Surat dari Phrakhlang atas nama Süa, Raja Siam (memerintah, 1703-1709) kepada Pemerintah Agung, Maret 1703, dan jawaban dari Batavia, 27 Agustus 1703

DAILY JOURNALS OF BATAVIA, 19 FEBRUARY 1704

[fol. 85]

Translation of a Malay letter written by the present bercklang [1] or prime minister of Siam to His Lordship the Supreme Government in Batavia.

This letter is from the sjapia [2] Phrakhlang to Willem Outhoorn Governor-General and the Councillors of Asia to whom the Honourable Company has entrusted the government of affairs and the rule over [fol. 86] the whole of Asia (the Indies). By his upright conduct of affairs, the wise Governor-General has improved the path of reciprocal friendship and good relations between the Kingdom of Siam and the Prince of Orange, as well as the Company, so that at the moment there is not the slightest dissension ruffles this. The [state of] all the business of the Company throughout the whole Kingdom of Siam remains stable and untrammelled in all parts [of the realm], there being not even the slightest alteration. [This is] because I do my utmost to live in concord with the Governor-General and to ensure that in the future everything will be in even better case. My gracious ruler and lord, Somdat Bormat Busti Prapoudi Tsjouw Dzjouhou [3], has commanded me that I should affirm the path of the sound purpose with the Prince of Orange. His Most Illustrious Majesty has spoken most favourably of the Governor- General and commanded that all the affairs of the Company be encouraged and improved. And that [these] will enjoy even more advantages than has hitherto been the case, and that with a twofold profit.

On Tuesday the sixth [day] of the third month in the Year of the Horse, the chief merchant sent Lowang Tronpanet [4] to me, and [through him] submitted a request that he may come to court, before a letter from me was dispatched to Batavia. For, in the time of Lowang Apywaree [5] and Lowang Witsit Sakoen [6], they had also submitted a request that they might pay their respects to the king. This favour was granted them by His Most Illustrious Majesty [7], all in accordance with the treaty which was concluded at the very beginning. And that he [the chief merchant] might [now] also submit the same request to His Present Majesty [8] on behalf of the Governor-General, and that this treaty might be revised and confirmed anew.

I announced this to His Most Illustrious Majesty, who thereupon has been graciously pleased to show his favour to and amity for the Governor-General and the Council of Asia. He commanded me to do that which was mentioned in the former contracts, whereupon I ordered Lowang Tronpanet to tell the captain that he should bring me the treaty which remains in the keeping of the captain in the factory to me. That I should [thereupon] revise the contract and when this had been accomplished date it, in accordance with what His Most Illustrious Majesty has commanded me, acquiescing in the request the captain had submitted to me.

The chief merchant then dispatched the interpreter Lowang Trongpanet back to say that he could not send the written contract [9] or bring it with him for revision, unless His Most Illustrious Majesty should grant him an audience at court, just as it had come to pass in the days of Lowang Apia Waree and Lowang Witsit Sacoen. This would be so that he [the chief merchant] might personally be able to hear what favours would be granted the Company. Hereupon, I had the chief merchant informed that such was contrary to the tradition, and that in the Year of the Snake, in the days of Lowang Apia Waree and Lowang Witsit Sakoen those people had [also] requested that that the contract should be written and, as the final act, dated. At that time, His Most Illustrious Majesty had commanded that Lowang Apia Waree, Willem Keis [10] and Lowang Witsit Sakoen and Pieter van den Hoorn [11] should present themselves before His Most Illustrious Majesty because this was the time at which the French were committing widespread despredations in the negeri or countries of Ambongian Boery. On that occasion Their Worships were granted admittance to a personal audience with His Most Illustrious Majesty and in this wise in those days the treaty was revised and written down. [12] I have had no personal experience of what the captain has asked for, because such is contrary to the custom. I have most humbly besought His Most Illustrious Majesty, who is now my liege lord,that he might be disposed to grant the captain the favour of permitting him to attend an audience, but I have not been granted this permission.

