466 -Hamilton’s account of the east indies.

feparate, it is only to hold fome near the furface of the water, and they will take itfamiliarly from the hand. I have often taken pleafure to feed them, and fee them play,but as foon as we leave off feeding them they will withdraw, fo that hardly one is tobe feen till a new fupply of victuals is offered to them.

But none dares offer to take one of them, for fear of railing a zealous fanctified mob,who punilh fmall faults with the greateft feverities, and thofe filhes being confecratedto the god of that temple, are fecurely protected by the confecration. They continueabout the temple till the middle of December, that the Hoods begin to draw off theground, and then they depart, and are feen no where in any river or pond belongingto Siam , till September brings them back to their temple.

Whatever animal comes within the verge of a temple, it is fecured from purfuit orviolence. I knew a Portugueze inhabitant of Siam , who Ihot a crow as it fat on thebranch of a tree that grew near a temple, on which the priefts raifed a mob, who brokeboth the poor man’s legs and arms, and left him in the field for dead ; but fomeChriftians coming accidentally by, carried him in a boat, in that deplorable ffate,to a French furgeon, who fet his bones, and cured him. I faw him alive and well inanno 1720.

The French have a bilhop at Siam , with a church and a feminary for the educationof converts. They ftand a little above the city, on the oppofite fide of the river. Theymake but few converts, except when corn is dear, and then fome of the poorer fortreceive baptifm, which entitles them to a maintenance from the church ; but, whenplenty returns, they throw away their beads and brazen faint, and bid farewel toChriftianity. In anno 1720, there were not above 70 Chriftians in and about Siam ,and they the moft diffolute, lazy, thievilh rafcals that were to be found in thecountry.

The bilhop was one Mr. Ciffee, a man of about 80 years of age, who, in a faminethat happened there in anno 1708, took up about 3000I. fterling from the King, tobuy corn for the fupport of his church, and fuch poor Siamers as were converted bythe neceflity of the times, who relapfed again as foon as the famine ceafed, and the poorold bilhop cannot leave the country till that debt be difcharged. He is fuperftitioully.zealous for his religion, and would fain go to Couchin-China , or Tunquin, to die amartyr, becaufe it is death by their law to preach any foreign do&rine without leavefirft obtained from their Kings.

Whatever principles he may have had in religion I know not, but I am fure thathe w'as a diminutive moralift, which I knew by experience, in feducing fome of my fea-men, who were black Chriftians, to leave my Ihip at Siam , contrary to his proinife,which obliged me to buy Haves to fupply their places ; but I left him fome caufe torepent of his folly and breach of promife.

There were four or five priefts there befides the bilhop, one whereof always attendsthe college, and the others officiate daily in the church. They live abftemioully, but,I believe, -rather through force than choice, for their incomes are very fmall, as charityand piety are very cold among their flock. The Portugueze have alio a church there,built on the fide of the river, oppofite to the lower end of the town ; but their prieftsare generally fo fcandalous in their lives, that few frequent their church, or care fortheir converfation. The Chinel'e being very numerous in Siam , have feveral fmalltemples, but none remarkable for their ftrufture or beauty.

The Dutch have a factory there, about a mile below the town, on the fame fide orthe river. Their greateft inveftments are in tin, fapan-wood, and deers Ikius, which

c they