1873.] 
23 
Sir Arthur P. Phayre —On the History of JPegu. 
way as malt is produced, slightly parched barley steeped in curds and 
diluted butter milk, and coarse powder of the same steeped in whey. 
After proper fermentation, this was distilled in the usual way, and the liquor 
produced was poured in oblations on the sacred fire in lieu of the soma beer. 
The Taittiriya Brahmana supplies a number of mantras for the preparation 
of the liquor, hut I can nowhere find any description of the still in which 
the distillation was effected. Ivatyayana recommends that the different 
articles required for the manufacture of the liquor should he obtained by 
barter, and not by purchase with coins. In the Sautramani rite, the offering 
of the liquor should he preceded by the immolation of three animals, a hull 
being one of them. The worshippers were required to partake of the rem¬ 
nant of the offerings, as the ceremony would be incomplete without the 
repast. 
On the History of Pegu.—By Major-General Sir Arthur P. Phatre, 
K. C. S. I., C. B. 
The chief authority which has been followed in this sketch of the his¬ 
tory of Pegu, is a narrative written in the Tailing, or Mun, language by 
Tslia-ya-dan A-thwa, a Budhist monk. It was derived from ancient records 
and traditions, and was translated into Burmese by Maung Sliwe Kya, a 
learned Talaing. The chronology of the narrative is very confused, though 
the most important date, that of the foundation of the city of Pegu, is cor¬ 
rectly stated. Neither the author nor the translator, however, has attempted 
to correct the manifest errors which exist. In this paper, the dates of the 
more prominent events in early times have been rectified by me from con¬ 
temporary Burmese history ; and in later times, from the accounts of Euro¬ 
pean travellers. The few particulars which can he gathered regarding the 
history of Tha-htun, the most ancient city on the coast of Pegu, have been 
placed at my disposal by Mr. St. Andrew St. John, Assistant-Commissioner 
in British Burma, They were derived from MSS. in his possession. I 
have also had the advantage of consulting an essay in the Burmese language, 
on the same subject written by Maung Byan, a Talaing gentleman of ancient 
family. This was procured for me by Colonel D. Brown, Commissioner in 
Tenasserim. I have read what has been written on the ancient history of 
Pegu by the Beverend Dr. Mason, in his excellent work on Burma; and 
have consulted the Gazetteer oi Pegu, edited hy Major M. Lloyd, Deputy 
Commissioner. The notices ol events in Burma and 1 egu by the old 1 oitii- 
guese voyagers, as narrated in the lucid general summary by Mr. Talboys 
Wheeler, and the valuable edition ol the travels ol Isicolo Conti in the eaip 
