We weighed anchor on the eighth of February, for the gulf of Siam; light winds and calms detained us nearly two days, within sight of the bay, in which lies Vunglam, &c., &c. We kept near to the coast, and found it bold and free from dangers; the land was hilly and frequently broken into mountains, more particularly between that bold promontory, called Cape Varela, and Cape Padaran. We passed the latter within three miles; from thence the land gradually dwindled into a gently undulating country, and then into low land. We finally lost sight of it off the numerous mouths of the great river, Kamboja. On the same afternoon, being the twelfth, we passed Padaran, and saw Pulo Cica de Terre and Lagan point. At meridian, on the following day, Pulo Condore was in sight, and the islands to the westward, called the Brothers. At daylight, the next morning, we beheld Pulo Ubi, or Yam island, which lies to the southward of cape Camboja. On the fourteenth, the islands and islets called Pulo Panjang, and ascertained their correct position to be in latitude 9° north, by a meridian observation, and by the chronometers, in 104° 32', east longitude. At daylight, on the following morning, we found ourselves in the midst of a group of islands, lying so peacefully amid the glassy surface of the gulf, that Dana’s beautiful description of “Quiet Islands,” was at once brought to my recollection, from which I have made the following extract:—

These islands are uninhabited, excepting when they are used as a place of resort by Malay pirates. They are six in number, and a rocky islet. As they are not laid down in any of our charts, they were named the “Woodbury Group,” in honour of my friend, the Honourable Levi Woodbury, the secretary of the navy. The northernmost island was called “Geisinger;” the most southern and eastern, “Roberts;” the centre one, between the two, “Peacock;” and that one lying farthest to the westward, and nearly in latitude of Roberts island, was named “Boxer:” the others were left unnamed. Their latitudes and longitudes, from three chronometers and a meridian observation, are as follows:—Two of them are about two miles long; one is in latitude 10° 16' N., and longitude, 102° 43' E., and the other in 10° 7' and 103°. Two small islands and a rocky islet to the westward of them, lie in 10° 25' and 103°. Two narrow islands, four or five miles in length, one in latitude 10° 19' and 103° 12' E., and the other in 10° 15', and 103° 21' E. On the sixteenth February, at noon, we were abreast of cape Liant and the islands in its vicinity; the latter are high and bold of approach. Their latitude and longitude are laid down in the charts too far to the southward and eastward. On the eighteenth we came to anchor in four fathoms of water, about ten miles from the mouth of the river Menam.

The Ko Si-Chang islands bore as follows: The most southern and westward of the group, S. S. E. ¾ E.; centre, S. E. ½ S. The mountain of Bang-pa-soe, on the main land, E. S. E. The entrance of the eastern or main branch of the Menam, and the easternmost land in sight, W. S. W. The land is very low, even with the water’s edge, and covered with trees; that at the entrance, on the starboard hand, is a little more elevated. On the nineteenth, the tide had fallen to nineteen. We weighed again, and stood a mile or two to the southward, and anchored in five fathoms. The latitude and longitude of the anchorage is in latitude 13° 26' N., and longitude 100° 33' E., as was ascertained by frequent lunar observations and by four chronometers. During the height of the river, when it is swollen by the periodical rains, sixteen feet of water may be found on the bar. At high spring tides, in the dry season, twelve to thirteen feet, and eight to nine in common tides. The above-named islands, by some navigators called the Dutch islands, possess a safe and beautiful harbour, formed between the principal, or Si-Chang island, and the next in magnitude, called Koh-kam. They are inhabited only by a few fishermen, and produce some yams, bananas, capsicums, gourds, and cucumbers. A boat was despatched to them to obtain water, if possible, but it could not be found in sufficient quantities to furnish the ship. We had no other resource, but to send upward of forty miles for it, to Bang-kok, or else to take the brackish water of Packnam. Water, we were informed, could only be had at the Si-Changs during the rainy season.

A boat was sent to the governor of Packnam on the eighteenth, to inform him of the arrival of the ship, &c., and a letter was sent to the minister for foreign affairs, announcing the arrival of the mission. On the following day, an interpreter came on board, who asked among the first questions if there were any presents for the king, but received no satisfactory answer. A vast number of questions were also put to Mr. Morrison by the governor. A Cochin-Chinese ambassador arrived at Packnam on the same day, with several small filthy junks laden with merchandise. It was said to be only an annual mission sent by the emperor, while others stated that it was to honour the ceremony of burning the body of the “second king” who died some months since at the capital. On the twentieth, the captain of the port came on board, who said he was sent by the praklang or prime minister, by order of the king, to congratulate us on our arrival; that his majesty was much gratified at the good news, and very desirous of having a friendly commercial intercourse with the United States. After making similar inquiries, as the governor of Packnam, he returned. The day following, the praklang sent some fruit as a token of regard, with a complimentary message to me.

