; 
and, being nearly of a quadrangular form, it will contain at least 
46,000 square British miles, after making every allowance for 
its diminishing in length somewhat both on the Saluaen and 
Mgekhaun. If we allow 16,000 miles of this extent to have be- 
longed to Upper Laos, we shall still have an extent for the 
principality of the Jun Shan greater than that of Scotland. Its 
prince, it was acknowledged, was merely tributary to the king 
of Ava, and among his own subjects was called a King (Pua^, al- 
though the pride of the Amarapura courtiers only honoured 
him with the title of Zabua ; but he was not called upon to at- 
tend that insolent court, when the ordinary tributaries of the 
Shan race (Zabuas) made their annual homage in pi’esence of 
the English embassy. 
The capital city, called Zaenmae by the Mranmas, in the vul- 
gar dialect of the Siamese is called Zimae ; but its natives more 
commonly call it Sunabuni (built of gold), as the Mranmas 
usually call their capital by the magnificent title Shue Prido 
(golden abode of royalty). In the sacred language of these na- 
tions the name of this city is Harimunza, just as Amarapura is 
the sacred ngme of New Ava (^nwazit). So far as I can con- 
jecture, after weighing all accounts, it is situate in a few minutes 
more than 20'^ of N. latitude, and in a few minutes less than 
100° of longitude East from Greenwich, in a situation very ad- 
vantageous both for fertility and commerce, the Msepraen being 
navigable to the sea, and having through the Anan a navigable 
communication with the great river Maekhaun. The dialect 
spoken by the natives of this country, which I saw at Ava, 
could not be distinguished by me from that of the Siammese, 
every word that I asked appearing exactly the same ; but the 
accent appeared very different to the natives, although of this I 
was not sensible. Both nations seem also to be nearly in a simi- 
lar state of society, and progress of arts. 
