COCHIN-CHINESE AMBASSADOR.
A Cochin-Chinese ambassador, with several junks, arrived here from Longuar (alias Saigon) a few days before our arrival, being the same mentioned previously. Ambassadors’ junks of both nations, whenever they visit each other’s country, or pay their annual tribute to China, are always well laden with goods, out and home,on account of the king or his ministers; it is in part a trading expedition, and the secret is, they are allowed to go duty free, as I have before stated.
COCHIN-CHINA AND SIAM.
The object of the emperor of Cochin-China, in this case, is blended with a more serious piece of business; it is no less than to demand the delivery, to them, of the person of the first minister of state, and superintendant of Pegu, and the principalities of Laus and Camboja, whose title is “Chan-phaya-bodin-desha;” he is a “meh-tap,” or commander of the Siamese forces now in Camboja. It seems, in 1827, the Siamese government oppressed the subjects of one of the Laos tributary princes, Chow-vin-chan, to such a degree, that he was obliged to take up arms in defence of his rights, against the neighbouring Siamese government; this was the point to which the Siamese government wished to force him, for the purpose of taking into possession his territory. Hordes of soldiers were sent among them under the command of the said Chan-phaya-bodin-desha, and they committed all sorts of enormities; the country was stripped of its riches, and the inhabitants, fleeing from the enemy, were shot down indiscriminately like wild beasts; this process being found too tedious, thousands were packed into houses and blown up with gunpowder; the younger women became the prey of a licentious soldiery, and the smoking ruins of a peaceable people marked the track of a band of savages, whose knives were steeped to the hilt in the blood of their fathers and mothers, husbands, wives, and children. Those who escaped were sent to the capital and sold as slaves; thousands and thousands died on the rafts which floated them down the Menam, with wounds, sickness, and starvation. In fact, the country was made desolate, was in ruins: “He made a solitude and called it peace.” The survivors were never more to see their country; their soil was given to their savage invaders. In the midst of these horrible excesses, an ambassador from the emperor of Cochin-China was sent to the general in command, with the ostensible object of interposing in behalf of Chow-vin-chan and his family, who had fled into their territory—not from motives of compassion, I conceive, for the present emperor of Cochin-China is an ignorant, blood-thirsty savage, and pursues his enemy, where he dares, with an unrelenting hand. The object was, in truth, to prevent the conquest of the kingdom of Laos by Siam, which would give the Siamese a better chance of obtaining a larger slice at a future day, which they had long contemplated with eager and with gloating eyes. The Siamese commander, smarting with all his wounds, and red-hot from the bloody battle-field, or to speak less hyperbolically, not having filled a heavy purse from the spoils of the conquered, anticipating a golden harvest from the onward march, and feeling deeply indignant at the insidious policy of his wily neighbours, ordered an instantaneous massacre of the envoy and his suite of a hundred men, with the exception of one, who was sent back to say, “I alone am left out of all my brethren.” Highly enraged as was the emperor at the fell swoop of the embassy, and the gross violation of the law of nations, he dissembled, not daring to wage a war or revenge cruelty by cruelly; for his crazy, disjointed, and puny government would probably crumble into atoms, the moment a large force should quit the kingdom.
The Cochin-Chinese government are aware that the Tung-kinese, on the north, are watching keenly for the first possible chance which offers of freeing themselves from their despotic oppressors; the Cambojans on the south are desirous also of measuring the length of their swords with their hard task-masters, and the lower class of Cochin-Chinese, which comprise nine hundred and ninety-nine of the thousand, are ripe for a revolt; being ground to the earth by the higher orders. They are ragged, filthy, and starving, from the gulf of Tung-king to the gulf of Siam, and from the coast washed by the China sea, to the boundaries of his “golden-footed majesty.” Year after year this demand has been made and evaded, and so far from his Siamese majesty ever intending to comply with it, he has lately sent this same “Meh-tap” into that part of Camboja which fell to his majesty’s share in the division of that kingdom with Cochin-China, to receive, and to protect from capture, the many thousands of Cambojans, who have recently fled into the Siamese territory. The ambassador paid his first visit a few days after his arrival, to the chow-pia-praklang, and was treated with bare civility; he was told, by order of his majesty, that a copy of the same letter which was sent to his majesty the last year, was all the answer which would be returned to the letter received from the emperor through his hands. His audience with the king, which took place a few days previously to ours, was marked by no distinguished honours; the pomp and parade exhibited to us weredispensed with upon that occasion. It is said by Mr. Silveira, and all others, that no embassy from a foreign country ever had so favourable and honourable a reception as ours, marked at the same time with the most extraordinary despatch ever known.
