248 Mission to the Court of Siam. [No. 99. 



that of the boat people was brought ready cooked from Tat-chin. 

 At 4h. 30m. landed at Nak-outcha-thee, where our people had 

 arrived yesterday. I found the Palat and Yenkabot, (Tset-Kay 

 and Na-Kan), waiting to receive me, the writer who accompa- 

 nied us, having arrived an hour or two before us. I requested 

 they would this night hand over the elephants to us, as I wished 

 to see all right now, and start at daylight in the morning ; they 

 wished to put it off till the morning, but as I insisted, they sent 

 people to bring them in. I told the writer I expected he would 

 see, that a guide was furnished to the next halting place, as I 

 could not, after the falsehood they had told me here on my way 

 to Bankok, put any trust in what their people said ; it would 

 disgrace the king and nation of Siam, when heard in other 

 countries, that men at the head of a town condescended to such 

 meanness. They attempted some explanation, but did not ap- 

 pear at all ashamed. About ten o' clock the people came back, 

 and said one of the elephants had broken his hobbles, and that 

 two of the remaining three had gone after him, so that they 

 could not give them over to us this night ; which will I fear 

 cause another day's detention. 



March 22nd. — Received the elephants to-day at 12 o'clock, 

 which the government return for the presents brought, none of 

 them remarkable for their appearance, and I did not receive the 

 howdahs, which were in a most rickety condition, till about 

 7 p.m. Had a visit this afternoon from a lad dressed in a blue 

 jacket and cap, white stockings and shoes, (and half a dozen 

 other lads in the same costume, except the shoes and stockings) 

 who pretended not to be able to speak Siamese, and as he could 

 not speak any other language I was acquainted with, our com- 

 munication was of course extremely limited. After he was gone 

 I learned that he was the son of the priest, the eldest legitimate 

 brother of the king. 



March 23rd. — Ban- Sao, four hours fifty minutes, thirteen 

 miles. Left Nak-outcha-thee at 6h. 25m. this morning, and tra- 

 velling along the bamboo jungle, (which ran to the N. E. of our 

 march on the way to Bankok,) reached this place, having halted 

 some time for the elephant at noon. There were a few inhabitants 

 in the immediate vicinity 'of the road, the villages lying along 



