Page 263 - A History of Siam

A HISTORT OF SIAM 247

them, entailing very heavy losses, were they at last
dispersed. Moreover, during the earlier months of the
of numerous sorties were made
siege Ayut'ia, against
the in some of which the Christian inhabitants
invaders,
of the took a Sometimes
city conspicuous part. partial
successes were and the Burmese lost numbers
gained,
of men, but no really important damage was inflicted
on them.
In May 1766 a Burmese army of 3,000 men had to
be told off to deal with Prince who had left
Tep P'ip'it,
the and established himself at the head of
priesthood
about 10,000 men at Prachin. He was defeated, and
fled to K'orat.
The Siamese had that the advent of the rains
hoped
would force the Burmese to retire, but this hope was
disappointed. Forts were built on all the rising ground
round and the invaders commandeered vast
Ayut'ia,
numbers of boats, and made ready to continue the siege
even in the face of floods.
In September 1766 the Burmese seized a strong
position only about half a mile from the city, menacing
the Christian and the of the Dutch
quarter compound
East India Company. A desperate attempt was made
by the Christians and some Chinese troops to defend
their but December both the Christian
quarter, by
and the Dutch were in the hands of
quarter compound
the enemy. Shortly before this happened, a final attempt
was made to out an attack on the on a
carry besiegers
scale. A flotilla of boats was fitted out to
large great
attack the Burmese forts, which must have been at this
time like islands amidst the flooded There
country.
were in all 160
boats, each with three cannon on board,
and manned by an army of 6,000 men, under the com-
mand of P'etchaburi and Taksin. The result
P'ya P'ya