Page 271 - A History of Siam

A HISTORY OF SIAM
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was looked upon by the superstitious and everyone
was in those as a or
superstitious days prophet magician,
or both. P'ya Taksin had nothing but his courage and
his faith in his he subdued all his rivals.
destiny, yet
The Burmese still had a camp near Ratburi, and a
fleet of boats at the mouth of the Mek'long River. Early
in 1768 the King of Burma, having expelled the Chinese
invaders from his realm, ordered the Burmese Governor
of Tavoy to join forces with the Burmese at Ratburi
and make short work of the upstart King of Bangkok.
learnt that he was with an
King Mengra quickly dealing
different from Ekat'at. The
adversary very King
Governor of Tavoy was expelled from Siam with great
the Burmese at Ratburi was and the
loss, camp captured,
whole of their fleet fell into the hands of the Siamese.
A in these was taken
prominent part operations by
one P'ra Maha Montri. This official was one of the
earliest adherents of King Taksin. After the recapture
of he had introduced into the service
Ayut'ia King's
his elder brother, Luang Yokrabat, who was made
P'ra and who later became P'ra P'utt'a
Rajawarin, King
Yot Fa Chulalok (Rama I) of Siam ; and P'ra Maha
"
Montri was the Wang Na, or second King," during
his brother's
reign.
In May 1768 King Taksin marched northwards to
subdue the Governor of P'itsanulok. The was
expedition
a failure. The King's army sustained a defeat, and he
himself was wounded. The reduction of P'itsanulok
was, therefore, abandoned for a time.
Encouraged by this success, the Governor of P'it-
sanulok caused himself to be crowned as
formally
King of Siam. He did not, however, long enjoy
his new A week latejr he was dead. He
dignity.
was succeeded by his younger brother, P'ra In, who