A Burmese wonderland; a tale of travel in Lower and ... - Khamkoo

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24 A BURMESE WONDERLAND.
Alaungpra occupied Dagon, and renamed it Yan-gon
(Rangoon)
Victory Achieved. Here the Takings
attacked twice, the French helping them. In the first
action the EngUsh ships remained neutral ; but in the
second, after negotiating with both sides to the last
moment, they fired on the Burmese, apparently in flat
contradiction to instructions from the resident at
Negrais.
The situation of those in charge was no doubt
extremely difficult, but their conduct is not edifying.
However, a well-timed fire-raft swept them all ignominiously
from the scene of battle. It seems then that
there was at least some justification for the dreadful
retribution subsequently inflicted by Alaimgpra. The
Burmese King himself at this time had been recalled to
Shwebo, but on his return resumed the offensive. He
turned first on the French at Syriam where, a ship
having stranded at high tide, he destroyed her, and
seized the settlement. A French reUef boat from India
arrived two days later, and, miaware of
the turn of events,
was captured. Her papers showed that her suppHes
were for the Takings, and Alaungpra was so
exasperated
that all the Frenchmen in his hands were immediately
executed. Some months later the British half abandoned
Negrais. The remnant left in charge of the
factory were treacherously taken,
to a man.
and murdered almost
This incident was proved later to have been
instigated by Portuguese interpreters.
From Syriam Alaungpra made a forced march on
Pegu which he reached in four days, and opened the siege