1837.] and on the Progress of Buddhism to the Eastward. 3 



obtruded in their present imperfect form, had not the interest lately ex- 

 cited among Indian literati towards the history of this singular and 

 widely extended religion, as regards Ceylon and Southern India, by the 

 announced publication of a translation of the Mahawanso and the pro- 

 mised opening of the Mackenzie MSS., led me to hope that their 

 communication might perchance contribute to stimulate among the 

 many highly talented sojourners in our settlements to the eastward, 

 a corresponding enquiry into the ancient records of the Buddha 

 priests of Japan — China — of the Indo Chinese nations, and of the 

 aboriginal tribes of the Indian Archipelago, as they stand in relation 

 to those of India and Ceylon. In this spirit the following notes are 

 proffered. The inferences and quotations they contain are adduced 

 rather with the view of courting investigation, than for the purpose of 

 establishing a theory. 



The historical records of Siam may be divided, like the nation itself, 

 into two classes — the ancient and the comparatively modern. The 

 T'hay J'hay and the T'hay. I am not aware that copies of the former 

 have ever been procured by European collectors ; though, from 

 the testimony of Leyden, corroborated by that of several intelligent 

 Siamese with whom I have had oral communication on the subject, 

 there can be little doubt of their existence. According to La Loubere, 

 who visited Siam in 1687-8, the T'hay J'hay or ancient nation of 

 Siam was then in a state of barbarity compared with the more modern 

 Thays. Leyden distinctly states that they were formerly famous for 

 their learning and the power of their empire, that many monuments 

 of this ancient race still exist in the kingdom of Siam, and that in the 

 vicinity of Ligore, there are various ancient inscriptions on stone, among 

 the ruins of a very ancient temple, which are attributed to the T'hay 

 J' hays, but which no person among the moderns was able to decipher. 

 The annals of the T'hay dynasty, according to the same author, com- 

 mence only from the building of the city Maha Nakhon, a little more 

 than 1400 years ago. The ten volumes MS. now sent to the Society 

 constitute a portion of this modern version, commencing in the 712th 

 year of the Siamese era. The book of laws is a compend of the civil 

 code of Siam ; it is divided into two parts — the first comprises an in- 

 troduction and a chapter containing 33 sections, embracing regulations 

 for the protection of agriculturists, trespasses committed both by -men 

 and animals — stealing of rice, agricultural implements, water for pur- 

 poses of irrigation, removing of land-marks, &c. Part the second con- 

 tains 12 chapters with an introduction and preamble. It treats princi- 

 pally of the fines and punishments for making false claims to the pro- 

 perty of others, pawns, mortgaged lands, water-rights, recording of 

 deeds, the laws of borrowing, buying and selling, gambling, quarrels, 

 the properly securing of elephants, cattle, &c. and concludes with a 



