1840.] Mission to the Court of Siam. 231 



two of which I opened and shewed the contents, but the third 

 I had refused to open except in the presence of his Majesty 

 alone, who had, however, with great sagacity, discovered it 

 to be filled with some explosive materials, and gave orders 

 that it should not be admitted into the palace. Absurd as this 

 story may appear, it was firmly believed by a number of people. 

 Scarcely any thing is too ridiculous to gain credit, even with 

 the highest officer. Some Siamese had been in Maulmain last 

 year when the European Regiment was landing there, and on 

 their return, reported to the Praklang that an immense force of 

 Europeans in fifty ships were at Maulmain, destined to attack 

 Siam; he immediately sent for Mr. Hunter and questioned 

 him about it, who used all the reasoning he could to convince 

 him of the falsehood of the report ; he at last told him, which 

 at all events prevented them from saying any thing more about 

 it, that the English would certainly not collect fifty ships to 

 take Siam, as two would be quite sufficient ; he heard no more 

 of the intended invasion. 



February 19th. — About three o'clock this afternoon Bene- 

 dito and Pascal came to conduct us to the house of Chowkoon- 

 booden. Josis Piadadie continues sick, and Mr. Hunter was 

 kind enough to act as interpreter ; Captain Browne and Mr. 

 Smith accompanied us. After about half an hour's detention, 

 (attended by the Portuguese above mentioned and Radsithee) 

 whilst coffee and sweetmeats were served in a small shed 

 10 feet by 20, outside the enclosure of his present habitation, 

 where a band of dancing women (he and Cromaluang-rak, 

 the king's uncle, and the head of the princes only are allowed 

 to have dancing women) exhibited for our amusement, — we 

 were conducted into the hall, where we found him seated on 

 an elevated platform, the second Praklang and several Siamese 

 officers on one side, and some 20 or 30 Laos chiefs on the 

 other. Chairs and the Praklang' s coffee equipage were placed 

 for us on the same side as the Siamese chiefs. After I had 

 expressed the thanks of the Right Honorable the Governor Ge- 

 neral in the terms of Mr. Prinsep's letter, and of Mr. Blundell, 

 as conveyed in his letter to the ministers, nearly an hour was 

 spent in compliments and general professions of friendship for 



