The six voyages of John Baptista Tavernier, Baron of Aubonne through Turky, into Persia and the East-Indies, for the space of forty years : giving an account of the present state of those countries, viz. of the religion, government, customs, and commerce of every country, and the figures, weight, and value of the money currant all over Asia : to which is added A new description of the Seraglio / made English by J.P. ; added likewise, A voyage into the Indies, &c. by an English traveller, never before printed ; publish'd by Dr. Daniel Cox

CHAP. XVIII. Of the Kingdom of Siam.

THE greatest part of the Kingdom of Siam lies between the Golf of Siam and the Golf of Bengala; bordering upon Pegu toward the North, and the Peninsula of Malacca toward the South. The shortest and nearest way for the Europaeans to go to this Kingdom, is to go to Ispahan, from Ispahan to Ormus, from Ormus to Surat, from Surat to Golconda, from Golconda to Maslipatan, there to embark for Denouserin, which is one of the Ports belonging to the King∣dom of Siam. From Denouserin to the Capital City, which is also call'd Siam, is thirty-five days journey, part by Water, part by Land, by Waggon, or upon Elephants. The way, whether by Land or Water, is very troublesome; for by Land you must be always upon your guard, for fear of Tigers and Lions; by Water, by reason of the many falls of the River, they are forc'd to hoise up their Boats with Engines.

All the Countrey of Siam is very plentiful in Rice and Fruits; the chiefest whereof are Mangos, Durions, and Mangustans. The Forests are full of Harts, Elephants, Tigers, Rhinocero's, and Apes; where there grow also large Bambou's in great abundance. Under the knots of these Bambou's are Emets nests as big as a mans head, where every Emet has his apartiment by himself; but there is but one hole to enter into the nest. They make their nests in these Canes to preserve themselves from the rains which continue four or five months together.

In the night time the Serpents are very busie. There are some two foot long, with two heads; but one of them has no motion.

There is also another creature in Siam, like our Salamander, with a forked tail, and very venomous.

The Rivers in this Kingdom are very large; and that which runs by Siam is equally as large as the rest. The water is very wholesome; but it is very full of Crocodiles of a monstrous bigness, that devour men if they be not very care∣ful of themselves. These Rivers overflow their banks while the Sun is in the Southern Tropick; which makes the fields to be very fertile as far as they flow; and it is observ'd, that the Rice grows higher or lower, as the floods do more or less increase.

Siam, the Capital City of the Kingdom, where the King keeps his Court, is wall'd about, being about three of our Leagues in circuit; it is situated in an Island, the River running quite round it, and might be easily brought into eve∣ry street in the Town, if the King would but lay out as much Money upon that design, as he spends in Temples and Idols.

The Siamers have thirty-three Letters in their Alphabet. But they write from the left to the right, as we do, contrary to the custom of Japon, China, Cochinchina, and Tunquin, who write from the right to the left.

All the Natives of this Kingdom are slaves, either to the King or the great Lords. The women as well as the men cut their hair; neither are they very rich in their habits. Among their complements, the chiefest is, never to go before a person that they respect, unless they first ask leave, which they do by holding up both their hands. Those that are rich have several Wives.

The Money of the Country is already describ'd.

The King of Siam is one of the richest Monarchs in the East, and stiles him∣self King of Heaven and Earth; though he be Tributary to the Kings of China. He seldom shews himself to his Subjects; and never gives Audience, but to the principal Favourites of his Court. He trusts to his Ministers of State, for the management of his affairs, who sometimes make very bad use of their authority. He never shews himself in publick above twice a year; but then it is with an extraordinary magnificence. The first is, when he goes to a cer∣tain Pagod within the City, which is guilded round both within and without. There are three Idols between six and seven foot high, which are all of massie

Gold; which he believes he renders propitious to him, by the great store of Alms that he distributes among the poor, and the presents which he makes to the Priests. Then he goes attended by all his Court, and puts to open view the richest Ornaments he has. One part of his magnificence consists in his train of two hundred Elephants; among which there is one that is white, which the King so highly esteems, that he stiles himself King of the White Elephant.

The second time the King appears in publick, is when he goes to another Pagod five or six Leagues above the Town, up the River. But no person must enter into this Pagod, unless it be the King and his Priests. As for the people, so soon as they see the Door op'n, they must presently fall upon their faces to the Earth. Then the King appears upon the River with two hundred Gallies of a prodigious length; four hundred Rowers belonging to every one of the Gallies; most of them being guilded and carv'd very richly. Now in regard this second appearance of the King is in the month of No∣vember, when the waters begin to abate, the Priests make the people believe that none but the King can stop the course of the waters, by his Prayers and by his Offerings to this Pagod. And they are so vain as to think that the King cuts the waters with his Sabra, or Skain; thereby commanding it to retire back into the Sea.

