452 



is recorded by Mendez Pinto, whose taleot for 

 the marvellous has procured for him unenviable 

 fame» and I do not therefore vouch for the truth 

 of his narration- The occasion, on which the 

 author states* that he saw this exhibition, was 

 the funeral of the king of Siam in 1546. Accord- 

 ing to him» the royal ashes were enclosed in a 

 silver shrine, and embarked upon a richly deco- 

 rated i^essel. followed by forty smaller ones, con- 

 taining the Talapoins, and others carrying such 

 of the people as were attracted by curiosity. 



AOer these again there were a hundred /JmAwf, 

 laden with images representing lions, elephants, 

 deer, vultures, geese, adders, toads, &c., all of 

 the natural size, and all forming objects of religi- 

 ous worship. One large prahn was reserved for 

 the exclusive transport of the head idol, the ser- 

 pent already alluded to, and which. Pinto asserts, 

 measured as much in circumference as a hogs- 

 head, and wa« coiled in nine circles, with the 

 head and neck erect ; the whole length, when ex- 

 tended, being about a hundred spans. 



From its mouth, eyes, and breast, issued flames 

 of artificial t^re, which struck terror into the su- 

 perstitious crowd. Ail these idols represeoted 

 evil spirits, who were on the alert to intercept 

 the soul of the deceased monarch, on its passage 

 to the mansions of bliss. To guard against such 

 a catastrophe, a chubby boy, four or five years 

 of age, covered with pearls, and adorned with 

 bracelets of precious gems, stood upon a richly 

 gilt platform, eighteen feet high, with a sword 