On Sunday the twenty-fourth, three large boats came to anchor near the ship, under the charge of the captain of the port of Bang-kok, Mr. Josef Piedade, a Christian Portuguese born at Bang-kok. He stated that preparations were made at Packnam by the governor for the reception of the mission, that a feast was there prepared by order of the king, that we should be under the necessity of remaining there that night, for it was customary for all foreign ministers to stop there, and notice to be given of their arrival; in congressional language, to “report progress.” The vessel in which I embarked was from seventy to eighty feet in length, and perhaps eight or nine in breadth, sharp built; having three long brass cannon, highly ornamented with silver, inlaid in fanciful devices. One was placed forward, between the bows, the vessel having no bowsprit; one aft, and two long swivels mounted on fixtures, between the fore and main mast, and between the main and mizen mast. She had three fore-and-aft sails made of light canvass, and cordage made of hemp, with good iron anchors, which are rarely seen on board native vessels in the China seas, wooden ones being in general use. The vessel was propelled with forty short oars, manned by as many Burmese slaves, dressed in the king’s uniform; being a coarse red cotton long jacket, a cap of the same material, trimmed with white, and a blue waist-cloth. The boat had two rudders, one under each quarter; and from having two helmsmen, it was either “hard up, or hard down,” continually; consequently, she “yawed” not a little. There were no less than seven red flags; one to each peak, two to each bow, and two to each quarter. A small house on deck was appropriated solely for the use of the envoy. It was covered with a carpet, and furnished with a pillow to recline on. The boat was neatly built and painted, and the house slightly decorated with carving and gilding. The passengers in the two boats consisted of Capt. Geisinger, Second-Lieut. Purveyance, Lieut. Fowler of the Marine Corps, Acting-Lieut. Brent, Doctor Ticknor, Midshipmen Carrol, Thomas, Crawford and Wells, and Mr. J. R. Morrison of Macao, Secretary and Chinese Interpreter, and four servants. The other was, in all respects, a similar vessel, but manned with thirty-six oars; rowed by Malay slaves dressed in blue, with caps of the same, trimmed with white. The ship lay in five and a half fathoms water, and not less than fifteen miles from Packnam, which is situated about two miles from the mouth of the river Menam: Packnam means the river’s mouth or embochure. The shores are every where very low, and as flat as the south side of La Plata, or Arkansas on the Mississippi, and in the rainy season are completely submerged. The entrance to the river on the starboard hand is rather more elevated than on the left, which is quite sunken, mangrove and other trees only appearing out of the water. The river takes a sharp turn to the northward, at the entrance; the left bank running parallel, gives it the appearance of being closed at the mouth.

We arrived at Packnam, on the left bank of the river, about eight, and found there, waiting for us, the captain of the port, and a great number of slaves at the landing, with torches in hand, and fastened also to temporary posts, to light us on the way to the government-house, situated just without an extensive fortification. There was a narrow way paved with broad bricks, which led to the governor’s. The gentlemen composing the company, the servants on each flank with their numerous flambeaux, with many hundred lookers-on, preserving the utmost decorum, made no small show, and produced, upon the whole, rather an imposing effect, for this was the first envoy ever sent to the “magnificent king of Siam,” from the United States.

We were ushered into the best house in the village, enclosed by a bamboo-fence and guarded by soldiers with long wooden poles, pointed with iron. The houses are erected as all the houses are here, from five to seven feet above the ground, on substantial posts; the sides are covered with attap, a species of palm growing abundantly on the banks of the Menam; they have a double roof, one of tile and another of attap to moderate the intensity of the heat. We ascended a stairway and were ushered into “the presence” through lines of prostrate slaves, from thence to a raised platform.

The governor was sitting cross-legged on an elevated seat, under a broad canopy, surrounded, a little beneath him, by his sword and silver-stick bearers, and a man holding a long fan made of feathers, which was kept in constant motion to keep him cool and to drive off the myriads of moschetoes. His menials were all prostrate, resting on their knees and elbows, coming in and going out in the same attitude, always keeping their faces turned towards him. He was smoking a long pipe, having before him areca-nut, chunam, ceri (siri) or betel-leaf, and tobacco, all of which were deposited in several large gold cups or goblets. His dress consisted of a waist-cloth—his head was shaved excepting on the crown, “À la Siamese.” He received us very graciously, courteously, and hospitably, shaking us heartily by the hand; chairs were prepared for us and the best viands the place could afford, consisting of at least a dozen dishes, were shortly ordered in, well cooked in the Portuguese fashion, clean and neat with porter, cocoa-nut water, and a square Dutch bottle of gin—there were clean table-cloth, knives, forks, plates and spoons, and the floor was covered with a neat woollen carpet. The usual inquiries were made for our healths, ages, children, &c., &c. He congratulated us on our arrival, and said the mission was not only gratifying to him personally but to the country, as he was informed by the praklang or principal minister.

Supper being ended, bamboo-chairs covered with mats, some mattresses and pillows, were prepared, and the raised canopy or throne was assigned to me. Three fourths of two sides of the room were open to the air, protected from rain only by the long projecting attap roof—we were guarded during the night by soldiers and excessively annoyed by moschetoes. By daylight, all were upon the “qui vive,” glad to escape from the torments of the night. An early ramble carried us to a pagoda, neat in appearance, decorated with carved work and gilding—it was built of brick and neatly plastered—figures of non-descript animals were about it, which were probably intended for lions, cut from granite, and there were small pra-chades or single spires built of brick and plastered, the whole being enclosed by a wall; the doors were shut so that we could not obtain an entrance; the ground every where was very low and swampy, and the houses mean; the people appeared to be wretchedly poor, diseased and dirty, but still cleaner than the Cochin-Chinese. Breakfast ended, we took leave of the hospitable governor and proceeded up the river.

Very extensive fortifications are here to be seen on both sides of the river, having water batteries, apparently of great strength. A great number of soldiers manned the walls in compliment to us, all dressed in the royal red uniform. We proceeded on with the flood tide, cheered by the passing scene. Occasionally, we met a single hut or a group of huts, having a boat at the door, and a ladder to ascend into their only room; this ladder is taken away at night, making their habitations more secure against wild beasts and reptiles, which are in great abundance in the swamps. Their principal neighbours are tigers and leopards, snakes of various sizes from the boa-constrictor and venomous cobra de cappello to the more deadly viper, which they say is black, about four or five inches in length, and has two short legs. Alligators bask in the sun at the foot of the ladder or under their building, and moschetoes bear the palm here over the swamps of Louisiana and Texas, coming in myriads so as partially to obscure the sun.

We passed on to Pack-lac situated on the right bank, where we again found very extensive fortifications; but we were unable to ascertain the number of guns either here or at Packnam, which is probably about ten or twelve miles below. The ebb tide here met us, and the slaves made but slow progress in rowing—a breeze occasionally helped us, but the remainder of the passage was rendered tedious by the great heat of the sun. The river has a great many bends, so that it is nearly double the distance, by water, from Packnam to the capital, being from thirty to thirty-five miles, and only twenty by land. The shores are upon a level with the river at high spring tides, even at Bang-kok, and as I am informed, a long distance above Jutaya the ancient capital.

