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BIRMAH. 23
suffered to retain their former possessions. All wore
the appearance of submission; the inhabitants and
principal landholders took the prescribed oath, and
Birmah seemed prostrate at the feet of her successful
rival; when an obscure individual, indignant at the
humiliation of his country, effected a complete revolution,
and laid the foundation of the present extended
empire. Alom-praw, or low extraction, known
Luong-praw, a Birman
by the humble name
of
of
Aumdzea, or the huntsman, had been continued by
the conqueror in the chiefship of Monchaboo, at that
time an inconsiderable village about twelve miles
from the river, west of Keoum-meoum. Endowed
with a spirit of enterprise and talent equal to the
greatest undertakings, he harboured a fervent desire
to rescue his country from her humiliating yoke ; and
it was not long before the arrogance of the Peguan
monarch afforded him a favourable moment for
making the attempt. On his return to his capital,
the conqueror, in terms of insolent triumph, announced,
that Birmah, subdued by his prowess, was
annexed as a conquered province to his dominions,
and that the city of Pegu was in future to be the
general metropolis. Alom-praw had, at this period,
about a hundred devoted followers, on whose courage
and fidelity he could rely, while there were not more
than fifty Pegu soldiers in Monchaboo, who treated the
natives with ths most galling contempt. Availing
himself of some particular act of indignity, Alom-praw
so skilfully worked on the minds of his followers,
that, attacking the Peguans with irresistible violence,
they put them all to the sword. After this act of
inexpiable rebellion, Alom-praw, still dissembling his
intention, wrote in terms of contrition to Apporaza,
representing the affair as an act of unpremeditated