Page 190 - A History of Siam

182 A HISTORY OF SIAM

to T'ado T'ammaraja of Burma, 1 suggesting that it
should be adopted in Burma as well. The Burmese
monarch felt little interest in the matter, as the
probably
" "
animal was not in use in Burma.
cycle general
Moreover, he had already averted all danger of ill luck
a ordination
by holding huge ceremony, at which 1,000
one of each of the were initiated into
youths, year Era,
the Buddhist He therefore sent an
priesthood. embassy
to with a letter an unfavourable
Ayut'ia, returning reply.
King Prasat T'ong flew into a passion, and dismissed the
Burmese after insults them.
envoys, heaping upon
" "
The alteration in the animal was never
cycle
even in Siam.
generally adopted,
In 1649, the usurper indulged in another outburst of
the Dutch. The Dutch had
fury against Company put
forward a certain claim the Siamese Government,
against
which the after first to later
King, promising meet,
repudiated. Annoyed at the King's fickleness, van
Vliet used much and
stronger language than was wise,
it was that he had uttered a threat to a
reported bring
Dutch fleet to attack The who as
Ayut'ia. King, was,
usual, drunk when this report was made to him, at first
ordered the immediate execution of Dutchman in
every
Siam. He was induced to them one
grant day's grace
in which to leave the which were
country, failing they
to be trampled to death by elephants, and the factory
given up to plunder. The whole capital was thrown into
confusion. Troops were called out, cannon pointed at
the Dutch and all the Dutchmen were arrested
factory,
and kept in confinement for some time. The King,
however, changed his mind about having them trampled
to death, and in the end released them, and bestowed
various marks of favour upon van Vliet. For some time,
1
Called Thalun in Harvey's History of Burma.