Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-11-12

lowed him until he had crossed the ST. thong rivers
stream running between Martaban and Rangoop, wheI
he turned against the Peguan army shot the commander
who fell from his elephant Dead and then proceeded il
safety to Ayuthia
War with Pegu followed and Siam again became indie
pendent On the demise of Mahs Thumma- raja Primo,
Naret succeeded to the throne and became of hs
mightest and most renowned rulers Siam had In
his with Pegu he accompanied by his younger
brother Ska who succeeded Naret in the throne
but account of mental arrangement removed
and Phra- sirn Wi-mon thum called by the mobiles
from the priesthood to the throne He very popular
learned and religious teacher and commanded the
respect of all the public councillors, but he not OF
! the royal family. His coronation took place in 1902.
There had preceded him of nineteen kings except
/ ing one usurper The king committed all authority
in descendant of the former line kings
and to him also he intrusted his for education
posing confidence in him capable of maintaining the
royal authority all the tributary provinces This
officer thus became possessed of the highest dignity and
power His master had been advanced to the throne at
advanced age During the twenty-six years he was
the throne he had three born under the royal
canopy, j. the great white umbrellas, one of the insig-
MIA Of royalty After the demise Of the king at an
old age the parsonage whom he had appointed
regent in full council Of the nobes raised his
then sixteen years DID, to the throne short time after
the regent caused the second to be sain under the
pretext of rebellion against his elder brother Those who
enysus of the regent excited the king to revenge
his brothers death causeles and planned the regents
assassination but he, being seasonably apprised OF it,
called council of mobiles, and dehroned him after one
years reign and then raised his youngest brother the
third son. to the throne.
He was only eleven years old. His extreme youth and
fondness for play rather than politics or government
created discomfort Men Of Office that il
exposing their country contempt and sought for
one who might fill the place with dignity The regent
long accustomed to all the duties of the Government
and had enjoyed the confidence of their late venerable
king; so, with voice. the child dethroned, and
the regent exalted under the title of Phrachau Phra Saith
thong. This event occurred in 1850 The king said
have been connected with the former dynasty both
nd mat a hu We
been quite remote and obscure Under the reign of the
priest king he bore the title of Raa Suriwong ind
eating remote connexion with the royal family. From
him descended line of ten kings, who regned Ayu
thia and Sopha-buri, Louvo of French writer's This
line was once interrupted by usurper between the
fourth and fifth reigns This usurper was the foster
father of unacknowledged though real of the fourth
king, Chau Nara During his reign many European
merchants established themselves and their trade in the
country, among whom was Constantine Faulkon He be-
came great favorite by his skill in business his sugges
tons and superintendent of public works after European
models and by his presents of many articles regarded
the people in those days great curostes such te
lescopes &c.
King Narai the most distinguished of all Siamese ru-
ers, before since, being highly pleased with the
vices OF Constantine conferred him the title Of Chan
Phya Wichayentra-,h- bod under which title there de-
voved on him the management of the government of all
the northern provinces of the country He suggested
the king the plan of erecting fort European prnci
pies protection to the capital This accepta
bic proposal that at the kings direction he was autho
rzed to select the location and construct the fort He
ected aplace which then employed garden ground
but is the territory of Bangkok On the west bank
near the mouth of canal called Bangluang he con-
structed fort which bears the of Wichayens fort
this day. 1t is close the former residence of his
Royal Highness Chaufanoi Kroma Khun Isaretrangsan
and now the Maha Uparaj, second king of Siam This
fort and circumacent territory then called Thana
burr wall was erected enclosing space of about
hundred yards a side. Another fort built the
east side Of the river where the walled city of Bangkok
now stands The ancient name Bangkok.was in when
uhala
as Bangcha Bangphra Bangplasoi, &C.; Bang signfyng
small stream canal such seen in gardens The
aforementioned fort was erected in 1876.
This extraordinary European also induced his grateful
sovereign, King Narai, repair the old city of Sophia
buri and construct there extensive royal palace on
the principles of European architecture. On the north
OF this palace Constantine erected extensive and beau
Sfai collection &c Lili;e La Herr,
Also he built Romish church, which are still to be
seen some inscriptions in European letters Constantine
Faulkon of Greek extraction, and born in Cephao-
MA The ruins of all these edifces and their walls
still to be seen, and great curiosity It's
stated that he planned the construction of canals whre
servors at intervals for bringing water from the
ans the northeast to the city Of Sophia bur and
yeying it through earhen and copper pipes and syphon
SO TO supply the city in the dry season, the
principle that adopted in Europe He commenced also
canal with embankments to the holy place, called Phra
Ba about twenty-five miles southwest from Sopha-bur
He made artificial pond on the summit Of Phra Bat
mountain, and thence, by means of copper tubes and
stopcocks conveyed abundance Of water to the kitchen
bathrooms of the royal residence the foot of the
mountains. His works were not completed when misfor
| tune overlook him.
Many Samese officers and royal ministers were jealous
of his influence and murmured their suspicious OF his be-
ing secret rebel At length he accused of design
ing to put the king to death by inviting him to visit the
church he had built between the walls Of which it is said
he had inserted quantity Of gunpowder which was to
be igntcd by match at given signal and thus involve
the death Of the king On this serious charge he
sassnated by private order Of the king This is the
traditional story the written annals state that he was
slain in his sedan while faithful his king by order of
rebel prince who perceived he could not succeed in his
nefarous plans against the throne while Constantine
lived The works which he left half done gen.
eraly in ruins the canal to Phra Bat and aqueduct at
the mountains
After the demise Of Narai his uuacknowledged son,
born Of princess Of Yunnan Chang mai and intrust
ed for training to the Of Phya Pecha raa slew Ma
rails and heir and constituted his foserather king
himself acting prime minister till the death Of his fos
terather fifteen years after he then assumed the royal
state himself He is ordinarily spoken Of as Mai Qua
Two Of his and two of his grandsons subsequently
reigned in Ayutha. The youngest Of these grandsons
reigned only short tme and then surrendered the royal
authority his brother and entered the priesthood
While his brother regned, in the year 1852 the Bur-
man King Aompra, with an immense army, march
ing in three divisions, many distinct routes and
combined at last in the siege Of Ayuthia The Siamese
King Chaufa skadwat Anurak MONTH, made resolute
effort Of resistance His great officers disagreed in their
The inhabitants of all the smaller were
indeed called behind the walls Of the city, and ordered
to defend it TO their utmost ability but jealousy and dis
senson rendered all their bravery useless Sales and
skirmishes frequent in which the Burmese
generally the victorious party The siege continued
4 two years. The Burmese commander-in-chief, Maha
Noratha died. but his principal officers elected another
IN bis place At the end Of two years the Burmese, ia
vored by the dry season. when the waters shallow