The rains continue till September, when the lower part of the Menam begins to rise, and it is at its utmost height in November and December: it then begins to subside. Its rise is generally from twelve to sixteen feet, but two years since it rose to the height of twenty-one feet.
The thermometer is occasionally as low as 73° in the months of December and January, during the height of the northeast monsoon.
Vast numbers of boats and rafts, bringing in the productions of the upper country, visited the capital during the flood above alluded to.
CHAPTER XIX.
PROCESSION TO THE FUNERAL PILE OF WANG-NA OR SECOND KING—ORIGIN OF BUDHISM IN SIAM—SOMMONA KODOM—ATHEISTICAL PRINCIPLES OF BUDHISM—BUDHIST COMMANDMENTS—HISTORY OF SIAM—GOVERNMENT—TITLES OF THE KING—OFFICERS OF THE GOVERNMENT.
FUNERAL PROCESSION.
April second. Having received an invitation from his majesty through the praklang, some days since, to witness the procession of the remains of the late second king to the funeral pile, and this day being set apart for that purpose, a suitable boat was sent to us early by the praklang, and soon after seven in the morning, we proceeded across the river to the city.
The party in the praklang’s boat consisted of Mr. Hunter, Dr. Ticknor, Lt. Fowler, Mr. Morrison and myself—and in my boat were Midshipmen Rumfort, Weed and Wells, Mr. Robinson, &c., &c., and Raymondo the Portuguese interpreter. We landed near one of the city-gates and passed through it to the place assigned us, a great concourse of people being collected in the principal street through which the procession was to pass.