198 
THE NAVAL AND MILITARY POWER OF ARRAKAN. 
concubines. Every year the sikkes (Y), 
who are his favounte‘<, cause twelve of the 
loveliest maidens to be sought for through 
the realm, and dressed in fine white linen. 
After this, they are exposed for six hours to 
the most violent heat of the sun, that they 
may sweat as much as possible. This done, 
other habits are brought them to put on, and 
their sweaty ones examined by persons ap- 
pointed, who make their report ; and the 
young ladies, w'hose sweat has no disagreeable 
smell, are presented to the king, and placed 
among his concubines. 1 he rest are disposed 
of, with portions, to his courtiers. All the 
females are taught music and dancing, with 
whatever else may help to render them agree- 
able, in hopes of arriving to that dignity. It 
is said, that they who have obtained it, form 
themselves also to the exercise of arms ; after 
which they are distributed into the principal 
apartments of the king and serve him for 
guards. * 
The kings of Arrakan were formerly almost 
continually at war with the great Mogol ; but 
never came to a set battle . for they do not 
care to hazard their troops muchf. These 
monarchs, however, for the vastness of their 
treasure and military strength, are as consi- 
derable as most eastern princes. About 150 
years ago they became famous by their wars, 
and much enlarged their dominions by the 
conquests they made both in Bengal and Pegxi. 
However, it is observed, that they were gene- 
rally unsuccessful in their wars against the 
Portuguese ; who, in l605, defeated the king’s 
fleet, consisting of no fewer than 540 sail (or 
barks) ; and, not long after, he w’as forced 
three times to retire from before Siriam (now 
belonging to Pegu), though he attacked it with 
a fleet of l200 sail, and an army of 30,000 
men, accompanied with 3500 great and small 
cannon J. However, the king of Rakan (or 
Arrakan) by degrees humbled them, as will be 
related hereafter. 
The first account we meet with of the affairs 
of Arrakan is about the year 1569 ; at which 
time the king oi Pegu (of the Barma or Brama 
race), growing very powerful, sought, by all 
manner of ways, to subdue that kingdom. But 
he was not able to compass his design ; for 
first, he had no fleet to transport an army by 
sea ; whereas the king of Arrakan could arm 
200 gallies in his defence: and, in case he 
should invade that country by land, the in- 
habitants were ready, by means of sluices, 
to lay the same all under water, and either 
drown their enemies, or impede their march. 
However, at that time, the Portuguese of 
Chatigan having slain the governor of that 
city, which belonged to Bengal; and it being 
made an article of the accommodation which 
Schont. u»*i supr. p. 233. 
+ Sellout iil)i. supr. p. -228. 
j Jarric. ap. Uviiigt. p. 578. 
(Y) According to Ovingt on, p. 579, tlie twelve 
governors, sliled kings, are obliged to pick out 
twelve girls every year, within their provinces, and 
educate them, at the king's charge, in their serag- 
lios, till they are twelve years old ; at which age 
they are carried to court, and chosen by the smell 
of their sweaty garments. Edoardo Barbosa re- 
lates to the same purpose. 
soon after took eflPect. that the chief com- 
mander of the Portuguese, who had then 
eighteen ships in the port, should depart the 
place with his vessel ; the king of Arrakan, 
to strengthen himself against his neighbours, 
invited the captain to come into his domini- 
ons*. By this means the Portuguese first 
found an introduction into Arrafc«?? ; where, 
by degrees, they gained a considerable fool- 
ing: which they lost again, at length, by 
their insolence and crimes. 
These Portuguese, however, proved of 
great service to the king of Arrakan ; for, 
in 1581, the king of Pegxi, having at length 
procured a fleet of 1300 sail resolved to con- 
quer that country. With this view he sent 
that numerous armament, under the com- 
mand of the prince his son, towards the 
Arrakan coast. The prince being informed, 
in his passage, that two Portuguese galliots 
had taken a ship of Pegu, richly laden, he 
detached sixteen of his best sailors to attack 
them. The galliots received them bravely, 
and disabled several of them : till seeing 
the whole fleet coming down upon them, 
tliey made the best of their way into the bay 
of Arrakan t, which prevented the prince 
from making a descent. 
After this, .drm/cd /I seems to have been 
freed from any attempts on the side of 
whose arms turned against other neighbour- 
ing nations. Nor did the king of Arrakan 
take that opportunity to attack his most dan- 
gerous enemy, for fear of drawing back his 
resentment upon him. But at length the 
power of having been greatly exhausted 
by long wars, particularly with <Siam, several 
of the bordering kings, taking advantage of 
Branjinoko's distress, entered into a league a- 
gainst him. Among the rest Shilimi Sha (A), 
Arrakan, was one. I'his prince, in the year 
king of 1598, laid siege to the city of Pegu, and 
was joined soon after|by the king'of Tangu. But 
being called away for a while about some other 
affairs, he left the continuance of the siege to the 
king of Tangxi: who made so good use of his 
time, that, before the king returned, he had got- 
ten Branjinoko , with all the royal family, into 
his hands, and carried off almost the whole 
treasure of the captive prince amounting to an 
immense value ; leaving behind above three 
millions in silver and other metals, which he 
thought not worth while to take with him. 
SHILIMI Shah, coming back to Pegu, 
took the kingdom into his possession, with the 
silver which the king of Tangu had left for 
him : but not brooking to be so tricked by 
his good ally, who had agreed to divide the 
spoil, he sent to demand a farther share, with 
the white elephant, and the captive king’s 
daughter ; he likewise required that the king 
himself should either be sent to him, or slain ; 
threatening otherwise to invade Tangu. To 
avoid this visit, his demands were complied 
with ; the king’s brother, and two of his sons, 
sent also; and the dethroned tyrant was put 
to death. 
(To be continued.) 
* Ceesar Frederic ap, Purch. pilsr. vol. if, p. 1720. 
tDe Faria Portug. Asia, vol. ii. p. 369, ft seq. 
(A) Called, afterwards, ShilimUca, whicb 
seems the more natural name of the two. 
