154 
Sir Arthur P. Phayre —The History of Pegu. 
[No. 2, 
“ captives into Pegu, where I was at the coming home of the king with his 
“ triumphs and victory ; which coming home and returning from the wars, 
“ was a goodly sight to behold, to see the elephants come home in a square, 
“ laden with gold, silver, jewels, and with noblemen and women that were 
il taken prisoners in that city.” 
It will be remarked that there is a difference of one year in the date 
given in the Burmese history, and that by Ciesar Predericke as to this in¬ 
vasion of Siam. The difference is extended to the date of “ the coming home 
of the king,” which the Venetian traveller apparently places in 15 G9 ; and 
the Burmese history in 1570, after the conclusion of the expedition into 
Leng-dzeng. 
Caesar Predericke visited Martaban where, as he states, “ we found ninety 
u Portugals of merchants and other base men, which had fallen at difference 
with the Hector or governor of the citie. At that time, the city was 
‘ £ empty of men, by reason they were gone all to the warres, and in busi- 
“ ness of the king.” 
He then proceeded to Pegu, “ which are two cities, the old and new. In 
££ the old city are the merchant strangers, and merchants of the country. 
“ The merchants have all one house, or Magason, which they call c Gfodon,’ 
“ which is made of brickes, and there they put all their goods of any value. 
“ In the new city is the palace of the king, and his abiding place with 
“ all his Barons and Nobles, and in the time that I was there, they 
“ finished the building of the new city. It is a great city, very plain 
“ and flat, and four square, walled round about, and with ditches that 
<£ compass the walls about with water, in which ditches are many crocodiles. 
u It hath no draw-bridges, yet it hath twenty gates, five for every square, 
<£ on the walls. There are many places made for centinels to watch, made 
<£ of wood, and covered or gilt with gold. The streets thereof are the 
££ fairest that I have seen ; they are as straight as a line from one gate to 
££ another, and standing at the one gate you may discover the other; 
££ and they are as broad as that ten or twelve men may ride abreast in them. 
££ And those streets that be thwart, are fair and large. The houses be made 
££ of wood and covered with a kind of tiles in form of cups. The king’s palace 
‘ £ is in the middle of the city, made in form of a walled castle, with ditches 
££ full of water round about it. “The lodgings within are made of wood, all 
££ over gilded, with five pinacles, and very costly work covered with plates of 
gold.” The whole of this description of the city of Hanthawati, and of the 
palace, would answer for the present capital Mandale, except that the 
streets of the latter are broader than is here indicated, and that the palace 
wall has no ditch. The traveller gives an intelligent description of the 
army of the king of Pegu ; of the war elephants ; the ££ good ordnance made 
of very good metal;” he hath ££ eighty thousand harquebusses, and the 