I have said that on many an occasion the captain has dealt very fairly, and has sincerely maintained the path of friendship between the Prince of Orange and His Majesty, and that he wishes to be granted an audience with Your Majesty, in the manner that Lawang Apia Waree and Lawang Witsit Sakoen were favoured. The chief merchant has said that he will write to the Governor-General about all I have said. To this, I replied to him that he might do so, and inform His Most Excellency of what His Most Illustrious Majesty had commanded that I should say to the captain.

On Wednesday the sixth day of the fourth month in the Year of the Horse, Lawong Trompanet and Ombon Witsit Nasa [13] [came to me]. They brought with them to me the chief merchant and the second person [his deputy] in the residence of the Phrakhlang, where all the ministers, officers and servants of the king [fol. 87], as well as Malays, Chinese, Moors and Siamese had gathered together. The captain requested that I should conduct him into the presence of His Most Illustrious Majesty, but I told the chief merchant that his request was at odds with the manner of the Kingdom of Siam, in view of the fact that, said I, the former ruler [14] had expired and had passed from this transient life to eternity, and now for the last twelve days [I had] been extremely busy settling a myriad of affairs so that the tomb for the body would be embellished with ornaments. Nevertheless, should the captain have several matters to put forward, that I would personally announce these to His Most Illustrious Majesty, and why did he act so impetuously in wanting to bring these to the ears of His Most Illustrious Majesty. [I also said] that all the captain had to do was the bring the contract, and that then the same would be revised, [and] signed and that the path of mutual friendship with the Prince of Orange would henceforth be affirmed even more strongly and reinforced, which would bring the Company even more benefit than it formerly had enjoyed.

Thereupon the captain was pleased to take it upon himself to say that he must request His Most Illustrious Majesty affirm the Company in its commerce and the treaty as in the past revised and sealed. He went on to say that, should in any article anything be said or proposed which did not tally with this goal, that he, the captain, would then personally intervene to have this changed, or that else others would be appointed in his place to be chief merchants in charge of the Company trade to Siam, to whom the Governor-General and the Councillors of Dutch Asia should recommend that they deal with all matters without discord or confusion. [However, I said] that should the captain or his successors as captain of the Company trade to Siam, or indeed if the Governor-General and Councillors of Asia, should happen to cause offence and prove in some sway unsatisfactory, then I would also not be encumbered in any way from speaking my mind. What the captain had to say agrees pretty much with that said by Lawangapy Waree and Lowang Witsit Sakoen. And I wrote down the captain’s words and made the same known to His Most Illustrious Majesty.

Then Praya Angkana [15] commanded me to commit the treaty to words and sign it, after which the treaty and contract with the Prince of Orange [could be considered] to have been extended, and that in the fashion in which it had been done with Lawong Apia Warwee and Lowang Witsit Sakoen, according to the directions the captain had laid down. Thereupon I promised the captain that on Sunday the eighth day of the fourth month in the Year of the Horse he could come to me with the contract, and that the treaty would be revised and signed. Despite this [concession], the chief merchant refused to come to me, but sent to me instead the interpreter Lowang Trongpanit with a letter, announcing that Kididjongtan [16] had requested His Most Illustrious Majesty make known that the treaty drawn up in the time of Pytery Dya Pytry [17] had been confirmed that the tin from Ligor also be so described and incorporated in the treaty. And that His Most Illustrious Majesty through Praya Angkana had ordered and commanded that as had happened in days gone by, as this was commanded and was noted down in the treaty, and by doing this have been confirmed even more strongly, and now that the [the matter of the] Ligor tin would be incorporated in it. This is what has formerly occurred, being according to orders written in the treaty and by the same strengthened, and at present sealed by both sides.

By sending this letter the captain has revealed to me that he has strayed from the path of Lawang Apia Warwee and and Lowang Witsit Sakoen. In this he is following his own will. The chief merchant does say that the Company is favoured in being able to trade its wares, guaranteed by the terms of the former treaty which was drawn up in former times and made and signed at the request [of both parties], but I declare that this should be understood as: as long as the present chief merchant or whomsoever will come to replace him in his office, in their management of the Company business in the Kingdom of Siam do come to deal in all probity, [then all will be well]. However, should the captain and other chief merchants to whom the business of the Company is entrusted, or if the Governor-General and the Councillors of Asia do not want to trade fairly, thereby breaching the treaty, then I shall not be obliged to deal fairly. Nevertheless, the captain twists the sense of the words and repudiates the same.

