No explanation of this singular piece of ceremony could ever be obtained. I ought to have mentioned, previously, a horrible custom which occasionally prevails here: many Siamese give directions that their dead bodies shall be stripped of the flesh and given to dogs, and carniverous birds, which infest the neighbourhood of the altars, and the bones only are burnt. This is considered to be both laudable and charitable. The unconsumed bones are carefully collected, prayers are recited over them, and various ceremonies are performed by the priests. They are then burnt to ashes, reduced into a paste with water, and then formed into a small figure of Budha, and gilded; the latter is then placed among the household gods, or deposited in a temple of Budha. If any important branch of the family die, it is carried in procession, and this is called “the procession of the bones of their ancestors.” But as the priests are very exorbitant in their demands for this small piece of service, none but the richer class can afford the expense.
MISSIONARIES.
I omitted to mention the arrival, some days since, from Singapore, of the English schooner Reliance, commanded by an American, Captain Burgess of Maine, and owned by Robert Hunter, a Scotch gentleman, who has been trading for eight or nine years past between Singapore and some of the ports on the eastern side of the Malay peninsula, but more particularly with this place. In this vessel came an American Baptist missionary, the Reverend John Taylor Jones—wife, child, and servants: he has been residing for about two years past at Maulmein, in Burmah, but latterly at Rangoon. He had been expected for some months, and a house was preparing for him by the very respectable Mr. Silveiro, the Portuguese consul at Cokai, near a campong of Burmese. I immediately wrote a note and sent it to the roads, about forty or fifty miles distant, offering them every accommodation in our extensive house, until they should be able to take possession of their own. Two days afterward, the family arrived with the exception of Mr. Jones, who came the following day, and remained with us till every thing was arranged. Their house is a tolerably comfortable one for the climate; they appear to be well satisfied with it, and their contiguity to Mr. Silveiro, who speaks French, English, and Siamese, and is able to give every sort of information relative to the people and the country, having resided here about thirteen years. The house is situated a short distance back from the river, amidst palm and other trees, and is surrounded by a dense population. The house formerly occupied by the Reverend Mr. Tompkin, an Englishman, Mr. Gutzlaff, a Prussian, and Mr. Abeel an American, all missionaries, residing here within the last few years, is a short distance from it, and immediately on the banks of the Menam; it is a very small cottage, fit only for humble dwellers, and the very appearance of it, with the very respectable men who occupied it, will convince any one, that a life of luxury and indolence was not their object in leaving their country and their homes, and all that was dear to them; but to go about doing good in the cause of Christ, according to their best abilities.
These worthy men did much good when they were here, by administering medicines to the sick, and in many instances, no doubt, in distributing useful and religious tracts in the Siamese and Chinese languages; but the injudicious though well-meant zeal of Mr. Gutzlaff in the very outset, within the first two days of his arrival, gave great cause of offence to the government; for he immediately threw many thousands of tracts into every floating house, boat and junk, as well as into cottages. An order was issued for his immediate expulsion from the country, and that his tracts should be collected and burnt; and had it not been for the friendly interference and good management of Mr. Hunter, who was a favourite with the praklang, the order would have been executed.
The king ordered a translation of the tracts to be made, which was done very fairly; he read them and said candidly and openly that there was nothing objectionable in them, but he preferred his own religion. The government raise no objections to Christian missionaries residing in the country, and it is as favourably disposed toward them as can be expected, considering the great influence of the Budha priests; but missionaries must never suffer their zeal to transport them beyond the bounds of common prudence. A certain sect of Christians here are very inimical to Protestant missionaries, much more so, I am credibly informed, than the Talapoys, who believe themselves so firmly seated that they do not trouble themselves about the Protestant preachers. As a convincing proof that the government is far from being unfriendly to missionaries, the praklang sent down a good covered boat, expressly to convey Mr. Jones and his family to their new residence, at Cokai, two miles distant from our house. Mr. Jones was introduced by Mr. Hunter to the praklang, who received him with apparent kindness.
It it said, by some, that this favourable reception is owing to his being an American citizen, and because of the friendly terms existing between the government of Siam and the United States. It is true, without doubt, that the king openly expressed much gratification, that an American man-of-war had arrived with an envoy, for the purpose of forming a treaty of amity and commerce. This fact was named to me repeatedly, by the praklang and by others, who daily attend the court. His Siamese majesty immediately ordered his best unoccupied building to be prepared for us, (and it certainly is the best on the river;) two of his best war-boats to be sent to bring us to the city, and a feast to be prepared by the governor of Packnam; and on our arrival at the house, every comfort and every luxury were spread on the table; and cook, purveyor, servants, interpreters, and guards, at our service. The praklang was ordered to facilitate the speedy execution of the treaty, &c.
All this was very gratifying; but, under the frequent delays and obstructions thrown in the way of the treaty by the praklang, influenced, probably, by the preference which the government people of Siam were said to have for my countrymen, it is said by Mr. S. and by many others, to have been the most extraordinary instance of despatch ever known in the history of diplomacy in this country, even when an enemy was at their door. Their friendly disposition towards us was confirmed by Major Burney, who was sent to Siam, by the governor-general of India, about six years since, now ambassador at the court of Ava. He informed Mr. Jones, that the Americans were decidedly preferred to any other foreigners. He was detained here about seven months, and met with a thousand vexations. He was not more successful in his negotiations than we were, although aided by the sacrifice of the king of Quedah, and the fears the Siamese have of their English neighbours in Burmah, and the Malay peninsula. Mr. Crawford, his predecessor, likewise, who came here for a similar purpose, in 1812, was detained several months, treated with insult, and dismissed without obtaining a single commercial advantage. I omitted to mention that Mr. Abeel is held here in the highest estimation, by those who have the pleasure of his acquaintance. He possesses talents of a very superior order, and acquirements that do great credit to his industry; is mild and conciliating in his manners, forcible in his arguments, yet possessing a sufficient degree of zeal, never giving offence to the government, nor creating dislike by being over-zealous, and thereby disgusting the natives; but the bad state of his health would not permit him to remain on this good missionary ground, which may be made, in a few years, ready for the harvest. Missionary stations should never be left vacant, and several teachers should be on the spot at the same time, so as to be able to relieve each other occasionally. The language of the country must first be learned, and at least a partial knowledge obtained of the Mandarin and Fo-kien languages of China. Missionaries should also be well acquainted with the peculiar doctrines of the Budhists, which they are labouring to subvert: free schools should be established; a printing-press put in operation, and those children should be preferred who have never attended the schools of the Talapoys. Although a good wife contributes in a thousand ways to the comfort and convenience of the missionary, yet the prejudices of the people they visit should be consulted, at least for the present; for the Siamese are firm in their opinion, that the vow of perpetual celibacy should be observed by all who bear the title of priests, of Christians as well as worshippers of Budha. All missionaries should also have some knowledge of medicine and surgery.