and war of some chief or prince, borrowed from
the remote and fabulous history of the county
*—^ e wide-spread legends of the Hindoos,
and now and then from Javanese and Malayan
story. The history of the Hindu god and hero
Hama, is of all others the most favourite topic;
and there exists in the Siamese language an
extensive composition, comprising all the adventures
of this worthy, which they call Ram-kian,
—r a word which I take to be a corruption of
Ramayana, the name of the well-known Sanscrit
poem. The Siamese story is so voluminous, that
it is said to be comprised in four hundred cantos,
or parts, and when dramatized, to take up
six weeks in acting. Of this I wai informed
personally by the Phraklang.
The Siamese have no dramatic compositions,
—that is to say, no performances containing a
regular written dialogue. Their plays are found- -
ed on the romances already mentioned, the actors
being left to their own wits for converting
the subject into a suitable dialogue. A prompter
stands by, and refreshes their memories, from
time to time, from the written volume which
he holds in his hand.
The Siamese are said to have some historical
compositions; and it is probable that the
dry chronology of their kings, and the leading
events of their history for a few centuries, may
be told by them with sufficient fidelity; but
it cannot for a moment be imagined that they
are capable, any more than other rude people,
of writing a rational and connected narrative of
their national story. The chiefs with whom I
conversed on this subject, appeared either to
be very ill-informed, or very little disposed to
communicate information. I was told that the
only documents of any value existed in the palace,
being records of passing events composed
by a state chronologist. To these, which are
deposited in the public archives, the officers of'
Government have recourse whenever occasion
requires. If I am to judge by the minute care
with which the particulars of the conversations
held with ourselves on public occasions were
taken down by the Government scribes, the records
in question ought at least to be very voluminous.
I t is to sacred literature only that the Siamese
attach, any importance. I t is this alone
which they consider a pursuit meriting any serious
attention. The language dedicated to religion
in Siam, is the same as in all other Baudd-
hist countries, the Bali, or Pali, commonly pronounced
in Siam Ba-li, as if it were written
in two syllables, agreeably to the monosyllabic
idiom of Siamese pronunciation. The Siamese
priests also occasionally denominate it Pasa Ma-
kata, which is only a corruption of Bahasa. Ma-
gadha,—meaning the language of Magadha, or