598 Excursions to the Eastward. [July, 



former, excepting vultures, hawks, and owls, and all of the latter, except 

 beasts of prey, are used as food. 



The Siamese, like the Chinese, are great gourmands when they can 

 afford to be so, but while the latter prefer pork to every other sort of 

 food, the Siamese prefer venison and ducks. Some Lau fsamchoo of 

 the Chinese), an ardent spirit, formed part of this entertainment. 



Crowds came to gaze at us until it became dark, when the sound of 

 the bugle helped to scare them away. 



The governor's interpreter, a native of Coromandel, remained until 

 late, no doubt to sift my real intention in entering the place. With 

 the adroitness of his tribe* he proffered whatever his master's house 

 could afford, not sparing the inmates of the seraglio ! His people in 

 the interim were busied in discovering what profit he could make out 

 of the two stranger vessels. 



Phra Phak dee pho thau the young chief received me at his 

 house next day. 



I informed him that I was proceeding on a Siamese mission from 

 JPenang, and that I was happy of the opportunity chance had given me 

 of informing him that the British had gone to war with the ancient 

 enemies of Siam, the Burmans. His countenance instantly brightened, 

 and with animation he proffered his elephants and attendants to convey 

 me immediately across the peninsulaf . 



It was with real regret that the terms of my instructions did not au- 

 thorize my proceeding to the capital, and had even a latitude in this in- 

 stance been excusable, I was under obligations to enter into conferences 

 with the raja of Ligor, which might have prevented my availing myself 

 of it. But the readiness, with which the route across the peninsula was 

 opened to me contrasted well with the suspicious temper of the wary 

 chiefs of the more wily Ligorian. 



The day after this visit I went to take leave of my hospitable enter- 

 tainer previous to embarking. Having before expressed a desire to see 

 a Siamese theatrical exhibition, I was gratified on being told that the 

 actors and musicians were ready to commence. We proceeded to a 

 thatched house called the Rong Lakhanor theatre. 



The piece under performance was the Ramahean, a free version of 

 the Hindu heroic poem Rdmdyan. This kind of dramatic exhibition 

 is termed Len khon. 



* Called Chulias to the eastward of the Bay. 

 f First, Penang where the Ban Don and Chaiya rivers join three stages on 

 one elephant ; thence down the Chaiya river in boats three stages to the sea. 



From Phoonga to I'd Thong a dependency of Ligor on a river famous for the 

 boats built on it, is a journey of four days. 