The King also goes, but incognito, to a Pagod in an Island where the Hol∣landers have a Factory. There is at the entry thereof an Idol sitting cross∣leg'd, with one hand upon his knee, and the other arm akimbo. It is above sixty foot high; and round about this Idol are about three hundred others, of several sorts and sizes. All these Idols are guilt. And indeed there are a prodigious number of Pagods in this Countrey; for every rich Siamer causes one to be built in memory of himself. Those Pagods have Steeples and Bells, and the Walls within are painted and guilded; but the Windows are so nar∣row that they give but a very dim light. The two Pagods to which the King goes publickly, are adorn'd with several tall Pyramids, well guilded. And to that in the Hollanders Island there belongs a Cloyster, which is a very neat Structure. In the middle of the Pagod is a fair Chappel, all guild∣ed within side; where they find a Lamb, and three Wax Candles continually burning before the Altar, which is all over cover'd with Idols, some of massie Gold, others of Copper guilt. In the Pagod in the midst of the Town, and one in of those to which the King goes once a year, there are above four thousand Idols; and for that which is six Leagues from Siam, it is surround∣ed with Pyramids, whose beauty makes the industry of that Nation to be admir'd.

When the King appears, all the Doors and Windows of the Houses must be shut; and all the people prostrate themselves upon the ground, not da∣ring to lift up their eyes. And because no person is to be in a higher place than the King, they that are within doors, are bound to keep their lowest Rooms. When he cuts his hair, one of his Wives performs that office, for he will not suffer a Barber to come near him.

This Prince has a passionate kindness for his Elephants; which he looks upon as his Favourites, and the Ornaments of his Kingdom. If there be any of them that fall sick, the Lords of the Court are mighty careful to please their Soveraign; and if they happ'n to dye, they are buried with the same Funeral Pomp as the Nobles of the Kingdom; which are thus performed: They set up a kind of Mausoleum, or Tomb of Reeds, cover'd with Paper; in the midst whereof they lay as much sweet wood as the body weighs, and after the Priests have mumbl'd certain Orisons, they set it a-fire, and burn it to ashes; which the rich preserve in Gold or Silver Urns, but the poor scatter in the wind. As for offenders, they never burn, but bury them.

'Tis thought that in this Kingdom there are above two hundred Priests, which they call Bonzes, which are highly reverenc'd as well at Court as among the people. The King himself has such a value for some of them, as to hum∣ble himself before them. This extraordinary respect makes them so proud, that some of them have aspir'd to the Throne. But when the King discovers

any such design, he puts them to death. And one of them had his head lately struck off for his Ambition.

These Bonzes wear yellow, with a little red Cloth about their Wasts, like a Girdle. Outwardly they are very modest, and are never seen to be angry. About four in the morning, upon the tolling of their Bells, they rise to their prayers, which they repeat again toward evening. There are some days in the year when they retire from all converse with men. Some of them live by Alms; others have Houses with good Revenues. While they wear the Ha∣bit of Bonzes, they must not marry; for if they do, they must lay their Ha∣bit aside. They are generally very ignorant, not knowing what they believe. Yet they hold the transmigration of Souls into several Bodies. They are forbidd to kill any Creature; yet they will make no scruple to eat what others kill, or that which dies of it self. They say that the God of the Christians and theirs were Brothers; but that theirs was the eldest. If you ask them where their God is, they say, he vanish'd away, and they know not where he is.

The chief strength of the Kingdom is their Infantry, which is indifferent good; the Soldiers are us'd to hardship, going all quite naked, except their private parts; all the rest of their body, looking as if it had been cupt, is carv'd into several shapes of beasts and flowers. When they have cut their skins, and stanch'd the blood, they rub the cut-work with such colours as they think most proper. So that afar off you would think they were clad in some kind of flower'd Satin or other; for the colours never rub out. Their weapons are Bows and Arrows, Pike and Musket, and an Azagaya, or Staff between five and six foot long with a long Iron Spike at the end, which they very dextrously dart at the Enemy.

In the year 1665, there was at Siam a Neapolitan Jesuite, who was call'd Father Thomas; he caus'd the Town and the Kings Palace to be fortifi'd with very good Bulwarks, according to Art; for which reason the King gave him leave to live in the City, where he has a House and a little Church.