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industry. This trade gave rise, in 1827, to a war with the Siamese, who used every stratagem to oppress the subjects of one of the Laos tributary chiefs, Chow-vin-chan. This Prince, who was formerly so high in favour with the late King of Siam, as to be received, at his last visit, in a gilded boat, and to be carried in a gilded sedan chair, found the exorbitant exactions of the Siamese governor on the frontier, injurious to the trade of his subjects, and to his own revenues. He applied repeatedly, to the Court at Bankok for redress: and being unsuccessful, he then addressed the governor himself: but no attention was paid to his grievances. He finally had recourse to arms, to punish the governor, without any intention of waging war with the King, an event for which he was wholly unprepared. His rising, however, transfused so general a panic among the Siamese, that they very soon marched en masse against him, and met with immediate success. From that moment the country became the scene of bloodshed and devastation. Paya-meh-tap, the Siamese Commander-in-chief, not only endeavoured to enrich himself with immense spoils, but committed the most horrible acts of cruelty, butchering all, without regard to sex or age. And whenever this was found too tedious, he shut up a number of victims together, and then either set fire to the house, or blew it up with gunpowder. The number of captives (generally country people), was very great. They were brought down the Meinam on rafts; and were so short of provision, that the major part died from starvation: the remainder were distributed among the nobles as slaves, and were treated more inhumanly than the most inveterate enemies; while many of the fair sex were placed in the harems of the King and his nobles.

Forsaken by all his subjects, Chow-vin-chan fled with his family to one of the neighbouring Laos chiefs; in the mean time, the Cochinchinese sent an envoy to interpose with the Siamese Commander-in-chief