“But when the light winds lie at rest,
And on the glassy, heaving sea,
The black duck, with her glossy breast,
Sits swinging silently,
How beautiful! no ripples break the reach,
And silvery waves roll noiseless up the beach.”
These islands are uninhabited, excepting when they are used as a place of resort by Malay pirates. They are six in number, and a rocky islet. As they are not laid down in any of our charts, they were named the “Woodbury Group,” in honour of my friend, the Honourable Levi Woodbury, the secretary of the navy. The northernmost island was called “Geisinger;” the most southern and eastern, “Roberts;” the centre one, between the two, “Peacock;” and that one lying farthest to the westward, and nearly in latitude of Roberts island, was named “Boxer:” the others were left unnamed. Their latitudes and longitudes, from three chronometers and a meridian observation, are as follows:—Two of them are about two miles long; one is in latitude 10° 16′ N., and longitude, 102° 43′ E., and the other in 10° 7′ and 103°. Two small islands and a rocky islet to the westward of them, lie in 10° 25′ and 103°. Two narrow islands, four or five miles in length, one in latitude 10° 19′ and 103° 12′ E., and the other in 10° 15′, and 103° 21′ E. On the sixteenth February, at noon, we were abreast of cape Liant and the islands in its vicinity; the latter are high and bold of approach. Their latitude and longitude are laid down in the charts too far to the southward and eastward. On the eighteenth we came to anchor in four fathoms of water, about ten miles from the mouth of the river Menam.
The Ko Si-Chang islands bore as follows: The most southern and westward of the group, S. S. E. ¾ E.; centre, S. E. ½ S. The mountain of Bang-pa-soe, on the main land, E. S. E. The entrance of the eastern or main branch of the Menam, and the easternmost land in sight, W. S. W. The land is very low, even with the water’s edge, and covered with trees; that at the entrance, on the starboard hand, is a little more elevated. On the nineteenth, the tide had fallen to nineteen. We weighed again, and stood a mile or two to the southward, and anchored in five fathoms. The latitude and longitude of the anchorage is in latitude 13° 26′ N., and longitude 100° 33′ E., as was ascertained by frequent lunar observations and by four chronometers. During the height of the river, when it is swollen by the periodical rains, sixteen feet of water may be found on the bar. At high spring tides, in the dry season, twelve to thirteen feet, and eight to nine in common tides. The above-named islands, by some navigators called the Dutch islands, possess a safe and beautiful harbour, formed between the principal, or Si-Chang island, and the next in magnitude, called Koh-kam. They are inhabited only by a few fishermen, and produce some yams, bananas, capsicums, gourds, and cucumbers. A boat was despatched to them to obtain water, if possible, but it could not be found in sufficient quantities to furnish the ship. We had no other resource, but to send upward of forty miles for it, to Bang-kok, or else to take the brackish water of Packnam. Water, we were informed, could only be had at the Si-Changs during the rainy season.
PACKNAM.
A boat was sent to the governor of Packnam on the eighteenth, to inform him of the arrival of the ship, &c., and a letter was sent to the minister for foreign affairs, announcing the arrival of the mission. On the following day, an interpreter came on board, who asked among the first questions if there were any presents for the king, but received no satisfactory answer. A vast number of questions were also put to Mr. Morrison by the governor. A Cochin-Chinese ambassador arrived at Packnam on the same day, with several small filthy junks laden with merchandise. It was said to be only an annual mission sent by the emperor, while others stated that it was to honour the ceremony of burning the body of the “second king” who died some months since at the capital. On the twentieth, the captain of the port came on board, who said he was sent by the praklang or prime minister, by order of the king, to congratulate us on our arrival; that his majesty was much gratified at the good news, and very desirous of having a friendly commercial intercourse with the United States. After making similar inquiries, as the governor of Packnam, he returned. The day following, the praklang sent some fruit as a token of regard, with a complimentary message to me.
