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BIRMAH. 33
army, which became so elated as to conceive that no
obstacle existed to impede their advance to the capital.
Forsaking the high road, probably for the convenience
of forage, they had advanced by Chenghio as far as the
town of Chiboo, when the army of Tenjia-boo appeared
in their rear, while the governor of Quantong, having
joined Amiou-mee, took up a strong position in their
front. Thus enclosed on all sides, the Chinese army
was soon compelled to make a desperate effort at
breaking through their straitened bounds. Supposing
Amiou-mee to be the weaker party, they attacked
his division with the fury of despair ; but, after a very
long and bloody conflict, the arrival of the fresh and
numerous forces of Tenjia-boo decided their fate. Of
50,000 Chinese, not a man returned to their country.
The Birmans have always practised an exterminating
policy towards their enemies, and have followed up
any revolts or resistance to their arms by such unrelenting
cruelties as have tended to strike terror into
every adjoining state. About 2,500 only were preserved
from the sword, and conducted in fetters to the
capital, where a quarter was assigned for their residence.
These captives, in conformity to the custom
of the empire, were encouraged to marry Birman
wives, and to consider themselves as natives. This
remarkable peculiarity in the Birman customs, which
reminds us of the Lacedemonian liberality, or of the
genius of Roman institutes, speaks highly for the followers
of the Shaster, marking the superior character
of their general polity, which grants to every sect the
practice of its religious rites. Tolerant alike of Chris-
tian, Mussulman, or Jew, they admit to equal privileges
the votaries of Confucius, or of the Arabian
prophet; and their children, if born of a Birman
woman, are entitled to the same protection from the