This same emperor of Cochin-China, this deep sympathizer in the wrongs of the people of Lao, has lately persecuted to death a handful of poor Roman Catholics, all who would not trample on the cross and renounce Christianity. To conclude, the Chow-vin-chan and family were betrayed into the hands of the Siamese. Sickness, distress of mind, and long exposure to the elements, fortunately put an end to the prince. He died in a cage, a few days before his cruel oppressors intended to put him and his family to the most excruciating tortures; the heir apparent escaped, but committed suicide by throwing himself from the roof of a temple to the ground, rather than fall into the hands of his blood-thirsty pursuers. The female part of the family receive a scanty subsistance from the government and remain in the capital. Thus ended the dynasty of Chow-vin-chan, adding another victim to the millions that have heretofore perished, from the effect of inordinate ambition.
The barbarous conduct of the Siamese last year, in the Malay peninsula, in sending hordes of soldiers, or rather common coolies, under the command of the chow-pia praklang, which destroyed Patani, Singora, &c., plundering them of their property, and sending nearly five thousand prisoners as slaves to this place, which had been given away, or “sold in lots to suit purchasers;” the thousands that died from wounds, bad treatment, and starvation—deserve the bitter execration of every friend of humanity.
Education is carried to a very limited extent; a mere smattering only is generally diffused among the Siamese, in reading, writing, and arithmetic. The suan-pawn is in general use as an assistant in making calculations. Those who wish to attain to a greater degree of knowledge, more particularly in the Pali or sacred language, resort to the monasteries of the Talapoys. In their composition, (if I may be allowed to judge from the various articles of the treaty, being again and again altered to make them clear and perspicuous,) they are fond of being ambiguous in all their forms of expression. There was always a disposition evinced to hint obscurely at things, like the Chinese, rather than express their full meaning.
HABITS OF THE SIAMESE.
A plain unmasked style, in speaking or writing, is totally unknown to a cringing people, born under a despotic government; but they are rapidly becoming wiser. Their intercourse with the English and Americans is gradually bringing about a more honest, manly, and open mode of expressing themselves, both in speaking and writing; but it can never be thoroughly effected under such a form of government as the present. The lower classes of the people are obliged to make use of gross flattery and adulation to their superiors, who again treat them as slaves, using high authoritative language. Subordination in rank is so strongly marked, that not the slightest appearance of equality is to be seen. They attach a ridiculous importance to mere form and ceremony. A Siamese, in the presence of a superior, either crouches to the ground, or walks with his body bent. It seems utterly impossible for him to sit or walk in an upright posture. Women are allowed more freedom here, than in any other country where polygamy is tolerated. They wear no veils, and almost hourly boat-loads of the wives of the nobility were seen to pass; the curtains were drawn aside to satisfy their curiosity, which always appeared to be more ardent than ours. The lower orders of women, apparently, do most of the labours of the field, and are employed in the boats on the river in great numbers. They are the principal traders, and are said to be very shrewd and cunning.
The most conspicuous objects which strike the eye of the traveller on the Menam, besides the splendid wats, are the new palace, a large watch-tower, and a prachade or tall thin spire, which is many feet higher than any other building; all are situated within the walls of the city. The palace itself, with its pagodas, and many other buildings, is surrounded by a high wall, having strong gates, and a guard of a miserable and undisciplined militia. The palace is a handsome and extensive building of brick, and stuccoed; the doors and windows are similar in style, taste, and outward decorations to the better class of temples, and bear a strong resemblance to the Gothic style of architecture. It has a high cupola, formed by a series of roofs, or it rather resembles a conical umbrella diminishing in size to the spire, which is without decorations, and rises to the height, perhaps, of one hundred and sixty feet. The roof of the building has also a diminishing series of roofs like the pagodas, and it is covered with very neat colouredtiles. The cupola appears to be gilded upon copper, or more probably slabs of tin.
The watchtower is of the height of the palace, and is an oblong square building; the base is probably one hundred feet square, built of brick and plastered, having a guard-house and strong gates; fifty feet from the base commences the first look-out room, and there are two others above it. In them are gongs and bells, which give notice of an enemy, or a fire, or an insurrection of the people. The inhabitants are at once informed by the sound of one of these instruments, of the calamity which assails them, each one being appropriated to one of these particular objects. A few days before the procession of the wang-na took place, there arrived the governor of Ligor, whose title is chow-phay-a-lakhow, alias Ligor; he commands one of the most important provinces belonging to the Siamese, in the Malay peninsula, is a Siamese by birth, a man of powerful talents, fond of Europeans, and adopts all their improvements in the mechanic arts. His boats are handsomely modelled, carrying two or three fore and aft sails; they are coppered, carry a suitable number of cannon, and every thing about them is in excellent order. The model is superior to that of the king’s, having a greater breadth of beam, and they are of a greater length. The soldiers are well and uniformly clothed, and well drilled with the musket and the use of the bayonet, according to the tactics of the Europeans. There is some trade from the port of Ligor, in what is generally called the Malayan produce, viz.:—tins, black pepper, rattans, rice, sapan-woods, &c., and several small cargoes of cotton are taken away annually by Chinese junks. Four of his sons govern other provinces in the peninsula; the eldest is governor of Quedah, the former king of which now remains at Pulo Penang, or Prince of Wales island.
