Page 167 - A History of Siam

A HISTORT OF SUM
159
In King Ekat'otsarot's reign, Dutch ships and Dutch
merchants to visit 1608
began Siam, and in the year
Siamese ambassadors were sent to Holland and were
received in audience by Prince Maurice of the
Netherlands.
relations were also maintained with the
Friendly
In 1606 the first mis-
Portuguese; Portuguese Jesuit
Balthazar de arrived at He
sionary, Sequeira, Ayut'ia.
had an overland from
exciting journey Tenasserim,
"
on the with and
meeting way Rhinoceros, elephants
one of which latter tare in one of his
tigers, pieces
company before his eyes."
In the same a Siamese was sent to the
year embassy
at Goa.
Portuguese Viceroy
During this reign a very large number of Japanese
settled in Siam. They were well received by the
who instituted a of
King, body-guard Japanese,
under the of Yamada who
leadership Nagamasa,
afterwards took so a in the
prominent part history
of the Kingdom.
relations were
On the advice of Yamada, friendly
opened between the King of Siam and the Shogun of
Minamoto. and
Japan, lyeyesu Compliments presents
were exchanged on several occasions. It is interesting
to note that the Shogun was very anxious to procure
firearms and ammunition from Siam, and expressed the
"
opinion that Siamese gunpowder was of surprisingly
1
good quality/
King Ekat'otsarot, towards the end of his reign,
appointed his eldest son, Prince Sut'at, to be Maha
The Prince had not held this
Uparat. young appoint-
ment for when he was accused one Nai Wai
long by P'ya
of to of the throne. The King
plotting gain possession
appears at this time to have been to some extent mentally