Not until we were within a dozen miles of the capital, were there many clusters of huts to be seen; but, from thence, they gradually increased in number till we arrived at the city. The graceful and favourite areca-palm, with its tall slender trunk and brush-like head, and the towering bamboo and cocoa-nut, were to be seen every where along the banks, interspersed with a great variety of fruit and forest trees; and the water’s edge was bounded by the attap, or cocos-nypa, which is in universal use as a thatch for their huts. As we approached the capital, we began to see pagodas, some houses with tiled roofs, and a great many large junks, building in dry docks, which consist of a simple excavation made on the banks, the water being drained out by an ordinary barrier of plank, well banked with clay. Many of these junks were upward of a thousand tons. From two to three hundred were lying in the river.

Numerous temples of Budha were now seen, covered with neat coloured tiles, some blue, and others green or yellow. Tall single spires, or prah-chadis, were observed every where. The temples present a very splendid appearance, having highly ornamented carved work in front, and literally blazing in gold. There is something very novel in their style of architecture, which can only be made clear to the understanding by drawings. Fruit and palm-trees overshadow their houses, interspersed with the sacred fig-tree, giving to them a cool and tropical-like appearance. Floating houses, resting on rafts of bamboo secured to piles, line both banks of the river, which seem to be occupied by industrious Chinese, as their long narrow red signs indicate: the latter serve to show the various articles they have for sale, &c. The Chinese are easily distinguished by their complexion, being more yellow than the Siamese; but they have generally docked the entail to their heads, and dress À la Siamese, with a circle of hair on the roof. But few of the “long tails,” the distinguishing appendage to a Chinaman’s head, are to be seen.

We were upward of nine hours in reaching the landing,[†] in front of the house assigned to us by the king. We landed, and formed a procession to the house; the officers being dressed in their uniforms, and the servants bringing up the rear. We were ushered in by the pia-visa, or general of artillery, benedetts de arguelleria, and some other of the king’s officers, to the finest looking house we had seen on the river, having the front view entirely unobstructed. Passing through a neat white gateway, having a well-built stuccoed wall, over a grass-plot, through the inner gate, we found ourselves within an extensive area, between two long rows of buildings, having large trees in the centre; an outside staircase conducted us to a saloon, where we found a table set, and shortly after supper was announced. It was cooked in the European and Indian style, having a variety of curries of fish and fowl. It was well served, and in profusion; and followed by a great variety of sweetmeats, and fruits of the season. Certain king’s officers attended, and ordered every thing; bedsteads and beds were brought; and, in a day or two, moscheto-nets, &c., &c. A cook was provided, and a purveyor, who partially supplied us with provisions. There was, also, a superintendant of the household, a Siamese Portuguese by birth, Domingo by name, having four other servants to do the ordinary work of the house; and these, again, are all under the orders of Piedade, the captain of the port, who receives his orders from the praklang, or prime minister for foreign affairs.

Every day or two, presents of sweetmeats, fruit, or more substantial food is sent, by the praklang, served up in glass dishes, and sent on gold and silver salvers. When brought in, the servants kneel down and present them, in a more humble manner than suits our republican notions. Our residence has two ranges of buildings, running back about one hundred and fifty feet, exclusive of the front yard, with a wide area between them. It is built of brick and stuccoed, having a neat tiled roof. A long covered gallery conducts to the dormitories, consisting of eight on each side, which are about twenty feet square, with wooden floors; underneath are magazines, or offices; between the two ranges of building, and connected with them by a high wall, is the dining-hall, open so as freely to admit the air, commanding a fine view of the capital and suburbs, on the left bank: underneath the dining-hall, is a private go-down, or magazine. The river at all times has a great number of boats upon it; but in the morning, when the bazar is being made ready, there are many hundreds, probably thousands, going in all directions, from the smallest canoe, scarcely able to contain a single person, to others which are nearly a hundred feet in length, and made from a single teak-tree: they are paddled by a great number of men, having a house in the centre, or a palm-leaf roof; the passengers reclining on a raised platform, covered with mats, carpets, and pillows.

Water-pedlars, of both sexes, but principally women, are in abundance, carrying tin and brass ware, English, and China, and India goods. Rice, oil, dried and fresh fish, balachang, eggs, fowls, areca, siri-leaf, chunam, pork, fruit, vegetables, &c.; indeed every thing that is wanted, or supposed necessary for the comfort, convenience, or luxury of the inhabitants. Budhist priests, with their yellow waist-cloths, mantles, shaven heads and eyebrows, are seen in great numbers, going their daily rounds among the inhabitants, in canoes, for food and clothing. Women, also, use the oar, in great numbers, and with equal dexterity as the men.

Although the Siamese are not a cleanly people, they are far superior to the Cochin-Chinese; they bathe frequently, their skins are clear and free of eruptions, and they do not everlastingly scratch, scratch, and keep scratching, like the people of Vunglam; but their coal-black teeth are excessively disgusting, and the saliva created by chewing areca, siri-leaf, and tobacco, is constantly issuing in a red stream, from their mouths. Fishing being farmed out, there are not the same lively scenes exhibited here as on the Pasig. I have seen but a very few occupied in that way since my arrival. Every floating house has necessarily a boat to go visiting, from place to place, or to transact business. The front parts of all these houses are shops, having their wares neatly arranged on shelves and terraces. These buildings are of one story only, and are used as a bedroom at night, or to take a siesta when the heat of the day, low water, and want of customers, give to their inmates a temporary respite.

The river here is about fifteen hundred feet wide, and very deep, probably fifty or sixty feet, and the stream rapid on the flood and ebb; the water is notwithstanding, fresh, and is used for all domestic purposes, filthy as it is. The upper stratum of the banks of the river is alluvial, and the under, where exposed, shows a stiff strong clay. The houses on the land, with very few exceptions, are of one story, built on high piles, made of plank or bamboo, and roofed with tile or attap.