And these are not new words thought up on the spur of the moment, but composed earlier in the time of Lawang Apy Waree and Lowang Witsit Sakoen, whose manner of conducting affairs is still adhered to. However, [fol. 88] the chief merchant dances to his own tune and claims whatever in the contents favours his own advantage, and conversely, that which does not please him, he leaves undone. I was desirous of writing out the treaty anew, but was unable to procure the text which was kept in the VOC factory, the which I had to make known to His Most Illustrious Majesty. Hereupon His Most Illustrious Majesty was pleased to command that, if people were not prepared to have the treaty drawn up and written down in the same way as was done by Lawang Apia Warwee and Lowang Witsit Sakoen, considering the fact that this is what the captain had requested, this would have to be construed as yet another offence perpetrated by the captain, conflicting with what Lawang Apit Waree and Lawang Witsit Sakoen had done. The captain would have only that which was to his advantage written and signed, which is out of the question. Thereupon an order was given to ask the captain to give his opinion just one more time. And, in the event that he should refuse, to have the treaty written out, then I was commanded to write to the Governor-General and the Councillors of Asia [asking them] to send hither another more sagacious chief merchant. Somebody who will be predisposed to foster the path of mutual friendship made with the Prince of Orange. I have been prepared to revise and sign the treaty, by which the Company should be able to accrue more advantage than [it] previously [did]. However, the chief merchant has sent Lowang Trongpanit to me in order to announce that he [the chief merchant] had [already] sent a letter to the Governor-General in Batavia, and he hoped that another captain who would be better informed about fostering the service of the Company would be sent, and that he hoped to return to Batavia.

The captain who had run the Company affairs in Ligor, and now has managed everything here in Siam, has made very many more mistakes compared to the other chief merchants who have resided here previously. He carries out a great deal of business as he thinks fit and feels that it should be done, which contravenes the path of mutual friendship. He has acted foolishly by wanting to make more [personal] profit, which has been to the detriment of the Company. The captain shows no discretion in business. Because, when the Governor-General sends textiles and other curiosities or goods here to be sold, the first thing the captain does when he negotiates with officials from the Treasury is to calculate his own profit. He then sets the price much higher and by so doing greatly encroaches upon the manner of trading pursued by the former captains, who negotiated with the Treasury officials to great advantage. When I compare the price of the textiles and other merchandise of the captains of former times with the price demanded by the present captain, then that price far exceeds what it formerly was. And when I compare and inspect the samples of the textiles, the chief merchant has nothing to say [to justify what he does]. And therefore I have the feeling that the captain is lying and unjustly shifts the blame onto the Governor-General when he says that the same[e.i. the Governor-General] would have ordered the prices for which these goods must be sold. And when the price offered is according to the price which was previously agreed, the captain is greatly displeased about it, and insists on selling the goods at the price which he demands. He says that these are much more expensive than the wares of the other merchants who come to trade in Siam. I have forbidden that the people take the captain at his word, which is fixed on such a high price, for all I can think is that the captain has entered his lies in [embezzled] the account of the Honourable Company, as it is beyond belief that the latter would have ordered this, but that unquestionably Your Excellency has ordered that the chief merchant should conclude the sale of the goods with the Treasury officials at the usual price.

Every year the chief merchant commits trespasses against the path of mutual friendship and [it seems] that he has taken leave of his senses. His desire is to sell the goods at a higher price and keep the profit for himself. This is not fair trade and is in contravention of the path of mutual friendship to the detriment of the Company. The captain neither consults nor does he display any discretion and for this reason commits more offences than the former captains, who earlier resided here in the service of the Company. Should the chief merchant remain here any longer directing the business of the Company, he will prove unsatisfactory and fail to uphold the path of friendship, the which will cause the Company untold damage. On so many occasions he has offended as has so frequently been reported on many occasions, and now the time has come yet again to inform the Governor-General that the captain is setting the price of the goods so high, that he should be forbidden to do this and the discrepancy [in price] will no longer be tolerated.

