242 Mission to the Court of Siam. [No. 99, 



miles below the palace. Pra-si-pi-pat is said to be full of trouble. 

 They discovered yesterday that they had forgotten to embark 

 their ammunition, and in the night all the soldiers from ten 

 of the boats deserted. Though so many muskets have been 

 imported within the last few years, so little care is taken of 

 them, so many have been destroyed by white ants and rust 

 (they are never cleaned) that they are very imperfectly supplied, 

 and for appointments they appear to have none ; on the whole, 

 it would be difficult to imagine a people more contemptible in 

 a military point of view, than the Siamese. 



March 11 th. — Sent Piadadie to the Praklang for my letter 

 and orders to the Laos people ; the clerks told him they had 

 brought them to me, and I had refused to receive them. The 

 Praklang was too much taken up with the dispatch of the 

 fleet, to give much of his attention to my business. They find 

 now they have no water, and nothing to put it in, and are obli- 

 ged to borrow some casks from Mr. Hunter. 



March \2th. — Sent to the Praklang to propose calling on 

 him this evening, and found he had gone to Pack-nam to 

 endeavour to get the fleet off, from whence he will not return 

 till to-morrow. Received yesterday from the king 240 ticals 

 for another month's expense. 



March 13^.— Piadadie came over this morning, and on the 

 letter to the Laos chief being translated, I found it was not 

 entirely what I required. Pra-Sooren, an inferior officer, (called 

 also Kaloung, or king's slave) and one of the king's personal 

 attendants^, (ma-lik, little dogs) are to go up and see matters 

 settled in the Laos country, and on no account is a misunder- 

 standing to be allowed to take place. At about half-past five I 

 went over to the Praklang with Mr. Hunter, who has always 

 been kind enough to act as interpreter, Pra-see, Chowkoon-boo- 

 den deputy, and one or two other chiefs more immediately 

 connected with the Laos country were present. The Praklang 

 asked me if I had made up my mind when I would start. I said, 

 I had been some days wishing to get away, as the season was 

 getting late, and had now come to speak to him about the orders 

 to Laos. I thought also it was right that I should have an 

 audience of leave from the king, and should take leave of the 