Having expressed a desire to the praklang, through the interpreter, to enter as early as possible on the subject of the mission, I received an invitation early the next morning, from the minister of foreign affairs, to meet him the same afternoon at five. He sent me word at the same time, that it was always customary for foreign ministers to pay him the first visit. Suitable boats were sent in due time, and Captain Geisinger and his officers, and Mr. Morrison, accompanied me, dressed in their uniforms. A few minutes brought us to his house. Numerous people were present to attend our landing, a large portion of whom came, probably, from motives of curiosity only. The house being but a short distance from the river, we were soon within his gates, and entered by a flight of steps into the audience hall. In the centre was a raised seat, on which the minister reclined. He is a very heavy unwieldy man, weighing, probably, nearly three hundred pounds, and about fifty-five years of age; his only dress was a waist-cloth of silk; he was resting on a new crimson velvet cushion, supported on the back by one of triangular shape. In front, on the seat, were utensils of gold, handsomely wrought, containing areca, chunam, betel-leaf, &c., the gift of the king. The front of the hall was entirely open, the room decorated with a great number of very ordinary oval gilt looking-glasses, placed near to the ceiling, on the pillars which supported the roof; common English prints of battles, rural scenery, &c., were closely placed along the walls. Instead of wooden panels, painted Chinese glass was placed in compartments of about four feet in height, with a profusion of blue and gold, and outrÉ figures of Chinese men, animals, &c. Brass chandeliers and common glass lamps were suspended from the roof. On the left of the praklang, being the seat of honour in the East, and at the distance of a dozen feet, were placed two chairs for Captain Geisinger and myself. I was requested to occupy the one nearest to the minister. A short distance from us, parallel with the praklang’s seat, chairs were placed for the officers of the Peacock and Mr. Morrison. On the right, on a raised platform, but lower than the minister’s or our seat, and fronting Captain Geisinger and myself, were Mr. Piedade and other interpreters, secretaries, &c., to the number of six or seven, closely wedged together; they were all crouching, in a brute-like attitude, on their knees and elbows. On the left, between me and the minister, were two of his younger sons, decorated with a profusion of golden necklaces, set with large stones, having beautiful golden coronets around the tuft of hair, on the top of the head, and a large golden bodkin secured the hair on their crown; a silken waist-cloth covered their loins, and silver bangles or rings decorated their wrists and ankles. Their skins were stained with turmerick, sandal-wood, or saffron. A sword-bearer, resting on his shoulder a sword, having a rich and highly-finished and ornamented gold sheath; another slave, with a long feathered fan, to keep his excellency cool, if possible, with others, were all prostrate on the floor, like the interpreters; without, in the court-yard, were a great number of people, all in this humiliating posture. His sons, when called, crawled as well as the others, and went backward in the same attitude, always facing their lord and master. One of them was ordered to bring us palm-leaf cigars; he came crawling on, poor fellow, bowed his head to the ground, and presented them; he then went to the officers, but stood up, after leaving Captain Geisinger and myself; he afterward crawled back to his station, on the left of his father. We all made a bow in the usual style of our country, on entering and retiring, and were presented with tea, sweetmeats, and fruit.

The minister congratulated us on our arrival, inquired, as is customary here, as to our ages, children, &c., what ports we had been to, the object of the mission, all of which he previously knew by a letter received from me, dated on the day of our arrival off the mouth of the Menam. Having got through with this interview, and appointed the next evening for a conference, we took leave. I observe that the greater chiefs within sight of our habitation, have high poles erected close to their houses, on which small flags are displayed, and at night large lanterns are hoisted at the top, as a distinguishing mark, over their less fortunate neighbours. Every sort of humiliation is practised by the lower to the higher classes, according to their rank: from that of making a simple obeisance by uniting their hands, and raising them to the forehead, and bowing the head low, to kneeling, and the entire prostration of the body.

We went by invitation, on the sixth of March, to the house of the praklang’s brother, to attend the celebration of the feats given, in consequence of cutting the tuft of hair on his son’s head, which is done between the ages of ten and fifteen. The principal part of this evening’s entertainment was comic acting and posture dancing, which consists in graceful attitudes of the body, and in slow movements of the arms and legs, particularly of the former, even to the distinct motions of the hands and fingers. The actors consisted of a king and queen, and male and female attendants, amounting to a dozen, all glittering in gold and tinsel, barefooted and barelegged, their faces painted white, and having silver guards to their nails, not less than six inches long, pointed at the end, and recurvated: singing in rather a melancholy strain, not altogether unmusical. There were about a hundred beating sticks on a long board, which were changed occasionally for another stick, which, when struck, sounded like castanets: two drums beaten by the hands, trumpets, small horns, and an instrument called a ranat: it is made in Lao or Laos, of graduated pieces of bamboo, which give a sweet sound when struck with a sort of wooden hammer covered with pieces of coarse cotton thread: it has eighteen keys or bars, each fifteen inches long, two inches broad, strung together, and suspended over a wooden boat-shaped box; the top part being left open. There was another instrument also, the khong-nong; being a series of small cymbals in a bamboo-frame, forming a large segment of a circle.

