The war, though objectionable, for reasons explained elsewhere, would not
be a difficult one. The strength of the Burmese monarchy was always exaggerated, probably from the weakness of the races, Peguans, Assamese, Mughs, and Shans, whom it subdued, and has now entirely passed away. The King's soldiers are half-disciplined ragamuffins, imperfectly armed, his river fleet would be destroyed by an effective gunboat, and there is no reason to believe that the Burmese in our own provinces are well affected to the Mandalay Government. Pegu, Maul- main, Arracan, and Chittagong, all originally Burmese pro- vinces, have all grown rich under our regime, and require scarcely any garrison beyond a native police. Every important part of the Burmese territory can be reached by water, and the people in the last war showed no eagerness to support the
native dynasty, which has, it is believed, by its methods of taxation, worn out its popularity.
