History of the Kingdom of Siam and of the revolutions that have caused the overthrow of the empire, up to A.D. 1770Turpin, F. H. (François Henri)
History
History of the Kingdom of Siam and of the revolutions that have caused the overthrow of the empire, up to A.D. 1770
Turpin, F. H. (François Henri)
Thailand -- Description and travel; Thailand -- History
The governor, a man of sound abilities though not brilliant,
remembered that he had to deal with the son of one who had been a
friend to his nation. He considered that it was his duty to give him
substantial proofs of the gratitude the French owed him, by granting
him exemption from all taxes levied on foreigners.
He sent him back, satisfied with the success of his mission and gave
him many valuable gifts. The name of Dupleix will ever be graven on
our annals devoted to citizens who have benefited their country.
Faulcon, on his return to Siam was favourably received. Having
inherited his father's abilities he might have risen to a high
position. But lavish as his father had been, he desired wealth merely
for the purpose of making presents to Princes and Kings. His bounties,
which ensured his favour at Court, exhausted his resources. He died in
poverty in 1754, leaving his wife a son and several daughters in
absolute want. One of his daughters married a Dutch shipmaster, who
was ruined by the loss of his vessel few years afterwards.
She soon lost her husband and when the Siamese were led in captivity
to Pegu, she was married again to a Portuguese half-caste by name
Jeanchi, a captain of Burmese regiment, He will be spoken of later.
The other daughters did not long survive their father. There remains
only a son named John Faulcon, married to a Portuguese in Siam. The
Burmese took him prisoner, but evading the vigilence of his guards,
escaped to Siam with his wife where they lived in obscurity.
Such were the posterity of the celebrated Constantine Faulcon who, of
humble origin, raised himself to the steps of the throne.
The obstacle, to the conclusion of the negociations with the French
which had been caused by the flight of Madame Faulcon, was removed by
her return. Both parties were equally anxious to come to an agreement.
The French were desirous of leaving a land where they would only
encounter fruitless and inglorious perils. The Siamese could not but
be uneasy while they still retained guests, of whose heroic valour
they had had such an experience. I cannot refrain from citing two
examples of the intrepid courage of these brave men.
Saint Cri, a French captain was sailing downstream in a boat, the
Indian crew of which were all drunk and incapable, and he had only two
Europeans with him who were ready for any emergency.
The Siamese, seeing his defenceless condition made preparations to
board his vessel.
One of the two Europeans became terrified and swam off to parley with
them, but he was taken prisoner and loaded with chains. Saint Cri, too
weak to offer any resistance, feared lest he should fall into the
hands of these savages. Death appeared to be a preferable alternative
to slavery and brave to desperation as he had but one soldier with
him, put his powder and handgrenades on the bridge. He calmly waited
till a large number of Siamese had boarded his ship, and then, fired
his powder and blew his enemies into the air.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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