During the posture-dances, and through a considerable part of the divertisement, the principal singer to all splendid entertainments, the prima donna, squalled to the very top of her voice, various ditties in a melancholy strain, until I thought she would have swooned from exhaustion: but I was mistaken; for she was made of tougher materials, than ever fell to the lot of any other female. She was seated on the ground, and dressed in a dingy cotton waist and breast cloth, and her hair arranged “À la Siamese;” it being all shaved off excepting on the crown, which was combed perpendicularly, standing “like quills upon the fretful porcupine.” Her teeth were as black as ebony, and her lips and gums were of a livid red: out of the corners of her mouth issued a stream of dark coloured saliva, which, ever and anon, she wiped off with the back of her hand, and which was finally deposited on the waist-cloth behind: the saliva was produced by masticating areca, siri, chunam and tobacco; the latter projecting from the right corner of her mouth, according to the disgusting practice of the Javanese and Siamese. A Catalani, a Sontag or a Garcia, could not feel much flattered by this addition to their sisterhood. When the actors enter on the floor, it is in a crouching or kneeling position, till they come in front of the master of the feast; then all kneel, bow their heads, and at the same time touch their foreheads with their united hands, and then slowly lower them to the waist. The second night’s entertainment consisted mostly of representations of gladiators engaged in combat, fighting with swords and sticks, while numerous Chinese crackers were let off in imitation of musketry: there were pugilistic contests also with the fists, and slapping with the flat of the hand; but there was no real “set-to.” There was also a most excellent company of vaulters and tumblers; some of the feats were truly surprising, as the following description will show: it was a feat of strength, which surpassed every thing of the kind that I ever witnessed. Four men placed themselves in a solid square, two others then got up and stood upon their shoulders, and another man again upon theirs; a very athletic young man apparently about sixteen years of age, by the assistance of a ladder, placed himself in a similar position, on the shoulders of the last man, standing however only on one foot, occasionally shifted; a boy of about twelve, then mounting a ladder high enough for the top man to seize him by a belt round the waist, he was raised at arms’ length with perfect ease, standing on one leg, and occasionally shifting it to the other. After balancing him for a minute or two he threw his burden from him, who descending turned a somerset and came without harm on his feet, being pitched from an elevation of about twenty-four feet. There were a great many hundred spectators all sitting on the floor, excepting the wives and relations of the master of the feast, who sat in a narrow gallery. Chairs were used only by our party, consisting of eleven.

A handsome entertainment was served up to us, in a very neat large room, to which we ascended by a flight of four stairs, leading from a court open on two sides. The supper consisted of a great variety of sweetmeats and fruit, served up in a very neat pretty style, on silver salvers, placed on half a dozen tables—the chairs being borrowed expressly for our use; the head of the table was assigned to me; cocoa-nut water was the only drink, which was taken from the shell. The room was decorated, at one end, with an elegant canopy, rich in gold and silk, under which were displayed elegant glass, China ware, and gold and silver utensils, arranged on a wooden-terraced frame, highly gilt, painted, and varnished, flowers being interspersed here and there. The canopy was brilliantly lighted with coloured lamps, and made a handsome, rich, unique, but rather tawdry appearance. As I cannot tell a Siamese man from a woman, when numbers are seated together, so it is out of my power to say whether any females were present, excepting the young actresses, who were all barefooted young girls. The hair of the Siamese women is cut like that of the men; their countenances are, in fact, more masculine than those of the males: they are generally very fat, having very stout lower limbs and arms; are excessively ugly; and when they open their mouths, truly hideous; resembling the inside of a black painted sepulchre.

On the eleventh, a large fire took place, in the Christian Portuguese company, of Santa Cruz, immediately in our neighbourhood, which stopped at our premises. It blazed with great fury, the houses being roofed with attap, and the bamboo-frames being covered with the same combustible material: it produced great distress among the poor people: their houses were probably all their property, their beds being only a mat, and their cooking utensils, small earthen pots and a water jar; a waist-cloth or two, and a few trifles, were easily saved; but plunderers, in great numbers, stole their few miserable trifles as fast as they were conveyed to the rear. About one hundred and fifty huts were burnt, and some fifty or sixty of the sufferers took shelter in and about our house, and some of the unoccupied rooms; and, for many days, we supplied most of them with food. The king and the praklang ordered them to be assisted with bamboo, &c., to rebuild their houses; and rice, and other small articles, were sent to them by their more fortunate neighbours. As soon as the fire commenced, every person who could use a long-handled scoop, made of closely woven basket-work, began throwing water on their houses, even on the opposite side of the river. The floating houses moored along the shore near the fire, were cast off, and it being the first of the ebb, they moved down the river in great numbers. As many of them were on fire, they exhibited a very novel but painful scene: four, unfortunately, were consumed, with all their goods, and two China-men were burnt to death. On the next flood, the river was filled with the floating houses returning. It was predicted, by a superstitious Siamese, some days previously, that a fire would take place, as a vulture was seen to alight on the house of the port-captain. This officer’s house, situated close to the Roman Catholic church, was burnt—the latter building receiving no injury, as the walls only are up; and, I suppose, from the great poverty of the Catholic Christians, it will take many years to finish it. The old Catholic church, in the rear, built of wood and attap, is in a very dilapidated condition. There are four other churches at Bangkok and the suburbs, and only one at Jutia—the rest have fallen into ruins.

We landed, on the thirteenth, near the walls of the city, at the point where one of the white elephants is confined: he was in a large, airy stable, and had a great number of attendants. His colour is dusky, or rather yellowish white, and he was far from being clean; his skin was scurfy, and his eye very small, and of a bluish or light-gray tinge. On account of his unruly temper, he is secured by a cable around his right fore leg; the two fore feet are also well secured. One tusk is entirely broken, and the other partly destroyed. He is annually confined, for about three months, during the rutting season. We entered the city, and saw part of the king’s elephants. In one place were six noble animals, males and females; two of the largest sized males had several massive silver rings on their tusks; they were kept clean, and were in fine order. There were many other elephant-stables, bordering on two streets, which we visited.

The streets, through which we passed, were from sixty to eighty feet in breadth; the houses, generally, ordinary in appearance, built of boards or brick, stuccoed, with tile roofs, or with bamboo with attap roofs. Most of them are raised on posts, and stand five or six feet from the ground. The streets are paved with very large-sized bricks. Stalls are kept in front of most of the buildings, where are sold fowls and pork, fruit and vegetables. The China, and Indian, and European goods, are sold mostly in the floating bazars. There were few people to be seen.

