Chap. II. through the great eft Part 
ans, but exclaim again ft the worlliipping the Devil, a Cu- 
ffbm fo deeply rooted among the Peguans , that with all 
their Arguments they are not able to diffuade them 
from it. 
They are in great Veneration among the moft fenfible 
Men of the Nation. Their Corps are burnt like their Kings, 
with Iweet Woods, the Allies call into the River, and their 
Bones preferred. Pegu has no other Corn but Rice, which 
it produces in fuch Plenty, that great Part of it is fent to 
the neighbouring Provinces. Sodomy was heretofore 
grown fo general here, that one of the Queens of Pegu , to 
obviate this ice, ordered a fmall Pin to be fattened betwixt 
the Skin and the Flefh, by way of Incifion ; Ihe command- 
ed alfo, that all the Boys, whilft young, fhould be paint- 
ed of a blue Colour on their Pofteriors, thereby to create an 
Averfion to them, as on the other Side, the Women take 
all imaginable Pains to provoke the Men to Venery. Men 
and Women delight in black Teeth. The King is foie Heir 
to all that leave no Children behind them, and even one- 
third Part of the Eftates of thofe that have Children belong 
to him. Pegu affords no other Spice but Ginger, and 
fcarce any other Commodity is exported, except Rice and 
Silver, in Exchange for which they bring thither Stuffs 
and Calicoes, Pepper, Cinnamon, Nutmegs, Opium, and 
Sandal Wood. They will pledge their Children to bor- 
row Money ; but if the Creditor enjoys them carnally, they 
are free, and the Debt is paid. 
Siam , one of the next confiderable States in the Indies , 
confines to the North upon Pegu and Ava, to the Weft 
upon Bengal , to the Eaft upon Pat ana ; whence the Coaft, 
(in which I comprehend the Gulph of Siam) runs North to 
r 3° 30', and turning to the South to twelve Degrees, ex- 
tends at a .great Diftance from the Sea, making a Semi- 
circle of four hundred and fifty Leagues. The Country is 
both very woody and mountainous, except towards the 
Sea-fide, where it is very fertile, and has feveral convenient 
Hies and Harbours, befides fame Hands in the Gulphs, 
The River Menam may vie for Largenefs with any other 
River of the Indies ; for though its Breadth is not very 
great, its Length is fuch, that hitherto its Source has re- 
mained undifcovered. It runs from North to South thro* 
the Kingdoms of Pegu and Aua, and afterwards through 
Siam , where it falls by three feveral Channels into the Gulf 
of Siam : It yearly, like the Nile , overflows the adjacent 
Country for five Months, which renders the Rice-fields 
very fruitful. Its Eaftern Channel, which lies in 130 30' 
eleven, is molt proper for Navigation, were it not for a 
Shelf a League in Length, which lying juft at the Entrance 
of it, has five or fix Foot Water at low Tide ; but at 
high Water, fifteen or fixteen ; and in September , Odlober , 
and November , feventeen or eighteen Foot ; for which Rea- 
fon it is, that Veffels of any Burthen anchor in the Road 
two Leagues from the Shelf ; but fuch as may venture 
over the Shelf with a high Tide, may go freely up the Ri- 
ver as far as the Caftle of Banckock , fix Leagues from the 
' Sea, and thence as far as the City of Judda, twenty-four 
Leagues from the Mouth of the River, except in the 
before-mentioned Ivionths, when the River is unna- 
vigable. 
This Kingdom is very populous, efpecially thofe Provinces 
bordering upon the Seas. The moft confiderable Cities are 
Judda , or Odya , the Metropolis of the whole Kingdom ; 
next Cambay a, Campaa, Sincapura , Picelouck , Lygor , Borda- 
long, and TanaJJerim, where the Portugueze drive a confider- 
able Trade 1 Banckock , Bipry, Mergy , &c. The City of 
Judda \ s built upon an Hand in the River Manam. It is 
the 01 dmary Reuuence or the Kuig of Siam , having leve- 
lal veij fair Streets, with fpacious Channel regularly cut. 
