Journal of an Embassy from the Governor-General of India to the Courts of Siam and Cochin China; Exhibiting a View of the Actual State of Those Kingdo (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1830 edition. Excerpt: ... Suunoc Temple. CHAPTER V. Mission visited by the Portuguese Consul.--Rapacity of the Court.--Visit to the Portuguese Consul.--Visit to Siamese Temples.--Number and Variety of the Votaries.--Visit to the town of Bang-kok.--Buddhist Temple.--Hindu Temple.--Ancient Ruins.--Commencement of the Negotiation.--Relics of Gautama.--Despatches sent by the Mission across the Peninsula.--Visit to the Prince Krom-chiat.--Opinion entertained by the Siamese respecting our Indian Conquests.--Funeral of a Siamese.--Excursion to the Neighbourhood of Bang-kok.--Religious Regard of the Siamese for Animal Life.--Splendid Temple constructing by the Prince Krom-chiat.--Negotiation renewed.--King's Character and Employments.--Annual Ceremony of the King's holding the Plough.--Punishment of a Christian Interpreter.--Arrival of a Portuguese and an English Merchant Vessel. April 9.--We received this morning a visit from Mr. De Silveiro. This gentleman had come to Siam about two years before, with the title of Consul from the Viceroy of Goa. The Siamese Government had given him a small piece of ground to build a factory upon, and he had also commenced the building of a large ship. Mr. de Silveiro, whom we frequently saw during our residence in Siam, was a native of the Brazils. He spoke French and English with facility, and made many communications to us with frankness, from the respectable stock of local information which he had already collected. In the evening Ko-chai-sahak called, and took care to remind us that we had dropped some hints respecting certain small presents which we intended to present to the King and the Prince Krom-chiat. These consisted of some spectacles, and a few specimens of English cutlery. Such was the anxiety even for these trifles, that...