"o" The Royal Barges of Siam "o"

Some 300 years ago, Louis XIV of France commissioned Monsieur La Loubert as ambassador to the Court of Siam during the reign of King Narai the Great of the Ayutthaya period . The group was accompanied by a number of Jesuit priests, one of whom was Father Guy Tarchard. in his diary Voyage de Siam des Peres Jesuit, he described the barge procession that came to receive the Royal Message and gifts, saying "Four enormous barges came to welcome us, each manned by 80 oarsmen. I have never seen such a sight. The first two were in the shape of sea-horses and entirely gilded, looking extremely realistic as they sailed up from afar. Two members of the King's Royal Guards accompanied the barges to receive the gifts from the King of France. Upon accepting the gifts, the barges stood by in the middle of the river as a sign of reverence to the precious cargo. " Father Tarchard also described the barge procession carrying the Royal Message and gifts out of Ayutthaya. "The long Royal Barge procession that moved in an orderly fashion consisted of over 150 barges. Together with other boats, they covered the river as far as the eye could follow. It was a breathtaking sight. The sound of traditional chanting reverberated along both banks of the river which were crowded with people who were waiting to see the spectacular event."
This picture of the barge procession is nothing new to the Thai people. Thais have always lived along rivers and canals, and boats were naturally the most convenient form of transportation. The high water level leads to a time of great merriment and festivities, and Royal ceremonies or important festivals will see a larger number of observers and boats than one would expect. During the Ayutthaya period, Van Viet, a Dutch businessman in Siam observed that in Royal ceremonies along the river, or the procession to welcome ambassadors, funeral processions and even boat races, the number of participating boats was tremendous. One foreigner noted in the 18th century that Ayutthaya possessed a total of 200,000 boats, and each ceremony by river could have a total of 300-400 boats manned by some 14,000 people. Another French priest named Bouvet once tallied a number of 30,000 oarsmen.
"The Royal Barge Procession consists of 7-8 barges, manned by 400 oarsmen, followed by some 1,000 - 1,200 courtiers riding in the beautifully carved and gilded barges. Some were exclusively for the musicians."