A ne on curbs are on both Sicies of the River, which, as 
veil as the City itfeif, are adorned with many Temples 
aiiu Palaces ; of the fir ft ol winch there are above three 
hundred within the City, d lftinguifhed by their gilt Stee- 
ples, or lather Pyramids, and afford a glorious Prolpedt 
at a Diftance. .1 he Houles are, as all over the Indies, but 
indifferently built, and covered with Tiles': The royal 
I alace is equal to a large City. Ferdinando Mendez Pinto 
marges the Number of Inhabitants of this City amount, ina- 
pt ouably , to 400,000 families. It is looked upon as im- 
pregnable, by reafon of the over-flowing of the River at 
Numb, LI I. 
of the EAST-INDIES, 7 8j 
fix Months End. The- King of Siam, who takes- amongft 
his other Titles that of Precau Salfu , i. e. facred Member 
of God, has this to boaft of, that next to the Mogul, he 
can deduce his Defcent from more Kings than any other 
in the Indies. He is abfolute, his Privy Counfellors, call- 
ed Mandarins, being chofen and depofed barely at His 
Pleafure. When he appears in Publick, it is done wifi, 
fo much Pomp and Magnificence as is fcarce to be ima- 
gined, which draws fuch a Veneration to his Perfon from 
the common People, that even in the Streets, as he panes 
by, they give him god-like Tides and Worfhip. He mar- 
ries no more than one Wife at a Time, but has an infinite 
number of Concubines. Fie feeds very high, but his 
Drink is Water only, the Ufe of ftrong Liquors being fe- 
verely forbidden, by their Ecclefiaftical Law, to Perfons 
of Quality in Siam. As the Thirds of all the Eftates of 
the Kingdom fall to his Exchequer, fo his Riches muff be 
very great ; but what makes them almoft immenfe is, that he 
is the chief Merchant in the Kingdom, having his Factors 
in all Places of Trade, to fell Rice, Copper, Lead, Salt- 
petre, &c. to Foreigners. Mendez Pinto makes his year- 
ly Revenue rife to twelve Millions of Ducats, the greateft 
Part of which being laid up in his Treafary, rauft needs 
fwell to an Infinity in Procefs of Time. 
Each City has its peculiar Court of Juftice, from whence 
an Appeal lies to the chief Court in the City of Judda, 
confuting of a Lord Chief Juftice and twelve Judges, and 
fo me times to the Privy Council itfeif, if the Parties will 
be at the Charge of it. They have their Counfellors, At-' 
tornies and Solicitors, and the Caufes are pleaded in the 
Prefence of both Parties. In criminal Cafes they proceed 
much after the French Way ; for upon an Information gi- 
ven, the Party accuied is committed and examined after- 
wards, and for want of fufiicient Evidence put to the 
Rack, if theie be very ftrong Circumftances ; after which 
the Judges, either upon Confeftion of the Fad, or fuffici- 
ent Evidence, give Sentence, which is confirmed by the 
King, unlefs he is pleafed to pardon the Offender. Their 
PunifhiThmts are io level e, or rather cruel, that fuch as are 
ufed among us are not lo r$uch as known here, for the 
flighteft Crime is thought to deferve Banifhment. Theft is 
punilhed with the Amputation of Hands or Feet. The com- 
mon Way of executing Criminals, is to call them alive into 
boiling Oil. 
' They have three forts of Trials for want of fufficient 
Evidence, by Fire, Water, and Oil. In the Water-trial 
both Parties are let down to the Bottom of the River, 
along a great Pole, and he who can ftay longeft under 
Water obtains thereby his Juftification, as does he who 
can hold his Hand longeft in boiling Oil, in the Trial of 
Oil. In the fiery Trial they are to make five or fix Steps 
through a great File, very flowly, two IVIen leaning very 
hard upon their Shoulders. But that which they look, up- 
on as the moft dreadful of all is, when, in order to their 
Juftification, they take a Fill of Rice only, over which 
the Prieft has pronounced a certain Maldidion: If the Cul- 
prit fwallow it without fpitting, he clears himfelf to all 
Intents and Purpofes, and his Friends carry him off in Tri- 
umph. 
The Forces of Siam confift chiefly of the Militia of the 
Count! y, all Subjects being obliged to take Arms when 
called upon, fb that as occaiion requires, he“Can fumnion 
the 1 ooth, the 50th, the 20th, the 10th, or 5th Man, 
who, as well as the Noblemen with their Attendants, lerve 
at their own Charge as long as the War Jails. The Infan- 
try are pretty well.difcipiined, but want the Ufe of Fire- 
Arms, being provided only with Bows, Arrows, Swords, 
Pikes, and Bucklers, their Horle are alio but indifferently 
mounted. 1 heir cmef Strength conlifts m their Elephants 
which are very well trained to the Wars, and carry each 
three armed Men. They are not deftitute of Cannon, but 
have but fittle Skill to manage them to the beft A cl van- 
tage. They have alfo great numbers of Frigates and Gal- 
lies, well provided with Guns, but the Gunners and Ma- 
rines are io unexpert in the Management of them, that 
they cannot encounter any European Fleet with the’ le aft 
Hopes of Advantage; for which reafon, fmee of late 
"i ears the Siamefes have lived in continual Enmity with the 
Portugueze 3 they have highly courted the Friendlhip of 
9 N ' A the 
