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26 BIRMAH.
aged and unoffending prisoner, the dethroned king of
the Birmans, was accused of conspiring against the
Peguan government, and on this pretence was put to
death. The principal Birmans in the districts yet in the
hands of the Peguans, being supposed to be implicated,
were every where indiscriminately slaughtered. These
atrocious and bloody scenes effected no other purpose
than to drive to desperation the numerous Birmans in
the towns and districts of Promej Keounzeik, Loonzay,
and Denoobew. Furious at the murder of their
monarch and the slaughter of their countrymen, they
simultaneously rose upon their oppressors, and having
exterminated the several garrisons, united themselves
to the now distinguished leader of their countrymen.
At this period, the eldest son of the deposed and
murdered monarch, hearing of the success of Alompraw,
returned to Monchaboo, with a set of brave and
faithful followers, from an eastern province of Siam ;
but, on his venturing imprudently to assume the dis-
tinctions of royalty, Alom-praw so clearly developed
his views on the throne, that the prince thought it
prudent to consult his safety by flight, and again
sought an asylum among the Siamese. In the autumn
of 1754, Beinga Delia, king of Pegu, having
made the greatest efforts to raise fresh levies, advanced
and laid siege to Prome. This city was
fortified by a wall and fosse as well as a strong stock-
ade, and for forty days its was vigorously defended
against every assault, until Alom-praw, having collected
the choicest of his troops, proceeded down the
river with a formidable fleet of war-boats. A fierce
and bloody encounter took place between the two
armies; but at length, the Birmans obtained a deci-
sive victory, and the vanquished Peguans sought
safety by flight. The mere terror spread by the