When His Most Illustrious Majesty passed away, being on Saturday the tenth day [fol. 89] of the third month in the Year of the Horse [18], I requested that the captain write to Batavia about this with all speed and to impress upon the skipper of the ship to sail first, before the close of the monsoon. Hereupon the chief merchant had besought me [asking] that the contract might be revised and signed, according to the ancient custom, the which I made known to His Most Illustrious Majesty on that very same day. He thereupon commanded that I should draw up the treaty and sign it, just as was the custom of yesteryear, furthermore giving orders that the skipper of the ship should sail immediately and depart for Batavia without delay before the monsoon was over. The captain did not [carry out this order] but told lies in order to excuse and free himself from [his predicament], letting it be known that I was the one who had tarried too long, until the monsoon was past.

All the traders, be they Chinese, Siamese or the people of Pegu, who come to sell the hides of deer and oxen to the captain, which makes a profit for the Company, have come to me to complain that in former times they delivered the hides to the captain at the warehouse for a fixed price, according to the three qualities into which these hides were divided. And, when the hides were received, then the value was handed over in silver coin and that without any problems. Then the price of the hides was paid to the external traders, and the people who sold many hides and delivered them to the warehouse, those same people were paid a cattie of silver, however, those who brought only a few hides, were given 15½ taels, even 10 taels, as that is the custom here.Nevertheless, the captain who has run the affairs of the Company here for four years, only respected this custom for one year. After that he gave them nothing, not even kept to the price set for the hides. Furthermore, he was unwilling to accept the hides of female animals, unless they were undamaged, the which caused the sellers of the hides a loss and upset them greatly. This had never ever before been done by any one of the former chief merchants who have been posted here in the name of the Company. However, the present chief merchant is a person inimical to the path of mutual friendship and ancient custom, and gives offence in many ways.

I have ordered the traders, be they Chinese, Siamese or the people from Pegu, that they should deliver the hides to the captain in the warehouse, saying that it is only the chief merchant who abuses the path of mutual friendship.However, the former captains and the Governor-General and Councillors of Asia have always dealt fairly with the Kingdom of Siam and have annually given the traders [the hides], according to the custom. I cannot [possibly] repeat everything about which the people have complained to me. Should the Governor-General and the Councillors of the Indies not prevent this in the future, then the commerce will not be able to continue and the privileges will be changed. In this wise, His Excellency will not be able to reach his goal but will suffer losses and enjoy neither privilege nor profit, besides on this account the path of mutual friendship with the Prince of Orange cannot be sincerely maintained. I must announce that the present captain, should he remain yet longer in Siam to direct the affairs of the Company, through his myriad offences will completely spoil the path of true friendship, because he refuses to honour the customs of Siam. And as the Company does not trade fairly, this will be to the detriment of the same through which all the privileges which the Company has so often enjoyed, will be stopped. Therefore, would it please Your Excellency to appoint another chief merchant to run the the Company business here. If the same is gifted with common sense and will be able to maintain the mutual friendship between us and the Prince of Orange with our friend the Company in accordance with the customs of the Kingdom of Siam, then will all the business of the Company be continued with much greater profit and advantage, as it was in the days before [this upset], yea indeed from now on even enjoy a doubled profit. In conclusion, all that is mentioned item by item will serve to strengthen the path of mutual friendship between His Most Illustrious Majesty Probat Somdat Boesitprapoudi Tsjouw [fol. 90] Dzouhou, my gracious lord and ruler, which pure and sincere friendship will endure forever if in the future no offences are committed there which are contrary to the treaty and the customs of the Siamese realm. Would the Governor-General and the Councillors of Asia be pleased to deliberate and take care that everything should take place according to the truth and sincerity.

Written on Tuesday in the fourth month of the Year of the Horse.

DAILY JOURNALS OF BATAVIA CASTLE, 27 AUGUST 1703

Reply from the Supreme Government in Batavia to King Somdet Phrachao Seua (r. 1703-1709), 27 August 1703.