Although the British agreed by treaty, on the cession to the Pulo Penang, to protect him and his kingdom against any invasion by the Siamese, yet the latter were suffered to capture Quedah, and the British violated their treaty, for they offered no assistance. The king fled to Penang for protection, demanded to be reinstated, and was refused. Major Burney, in order to obtain a favourable commercial treaty with the Siamese, agreed to keep him a prisoner, and he is now in durance, living upon a small salary, under British protection. The cause of the failure of Mr. Crawford’s mission,was his refusal to deliver him to the Siamese, or confine him as a close prisoner.
The governor of Ligor was ordered here to attend the procession and burning of the wang-na; and it was also necessary he should be here at the commencement of the new year, to renew his oath of allegiance. He is a powerful chief; the government is alarmed at the extent of his power, but they dare not dispossess him of his government, or do his person any violence, for his sons would most certainly avenge his cause, and the king’s possessions in the Malay peninsula, would probably be lost to him.
TEA—RAINS.
The Chinese, who are noted every where for their villanous tricks, import large quantities of ordinary goods here, as well as those of a good quality—among other articles is tea. A story I heard almost daily in Canton, respecting the gross imposition practised upon foreigners in this article, here proved to be true. It is a well-known fact, that all the tea used in China, particularly about Canton, is bought up again, “fired anew,” as it is termed, and coloured green; even black teas, it is said, are thus coloured, by the use of smalts, and then exported to various countries. Tea of a good quality is exceedingly scarce here, and at a high price, notwithstanding the proximity to China, and the great number of junks which enter here from all the maritime provinces of that empire.
Until the ascension of the present king to the throne, it was a custom with the sovereigns of the country to hold the plough at the commencement of the rains, which generally take place at the latter end of April or beginning of May; this is now dispensed with, and one of the nobility is appointed instead of the monarch.
The rains continue till September, when the lower part of the Menam begins to rise, and it is at its utmost height in November and December: it then begins to subside. Its rise is generally from twelve to sixteen feet, but two years since it rose to the height of twenty-one feet.
The thermometer is occasionally as low as 73° in the months of December and January, during the height of the northeast monsoon.
Vast numbers of boats and rafts, bringing in the productions of the upper country, visited the capital during the flood above alluded to.
PROCESSION TO THE FUNERAL PILE OF WANG-NA OR SECOND KING—ORIGIN OF BUDHISM IN SIAM—SOMMONA KODOM—ATHEISTICAL PRINCIPLES OF BUDHISM—BUDHIST COMMANDMENTS—HISTORY OF SIAM—GOVERNMENT—TITLES OF THE KING—OFFICERS OF THE GOVERNMENT.
PROCESSION TO THE FUNERAL PILE OF WANG-NA OR SECOND KING—ORIGIN OF BUDHISM IN SIAM—SOMMONA KODOM—ATHEISTICAL PRINCIPLES OF BUDHISM—BUDHIST COMMANDMENTS—HISTORY OF SIAM—GOVERNMENT—TITLES OF THE KING—OFFICERS OF THE GOVERNMENT.
FUNERAL PROCESSION.
April second.Having received an invitation from his majesty through the praklang, some days since, to witness the procession of the remains of the late second king to the funeral pile, and this day being set apart for that purpose, a suitable boat was sent to us early by the praklang, and soon after seven in the morning, we proceeded across the river to the city.
The party in the praklang’s boat consisted of Mr. Hunter, Dr. Ticknor, Lt. Fowler, Mr. Morrison and myself—and in my boat were Midshipmen Rumfort, Weed and Wells, Mr. Robinson, &c., &c., and Raymondo the Portuguese interpreter. We landed near one of the city-gates and passed through it to the place assigned us, a great concourse of people being collected in the principal street through which the procession was to pass.
