No. 54.— 1903.] KING KIRTI SRI'S EMBASSY TO SIAM. 25 
two cannon made of the five kinds of metals ; round these rested a 
band of fighting men armed with clubs. The palace gate, the hall 
in which the sub-king and the nobles were assembled, the doors, 
windows, and bars were all decorated in great profusion ; the former 
were crowned with gilt spires, flowers, and wreaths. In the midst of 
all stood the king's palace of five stages, similarly adorned with 
gilt spires. At the four corners were four towers five stories high, 
pierced with many windows and lattice work. There were also 
many halls decorated with much gilding and built in two stages. 
The palace of the prince and the three palaces of the queens were 
similar in appearance. This magnificent pile is erected on the river 
wall, which commences at the river and encircles the whole city. The 
great gate is at the landing-place ; the rampart starts from here and 
runs to the right ; then it sweeps round in a circle encompassing the 
whole city, till it finally meets the river again. Within the city there 
are canals running in parallel lines like the leaves of an indi branch. 
It is impossible to give any conception of the number of boats and 
passengers on these. Who will venture to say in what language the 
traffic on the great river can be described ? There were also, number- 
less streets thronged with people, full of shops displaying every kind 
of merchandise including images of gold. So far I have only at- 
tempted to describe the inner city just as I saw it. 
As we were directed to return to our halting-place, two officers 
accompanied us back, first in carriages and then in boats. 
Seven days later on Friday, being full moon, two officers came and 
informed us that the king had given orders for us to go and worship 
at two viharas on this day. We accordingly proceeded in boats and 
worshipped at the vihare called Vat Puthi Suwan. The following is 
a description of the place. On the right of the great river there 
stretches a plain right up to the river bank ; here are built long ranges 
of two-storied halls in the form of a square, with four gateways on the 
four sides ; on the four walls were placed two hundred gilt images. 
Within the eastern gate is fashioned a likeness of the sacred footprint, 
with the auspicious symbol worked in gold. Right in the centre is a 
great gilt dagaba with four gates. On entering by the eastern gate 
there is found a flight of stone steps gilt ; right in the womb of the 
dagaba are enshrined the holy relics ; and it was so built that it was 
possible to walk round within the dagaba without approaching them. 
There was also within a gilt reproduction of the Sacred Foot. On 
either side of this gate were built two five-headed Naga Eajas apparently 
descending to the bank of earth. To the north of this was a two- 
storied building with a throne in the middle of it ; on this was seated 
a gilt figure of the Buddha twelve cubits high. To the east of this 
and facing it was a five-storied building hung with awnings and adorned 
with paintings and gilding ; the pillars in the middle were covered with 
plates of gold, and on a throne in the centre was a life-size image of 
gold supported on either side by two similar gilt images of the two 
chief disciples Sariyut Mahasami and Maha Mugalan Sami and 
numerous others. Above the gateway from the roof to the lintel 
there was pictured in gilt work Buddha in the Sakra world, seated on 
the White Throne and preaching his glorious Ahhidharma to the god 
Mavu Deva and to the gods and Brahmas of unnumbered worlds ; 
and again, when his discourse was ended, he is depicted as descending 
by the golden stairs to Sakaspura. The vihare itself is strongly guarded 
by walls and gates ; round about are built pleasant halls and priests* 
