No. 54.— 1903.] KING KIRTI SRI'S EMBASSY TO STAM. 29 
Great Boats, two Masters of the Horse, two of the King's Physicians, 
two Officers who were in charge, the one of the stores of copper, brass, 
tin, timber, horns, ivory, white and red sandalwood, of the villages 
which produce them, and of the men employed in their service, the 
other of the I'oyal rice and betel villages, and of their tenants, — all these 
came on elephants holding with both hands on golden trays their 
offerings of robes and other necessaries as described before, each 
accompanied by his vassals. Behind came a host of hundreds and 
thousands of devotees, male and female, carrying on their heads robes 
and offerings. Next came the two second Ann-Rajas, carried on the 
necks of stalwart men in two couch-shaped thrones with a balastrade of 
ivory, adorned with gold and rows of pearls, and set with magnificent 
gems ; above their heads were carried ten sesat, and they were 
followed by a host armed with the five kinds of weapons. Next, in 
the first of two similarly adorned thrones, was borne on the shoulders of 
stout warriors the G-reat Officer of State to whose hands are entrusted 
all the affairs of Siam, and who is called the Uva Rajjuruvo. 
Above him were carried five sesat, and behind him was a band with 
umbrellas and swords. In the second throne was the second sub-king 
carried in similar state. Next came the great State Elephant ; the 
whole of its body was the colour of copper, and it was covered with 
full trappings of gold ; on each side of it were carried four sesat and 
four flags ; eight trays of gold filled with peeled sugar-cane, ripe jak, 
and plantains were carried for its food ; its attendants — elephants 
with and without tusks, male and female — followed ; on them rode 
men carrying flags. A vast number of offerings to the Buddha were 
presented to the priests with the robes and priestly necessaries. The 
Siamese officers told us that by the royal command we too were to 
share in the merit acquired by thh gre^t Kathina Pmkama, and of all 
the other religious services which his illustrious majesty had ordained 
in his great devotion to the Triple G em. 
After this we were taken back to our halting-place. 
This description is taken from the account given by Siddamparam 
Chetty, who was attached to us as interpreter, and who knew the 
details well ; a considerable portion, both of what he related to us and 
what we personally saw, has been omitted to avoid the risk of appearing 
to relate the incredible.* 
On the night of Tuesday, about fourteen hours before dawn, two 
noblemen came from the palace and informed us that a religious 
torch procession was coming down the river for us to see ; and this 
is the description of it. Tall bamboos were set up at the viharas on 
either bank of the river of Siam ; these were bent down, and on them 
were hung gilt circular lamps and lamps of various other kinds. The 
king himself, his son the prince, the second king, and the Uva 
Rajjuruvo came in the gilt royal barges, on which were erected 
alcoves with curtains and awnings of various coloured cloths ; these 
boats were fitted with gold and silver stands holding lighted candles 
of wax and sweet-scented oils ; a host of noblemen followed in 
* Addendum.— As a discussion was raised on this statement I add the 
literal translation of the passage kindly supplied to me by Mr. W. P. 
Ranesinghe : 
"Althoug"h we wrote them, many things were omitted from what was 
related to us and from what we saw, which seemed to be incredible." — P.E.P. 