Finding the place by no means convenient to see the procession, owing to the lowness of the roof of the building, and being annoyed in some degree by the concourse of people who came to have a sight of us, (although they were altogether civil in their conduct,) I made known to the interpreter that we must remove from that place to one more commodious. Shortly after we went near to a part of the king’s palace: it was an open building standing on columns of about twenty feet square, having a tiled roof; mats were spread on a part of it for our accommodation. The praklang was there and a prince of Lao, &c., &c. The former shortly took leave to attend the procession, having seen that we were properly accommodated. At nine, or rather at three, in Siamese time, the procession commenced and continued about an hour and a quarter, in the following order:—
First: several hundred standard bearers (three hundred and eighty-four,) dressed in red embroidered cloth, wearing caps of the same material; the banners were of silk richly embroidered with gold of a triangular shape, bearing devices of dragons, serpents, &c., all neatly embroidered also. A band of music, consisting of drums, harmonicon and small hautboys, accompanied them.
Second: a young rhinoceros of about four feet in height, drawn by a party of soldiers dressed in embroidered blue cloth long jackets, on a sledge or low carriage, having on his back a small gilded castle and containing in the centre a small bundle of Talapoy or yellow cloths.
Third: two horses having two pairs of wings, about five feet in height, bearing similar castles with Talapoy cloths; one of them was spotted with red and the other with blue.
Fourth: two gigantic cocks, with demons’ heads, having four wings, castles, &c., of various colours.
Fifth: two four-winged elephants, full size, one white and one green, bearing castles and cloth, followed by a band of music.
Sixth: two gigantic cocks with cocks’ heads, four wings, beasts’ tails, and partly human bodies, castles, &c., accompanied by a band of music; colours of these nondescripts were various.
Seventh: two more with cocks’ bodies and tails, four wings, with elephants’ trunks and tusks, gilt castles and cloth.
Eighth: two more cocks with four wings, castles, &c., but a little different from the seventh.
Ninth: two cocks with griffin-legs and human arms, four wings, castle and cloth.
Tenth: two cocks with long snouts, four wings, castle and cloth.
Eleventh: two horses with dragons’ tails, four wings, castles, &c. Then came one hundred and twenty men carrying flowers made of yellow or Talapoy cloth, having artificial green leaves: they were of the shape of a sunflower and attached to bamboo-poles ten or twelve feet in length.
Twelfth: two horses’ bodies, with elephants’ heads and snakes’ tails, four wings, castles, &c.
Thirteenth: two cocks with horses’ bodies, four wings, castles, &c.
Fourteenth: two lions, with deers’ horns, wings, castles, &c.
Fifteenth: two lions, with horses’ bodies, long tails, wings, &c.
Sixteenth: two leopards, with elephants’ heads and tusks, wings, &c., &c.
Seventeenth: two elephants’ bodies, with non-descript heads, wings, &c., &c., colour, a dark ground with white spots.
Eighteenth: two horses, covered with green circles, cocks’ crests, lions’ tails, wings, &c., &c.
Nineteenth: two striped and spotted leopards, with wings, castles, &c.
All the above animals were from four to six feet in height; they were made of bamboo frame and covered with paper; the different pairs were variously painted and gilt, striped, spotted, in circles, &c., &c. They were drawn on low sledges, sometimes by men alone, dressed in blue or green cloth, embroidered with the figure of a tiger, and caps to correspond, with waist-cloths of all colours; others by men and horses: all the animals were in pairs, and about twenty feet apart: they had four wings each, and bore small gilded towers on their backs, containing on a salver, cloths of yellow, intended as offerings to the Talapoys.
Then followed one hundred and thirty men with tom-toms or drums, which they struck occasionally with a covered stick. They were dressed in coarse red cotton jackets, caps, and drawers reaching to the knee.
These were followed by seven hundred men representing angels, dressed in long white frocks, having white high peaked caps in the style of the royal crown of Siam. These represented celestial messengers, and were to show the soul of the deceased the way to heaven: each one bore the sacred Indian lotus and leaf, artificially made: these were accompanied by a great number of musicians, having trumpets and small brass horns, making a great discord: then sixty-four conical umbrellas, each consisting of five separate pieces: they were about fifteen feet high, the lowest part being about four feet in diameter and were made of cloth of gold and embroidered.
Between each two of these men, was carried what resembled a section of a bishop’s mitre, similar in appearance to those placed in front of all the wats. They were fastened to the tops of staves, of about nine or ten feet in length, and were flat, broad, neatly ornamented, and gilt.
