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Chapter XV. 
OF SPECIFIC CRIMES AND THEIR PUNISHMENTS. 
• 
The successful candidate in a disputed succession to the crown, 
generally begins his reign by a display of reckless cruelties. He 
will be found generally to coolly rid himself of those scions of the 
royal stock who might thwart his views. This is effected by inclosing 
them in sacks and throwing them into the river, or by beating them 
to death with clubs of sandal wood ; or when afraid of publicity, by 
starving them, or suffocating them privately. Siamese punishments 
forcrimes are,—melted silverorlead is poured down the culprits throat, 
or his mouth is slit, perhaps sowed up, leaving only a small aper¬ 
ture sufficient to admit fluids.* Sometimes a cocoanut is driven into 
his mouthf thereby soon choking him, beheading with a sword, expo¬ 
sure in an iron cage, or to wild animals, the pillory, in which the 
culprits head is fixed betwixt two bars of an upright ladder, while 
his feet barely reach the ground, partial inhumation, the persons 
head merely appearing above ground. 
Also exposure to be tossed by bull, or trodden down by elephants, 
and branding by slight cuts of a sword. 
MURDER. 
The Laws of the country have been too firmly framed to put the 
power of avenging blood in the hands of individuals. 
The King (or a special commission) only, passes sentence of death. 
Three or four witnesses are sufficient to cpnvict for this crime. Con¬ 
fession is sufficient to convict the accused, or if he should admit the 
testimony of only one witness against him, resting his defence there¬ 
on, he will be adjudged by his original deposition. 
* An example of this last sort occurred in the Province of Kedah. But 
the imposter was the Malayan Raja. The man came to Penang many years 
after and a medical gentleman operated on his mouth and gave him a new 
one to his inGnite delight. 
f M.De la Loubere relates that one of the Siamese Ambassadors who 
went to Paris before his visit to Siam was so imprudent on his return to 
the latter country as to affirm that the stables of the King of France exceed¬ 
ed in splendour the Royal Palace of Bankok. His audacity was punished 
with death in the manner here described.. 