On Sunday the twenty-fourth, three large boats came to anchor near the ship, under the charge of the captain of the port of Bang-kok, Mr. Josef Piedade, a Christian Portuguese born at Bang-kok. He stated that preparations were made at Packnam by the governor for the reception of the mission, that a feast was there prepared by order of the king, that we should be under the necessity of remaining there that night, for it was customary for all foreign ministers to stop there, and notice to be given of their arrival; in congressional language, to “report progress.” The vessel in which I embarked was from seventy to eighty feet in length, and perhaps eight or nine in breadth, sharp built; having three long brass cannon, highly ornamented with silver, inlaid in fanciful devices. One was placed forward, between the bows, the vessel having no bowsprit; one aft, and two long swivels mounted on fixtures, between the fore and main mast, and between the main and mizen mast. She had three fore-and-aft sails made of light canvass, and cordage made of hemp, with good iron anchors, which are rarely seen on board native vessels in the China seas, wooden ones being in general use. The vessel was propelled with forty short oars, manned by as many Burmese slaves, dressed in the king’s uniform; being a coarse red cotton long jacket, a cap of the same material, trimmed with white, and a blue waist-cloth. The boat had two rudders, one under each quarter; and from having two helmsmen, it was either “hard up, or hard down,” continually; consequently, she “yawed” not a little. There were no less than seven red flags; one to each peak, two to each bow, and two to each quarter. A small house on deck was appropriated solely for the use of the envoy. It was covered with a carpet, and furnished with a pillow to recline on. The boat was neatly built and painted, and the house slightly decorated with carving and gilding. The passengers in the two boats consisted of Capt. Geisinger, Second-Lieut. Purveyance, Lieut. Fowler of the Marine Corps, Acting-Lieut. Brent, Doctor Ticknor, Midshipmen Carrol, Thomas, Crawford and Wells, and Mr. J. R. Morrison of Macao, Secretary and Chinese Interpreter, and four servants. The other was, in all respects, a similar vessel, but manned with thirty-six oars; rowed by Malay slaves dressed in blue, with caps of the same, trimmed with white. The ship lay in five and a half fathoms water, and not less than fifteen miles from Packnam, which is situated about two miles from the mouth of the river Menam: Packnam means the river’s mouth or embochure. The shores are every where very low, and as flat as the south side of La Plata, or Arkansas on the Mississippi, and in the rainy season are completely submerged. The entrance to the river on the starboard hand is rather more elevated than on the left, which is quite sunken, mangrove and other trees only appearing out of the water. The river takes a sharp turn to the northward, at the entrance; the left bank running parallel, gives it the appearance of being closed at the mouth.
PROCESSION.
We arrived at Packnam, on the left bank of the river, about eight, and found there, waiting for us, the captain of the port, and a great number of slaves at the landing, with torches in hand, and fastened also to temporary posts, to light us on the way to the government-house, situated just without an extensive fortification. There was a narrow way paved with broad bricks, which led to the governor’s. The gentlemen composing the company, the servants on each flank with their numerous flambeaux, with many hundred lookers-on, preserving the utmost decorum, made no small show, and produced, upon the whole, rather an imposing effect, for this was the first envoy ever sent to the “magnificent king of Siam,” from the United States.
We were ushered into the best house in the village, enclosed by a bamboo-fence and guarded by soldiers with long wooden poles, pointed with iron. The houses are erected as all the houses are here, from five to seven feet above the ground, on substantial posts; the sides are covered with attap, a species of palm growing abundantly on the banks of the Menam; they have a double roof, one of tile and another of attap to moderate the intensity of the heat. We ascended a stairway and were ushered into “the presence” through lines of prostrate slaves, from thence to a raised platform.
The governor was sitting cross-legged on an elevated seat, under a broad canopy, surrounded, a little beneath him, by his sword and silver-stick bearers, and a man holding a long fan made of feathers, which was kept in constant motion to keep him cool and to drive off the myriads of moschetoes. His menials were all prostrate, resting on their knees and elbows, coming in and going out in the same attitude, always keeping their faces turned towards him. He was smoking a long pipe, having before him areca-nut, chunam, ceri (siri) or betel-leaf, and tobacco, all of which were deposited in several large gold cups or goblets. His dress consisted of a waist-cloth—his head was shaved excepting on the crown, “à la Siamese.” He received us very graciously, courteously, and hospitably, shaking us heartily by the hand; chairs were prepared for us and the best viands the place could afford, consisting of at least a dozen dishes, were shortly ordered in, well cooked in the Portuguese fashion, clean and neat with porter, cocoa-nut water, and a square Dutch bottle of gin—there were clean table-cloth, knives, forks, plates and spoons, and the floor was covered with a neat woollen carpet. The usual inquiries were made for our healths, ages, children, &c., &c. He congratulated us on our arrival, and said the mission was not only gratifying to him personally but to the country, as he was informed by the praklang or principal minister.