A Full and True Relation of the Great and Wonderful Revolution That Hapned Lately in the Kingdom of Siam in the East-Indies/Part 2
O N the 25th of June 1688, being upon Duty, and Commanding a Company of fifty Siamese Soldiers in the little Fort of Morgen, I was seized on by my own Men, and made Prisoner, and for four days together was fastened to a Stake, with Iron Chains about my Body, on my Hands and Feet.
On the 29th I was carried out to see if I could know and discover some French Men that had been killed during the vigorous Defence that Monsieur de Bruham made in the Fort, and whilst he was drawing off his Men out of it, and retiring into the Frigat, upon which he made his escape; for there were about thirteen dead Bodies lying upon the place. And when I had told them all that I thought proper for them to know upon that matter, the Mandarins that Commanded in the Army that besieged the Fort, gave orders to put me to the Torture, to force me to declare and make information, that I had often heard Monsieur de Bruham say, That his being and commanding at Morgen was altogether unknown to the King of Siam, and by the order of Monsieur Constance only, on purpose to make himself Master of the Countrey; and that Monsieur de Bruham expected several Ships with Men, Arms, and Ammunition from France, to enable him to carry on that Design more effectually. I was appli'd to, and kept in the torture four hours together.
On the 7th of July, the Mandarins made me go for Siam in the company of a French Soldier call'd Picquard, who had the misfortune to be made a Prisoner the same day that Monsieur de Braham made his Retreat from Morgen; and tho' we were but two Men, and both in Chains, yet such was the mistruft they entertain'd of us, that they would needs send above Sixty Soldiers to guard us thither.
On the 17th I came to Siam, and on the 19th was brought to Louvo. The first place they brought me into, was the great Hall where the Barcalon was sitting with many Mandarins about him, who commanded me to be Interrogated very strictly upon several Matters relating to Monsieur Bruham.
Next Morning I was informed by a Missionary Priest, who accidentally discovered the place where I was kept Prisoner, that the Bishop of Metellopolis was gone to Bancock, by the express command of Opra Pitrachard, to negotiate a Treaty of Peace with Monsieur des Farges our General, and that they were in daily expectation of hearing of the conclusion of it. This was the first time that I had any tolerable ground to entertain my self with the hopes of Life, since my falling into their hands; for 'till now I gave all for lost.
On the 25th the Bishop return'd to Louvo with full power from Monsieur des Farges, to Treat about a Peace; and from that time forward Opra Pitrachard began to desist from his cruel Treatment of the French, and other Christians that were in his power.
In the Month of July, the King of Siam hapned to die, but the manner of it, nor the certain day, being as yet unknown, Opra Pitrachard set out from Louvo on the last day of the Month to Siam, where he was Crown'd with great Ceremony, and without any opposition. Next day after the Coronation, he order'd all the French and English that were at Siam and Louvo to be set at liberty.
On the 3d of August I arrived at Siam, with four other French Officers, namely Messieurs de Fretteville, de Vandrille, des Carges, and de Laisse.
On the 9th Opra Pitrachard now King of Siam, sent us all five to Bancock, not to our own General, as we hoped, but to his General that Commanded the Malayans, who kept us Prisoners almost a Month; and all the French that were left at Siam were delivered into the Custody of the Jesuits, and of the Chief Factor of the French Company of Merchants, to be reponsible for them.
The King being resolved to have a Peace concluded at any Rate, sent us at last to Monsieur des Farges, who would hearken to no Treaty, without allowing us the benefit of being comprehended in it, by which means our liberty was obtain'd.
On the 30th of September the Peace was concluded and sign'd. Two days after Monsieur des Farges, our General, sent me from Bancock to Morgen, to see what was become of Monsieur de Bruham, and to acquaint him that the Peace was concluded⟨.⟩ The King of Siam gave me a Mandarin to accompany me, and to provide for me such things as were necessary during my Journey.
On the 12th of October I arriv'd at Morgen, where I stay'd not long, because I could learn nothing about Monsieur de Bruham.
On the First of November, I Embarqued on a small Frigat of the King of Siam's, and went upon the Rivers of Tanay, Musavan, and Sorian, in the Kingdom of Pegu, thinking to have found him in some of those places: But missing of him there, I was obliged to pass by the Islands of Rey, and to go on shore at Seroide, where, by some certain marks, I knew that Monsieur Bruham had touch'd, and especially by some pieces of the French Soldiers Cloaths that seem'd to have been left there on purpose to give us notice of their passage that way.
On the 12th of November I return'd again to Morgen, where finding a Ship belonging to the Royal French Company, call'd The Cocq, commanded by Monsieur Darmagnan, I Embarqued thereupon two days after, to go to Pondichery, where I was ordered to wait for Monsieur des Farges, according to the Instructions he gave me at parting from Bancock.
F i n i s.