Her son afterwards obtained a captaincy in the Siamese navy, on the
Coromandel coast. In 1749, he was entrusted with a mission to M.
Dupleix who at that time was Governor-General of the French
possessions in the East Indies.
The governor, a man of sound abilities though not brilliant, remembered that he had to deal with the son of one who had been a friend to his nation. He considered that it was his duty to give him substantial proofs of the gratitude the French owed him, by granting him exemption from all taxes levied on foreigners.
He sent him back, satisfied with the success of his mission and gave him many valuable gifts. The name of Dupleix will ever be graven on our annals devoted to citizens who have benefited their country.
Faulcon, on his return to Siam was favourably received. Having inherited his father's abilities he might have risen to a high position. But lavish as his father had been, he desired wealth merely for the purpose of making presents to Princes and Kings. His bounties, which ensured his favour at Court, exhausted his resources. He died in poverty in 1754, leaving his wife a son and several daughters in absolute want. One of his daughters married a Dutch shipmaster, who was ruined by the loss of his vessel few years afterwards.
She soon lost her husband and when the Siamese were led in captivity to Pegu, she was married again to a Portuguese half-caste by name Jeanchi, a captain of Burmese regiment, He will be spoken of later.
The other daughters did not long survive their father. There remains only a son named John Faulcon, married to a Portuguese in Siam. The Burmese took him prisoner, but evading the vigilence of his guards, escaped to Siam with his wife where they lived in obscurity.
Such were the posterity of the celebrated Constantine Faulcon who, of humble origin, raised himself to the steps of the throne.
The obstacle, to the conclusion of the negociations with the French which had been caused by the flight of Madame Faulcon, was removed by her return. Both parties were equally anxious to come to an agreement. The French were desirous of leaving a land where they would only encounter fruitless and inglorious perils. The Siamese could not but be uneasy while they still retained guests, of whose heroic valour they had had such an experience. I cannot refrain from citing two examples of the intrepid courage of these brave men.
Saint Cri, a French captain was sailing downstream in a boat, the
Indian crew of which were all drunk and incapable, and he had only two
Europeans with him who were ready for any emergency.
The Siamese, seeing his defenceless condition made preparations to board his vessel.