From the letter that the Company’s residents in Siam have written [and sent] with the ships recently arrived from there, addressed to the Governor-General and members of the Council of the Indies, they have read with exceeding joy how it had pleased God the Lord to take the previous king from this world, and that the crown of the kingdom of Siam has in turn come to the head of His Majesty the present king through lawful inheritance and succession.

The Governor-General and members of the Council of the Indies affirm their special gladness at this and wish His High and Distinguished Majesty in his kingdom and with his government all welfare and prosperity from heaven, so that His Majesty may see his kingdom flourish and be consolidated more and more, both to the greater splendour and glory of His Majesty and the well-being of his subjects. And also of the Company that has carried on trade there as a sincere and faithful ally of the Siamese realm for so many years. Just as His Majesty can be assured of the sincere intentions and peace-loving nature of the Dutch nation, even so the Governor-General and members of the Council of the Indies also do not wish to doubt in the slightest the favour and good intentions of His Majesty. We expect from his kindness that His Majesty will be pleased (if this has not already taken place) to renew the ancient contracts and privileges that were formerly made between the realm of Siam and the Honourable Company.

The Governor-General and members of the Council of the Indies further inform His Majesty that in the place of the former senior head Gideon Tant, who has departed for Japan in the Company’s service, they have in turn appointed the former deputy, Aarnout Cleur, as senior head in Siam [19].

Finally together with this [letter], as proof of the sincere regard and willingness to help that the Governor-General and members of the Council of the Indies bear to their service, the following gifts, in the hope that His Majesty will find them not unpleasing, consisting of:

5 pieces of karmozijn cloth, purple
5 pieces of the same, violet
x pieces of the same, red
x pieces of the same, cinnamon-coloured
x lakenras schaar purple
600 pieces of sompacken [20]
100 pieces of sanen [21]
40 pieces of golden Persian cloth
10 golden taatsen [22] [ferrules?]
112 pieces of various glassware
x cases of rosewater
6 golden pencil-holders [?]
6 silver ditto
6 filigree instrument tubes
6 turtle-shell tubes
40 various spectacles with gold, silver and ivory edges
x enamelled telescopes with a golden box
375 pounds of cloves
50 pounds of mace
15 pounds of nutmeg
10 pounds of cinnamon
6 fine carbines
10 common ditto
24 calibre muskets
x gilded flintlocks
x ditto carbines
x blunderbusses with long barrels.

Written in the Castle of Batavia on the island of Great Java in the kingdom of Jaccatra, on 27 August 1703. [Signed by] the Governor-General of the Netherlands Indies, Willem van Outhoorn.

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[1] Phrakhlang.

[2] Chaophya, also spelled chao phraya, highest rank in Siamese officialdom during the Ayutthaya period.

[3] i.e. Somdet Borom bophit phra phuttha chao yuhua, generic term denoting His Majesty the King of Siam.

[4] Luang Song Phanit, translator assigned to the VOC.

[5] Luang Aphai Wari, rank and title royally conferred on the Dutch opperhoofd in Ayutthaya, in this case Joannes Keijts.

[6] Luang Wisitor Wiset Sakhon, another title for the VOC opperhoofd, in this case Pieter van den Hoorn.

[7] King Phetracha.

[8] King Süa.

[9] Uncertain reading.

[10] Probably Joannes (or Johannes) Keyts, opperhoofd in Siam 1685-1688.

[11] VOC opperhoofd in Siam 1688-1691.

[12] Uncertain reading.

[13] OkmünWisit Phasa or Wiset Phasa, a translator.

[14] King Phetracha.

[15] Probably from the Siamese expression phra ongkan, or phra ratcha ongkan, meaning “royal command”.

[16] Gideon Tant, opperhoofd in Siam 1699-1703.

[17] Pieter de Bitter, VOC Commissioner who negotiated the Dutch-Siamese Treaty of August 1664.

[18] 3 February 1703.

[19] Arnout Cleur, executive trader in Ayutthaya 1703-1712.

[20] Sompacken, sompak, a kind of cloth used in court wear.

[21] Sanen, (= “sannoes” white cotton cloth from Bengal?)

[22] Taatsen, taad, a silken textile.