During this year 1539, the viceroy sent Ferdinand de Morales with a great galleon laden on the kings account to trade at Pegu. Morales was induced by the king of Pegu to assist him against the king of Birmah, who had invaded the kingdom of Pegu with so prodigious a power that the two armies amounted to _two millions of men_ and 10,000 elephants. Morales went in a galliot having the command of the Pegu fleet, and made great havock among the ships of the enemy. The king of Birmah came on by land like a torrent, carrying every thing before him, and his fleet was so numerous that it covered the whole river, though as large as the Ganges. Morales met this vast fleet with that which he commanded, at the point of _Ginamarreca_; where, though infinitely inferior, he fought a desperate and bloody battle. But overpowered by the multitude of the Birmans, the Peguers deserted Morales, who was left alone in his galliot amid a throng of enemies, against whom he performed wonders and long maintained the battle, doing astonishing execution; but at last oppressed by irresistible multitudes, he and all his followers were slain: Yet the memory of his heroism was long preserved among these people. The cause of this war and of the revolt of the king of Birmah, who was tributary to Pegu, was as follows. Above 30,000 Birmans laboured in the works of the king of Pegu, as that was one condition of their vassalage. The king of Pegu used often to visit these labourers attended only by his women, who were curious to see the foreigners and the great works that were carrying on. The Birmans seized an opportunity on one of these visits to murder the king, after which they plundered the women of every thing they had of value, and fled to their own country. As many of the subjects of _Dacha Rupi_, who succeeded to, the kingdom of Pegu, rebelled against him, _Para Mandara_ king of the Birmans seized this favourable opportunity to recover his independence and to enlarge the bounds of his dominions. He accordingly reduced with astonishing rapidity the kingdoms of the _Lanjaoes, Laos, Jangomas_, and others, who like his own dominions were tributary to Pegu. By these means he possessed himself of the whole ancient kingdom of _Ava_, which extends to the length of two months of ordinary travelling, and contains 62 cities. To the north-east of this, at the distance of a months journey is _the kingdom of the Turks_, containing as many cities, which the king of Pegu had conquered from the king of _Cathay_. The kingdom of _Bimir_ is west from Ava, and is of similar extent, having 27 populous cities. North of this is _Lanjam_, of equal size, with 38 cities and abounding in gold and silver. On the east is the kingdom of _Mamfrom_, equally large, but having only 8 cities. East again from this is _Cochin-China_; on the south is _Siam_, which was afterwards conquered by the king of Birmah; and east of Siam is the great kingdom of _Cambodia_. All the