inheritance of property 
■Q"» 
oop 
slicks it up. He thus avoids, he thinks, the sin of taking away thex 
life of any insect. I t is lucky for his peace of mind (provided his 
humanity is sincere, and of this we have not sufficient proof) that he 
is not obliged to keep a microscope. The next articles are a blank 
book in which to record useful knowledge, and a steatite pencil ;—& 
bundle of palm leaf slips, and an iron stylus to note down common 
matters ;—an umbrella with a hook at the top, so that it may be 
suspended while the Priest is at his devotions,—the Mai t,haao or 
wand, which is usually about 7 feet long, and may remind the anti¬ 
quary of the mystical staffs of the Druids, the Jews, the Magi and of 
the Brahmans. The tarapjiat is a tan of palm leaves, and is gene¬ 
rally used to shade the bare head of the Priest from the rays of the 
sun. The bag or yam contains the betel and other ingredients of the 
masticatory, not excluding tobacco, which should properly be reckon¬ 
ed amongst noxious drugs, and therefore forbidden to them by the or¬ 
dinances of Boodd,ha. There Is likewise a vessel for ablufcionary 
purposes, and lastly one of equal utility. 
Three witnesses are required to establish the validity of a Priest’s 
bequest, and four for a Brahmin. In explanation of the latter part 
of the sentence it may be remarked that persons of the Brahminical 
tribe have, from a very remote period, visited and resided in Siam, 
their numbers being regulated by the estimation in which their caste 
was held by particular Kings. They are termed Ajanya P,hraam, 
Houla P,hraam, and Chodok,ka P,hraam, the last is the highest 
caste. They are chiefly employed as astrologers and accountants. 
To establish the validity of a Brahman’s bequest, it is also necessa¬ 
ry to prove that he made it forty days previous to his decease. It is 
affirmed that any person who may presume to question the right of a 
testator to bequeath property to a P,heek,hoo will most assuredly be 
precipitated into Narok or Hell. 
The asseverations of a Priest are implicitly believed in a Court of 
Justice, nor is an oath ever administered, to him . He simply ts- 
senfcs to a question put, by raising his tarap,hat or fan, and gives it 
the negative by letting the fan drop. This laconic mode of replying 
would puzzle or cross questioner. 