Following these, came the san-krat, or Siamese bishop, apparently reciting prayers, in a car about twenty feet high. This carriage was broad at the base, gradually lessening to the seat; neatlycarved and gilt, and sparkling with various coloured glass. The carriage was drawn by six horses, and led by servants. Then came, dressed in a robe of gold tissue, one of the youngest sons of the deceased, wearing a royal gilt cap, in a car nearly similar to the last, and drawn in like manner. An immense white umbrella was held over him, conical umbrellas at each corner, and four long gold fans, pear-shaped: these are a sign of royalty. Then came another son of the deceased king, wearing the royal peaked cap, in a carriage like the last, drawn by one hundred men, in embroidered green dresses and red caps, assisted by five horses richly caparisoned, holding in his hand the end of a broad sash of silver tissue, which was connected with the funeral car of his father, being about thirty, forty, or fifty feet distant. This latter car was about twenty-five feet in height. It was elegantly decorated with carved work, superior to its predecessors, and highly gilt. The body was seated in a square gilt tower, having gilt network sides, and was supported by two angels, kneeling, in front and rear. The car was drawn by angels dressed similarly to the former, and also by horses. Many of the high officers of state walked in single files by the side of the carriage, dressed in white muslin, and peaked caps, carrying white wands.
The body was placed in a sitting posture, with the knees drawn up to the chin, and the hands united in the attitude of prayer: it was said to be embalmed.
Eight hundred angels next followed, in two lines, succeeded by a large carriage, containing Agila, and other odoriferous woods, for consuming the remains of the deceased.
The preceding carriages were all similar in structure, and from eighteen to twenty-five feet in height to the top of the towers, fifteen feet in length, and ten feet in width. The wheels were of a solid piece of wood, and about two feet in diameter, similar to those used in buffalo-carts in Manila, Sumatra, and Java: the carriage being broad at the base, and gradually lessening to the tower, and of an oblong form.
Following the foregoing, came six open carriages, covered with beautifully figured cloth of gold, containing Talapoy cloths.
Fifty-six umbrella towers, of a very large size, being a series of canopies, gradually lessening to the top, covered with rich gold cloth, having tassels of green, red, &c., &c.
One hundred men with green and gilt drums, or tom-toms, wearing red cotton frocks and caps.
One hundred and fifty men bearing artificial yellow flowers, made of Talapoy cloth, similar to those already described. On each flank were men carrying artificial yellow flowers, like those before named. Then followed:—
Three pairs of horses’ bodies, with non-descript heads, cocks’ crests, lions’ tails, &c.
Two pairs, with giants’ heads and bodies, cocks’ tails and legs, in green and gold.
Two pairs, with cocks’ legs and fishes’ tails, in white and gold.
Two pairs, with gorgons’ heads, human bodies, lions’ tails, in white and gold.
Two pairs lions, painted blue.
Two pairs, yellow, with horns.
Two pairs, blue, with horns.
Two pairs, yellow, no horns: All having gilt towers, containing Talapoy cloths.
Fifty men, carrying rich silk embroidered pennants.
Then followed on horseback, in pairs, four princes, two and two, wearing the gold-peaked crown, and dressed in long robes of silver tissue: following them, eight more, of a lower rank. These were succeeded by a great number of slaves or attendants, dressed in white waist-cloths. The horses were richly caparisoned, with gold housings, bridles, &c., and led by slaves. At every few steps they would stop, and the attendants in front would kneel down, facing their masters, as well as those in the rear.
Preceding every prince, went a man, bearing a bundle of rods, like a Roman lictor. In the rear were open palanquins, having gold, or richly gilt supporters on the sides, and rich velvet cushions. Then followed a vast concourse of people, but all preserving good order.
There was an immense multitude convened to witness this splendid funeral procession. Governors and rajahs from distant provinces of the empire, came, by order of his majesty, each one bringing a gift to assist in paying the enormous expenses attending this idle and useless ceremony. Here were assembled persons of all nations. From the western hemisphere, Americans; from the east, Indians, Arabs, Bengalese, Burmese, Pequans, Malays, Sumatrans, Javanese, Cochin-Chinese, Cambojans, the Chans, or people of Lao, Siamese, &c.; and among the whole of them no serious impression could possibly have been made. It could only be considered a fine farcical scene, a pretty raree show, got up as a benefit for the king and his ministers, (for it is expected that every one, who is able, will contribute something,) to show the public that splendid mausoleums are only fit for the great of the land, and that the vulgar herd must be burnt in the common way, either under a shed, or else on a raised platform in the open air: to impress their minds with the magnificence of majesty, and, at the same time, to strike them with awe and fear, so that they may be more easily ruled by the iron hand of despotism.
