126 
[No. 2, 
Sir Arthur P. Phayre —The History of Pegu. 
probably means a port on the Krishna or G-odavari. Prom Coromandel, the 
traveller came to Pegu, and records that he was detained there for a year 
and a half, and that his companion Hieronimo Adorno died on St. John’s 
day, 1496. He was buried “ in a certain ruined church, frequented by none,” 
which refers no doubt to a deserted Budhist kyaung, or monastery. Pegu 
he calls Lower India, and says of the capital:—“ Here is a great lord who 
“ possesses more than ten thousand elephants, and every year he breeds live 
“ hundred of them. This country is fifteen days journey by land from another, 
“ called Ava, in which grow rubies, and many other precious stones. Our 
“ wish was to go to this place, but at that time, the two princes were at 
“ war, so that no one was allowed to go from the one place to the other. 
“ Thus we were compelled to sell the merchandize which we had in the city 
“ of Pegu, which were of such a sort that only the lord of the city could 
“ purchase them. * * # * The price amounted to two thousand 
“ ducats, and as we wished to be paid, we were compelled, by reason of the 
“ troubles and intrigues occasioned by the aforesaid war, to remain there a 
u year and a half, all which time we had daily to solicit at the house of the 
u said lord.” At this time, 1496, Binya Ran was king of Pegu. It does 
not appear from the native histories that he had any direct war with the king 
of Ava, but he did attack Dwarawati, a fort belonging to Taungu about this 
very year 1496 ; and as the king of Ava affected to consider himself the 
superior of the king of Taungu, some expectation of hostilities may have 
existed. An expedition was made up the Erawati a few years later, as we 
shall see presently. Though the traveller complains of the delay in payment 
being made for his merchandize, yet he appears to have been treated justly. 
The property of his deceased companion was seized as a forfeit to the king, 
such being the ancient law of Burma in the case of foreigners dying in the 
country. He says, “ I was so grieved and afflicted by his death, that it was 
“ a great chance I had not followed him, but # # # # # being consoled 
“ by some men of worth, I exerted myself to recover our property. In this 
“ I succeeded, but with great trouble and expense.” 
The same king Binya Ran, who reigned from A. D. 1493 to 1526, ap¬ 
pears from the account of another traveller, Lewes Vertomannus of Rome, 
to have been, as he expresses it, “ of great magnificence and generosity.” 
This traveller came to Pegu about the year 1503. In his narrative, as 
translated in Hakluyt, he states that he “ came to Pego from Bengalla with 
“ a Persian. The city is walled and the houses buylded and very fayre of 
“ stone and lime. Here are but few elephants. There are exceeding great 
“ reeds, as big as the body of a gross man, or a tub. The king useth not 
“ such pomps and magnificence as doth the king of Calicut, but is of such 
“ humanity and affability, that a child may come to his presence and speak 
“ with him. It is in a manner incredible to speak of the rich jewels, pre- 