Our object in visiting the left bank of the river, was, to see an immense edifice, in the form of a temple, which was erecting for the purpose of burning the wang-na, generally called the second king, who died about six months since; and whose body has been embalmed, according to the imperfect knowledge of the Siamese in this art. The body is first washed, and then a large quantity of crude mercury or honey is poured into the mouth; it is then placed in a kneeling posture, and the hands are brought together before the face in the attitude of devotion; strips of cloth are then bound tightly round the extremities, and the body is compressed in a similar manner, for the purpose of squeezing out the moisture. It is then put into an air-tight vessel, more or less expensive, according to the rank of the deceased; (some of the vessels are even made of gold;) a hollow tube is inserted into the mouth, passes through the upper part of the box and the roof of the house, to convey away the effluvia; a similar tube is placed in the bottom, which communicates with a vessel, placed there to receive the draining from the body. The sordes thus collected, if they belong to a prince, are conveyed, with many ceremonies, below the city, and there emptied into the river. Should they belong to the king, they are boiled until an oil separates, and this is used on certain occasions, (as when his family or his descendants pay their devotions to his departed spirit,) to anoint the singular image, called Seina, which is generally placed in a temple, after his death. By the process, named above, the body, in a few weeks, becomes quite dry and shrivelled.

I am fully sensible that any description I can give of the building to which I have alluded, will fall far short of the reality; in fact no language can convey an adequate description of it. The “tout ensemble,” when viewed at a distance, glittering in gold and flowers, recalls to our recollection the brilliant and splendid castles of fairy-land, so bewitchingly set forth in many an idle work of former days. Many hundreds of people have been employed in its erection ever since his death; the centre building is a large open dome, and probably reaches to the height of eighty or ninety feet; it is supported by immense wooden pillars of teak all in one piece—the roof is of various indescribable forms, and differs from any I have ever seen—the parts rise one above another till it comes to a point; from the centre rises a high slender spire, and from the base to its apex cannot be less than one hundred and fifty feet; the roof is covered with brass leaf, which gives it a splendid appearance at a distance: it has a great number of projections with various singular ornaments on their edges and the inside of the roof is dome-shaped: beneath it was erected a small temple, in the same form, having in the centre a high platform, to which we ascended by a flight of steps, over which was a small spire: it is supported upon four pillars and cannot be less than thirty-five feet high—the roof is ornamented with neat carved work and richly gilt—on the platform the body is to be burnt. The whole inside of the building was painted to resemble flowers, profusely gilded, and otherwise richly decorated with gold and silver leaf—the walls were made of matting covered with paper and secured to bamboo-frames, as well as the outer covering, which was painted brown, decorated with large flowers made of brass or copper leaf and pasted on, which gave it a brilliant appearance. Eight temples, one fourth of the size of the great temple, stand about one hundred feet from it, so that the whole forms a complete square, of rather less than five hundred feet on each side; these are similarly gilt and painted, and are connected with each other by a corridor inside; the covering outside is similar to the great centre temple, being painted brown and overlaid with flowers. Around the base of all these buildings are projections of about three feet, like the base of a column, having imitation mouldings: these are overlaid again with sheets of brass leaf, as well as the cornices and architraves. The entrances to all the doors have a profusion of gilt and painted ornaments as well as the base, shaft, capital, and architrave of all the columns. The great building was surrounded at proper intervals (so as not to appear crowded) with small temples or sheds standing on four columns, and neatly gilt and ornamented. A wide space on the east side was left open, on which were erected very high narrow stages, neatly built, for the use of musicians, for the exhibition of rope dancers, tumblers, and gladiators, or sword fighters, pugilists, &c. At regular intervals were raised conical umbrellas or a series of canopies, the lower one being about six feet in diameter and each covering gradually lessening to the top, which terminated in a point—they were about thirty feet in height and alternately were of silver-leaf and brass-leaf, gilt, and ornamented with flowers. The whole ground and passages were covered in with bamboo framework, as well as the passage leading to the king’s palace; the latter had a covered walk or roof of the same material extending the whole distance to the entrance within the enclosure. There were four entrances through long passages to the temple-altar or place of burning, and the whole building was surrounded with hideous images of men about a foot high, low dwarf-trees being interspersed between them, protected again by a low neat network railing of iron.

On the fourteenth, we went to partake of a feast at the praklang’s, in company with Mr. Silveiro, the Portuguese consul, and Captain Geisinger and the officers. This invitation was given about ten days since, and renewed from time to time. It was conveniently arranged by the praklang, as this day was set apart for shaving the heads of two of his sons and a nephew. The feast could not have taken place without our assistance, for they borrowed one of our cooks, the tables, tumblers, wine-glasses, tureens, ladle, spoons, &c. We were informed they had no wine, and, therefore, requested me to furnish the requisite quantity. At three, covered barges were in waiting for us, and in a few minutes, we found ourselves seated in the hall of audience; the praklang was sitting in all his majesty, on a raised seat. The dinner was already on the table. As soon as the usual compliments were over, and we had sat down to dinner, music struck up within the house, accompanied by female voices, which were good and natural, and the songs were not unmusical, being rather of a plaintive cast. The court-yard, during the feast, was thronged with people, who came, I suppose, “to see us eat,” and to see the officers in their uniforms; they were very orderly and quiet, crouching to the ground. I have seen no instance, thus far, of the slightest degree of rudeness, which was much and justly complained of by Mr. Crawford and others, but quite the contrary: every mark of respect has been shown.

The dinner was dressed “À la Siamese and Portuguese.” A stage was erected in the court-yard for vaulters and tumblers; when the dessert was produced, which consisted of some thirty dishes of confectionary and fruit, they commenced their surprising feats. They consisted of about a dozen, belong to the step-brother of the king, the prince Cha-fa-Nooi, or Mum-fa-Nooi, and are the same that were exhibited at the praklang’s brother’s, a few nights since. After the cloth was removed, the king of Siam was given, as a toast by me, all standing; and in return, the praklang proposed the President of the United States, which was drunk likewise, all standing up. Two or three complimentary toasts then followed. The tumblers continued their sports for two hours, until sunset; then twelve young actors and actresses, very richly clad, made their appearance, and performed pantomimes and posture-dances, till past nine, when our party, being heartily tired of the performances, begged leave to retire. Their sports, we understood, were continued till after midnight; the music was the same we had before. The three curtains, which conceal the entrances into the interior of the house, were raised; when the players began, each door appeared to be full of the minister’s numerous wives, and in front some dozens of his children, all bedecked with necklaces, bangles, &c.; their skins being coloured with saffron or turmeric, for it is considered here a great desideratum to have the skin of a light yellow. The women were not generally so masculine in appearance as those we saw abroad, and were of a lighter complexion, being less exposed. Some of them appeared but a shade or two less than white. They were clad in sombre-coloured silk waist and breast cloths, but wore no jewels; the teeth of even the youngest were black as jet, and their lips and gums of a livid hue.