This whole assembled multitude (with the exception of our party) crouched to the ground like base slaves, whenever any of the higher ranks passed. Along an extensive street, on one side, were play-houses erected, open to public use, in which were exhibited shows of all kinds, and fireworks might be seen nightly, within the enclosure surrounding the temporary funeral pile. His majesty was desirous we should witness the burning of the body on the funeral pile, which was to take place the seventh day after the procession;[†]but the ship was in want of provisions; the southwest monsoon was about commencing, which is generally attended with violent squalls and heavy rains, the ship was riding at anchor ten or twelve miles from the mouth of the river, in five and a half fathoms’ water, in a very exposed situation; and it was necessary to bring our water some forty miles, near the city, besides which, the only provisions to be obtained, were fowls, pork, and rice.
BUDHISM IN SIAM.
The Budhist religion of Siam, according to historians, originated in Magadha, the modern Behar, in the sixth century, (or 542,) the founder being Gautama, the son of a prince, called Sudhodana. After many centuries it was introduced into Ceylon; and in the seventh century of the Christian era, first into Camboja, and from thence into Lao; and lastly, into Siam. Sommona Kodom, the cattle stealer, a Singalese, was the missionary who first propagated this religion in those countries. He is described as being benevolent in theextreme. He even carried his zeal so far, as to murder his whole family, (considering them as encumbrances upon his country,) so that he might maintain a greater number of priests. He was renowned for the daily mortifications of his body, his fastings, his prayers, his miracles, and the fantastic appearance he could assume—now swelling to the size of a mountain, and again shrinking to a mere atom. But notwithstanding he possessed great supernatural powers, he could not resist the cravings of an un-saint-like appetite; for eating a large quantity of pork one day, he died in a fit of anger, because he had transgressed one of his rules, and thereby set a bad example to his disciples.
All professors of Budhism, whether of Tartary or Magadha origin, are atheists. They do not believe in one God, the creator of the universe. The leading doctrine of this religion, is that of the transmigration of souls.
After being purged of all their sins, by being punished in some one or all of their numeroushells, having practised the regular number of virtues, they believe that they will at length reach the highest of all their more numerous heavens, and then no longer come into existence or die; that then they are emancipated from all the cares and passions which belong to our natures, and sink into annihilation.
Here they will enjoy the company of the blessed Guatama, who occupies the uppermost seat, and that of many worthies who will there be found; yet the existence of the founder of their religion is limited to a term of five thousand years, and nearly one half of that time has actually expired. The Budhists say the world was created by chance; it will be destroyed and reproduced, and destroyed again and again.
The founder of this religion—seeing that all mankind was in a state of gross ignorance and barbarism, ferocious, their feet swift to shed blood, that they were given up to a life of rapine—persuaded them that it was a sin to shed the blood of any living creature; that they must cultivate the soil, and live in peace and harmony with all mankind.
He, therefore, enjoined on his converts the following moral precepts, viz.:—First: Thou shalt not kill any living creature. Second: Steal not. Third: Commit not adultery. Fourth: Thou shalt not lie or prevaricate. Fifth: Thou shalt not be guilty ofdrunkenness, or use any intoxicating drugs. Sixth: Eat not after noonday. Seventh: Frequent not play-houses, or any place of amusement. Eighth: Use no personal amusements. Ninth: Sleep on a clean mat, and use no costly, soft, rich, or elevated beds. Tenth: Do not borrow or run in debt.
The first commandment is violated in every war that takes place; and how many instances have we on record of blood being poured out in profusion, to make clear the path for the ascension to the throne of a lawful sovereign or a usurper, or for some more trivial object. The clergy and laity also daily partake of fish, flesh, and fowl; but they consider the crime of killing them as attached to the vender only, although they may hire him to commit the act. The second and third are but little attended to. As it regards the fifth, the large revenue, derived from the distilling of arrack, is a convincing proof of its general use; and wine and spirits form a part of the cargo of every English and American vessel, which are sold at a good profit; and the use of opium is likewise rapidly increasing, notwithstanding its use is prohibited by their laws and religion. As for the last five commandments, they are imperative on Talapoys only, and they do, or do not, observe them, as it suits their inclination. As for the fourth, it is considered quite obsolete; I believe, it is observed or not, as it may subserve the interests or convenience of either the clergy or the laity. If there were not so great a number of Talapoys employed in cutting grass for the king’s elephants, one would be led to suppose that the third commandment wasoriginallyintended to be observed more strictly among them than it now is, but he must first be stripped of his sacerdotal vestments, before he can be punished by the secular arm.
TALAPOYS OR PRIESTS.
