Page 142 - A History of Siam

A HISTORY OF SIAM
136
on his return to Cambodia, of the treatment which he
had received. King Satt'a was greatly offended, and
determined to abandon the alliance with Siam as soon as
a should arise.
good opportunity
Although the preliminary operations planned by King
Nanda Bhureng in preparation for a fresh invasion of
Siam had so grievously miscarried, the invasion was
undertaken in November The Burmese force
duly 1586.
this time consisted of 250,000 men, and should have
been able, given good generalship, utterly to crush any
opposition which Siam could offer. This great army
was divided into three one under the of
portions, King
Burma himself, one under the Crown Prince, and the
third under the Prince of Taungu. *
The Siamese had had of time to for
plenty prepare
resistance. The whole available was
population gathered
together at Ayut'ia, and all the crops, ripe and unripe,
were either harvested or Small bands of
destroyed.
men, under leaders experienced in guerilla tactics, were
collected for the of the Burmese when-
purpose harassing
ever a chance offered. No was made to hold the
attempt
surrounding country, except to the south, where it was,
of course, of paramount importance to maintain com-
munication with the sea.
The three Burmese armies advanced to from
Ayut'ia
the the west and the
north, east, arriving simultaneously
in The lasted until
early January 1587. siege May,
and was notable on account of the resource and courage
shown by Prince Naresuen and his young brother. The
latter death and
narrowly escaped by a Burmese bullet,
the former carried out raids on the Burmese
continually
camps, often being seen on foot, leading his men where the
1
Brother of Bhureng Noting. The Prince of Chiengmai was held to have proved
himself an incompetent General, so was placed in charge of the Commissariat
Department. From the result, it would appear that he made a mess of it.