On the cutting of the hair from the crown of the male children, a display is made by every person, however humble, from the firing of two or three muskets to feasting, fireworks, dancing, music, and acting, in all their varieties; presents are expected from all relatives, acquaintances, and friends, which constitute a fund for the boy. A similar amount of gifts is expected in return, upon a like occasion; but a man high in office always has the best of the bargain.

To show the extreme indelicacy, in truth, grossness, of these people, even among the higher classes, the captain of the port, Piedade, was sent to me from the praklang, to say that the envoy from the United States would of course make a present, as Mr. Crawford and the Portuguese consul had done on a similar occasion; being placed in rather a delicate situation, in regard to the treaty, having two troublesome points unsettled, I complied with this piece of spunging, and gave a hundred silver dollars, which were presented to the praklang in the course of the afternoon, in a gold vase, by the general of artillery, Benedito, with a complimentary message from me, wishing that his children might be useful members of society, virtuous and happy, &c. It was highly ludicrous, yet most disgusting, to see the general of the eleven ranks of nobility, who stands second in order, viz.: a phaya, crawling like a dog on all fours, dressed in a striped silk cloak, bound round with heavy gold lace, of the fashion of the fifteenth century, shoving the vase before him, till he came to the praklang, and delivering it, making his obeisance to the ground with hands united; then backing out of “the presence,” in the same degrading position, till he reached me, to return the great man’s thanks. The vase was then taken just beyond our table, (one step below, for every step, in fact, has its appropriate rank,) and delivered to two persons, one of whom, I suppose, was the treasurer, the other the Moorish or Chuliah secretary, who always makes his appearance, crawling on all fours, with his black paper, slate, and pencil, whenever there is any business to be transacted. The money was counted within our sight, and reported to the praklang to be all right!!! It was but a few days previous to this, that an elegant gold watch, set in pearls, two cases of silks, and four elegant fillagreed silver baskets, edged with gold, and ornamented with enamelled figures, had been presented by me to the praklang, which I intended to deliver at the conclusion of the treaty; but he having obtained information, by some means, that I had a present for him, sent Piedade to inquire of what it consisted, and the cost; the next day he returned, with the eldest son of the praklang, who is one of the four household officers of the king, being the second in rank, and called, “Luang-nai-Sit,” requesting to have them examined and an inventory taken, which was done; a hint was then thrown out by the captain of the port, that it would facilitate my business, if the praklang had his presents. It was evidently improper to give them, until those intended for the king were presented; but I complied with it, satisfied in my own mind it was done by command. They were presented the same afternoon, on gold vases, when I went to discuss certain points in the treaty.

The king’s presents, consisting of silks, elegant watches set in pearls, and very superior silver fillagreed baskets, with gold rims, and enamelled with birds and flowers, were shown at the same time, at their request, and an inventory of them taken also; again they inquired the cost of them, made some remarks respecting the colour of the silk, and said that some other colour would have suited the king better; that the reason why they were ordered to examine the articles was, to know if they were suitable presents to give the king. Having expressed some slight degree of indignation at their gross conduct, they said, such were their orders from the praklang, and that Major Burney—who succeeded Mr. Crawford, in finally making a better treaty with them than was ever made before, although it was effected after a long negotiation, by the sacrifice of the personal liberty of the king of Quedah, and their great fear of the English government, who possess the key of their country, in holding possession of most of the strong holds of the Burman empire, as well as Malacca and Singapore, and their possessions at Pulo Penang—brought, among other articles, a parcel of painted boxes, &c., which they rejected. After a slight personal knowledge of three weeks only with this people, I infer that they are extremely disingenuous and fickle-minded, because many articles of the treaty, passed and agreed upon in the evening, have the following day been subverted, or the strength of the language so materially weakened, as to take away nearly its whole force. That they are great intriguers, past history will confirm: the present king, the illegitimate son of the late monarch, by the sudden death of his father, aided by bribes, placed himself on the throne, to the exclusion of the eldest legitimate son, who, on the death of his father, fled the place, and became a Talapoy to save his life. Cha-fa-Nooi, the next in succession, has a small stipend allowed him, and lives in what is called the Portuguese fort, opposite the city: his life is safe, as long as his eldest brother lives.

That these people are highly superstitious, is shown by their constant watching for the flight of vultures, and the worshipping of idols; and the ten thousand follies attached to the Budhist religion, is sufficient evidence. That they are servile, is a necessary consequence, arising out of their despotic government. Subordination of rank is carried to a most degrading and revolting point; true politeness therefore is destroyed; they are abject in the extreme to superiors, and most insolent and disdainful to inferiors. It appears to be impossible for an inferior, to stand erect and manly, in presence of a superior: they are sluggish, ignoble and crouching. A people who are habitually crawling upon their knees and elbows, and performing “the knock-head ceremony,” cannot be otherwise than ungraceful and inelegant in their manners. If they were allowed to carry arms, they would be constrained to be civil and polite to each other; but custom sanctions the right of avenging private wrongs. They are a most extravagantly vain people; are reputed to be very deficient in courage; excessively lascivious and immoral; of which proofs are presented at every step. Temporary marriages are so notorious, that to sell a daughter wholly to a stranger, or for a stipulated term of time, is as common among the middling and lower classes of people, as to sell any common commodity, usually to be found in a bazar. Custom has also fixed a certain price for a certain rank. It is said by Mr. Gutzlaff, that they are in expectation of the coming of the Saviour of mankind, and that the people who are to effect a change in their religion, are to come from the West, (meaning Europe and America.)