Allspiritual concernsare delegated to the priests. A strict observance of religious duties is not expected from the laity; if they administer to the daily necessities of the clergy, pay them the customary honours, and strictly attend to the observance of the holy day, &c., they consider that they have fully acquitted themselves of every essential part of their duty. Almost every freeman in Siam is, for a longer or shorter period of time, a priest. If married, he must be divorced, having previously made a suitable provision for his family. If he enters the priesthood a second time, it is for life. There are six grades of priests; they enter asnoviciates, and are promoted according to their respective merits. Above all, is the san-krat, bishop or high-priest, who receives his appointment from the king.
The sovereign is the pope, or real head of the religion of the country, and the priests depend wholly upon him for promotion, and in a great measure for subsistence; he is always deemed holy, and must have been truly virtuous in a former life, to have attained his present eminence. Eighty-four thousand six hundred bats or ticals, equal to the sum of about fifty-three thousand five hundred dollars, are placed down among the items of the expenditures of the government, for the year 1832, as given in alms to the priests by the king. The Talapoys cannot be engaged in any of the temporal concerns of life; they must not trade or do any kind of manual labour, for the sake of a reward; they are not allowed toinsultthe earth by digging it. Having no tie, which unites their interests with those of the people, they are ready, at all times, with spiritual arms, to enforce obedience to the will of the sovereign.
No Talapoy can ordain a layman, without first obtaining a license from the san-krat, and all classes of people pay him unbounded honours. Secular persons must make obeisance to Talapoys—even parents to their children; this mark of homage is considered as their due, and, therefore, they never return the salutation. One strong inducement to enter the priesthood, is an exemption from the conscription law, which bears so heavily upon the people; to avoid paying taxes, and to obtain an easy livelihood.
Their time must be spent in studying the sacred Pali or Bali language, in reading hymns, prayers, and moral discourses, and begging: for they must not lay in a store of food, nor make any arrangement for preparing it for use, but still they employ others for that purpose.
They are forbid to be burdensome to beast or tree; but it seems they may be so to their own species. Twice in the month, the head and eyebrows must be shaved, as a token of mortification, and to render them less captivating to thefairSiamese. Attached to all temples are monasteries, slenderly endowed by the government or rich individuals—yet by far the largest part of their support is derived from casual alms and gifts. Early in the morning,they may be seen in great numbers, sallying forth in their yellow dresses, which are either of silk or cotton; some carrying a large bason, and others with their scrip, suspended over the left shoulder by a band of yellow cloth; this is made of a composition of iron and sand, and it is exceedingly brittle. These pots are manufactured just without the walls of the city, on the south side. They are covered with a material more or less rich, according to the ability of the owner. Great numbers of Talapoys are seen rowing their little boats, in search of alms, having then no protection for their closely shaven heads against the heat of a powerful sun. But when they go out for exercise, or to pay a visit, they use a long neat pear-shaped palm-leaf fan, called talapat. When they present themselves at the foot of a ladder, or in front of a floating-house, they never ask for charity, but wait patiently till they are supplied with clothing or food: it is received in silence, and they never return thanks to the donor.
HISTORY OF SIAM.
Siam appears to have no place in history, prior to the introduction of the Budhist religion, in the year of Christ, 638, when a sovereign by the name of Krek governed the country. In 1521, their first intercourse with Europeans (the Portuguese) took place. There were two revolutions, and the country was conquered by the Burmans, and recovered again its independence between A. D. 1547 and 1596. In the year 1612, the first English ship made her appearance, and ascended the river to Yuthia, the ancient capital, about fifty miles above the present seat of government. In the year 1621, a Portuguese mission was sent to Siam, by the Portuguese viceroy of Goa; and in the same year, some Roman Catholic missionaries first made their appearance. In 1627, another revolution took place, which placed a new dynasty on the throne. In 1684, the son of the usurper was instigated by Constantine Phaulcon, a Greek adventurer, to send an embassy to Louis XIV. In 1685, the Chevalier Chaumont was sent there, at the head of a splendid embassy, which was the cause, in 1687, of sending a second mission, with a squadron of ships and five hundred soldiers. The total destruction of the English took place at Magni, this year, in consequence, it is said, of their overbearing and insolent conduct; and, in the year following, their factory at Yuthia was removed. In 1690, a revolution took place, and the reigning family lost the throne; the minister, Phaulcon, lost hislife, and the French were expelled from the country, which destroyed their hopes of establishing a French empire in the East, until the year 1787, when they made that famous treaty with Cochin-China, ceding the peninsula of Haw, the bay of Turam, &c.; but which failed in consequence of the troublesome state of public affairs in France, at that period, followed by the revolution. Since that time, and within the last five years, the French government sent a frigate to Cochin-China, and endeavoured, but without effect, to have the treaty ratified. The dynasty of 1690 reigned till the capture of the capital by the Burmans, under Shembuan, the second son of Alompia, which took place in 1767, when the king was killed at the entrance of his palace.
