Page 109 - A History of Siam

A HISTORT OF SIAM 107

NOTE TO CHAPTER VII

The above account of wars with Chiengmai is
King P'rajai's
taken from the This is the
Chiengmai history. only complete
and coherent account in existence. Luang P'rasoefs History is
not in conflict with the version in all
Chiengmai ; particular,
mention of been on the second
Chiengmai having captured
in later versions of Siamese
expedition (as interpolated history)
is omitted.
Pinto professes to have accompanied King P'rajai on his
second expedition to Chiengmai. As, however, the Portuguese
adventurer states that he was near Pulo Condor in
shipwrecked
December 1547, f Siam, and elsewhere
a ter which he came to
asserts that he resided in Siam from 1540 till 1545, it is
impossible to place any reliance in his chronology. In Cogan's
translation an has been made to correct
(London, 1663) attempt
Pinto's but without much success.
chronology,
Pinto's of the war with is a mere
description Chiengmai
incoherent made from the accounts to him
jumble, up given by
some of his compatriots who had accompanied King P'rajai on
both expeditions. He mentions a Queen Regent, evidently
meant to be Maha T'ewi of but he her in an
Chiengmai, places
independent country, called Guipen, with its capital at Guitor.
This Queen Regent was subdued and made to pay tribute.
After with went on to
dealing her, King P'rajai Chiammay,
situated near a lake called
Singipamor.
Pinto speaks of 40,000 horses and 4,000 elephants, and is
of other For these reasons it is
guilty gross exaggerations. quite
impossible to treat him as a serious witness. Congreve, the
Restoration dramatist, refers to Pinto as one of the most famous
of the world's liars. Congreve was not far wrong.