If the overturn of an idle, superstitious and debauched priesthood like the Talapoys, (or Talapoins,) who are said to amount to upward of ten thousand generally, in Bang-kok and its neighbourhood, can be effected, what a glorious field will there be opened, to enlighten a nation who are not blood-thirsty or revengeful, but naturally mild and tractable, and exceedingly charitable to distressed objects. They are willing to be instructed, and gladly accept of any books in their own language, which are presented to them. A better form of government would of course make them a better people, but they are now bowed down by oppression, and their highly productive soil is almost untilled, because the hard earnings of the labourer are wrung from him by the rapacious cruelty of his rulers. I omitted to say, that during the evening’s entertainment at the praklang’s, a brown, highly varnished, and gilt seat, was brought in and covered with carpets, cushions, &c., and placed on the floor a short distance from where we were sitting, and shortly after, (preceded by crawling slaves,) a sword-bearer, others carrying highly wrought gold vases, containing areca and a water goblet, a small tea apparatus, &c.; then followed the prince Cha-fa-Nooi, or Mom-fa Nooi, and, without any ceremony whatever, took possession of the seat without noticing in any degree the praklang: when the prince entered, the praklang left his usual seat, which was of the same height as the prince’s, and seated himself on the floor, with his feet resting on a broad landing, leading to the upper floor: this is an acknowledgment of inferiority in rank. On this landing, at his feet, reposed the praklang’s son and brother, and a step below, were his chubah, secretary, &c., &c.: actors beneath the last, and a host of crawlers. The prince retired after sitting a short time, but without noticing his host, who immediately returned to the upper or highest seat.

During the afternoon of the feast of the entertainment, the supercargo, a Chuliah, belonging to the English brig Highland Chief, Captain Henry, from Madras, came crawling in on all fours from the inner gate, and presented, on salvers, some coarse Indian calicoes and lawns. They were received with a sullen air, and I could not perceive that the slightest notice was taken of them, when the praklang was informed of the present. This same supercargo was one of the crouchers, placed on the seat with the captain of the port, when we paid the introductory visit to the minister.

I went to visit the great resort of the fox-bats, on a branch of the river leading to the sea. We found them in immense numbers within the grounds owned by mendicant Talapoys, whereon were many temples in a state of ruin. These birds were hanging by their claws, head downward, where they remain during the day, occupying the limbs of many hundreds of large trees. Having procured some, we measured one, and found it was forty-three inches in length, measuring from one extremity of its wings to the other: it has the head of a fox; the body is covered with long hair, and it has a most unsavoury, strong, foxy smell; it uses its teeth when fighting, but its main defence is in a hooked claw, placed at the middle joint of the wings, by which it occasionally suspends itself. In walking about the grounds of the pagodas, we observed hundreds of small conical mounds, which had been moulded by a form made of plantain stock, and surmounted by small paper flags fastened to a slender rod; these were said to be offerings made by some votaries of Budhistical nonsense.

In passing up the river a day or two since, we saw a snake of about twelve feet in length, and about eight inches in circumference; he was swimming about close to our boat, and did not appear to notice us, excepting when we struck at him with a paddle. Crows, vultures, and sparrows, abound every where, and we find the former very annoying to us, occupying the trees in the area of our house, pouncing upon the cooks’ premises, continually, and carrying off large pieces of meat or fish. The most common reptiles about our premises are lizards; several beautiful species are found every where. We have, among others, the tokay or ghecko in great numbers. This name is given to it here from its singular harsh and monotonous cry, which sounds like its name, to-kay. Throughout the night, these noises are made at intervals, probably of half an hour, commencing with a loud cry, and gradually growing weaker, making pauses of perhaps five or six seconds, between the cries; they are repeated from three to nine or ten times before exhaustion takes place. These reptiles are frequently seen eighteen inches in length, having red and light-green spots, with many tubercles. Fish are abundant in the Menam, and the Siamese, notwithstanding their pretended aversion to taking animal life, do not hesitate to eat fish, flesh, or fowl, if it is killed for them. All these articles are sold daily. Beef is not to be had but there is plenty of pork. Fruit is by no means abundant here at this season, although this is said to be the greatest fruit country in all Asia. A few small mangoes have made their appearance, but the stones are so large that little fruit is to be found on them. We have seen no oranges excepting those brought by China junks—a few poor watermelons and guavas, which are a tasteless fruit, and plantains, bananas, and cocoa-nuts: the latter are in abundance, and the water from the young ones is very refreshing.

Here, for the first time, I tasted the water of a certain delicious kind of cocoa-nut, which was frequently sent by his majesty; it was highly flavoured, and tasted like burnt almonds. Oil is made in large quantities, and is used, when fresh, for cooking, burning, and for anointing the skin, and nourishing the hair. A little later, and the delicious mangosteen will be ripe, the orange, the durian, the pineapple, and lichi, will be in abundance, besides all the other tropical fruits common to this climate. The only vegetables we have yet seen on our table are the sweet potatoe, yam, garlic, onion, Indian corn, beans, peas, and celery, which latter is used in soups only.

The valley of the Menam produces marsh-rice, of various qualities, and in the greatest abundance; it is often exported in large quantities, by license from the king. Rice is almost the only article of food used by the inhabitants; this vegetable is mixed with a little balachang and compound of shrimps, or the spawn of shrimps, or small fish, mixed with salt, and dried in the sun, and then moistened with fish-pickle: it is not only unsavoury to Europeans, but some of it is most offensive to the smell. The inhabitants have but two meals a day, in the morning and evening; the richer add tea, which is drunk in great quantities, without sugar or milk, during the day. Chewing areca and smoking cigars, are common to all, even among small children, and both are constantly used during their waking hours.