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48 B1RMAH.
aries. By this conquest, the frontiers of Birmah Avere
pushed forward, on the north and west, to the eastern
boundary of Bengal, to Dinapore and its districts, the
Garrows, the Sylhet Hills, and the mountain ridges of
Cachar. Nor was it long before this close contact
with our Indian empire became the occasion of fresh
disagreements. In 1822, a large body of the persecuted
Assamese migrated into the British territory,
and, as before, the fugitives were followed thither by
a considerable Birman force sent to reclaim them.
The assurance that these refugees were strictly pre-
cluded from exercising any act of hostility against
their conquerors, seems, however, to have satisfied
the Birman commander, and no act of hostility fol-
lowed. Indeed, the attention of the sovereign of
Birmah appears at this time to have been wholly oc-
cupied with the reduction of Siam, the favourite object
of his predecessors in the empire. - In order to accom-
plish the final overthrow of this kingdom, an effort
was made to obtain the concurrence of the king of
Cochin China. Whatever may have been the plans
of attack, the relative frontiers remained unaltered in
1824, when the eventful war broke out between the
British government and the Birman empire. Many
petty acts of ill will had betokened the jealousy and
alienation of the Binnans, when, in September 1823,
a body of their troops, amounting to 500, took forcible
possession of the island of Shapuree, in pursuance of
an order from the capital, read publicly at Arracan.
They were instantly expelled by force, and an explanation
demanded. The next act of open hostility,
was the advance of 2000 Birman troops, with a view
to restore the rightful rajah of Cachar, who had been
deposed and had sought refuge in the Biroian dominions.
Ghumbur Sing, the usurper, was supported