Sir Arthur P. Phayre —The History of Pegu. 
[No. 2, 
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assembled. The plan was to march eastward from that city to Myawati on 
the Thaung-ym River, and from thence to the upper course of the Mo-nam, 
the ‘mother of waters’, on which river Yodaya, the then capital of Siam, was 
situated. The army occupied in succession the fortified cities of Kamanhaik, 
Thauk-kate, and Pi-tha-lauk, and then moved down by land and water to 
the capital. But from the strength of the wall, the deep and broad moat, the 
numerous water courses, and the ships moored and armed with guns manned 
by foreigners, the city was deemed to be too strong for an assault, and the 
emperor, with the advice of Bureng Naung, determined to retire. In 
retreating towards Kamanhaik (‘ Camambee’ of the Portuguese) and the other 
places they had captured, they were attacked by the Siamese, but entirely 
defeated them, and even took prisoner a son-in-law of the king’s. According 
to the Burmese history, the king of Siam then entered into negociations and 
promised, if his son-in-law were released, to pay tribute. This was agreed to 
by Tabeng Shwe hti, and the invading army then retired. The king returned 
to his capital in April, 1549. 
The Portuguese history gives two accounts of this expedition ; one in 
the first volume, in which it is (wrongly) represented as the second invasion 
of Siam by Tabeng Shwe hti, and states that the Portuguese who accompa¬ 
nied the army, were only 180 men under James Soarez ; and another more 
detailed account in the third volume, in which the Portuguese force is stated 
to have been one thousand. Both accounts give the year 1549 as the date 
of the expedition, and the Burmese history states that it lasted from Novem¬ 
ber 1548 to April, 1549. In the Burmese and Talaing histories, not a word is 
said as to the leader of the Portuguese, James Soarez de Melo, though 
they speak generally of foreigners. But there is no doubt that the guns, which 
were worked by the Portuguese, were regarded with great importance by 
the emperor. The Portuguese history after relating that an illegitimate 
son of a murdered king of Siam had succeeded to the throne, continues 
thus :—“ The king of Brama, or Pegu, for it is the same, seeing the affairs 
“ of Siam in confusion, resolved to conquer that kingdom. He raised an 
“ army of 800,000 men, among which mere 1000 Portugueses, 40,000 horse, 
“ 60,000 musqueteers, 20,000 elephants, 1000 cannon drawn by as many 
“ yoke of oxen and Abadas, and 1000 waggons of ammunition drawn by 
“buffaloes. The Portugueses were commanded by James Soarez de Melo, 
“ called the Grallego, who came to India in the year 1538 ; in 1542, was 
“ pyrating about Mozambique ; in 1547, was at the relief of Malacca; 
“ and in 1549, being in the service of this king, was worth four millions in 
“jewels and other things of value, had a pension of 200,000 ducats yearly, 
“ and the title of the king’s brother, was supream governor of all his 
“ dominions, and general of his army.* The king marched with that 
* The position of Soarez is here perhaps exaggerated; but that he held a high 
