P O N T E A M A S. 49 



tains which run from north to fouth, and unite with thofe of 

 China in Lat. 22° o, divide the kingdom of Siam from the king- 

 doms of Laos and Cambodia^ and almoft reach the fea near the 

 river of Liant. The U2)per part of this traci is in LaoSy the more 

 fouthern forms the kingdom of Cambodia, which is compared to 

 a vaft valley, bounded by the Siamefe chain to the weft, and that 

 of Cochin-China to the eaft. The coaft takes a fouth-eaftern di- 

 re£lion from the bay of Liant as far as cape Cambodia, a fpace of 

 three hundred miles, fkirted by numbers of fniall ifles walhed 

 by the bay of Siam. From the point of Liant is a fandy barren 

 defert, reaching, according to Hamilton, as far as Ponteamas, 

 above two-thirds of the coaft. 



This extenfive tra<5t has great fcarcity of ports ; the moft dif- Ponteamas, 

 tinguiftied is that oi Ponteamas, in Lat. 10° 4 5'. M. Le Poivre 

 gives fo enchanting a picflure of this colony, that 1 will no more 

 rifque injuring it by the abridgment, than I did his hiftory of 

 the Malayes. His defcriptions are fo exquifite, that I muft hope 

 that they will not fall under a too frequent imputation on the 

 writers of his lively nation, of hemgplus beau que la verite, 



" Departing, fays M. Le Poivre, from the peninfula of Ma- 

 " lacca, and the iflands of the Malais, towards the north, I fell 

 " in with a fmall territory called Cancar, but known on the ma- 

 " ritime charts under the name of Ponthiamas. Surrounded by 

 " the kingdom of Siam, where defpotifm and depopulation go 

 " hand in hand ; the dominions of Camboya, where no idea of 

 " eftabliflied government fubftfts ; and the territories of the 

 << Malais, whofe genius, perpetually agitated by their feudal laws, 

 " can endure peace neither at home nor abroad ; this charming 



Vol. III. H ^ "country, 



