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Kaempfer and Thai history: the documents behind the printed texts
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 March 2011
Extract
The 39-year old Engelbert Kaempfer sighted the Siamese coast on 1 June 1690, and on 7 June his ship entered the river Chao Phraya, and reached the Dutch residence “Amsterdam”. Three days later he arrived in the Thai capital, Ayutthaya. Almost a month later, on 4 July, Kaempfer's boat began its journey downriver, spending some days loading goods at “Amsterdam”, and on 10 July he left Siamese territory, continuing his journey to Japan.
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References
1 The edition used in this research is Kaempfer, E., The History of Japan, Together with a Description of the Kingdom of Siam, 1690–92, Vol. 1, Glasgow, 1906Google Scholar.
2 E. Kaempfer, Geschichte und Beschreibung von Japan., Aus den Originalhandschriften des Verfassers herausgegeben von C.W. Dohm. Reprint of the original edition, Stuttgart, 1964.
3 The History of Japan, p. 40.
4 Geschichte und Beschreibung von Japan, pp. 35–6.
5 Microfilm no. 3060, pp. 32–3.
6 Frankfurter, O., “Some remarks on Kaempfer's description of Siam, 1690”, Journal of the Siam Society, 6, Part 3, 1909, pp. 22–31Google Scholar.
7 Dohm, p. 24.
8 The thael, sometimes spelled thaal or thail, is the Thai tamlueng. Fifteen thaels are equivalent to 60 baht.
9 “Chotmaihet Hon”, Prachum Phongsawadan, Vol. 8, Bangkok, B.E. 2507, p. 131.
10 Microfilm no. 2921.
11 A recent publication on this Latin essay is Carrubba, R. W., “Kaempfer's Latin account of the ordeal by fire in Siam”, Acta Orientalia, 46, 1985, pp. 101–9Google Scholar. Carrubba does not appear to have been aware of the fact that two sets of original notes for this article have survived in the British Library.
12 As witnessed by a letter, dated 29 June 1691, by Brochebourde to Kaempfer, preserved among Kaempfer's papers in the British Museum.
13 Microfilm no. 3061, f. 14.
14 Smith, G.V., The Dutch in Seventeenth-Century Thailand, Northern Illinois University, Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Special Report no. 16, 1977, p. 105Google Scholar.
15 Tachard had returned from Siam in 1686, and published his Voyage de Siam des Pères Jesuits, Envoyez par le Roy aux Indes & à la Chine.
16 On June 23 Kaempfer noted down the main points of the Blackmoor incident. Apparently this Englishman was among the foreigners who were in charge of Thai junks and who traded the Thai king's goods. Off the Tonkinese coast the Englishman had tried to beach his junk in order to take possession of the best of the goods. Several Thai crew members who tried to prevent him were wounded. One of the crew reached Ayutthaya and accused Blackmoor, whereupon the latter's house and goods were confiscated.
17 In 1965 Sternstein commented favourably upon the published version of Kaempfer's Plan of Ayutthaya, which simply gives the main roads and waterways. See Sternstein, L., “‘Krung Kao’: The old capital of Ayutthaya”, Journal of the Siam Society, 53, Part 1, 01 1965, pp. 83–121Google Scholar. I have shown Dr Sternstein the much more detailed unpublished map, and he has readily agreed to a future joint project to study Kaempfer's measurements.
18 Microfilm no. 3060, f. 434.
19 F. 431.
20 F. 437.
21 While the idea that the Thais learnt the art of writing from the Laotians cannot be upheld, the idea that at least one of the northern Thai scripts came from Laos is quite reasonable.
22 See for example Nguyen-Xuan-Nguyen, , “Contribution à l'étude des tatouages au Laos”, Bulletin de I'Institut Indochinois pour l'Étude de l'Homme, 1941, pp. 99–111Google Scholar; and P. Levi, “Les tatouages laotiens”, ibid., pp. 113–17.
23 Gervaise has a chapter on insects and reptiles, but does not seem to be aware of the type referred to by Kaempfer. A description that does seem quite comparable is that of the ngu pling, or “leech-snake” in Mgr Bruguière's, B. letter, dated 1829Google Scholar, published in Annales de l'Association de la Propagation de la Foi, 5, 1831, p. 83Google Scholar. He describes this snake as having the length of a finger, and the form and colour of a leech. It normally lives in the marshes, deeply buried in the mud. He who has the misfortune to be bitten by it dies almost instantaneously.
24 I thank Dr. J.C. Eade of the Australian National University for giving valuable assistance in deciphering, and providing a tentative translation of, some of Kaempfer's Latin phrases.
25 Two kettle drums fastened horizontally in a small rectangular frame. Many Thai books on traditional music carry a picture and a short description of this instrument. In English a detailed description together with an illustration can be found in Yupho, Dhanit, Thai Musical Instruments (tr. Morton, D.), Bangkok, 1960, pp. 24–5Google Scholar. See also Morton, D., The Traditional Music of Thailand, Berkeley, 1976, p. 104Google Scholar.
26 This is reminiscent of the early 1850s, when officers were sent out to fine those who disobeyed the king's proclamations on the use of proper language. For details and further references, see Terwiel, B. J., A History of Modern Thailand, 1767–1942, St Lucia, 1983, p. 173 and p. 204, nn.33 and 35Google Scholar.
27 Recently a seventeenth-century text on Laos was scrutinised with the help of original diaries and notes, resulting in a very valuable primary source. See Lejosne, J.-C., Le journal de voyage de G. van Wuysthoff et de ses assistants au Laos (1641–1642), Paris, n.d.Google Scholar