The Burman army retired with great plunder, after destroying vast numbers of the inhabitants, making slaves of others, destroying the temples, and committing every sort of excess. The Siamese immediately rose upon the Burmans who remained, and massacred them and their partisans.
A chief, of Chinese descent, Pla-tah, alias, Phria-metah, in 1767, seized upon the throne, and proclaimed himself king. In the early part of his reign, he behaved with moderation, good sense, and discernment, and his courage was unquestionable. He reconquered Piseluk and Ligor, which had declared themselves independent, during the Burmese invasion: but in the last year of his reign, he ruled in so strange a manner, that it was generally believed he was insane. His tyrannical and capricious conduct, in 1782, was the cause of a formidable rebellion, under the chakri, so called, being the title of a great officer of state: it ended in the dethronement and death of the king, in the same year, at the present capital. The chakri reigned in his stead, until his death, in 1809. His eldest son then mounted the throne, but not without opposition, for there was a large party in favour of his nephew, the prince Chow Fa, (or Chaou Pha.) He commenced his reign by committing an act of great atrocity, ordering, within thirty-six hours after the death of his father, the execution of upward of a hundred persons, supposed to be inimical to his right to the throne, including his nephew.
After the committal of this sanguinary act, he ruled with great moderation. Nothing of much importance occurred. Three abortive attempts at insurrection took place during his reign; one wasby the Talapoys, occasioned by an attempt to force a large number of their order into the ranks of the army.
The acquisition of the fertile and extensive province of Batalang, in Camboja, took place the same year he ascended the throne. The year following, their implacable enemy, the Burmese, captured the island Junti Ceylon, on the western coast of the Malay peninsula, which was shortly after recaptured by the Siamese, attended with scenes of great barbarity. Since the conquest of the Burman empire by the British, the Siamese have lost all dread of their ancient enemy.
In July, 1824, the father of the present king diedvery suddenly, it was said of stranguary, but not without strong suspicions of his being poisoned; in fact, it is said, by every one, that this was the cause of his death. His eldest, but illegitimate son, Chromas Chit, ascended the throne the same day, without bloodshed, to the exclusion of the rightful heir, prince Chow-Pha-Yai, who immediately embraced the priesthood, in order to save his life, or his liberty, or because he would not do homage to a usurper. His younger brotherChow-Phoi-Noi,[†]otherwiseMom-fa-Noi, was the next legitimate heir to the throne. He lives at the Portuguese fort, on the right bank of the river, opposite to the palace, and is now about twenty-five years of age.
Joined to a playful disposition, he possesses considerable abilities; he is a friend to the mechanic arts, and to the sciences; and very friendly disposed, as well as his elder brother, towards foreigners. He seems solicitous to become acquainted with all the Europeans and Americans; and not a day or evening passed, during our stay there, but his boat was sent, desiring the company of some of the gentlemen residing at the mission house. In the night-time, by stealth, he went down the river and visited the Peacock, having previously received letters from Captain G. to his first officer. He examined the ship throughout; the men were mustered to quarters, and went through the exercise of the great guns, small arms, &c. Never having seen a man-of-war before, he appeared to be astonished at the neatness of the ship, the order, regularity, and activity, of the men when at quarters; and stated, after his return, he was exceedingly surprised at every thing he saw, and highly gratifiedwith his visit. A strict secresy was enjoined upon every one, not to divulge this visit, or it might cost him his liberty, or, perhaps, his life. He made application, afterward, through the praklang, to the king, to pay a visit, which was granted; but there was not time; he was obliged to be present at all the ceremonies attending the burning of the second king.[†]
GOVERNMENT OF SIAM.
The government of Siam is a despotism, subject to no restraint except the apprehension of popular tumult or foreign invasion. The fact of being in high station, is regarded as sufficient evidence of exalted merit in a former state of existence. The king is therefore considered almost, if not altogether, equal to a deity; and is always addressed as such. His most common designations are Chaocheveet, “the lord of lives,” Khun-luang, “the owner of all,” Phra-putty-chao-jahooa, “the sacred lord of heads,” and numerous others of the same nature. His more formal title, as translated in the treaty with the British, concluded by Captain Burney, is the following: “The great lord who is in possession of every good and every dignity, the God Bood’h, who dwells over every head in the city of the sacred and great kingdom of Sia-yoo-thya, incomprehensible to the head and brain.” The Siamese, when they possess titles, cease to be designated by any personal names; hence the king is never spoken of except by the abovementioned or other similar titles.