Hamilton’s account of the east indies.

480

power of laying on fines, but they are paid into the King’s treafury ; but in capital.crimes, his fentence is law, and fpeedy execution follows fentence.

The Cambodians are of a light brown complexion, and very well fhaped, their hairlong, and beards thin. Their women are very, handfome, but not very modeft Themen wear a veftment like our night gowns, but nothing on their heads or feet. Thewomen wear a petticoat reaching below the. ancle, and on their bodies a frock madeclofe and meet for their bodies and arms, and both fexesdrefs their hair.

I faw none of their priefts, but under flood from my interpreter, that they worfhip thefame gods that.are adored in Siam. They worfhip the great God under the name ofTipedah ; and Praw Prumb,and Praw Pout, are his Tons. The church fubfifts by free-will-offerings, and their priefts are not much refpedte-d, being generally chofen fromamong the lower fort of the laity.

The kingdom of Laos borders on Siam, Cambodia , Couchin-China, and Tonquin. Itproduces gold, andraw.filk ; elephants teeth arefo plentiful, that they flake their fieldsand gardens about with them, to keep out wild hogs and cattle from deftroying theirfruit and corn. They are all Pagans in religion.

The natives of Laos are whiter in complexion than their circumjacent neighbours.I faw lame of them at Siam , of both fexes. Their women were little inferior to Portu-gueze or Spanifh ladies.

There are feveral iflands that lie off the coaft of Cambodia , but none are inhabited,becaufe the faleeters or pirates that infefl that coaft, rob them of what they get by painsand induftry, though there is one about three leagues weft of Ponteamafs called Qua-drol, that has good qualifications for a fettlement. It is about three leagues long, andone broad, Wood and frefh water are plentiful, the ground'of a moderate height,the foil. black and fat, except along the eaft fide which faces Ponteamafs, and thathas feveral fine fandy bays, and they are good fafe harbours in the rainy and windyfeafons.

About 30 leagues eaft-fouth-eaft from Ponteamafs, is the weft entrance of Cam-bodia river, generally called Bocca de Carangera. The fhalloweft place in the channelin going in, is four fathoms, and within it deepens to twenty in feme places. Thenorth entrance is broader, but much fhallower, and lies about ten leagues diftant fromthe weft channel, but is little frequented. Between Ponteamafs and the river, arefeveral fmall uninhabited iflands. Pullo-panjang is the largeft, and confifts of a cluftetof eight iflands, which form a pretty good harbour. Pulloubi is the eaftmoft, and affordsgood rnafts for fhipping.

Pullo-condore is the largeft and higheft, compofed of four or five iflands. It l' esabout 15 leagues fouth of the weft channel of Cambodia River . Pullo-condore hadonce the honour of an Englifh colony fettled on it, by Mr. Allan Ketchpole, in anno1702, when the fadtory of Chufan, on the coaft oEChina, was broke up, he being thendiredtor for affairs of the Englifh Eaft India Company in thofe parts.

He made a bad choice of a place for a colony, that ifland producing nothing butwood, water, and fifh for catching. He got fome Maccaffers to ferve for foldiers,and help to build a fortification, and made a firm contract with them to difcharge themat the end of three years, if they were minded to quit his fervice, but did not performwhat was contracted, which was the caule of his own ruin, and the lofs of the colony;for thofe eaftern defperadoes are very faithful where contradts and covenants are dulyobferved when made with them, but in defailance, they are revengeful and crue •JMr. Ketchpole having detained the Maccaffers beyond their time of agreement, u 1 *

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