Page 140 - A History of Siam

A HISTORT OF SIAM
134
by removing almost the whole population of the northern
to which means the entire
provinces Ayut'ia, by strength
of the Kingdom was concentrated in the district im-
the The rice on the
mediately surrounding capital. crop
line of march was either in
enemy's probable gathered
or and other were removed.
destroyed, supplies
In December a Burmese of men
1584 army 30,000
advanced into Siam by the Three Pagodas route. They
were led by the Prince of Bassein, an uncle of the King
of Burma, The of was to advance to
plan campaign
where were to be another
Ayut'ia, they joined by army
of 100,000 men, under the Burmese Prince of Chiengmai.
The miscarried. The of the Prince of Bassein
plan army
arrived at before the force was
Sup'an long Chiengmai
anywhere near, and after several engagements was driven
back across the frontier with loss.
great
The Prince of Chiengmai did not arrive in Siam until
about a after the final defeat
February 1585, fortnight
of the army of the Prince of Bassein. He encamped at
and after he had lost a men
Jainat, great many through
constant attacks the Siamese, he retired to
guerilla by
Kamp'engp'et, without having attempted any serious
engagement.
Nanda threw the whole blame for the failure
Bhureng
of this onto Tharawadi Min, who had been
expedition
so in his march from He ordered
dilatory Chiengmai.
him to advance once more to Nak'onsawan, in order to
out for a further invasion of
carry preparations great
Siam during the next cold season. These preparations
were to consist in the and in
destroying crops hindering
the near from their fields.
populations Ayut'ia cultivating
While thus the Siamese the Burmese
destroying supplies,
commissariat was to be assured rice in the
by planting
of northern Siam. The Crown
depopulated provinces