The Birmans Seized An Opportunity On One Of These
Visits To Murder The King, After Which They Plundered The Women Of Every
Thing They Had Of Value, And Fled To Their Own Country.
As many of the
subjects of Dacha Rupi, who succeeded to, the kingdom of Pegu,
rebelled against him, Para Mandara king of the Birmans seized this
favourable opportunity to recover his independence and to enlarge the
bounds of his dominions.
He accordingly reduced with astonishing
rapidity the kingdoms of the Lanjaoes, Laos, Jangomas, and others, who
like his own dominions were tributary to Pegu. By these means he
possessed himself of the whole ancient kingdom of Ava, which extends
to the length of two months of ordinary travelling, and contains 62
cities. To the north-east of this, at the distance of a months journey
is the kingdom of the Turks, containing as many cities, which the king
of Pegu had conquered from the king of Cathay. The kingdom of Bimir
is west from Ava, and is of similar extent, having 27 populous cities.
North of this is Lanjam, of equal size, with 38 cities and abounding
in gold and silver. On the east is the kingdom of Mamfrom, equally
large, but having only 8 cities. East again from this is Cochin-China;
on the south is Siam, which was afterwards conquered by the king of
Birmah; and east of Siam is the great kingdom of Cambodia. All the
inhabitants of these kingdoms are Pagans, and the most superstitious of
all the east: Yet they believe in one only God, but in time of need have
recourse to many idols, some of which are dedicated to the most secret
acts and necessities of nature, even in the very form in which they are
acted. They hold the immortality of the soul; are zealous in giving
alms, and hold their priests in great veneration. These are very
numerous, and live according to rules like those of the Catholics in
monasteries, subsisting from day to day upon what is given them, without
laying any thing up for the next. These priests and monks eat neither
flesh nor fish, as they kill no creature whatever. They observe Lent
and Easter after the manner of the Christians; whence some have
inferred that they are some remnant of the disciples of St. Thomas,
though mixed with many errors. They wear yellow cassocks and cloaks,
with hats of oiled paper. The whole natives of these countries are
white, and their women very beautiful; but their bodies are all over
wrought with blue figures down to the knees made with hot irons. In
their manners they are very uncivilized and even brutal.
CHAPTER II.
PARTICULAR RELATION OF THE EXPEDITION OF SOLYMAN PACHA FROM SUEZ TO
INDIA AGAINST THE PORTUGUESE AT DIU, WRITTEN BY A VENETIAN OFFICER WHO
WAS PRESSED INTO THE TURKISH SERVICE ON THAT OCCASION [210].
INTRODUCTION.
Following the PORTUGUESE ASIA of Manuel de Faria y Sousa, we have
given an account of the Portuguese transactions in India in the
preceding chapter, from the year 1505 to 1539.
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