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BIRMAH. 21
themselves of the eastern coast as far as Cape Negrais,
while to the south-east they found powerful rivals in
the Taliens, who possessed the line of the Irrawaddy,
south of Prome. By this means they came in contact
with the Portuguese settlements in Chittagong, and
with their assistance carried on their wars against the
Peguans. The main point of contention has always
been, the sovereignty of this important river, the
grand channel of commerce and enterprise ; and to
the foundation of Ragoon, and the total overthrow
of the rival capital of Pegu, may be traced all the
greatness of the Birman empire.* The romantic
* The statements of the Portuguese writers, that the Peguans
were at one time subject to the Birmans, before Alom-praw raised
the standard of independence, appear to us deficient in probability ;
and there is a passage in Leblanc's Travels, which goes some way
towards both proving and explaining their mistakes. It would
seem that, not the Birmans, but an individual of the name of
Bramaa, was the conqueror of
"
Pegu. Some years before we
arrived, there was in the country a king of the ancient royal race,
who had many deputies in the country of Brema towards the lake
Chiamay ; among the rest, one in the kingdom of Tangu (Tonghoo),
that rebelled against him, defeated and slew him, and made
himself king of Pegu. They called him the Brama of Tangu, a
great and potent tyrant, who, by force of arms, joined many kingdoms
to his empire, as Prome, Melintay, Calcam, Bacam, Mirandu,
Ava, Martaban, and others. He was afterwards put to death by a
Peguan lord, called Xemin or Zatan," (probably the king of Sitang
is meant,) " who made himself king, but was defeated and slain
by another, called Xomindoo, who likewise being made king, was
not long after defeated and put to death by Chaumigren, of near
alliance to Bramaa, who became one of the most powerful kings
that hath reigned in Pegu : he brought totally under the empire
of Siam, with twelve other great kingdoms. The king that reigned
in Pegu in our time, called Brama, was, as I think, the son of this
Chaumigren, afterwards hard enough dealt with by the kings of
Tangu, Aracan, and Syan." (Asiat. Journal, vol. xix. p. 653J
Here, it will be seen, the king of Birmah or Ava is not mentioned.
The Brama of Tangu may have been a Birman, although