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Indies. It contains "a faithful narrative of the king-
dom of Siam." It was published In A. D. 1676.
A French envoy M. de la Loubere was sent to
the king of Siam in 1687. From his personal experi-
ences, he wrote an account of Siam under the name—
Description dit Royaitme de Siam, par Mr. de la
Lonbere, Envoye extraordinaire du Roy auprcs du
Roy de Siam. Jt was written in two volumes. The
first volume contains an account of the manners and
customs of the Siamese people. In the second volume
"a full and curious account is given of the Chinese
way of Arithmetic and Mathematics learning."
With the formation of the English East India
Company English merchants and travellers began to
frequent the East Indies. So we find an English
traveller named Capt. Alexander Hamilton visiting
all the countries of the East up to the Island of Japan
in 1688-1723. His book—A new Account of the East
Indies^ being the observations and remarks of CapL
Alexander Hamilton^ who spent his time there from
the year 1688 to 1723, was published from Edinburgh
in two volumes in 1727. For these thirty five years
Capt. Hamilton was " trading and travelling by sea
and land, to most of the countries and islands of com-
merce and navigation, between the cape of Goodhope
and the island of Japan."
He was followed by another English merchant
named Ralph Smith, who visited Siam among other
countries. We find an account of his travels in the