of the siege operations. During the time of inaction he caused wooden towers 65 feet high, mounted on 25 iron wheels and filled with combustible materials to be built. These engines, which demonstrated his skill in mechanics were intended for use against the ramparts. A dark and stormy night was chosen for the attempt and the glare of the lightning and the rumble of the thunder added to the terror they were to inspire. It was in the midst of this blinding storm that the towers were run up to the walls.

The Siamese putting aside their wonted timidity, sustained the attack with great bravery. They set fire to the engines which became fatal to their owners. So stout a resistance only served to increase the courage of the Burmans, but while the King was consulting with Suarèz on the best course that should be adopted, news was brought that the Peguans had risen in revolt to gain the rights of their ancient independence. He raised the siege and instead of attempting the conquest of new territory, he considered it more prudent to take measures for the protection of His own Kingdom.

Having put down the rebellion, he made fresh preparations against Siam, but was assassinated by a gang of conspirators who could not conceal the fact that they had had everything to fear from his vengeance.

Chaumagrin, the foster brother of the murdered King, and to whose instrumentality the late victories were due, succeeded to the throne. He adopted the warlike policy of his predecessor without delay. This Burman would have held a high position amongst heroes if he had had chroniclers to immortalize his deeds which, as it is, have only come down to us by vague tradition. It is said that his mighty army of 1,600,000 men overwhelmed the neighbouring Kingdoms that he extended his conquests to China and Tartary and that he was sovereign ruler of 24 Kingdoms.

The possession of a white elephant of which the King of Siam was very fond was the pretext for a sanguinary war between the rival monarchs. The King of Burma offered large sums of money for the animal which was considered to be remarkably intelligent; but, on being refused, resolved to capture it by force. In reality the sight of two nations in mortal combat for the possession of an elephant is no more to be marvelled at, than the spectacle of European rulers causing the slaughter of thousands of men for the possession of some useless fortress.

The Burmans invaded Siam with a large force, and laid siege to the capital where they expected to meet a long and stubborn resistance. In order to spare the lives of his soldiers, the leader bribed certain traitors who rendered him master of a town by purchase rather than by conquest. The King of Siam became the vassal of Burma. The Queen and her children were exiled to Pegu from which event the rulers of Pegu have taken the title of "Prince of the white elephant" since one of these creatures had been the occasion of a war leading to such glorious results.

After the death of the conqueror his son named Prunginiko succeeded to the throne. His first act was to demand the tribute which the King of Siam had agreed to pay. But the latter said, that he acknowledged no master. On this refusal, the Burmans sent a punitive expedition, under the command of a subordinate officer, to take vengeance on the faithlessness of his vassal.

The Siamese Monarch, terrified by this invasion, gave him to understand that if the King had come in person, there would have been no difficulty in rendering his dues, but that under the circumstance he was unable to comply without compromising his dignity in receiving orders from a subordinate. The haughty Burman replied that his vassal Kings as well as the meanest slaves were expected to obey his behests.

The Siamese army commanded by the son of the King, (who was known as the Black Prince to distinguish him from his brother) took the field and gained a brilliant victory, Prunginiko annoyed, rather than dispirited, raised an army of 1,700,000 men under the leadership of his eldest son, who self confident in numerical superiority assumed the title of King of Siam. The reports of his march caused general consternation, but the Black Prince, calm amid the stress, did not lose hope of dispersing them. His soldiers fired by his example, were eager for the fray. A battle was fought on which the fate of the Empire hung in the balance. With equal ferocity, the two leaders mounted on elephants sought each other out and careless of danger, engaged in single combat, appearing to fear death less than the shame of being vanquished by a hated rival. At last the Burmese Prince fell in the dust and died with every symptom of rage and despair. His soldiers, panic stricken, turned and fled and the Siamese harassed them in the rear for a month as they pursued them like wild beasts, and, slaughtered them without mercy. After a glorious reign, the Black Prince who succeeded his father left the Kingdom in a settled condition to his brother the White Prince who had no skill in the art of government. This new King, a prey to greed and suspicion, allowed himself to be ruled by one of the chief nobles at the Court who in order to render the King more odious, encouraged his vices and follies. This faithless favourite with a large retinue of slaves including 280 Japanese, plotted to gain possession of the throne. The King enfeebled by debauchery was in danger of death, but his son, the heir-apparent, was an obstacle to the ambitious ideas of the favourite. The King misled by the representations of his favourite pronounced sentence of death on his innocent son, but the successor to the throne avenged the crime by the death of the favourite to whom it was due. The blood of the guilty was the cause of new troubles. The slaves of the ambitious favourite and especially his Japanese retainers took upon themselves to avenge the death of their master. These bandits, nurtured on crime and rebellion, obliged the King to deliver over to them four of the chief nobles whom they massacred without pity. Their fury extended even to the King who was obliged to sign in his own blood the conditions which they had the audacity to impose. They furthermore demanded that the chief priests should be given up to them as hostages for the promises they had extorted.

This first attempt was followed by the sack of the town and after having despoiled the citizens, they took their departure unmolested with a great booty. The tyranny of the late King had prepared the way for all these outrages. Whoever calls in foreign defensive assistance is no more than an oppressor who has more trust in the mercenaries he pays, than in the subjects he plunders, but he has the sad experience that his paid defenders often turn out to be only traitors. All countries in whose armies foreigners have predominated have only had transitory periods of prosperity, for the reason that those who have brought about their success, have also been the cause of their downfall.

The neighbouring tribes wishing to profit by the troubles in the Kingdom, made an invasion. Their army came within three day's march of the capital, but peace had then been restored as the Japanese had taken their departure. The King of Siam collected his troops, and struck such terror into them that, they retreated precipitately without risking the issue of a battle.

This Prince, with the assistance of the Portuguese, recaptured several provinces which had previously been seized by the Kings of Ava and Pegu, and, full of gratitude towards his brave auxiliaries, he offered the Port of Martaban to the King of Portugal as a base for his fleet. The ambassadors who made this offer to the Viceroy of Goa returned loaded with gifts. They were accompanied by a Dominican friar to whom the negociation was entrusted. They were received with every mark of distinction and concluded a treaty the terms of which were extremely advantageous to the