A TRANSLATION OP THE JKEDDAH ANNALS. 322 
All being thus ready, the Raja Kalana TIetam sent for 
these four warriors, and said that he wished to go in search 
of some more eligible spot to reside in than his present one. 
Maha Raja Dar id Alum represented thus—Some people 
belonging to your slave have lately come back from the 
direction of S. S. E. where there is a country called Kedda 
having a very fertile soil, and which is defended by a fort 
with a ditch. It has no Raja at this moment. It is my 
opinion, therefore, that it will be very adviseable that your 
highness should take possession of this region and become 
its Rajfi, for it is very populous. Yes, replied Kalana, 
provided there be the means. If there are any old chiefs 
or mantris in Kedd& I can write a letter to them in the 
first instance to ask them to join in letting me be its Raja. 
Your slave, said M&ha Raja Dar ul Gunong, respectfully 
submits, that if you really desire to govern Kedda, your 
highness should at once proceed there, what use is there in 
sending notice beforehand ? If the Kedda people will not 
have you, we can take the country by force. Have no 
apprehensions on that score—what signifies it to us what 
their fighting salient population may be ? My opinion 
said Jakjakoocha Raja is that we should march our forces at 
once on Kedda ; and then if successful, that we should send 
for all our families and people and property. So the force 
was got ready and properly armed. There were fire arms 
and all the men had swords, pikes, lances, shields of differ¬ 
ent sizes and forms, joepan swords, bows and arrows, and 
poisoned arrows blown through tubes, and slings, with 
stones to cast forth from them. The expedition was thus 
equipped and ready to march in the space of a month, and 
then set out with Kalana Hetam at its head, like the foam 
crested waves of the sea. The numbers were so great of 
these four tribes, that it took a month to accomplish an 
ordinary days march. The high ground became level, and 
the level was converted into holes like*game traps, so heavy 
was the tread of the ranks. 
In the first place .—It was not long after the departure of 
the Kedda envoys from Si'em and their arrival again at 
Kedda, that the Raja of Siam directed one of his old minis¬ 
ters, named Katahom, who had been employed in settling 
the countries to the east [of Siam perhaps] to proceed to 
Kedda to search for a legitimate Raja to govern it. The 
envoy was escorted by a number of Rajas and followers, and 
be was the bearer also of a written scroll, containing the 
titles to be bestowed upon the new Raja, and he was in- 
v v 
