1690. the Chinese Architecture are adorn'd with many Roofs, and Frontispieces part of which are gilt over. Within the walls of the Palace as well as without, are to be seen long Stables, in which some hundred of Elephants stand in a long row magnificently harnass'd. Since the French troubles, as they are here call'd, there is but one entry left to go into the palace, through which no person is admitted but on foot, though it is so dirty, that people sometimes step in the mud up to the calf of their Legs, if they do not keep an exact ballance in walking over the small planks, that are laid for them; even an ordinary Mandarin dare not enter but attended only with one servant. For this same reason no ships or boats are allow'd to come upon the great river, as far as it runs by the walls of the palace. The gates, and other avenues of the palace are crowded with swarms of naked fellows, whose tawny skin is painted with black checquered figures, pointed in the manner, as they do with the Images at the holy sepulchre at Jerusalem; some of them are thus mark'd only on the arms, but others all over the body to the loyns, which are wrapt up in a cloth according to the general custom of the Natives. They are call'd by a Portugueze word Braspintades. These are the King's Guards, Door-keepers, and watermen, who wear instead of arms short thick clubs, roving and sauntering about the palace Palace of the like idle Vagrants. The second palace, call'd the foremost Prince Royal. palace, is situated in the North East part of the City towards its extremity. It is of a square figure, but not near so large as the first. It was the ancient place of Residence of the former King's, but at present, in 1690, it is inhabited by the Prince Royal, who is twenty years of age. The third and last Palace is smaller than any of the two, and situated in the West and least inhabited part of the City. In this lives at present a Prince of the Royal Blood, and it is call'd the Palace of the Querry of the King's Elephants, the said Prince being the Conductor and Manager of the Elephant, which carries the King. The Prince doth not ride upon the Elephants neck as usual, Palace of the Querry of the King's Elephants. but lies upon its Crupper behind the King, from whence he hath a way of governing the beast by certain signs, to which it is used. 1690. Schools. After the Palaces I shall take notice of the Temples and Temples and Schools of this City. They are in great number, for as the whole Country is stock'd with Priests and Monks, this City in particular abounds in all parts with Temples, the Courts of which keep a regular proportion with the Streets, and are full of pyramids and columns of divers shapes and gilt over. They do not equal our churches in bigness, but far exceed them in outward beauty, by reason of the many bended roofs, gilt frontispieces, advanced steps, columns, pillars, and other ornaments. Within they are adorn'd with many images as big as the life and bigger, skilfully formed of a mixture of plaister, rosin, oyl and hair, the outside of which is first varnish'd over with black then gilt. They are placed in several rows on an eminence, on which the Altar stands. In some temples also along the walls in single rows, sitting with their legs cross'd and naked, except the waste, about which is tied a dark yellow cloth; over the left shoulder down to the navel hangs another piece of cloth of the same colour twisted close together. Their earlaps are cut through with a slit, and are so long, that they reach the shoulders. Their hair is curl'd, tied over the crown in two knots, so that it cannot be distinguish'd whether it is a cap, or some such ornament. The right hand rests upon the right knee, and the left lies in the lap. The chief place, which is in Chief Idol of the middle, is for an Idol of a size far above human, sitting in the same posture under a Canopy. It represents their chief Teacher, and the Founder of their Religion. The Siamites call him Prah, the Saint, or Prah Pudi Dsiau, the Saint of high descent, or with a particular name, Sammona Khodum, which the Peguans pronounce Sammona Khutama, a Man without passions. The Japanese and Chinese call him Siaka, or Saka, the Ceylonese Budhum and Budha. This Prah, or Khodum is represented in a monstrous size in some Temples. In a Peguan Temple the Siamites. 1690. Houses of the out of the City, call'd in the Peguan Language Tsianpnun Tsiun, there sits on an eminence such an Idol strongly gilt, the proportion of which is such, that it would be of 120 foot in length, if standing, and we shall hereafter meet with another Siaka, or Idol, at Miaco, the Capital of Japan, and Residence of its Ecclesiastical Hereditary Emperor, which is not inferior to this at Judia, either in size, or beauty. The posture of the said Idol is the same with that, in which Budha, and his disciples placed themselves, when they were enthusiastically meditating upon religious Subjects. Even to this day the priests his followers are obliged by their rules to sit down daily at stated times in the posture of their Master, when they are exercising their devotions of meditation and Enthusiasm. They also go about in the same dress, only with their heads shav'd, covering their face against the Sun with a Fan made of palm wood, and leaves. Next to the Temples are the habitations of the Monks, which are but poor Houses. On one side of them they have a publick hall, or oratory, call'd Prahkdi, which commonly is a pretty large timber building much like the Temples, the edges of the roof gilt, with a few steps leading up to it, and furnish'd with many Timbersheds instead of windows to give passage to the air, during their publick assemblies, or lectures. The cieling within is suported by two rows of columns, and the room divided into divers classes, and benches. In the midst of it, some steps above the floor, stands a desk, or pulpit, curiously carv'd and gilt, like those in our churches, on which at certain hours appears an old priest, who from large palm leaves ingrav'd with black Characters, reads with a slow and distinct voice some holy words to his audience, consisting chiefly in students of their divinity, or young monks. Upon the hearing of certain words, and names the audience clap their hands together above their forehead, but upon the main shew little attention, and devotion; for I my self saw some cutting Pinang, others grinding powders, or mixing Mercury with the Juice of Herbs, or employing their Hands with some other pastime. Near the Desk, or in some other place is to be seen the Idol of Amida standing upright on the flower Tarate, or Faba Aegyptiaca, or Nymphæa magna incarnata, whom they believe to be the Intercessor of departed Souls. Round about the hall are hung up flowers and crowns, cut of paper banners, and other gilded ornaments, suspended of Bambou reeds, which they use to carry in funeral processions. During their assemblies I have commonly observ'd a machine standing before the Desk or Pulpit, awkwardly join'd together of Bambous in the form of a table, and hung with yellow pieces of cloth, which the priests make use of for their dress, or rather covering their waste. There were flowers stuck about it for ornament's sake, and several dishes plac'd on it fill'd with Rice, Pinang, Pisang, dried Fishes, Lemons, Mangostanges, and other fruits of the Trees of the Country, which were offerings and presents made to the Convent. It happen'd once, when I was going into one of them, that on the steps I met such a machine, when they were carrying it home, the assembly being finish'd, either the throng of the people, or the carelessness of the bearers, were the occasion of their breaking it to pieces, so that the Dishes with the eatables, and all the Trumpery together, fell upon the ground, which made me speedily get out of the way, for fear the Mob might fall upon me as the cause of all the mischief. 1690. Round the City lie many Suburbs and Villages, some Suburbs of of which consist of inhabited Ships, or Vessels, rather Siam. than Houses, containing two, three, or more Families Inhabited each; they remove them from time to time, and float them Boats. particularly when the waters are high, where Fairs are kept, to sell their Goods there and get their Livelyhood by it. (Figs. 9, 10, 11.) The Houses in the common Villages, that stand upon firm Ground, are generally built of Bambous, reed, planks, and other ordinary stuff; some of the Houses in the Villages along the banks of the river stand on pales a fathom high, that the waters, which overflow the Country for some months, may freely pass under the 1690. Houses. Each House is furnish'd with Stairs, or a FIG. 9. An inhabited boat of the Siamites, which they float from place to place. go about it at high water. (Fig. 12.) Other Villages stand on higher and dry ground, and consequently not being subject to those Inundations their Houses want |