Travels in the central parts of Indo-China (Siam), Cambodia, and Laos : during the years 1858, 1859, and 1860 . s extraordinary European also induced his gratefulsovereign King Narai to repair the old city of Lopha-buri (Louvo), and construct there an extensive royalpalace on the principles of European architecture. Onthe north of this palace Constantino erected an extensiveand beautiful collection of buildings for his own resi-dence. Here also he built a Eomish church, on whichare still to be seen some inscriptions in European letters,supposed to be Dutch or German; they assuredly areneither
Travels in the central parts of Indo-China (Siam), Cambodia, and Laos : during the years 1858, 1859, and 1860 . s extraordinary European also induced his gratefulsovereign King Narai to repair the old city of Lopha-buri (Louvo), and construct there an extensive royalpalace on the principles of European architecture. Onthe north of this palace Constantino erected an extensiveand beautiful collection of buildings for his own resi-dence. Here also he built a Eomish church, on whichare still to be seen some inscriptions in European letters,supposed to be Dutch or German; they assuredly areneither French nor English (perhaps they are Greek, ashe was of Greek extraction, and born at Cephalonia).The ruins of all these edifices and their walls are stillto be seen, and are said to be a great curiosity. It ismoreover stated that he planned the construction ofcanals, with reservoirs at intervals for bringing waterfrom the mountains on the north-east to the city Lopha- * Such names abound now, as Bang-cha, Bang-phra, Baug-pM-soi, &c.; Bang signifying a small stream or canal, such as is seen Chap. II. HISTORICAL SKETCH. 83 buri, and conveying it through earthen and copper pipesand syphons, so as to supply the city in the dry season onthe same principle as that adopted in Europe. He com-menced also a canal, with embankments, to the holyplace called Phra-Bat, about twenty-five miles south-westfrom the city. He made an artificial pond on the summitof Phra-Bat mountain, and thence, by means of coppertubes and stop-cocks, conveyed abundance of water tothe kitchen and bath-rooms of the royal residence at thefoot of the mountain. His works were not completedwhen misfortune overtook him. Many Siamese officers and royal ministers were jealousof his influence, and murmured their suspicions of hisbeing a secret rebel. At length he was accused of design-ing to put the king to death by inviting him to visit thechurch he had built, between the walls of which, it is said,he had in
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