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BIRMAH. 27
conqueror's approach, sufficed to clear the whole river
to the sea, and to extend his authority over the delta
formed by the mighty waters of the Irrawaddy. Here,
before his return to Monchaboo, on the ruins of a
large and populous town, called in the Pali, Singoun-
terra, Alom-praw laid the foundation of the flourishing
sea-port of Rangoon,* which has since become so well
known, not only to our merchants, but our troops.
The revered temple of Shoe Dagon (the Golden Dagon),
a noble edifice, stands three miles from the banks of
the river.
The contests maintained by the expiring efforts of
the Peguans, were continued for a considerable time
on the Persaim (or Bassien), Syriam, and Martaban
rivers and estuaries ; but Alom-praw finally defeated
all his opponents. Exasperated at the instances of
duplicity and weakness displayed in turn by the principal
persons of the English and French factories, who
were desirous of assisting only the strongest, and
thereby betrayed both parties, he took a sanguinary
revenge by putting to death the principal Europeans
on both sides, and destroying the factories. Pur-
suing his victorious career, he at length invested
Pegu, the capital of the rival and constant enemy of
Birmah. Having erected numerous stockades so as
to form a circumvallation round the whole city, in
January, 1757, he sat down to wait the slow but
certain effects of hunger and distress. A gallant
struggle, the dying efforts of a once powerful nation,
protracted the siege, and various fruitless efforts
were made to escape the last point of humiliation.
At length, the king of Pegu, whose imbecility seems
to have equalled his ill fortune, surrendered himself
Rangoon, or Dzangoon, Col. Byrnes says, signifies victory