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Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books

natifs, Surobosoy, lesquels par dedans les montagnes de Lauhos sont bornez du lac
de Chiammay, & de ceux-cy les vns sont vestus de peaux veluës, & les autres de
cuit broncé . . . . He even tells about a war undertaken by the King of Siam
against the King of Chiammay: Ainsi passant pays il arriua au lac de Singapamor,
qu'on appelle ordinairement Chiammay, où il s'arresta vingt-six iours, durant lesquels
il prit douze fort belles places enuironnées de bouleuarts & de fossez, à la façon
des nostres . . . . In this case, therefore, the Lago di Chiamay is identified with
another lake, unknown to us, namely Singapamor. ¹

We now come to the Voyages fameux du Sieur Vincent le Blanc, published
by PIERRE BERGERON in 1649. There are two passages which are too precious to
be translated. Speaking of »Sian» the author says: ² »Ce pais confine auiourd'huy
du costé de l'Occident à celuy de Pegu, du Nort au pais de Chiamay . . . La ville
de Sian est située sur la belle & grande riviere de Menan, qui vient du renommé
lac de Chiamay, & qui a de belles murailles . . .» Further he says of the »licornes»: ³
»Il s'en trouve, à ce qu'ils disent, aux environs du lac Chiamay . . . Ce lac a deux
cens mil de tour, d'où sort un grand nombre de grandes & fameuses rivieres, comme
celle d'Aua, Caypumo, Menan, Cosmin, & autres, qui ont les mesmes inondations &
desbordemens que le Nil. Ce lac a du costé de Leuant de grandes forestes & des
mareseages impenetrables & dangereux . . .» Of Pegu he says that most of this
country is crossed by the great river Amoucharat, or as it is called in Pegu Cai-
poumo & Martaban . . . »Cependant ie diray que nos Geographes se trompent, qui
mettent la riviere qui arrouse le pais de Tangu, pour la mesme que celle-cy de Pegu,
quoy qu'elles soient differentes & bien esloignées: Car celle cy vient de ce grand lac
Chiammay, & passe à Brema ou Brama.» Finally some Peguans told him that a few
years before his visit a king of the old dynasty had several lieutenants in the
countries of the Brama »toward lake Chiamay» and one of them was in the kingdom
of Tanga, which had revolted against him.

LE BLANC not only knows the size of the lake, he also gives us some glimpses
of its natural history. In the great forests and dangerous swamps on the east shores
of the Chiamay the unicorns have their eldorado. He discusses hydrographical
questions, and mentions four rivers: Aua (Irrawaddi), Caypumo (Salwen), Menan
(Menam), and Cosmin (Irrawaddi), thus using two different names for one river, and
omitting Caor. But the four are only examples out of the »great number of great
and famous rivers» which issue from the lake. He even alludes to historical events
which have taken place near the lake. He blindly and uncritically believes in its
existence. He has never seen it, nor has anybody else. Very likely he has never
heard of it either, and only been impressed by the maps of his time. For one can-